Day Trip: Crystal Cave in Berks County, PA

Yesterday, Andy and I were lucky enough to get to visit Crystal Cave in Kutztown, PA. For the past few years we kept mentioning that we should visit a cave but it just didn't happen. But yesterday, we had an amazingly beautiful day given the fact that it snowed only a few days ago.   

This particular cave has a rather unique history. It was discovered in 1871 by farmers looking for limestone to fertilize their fields. On the same day it was discovered, plans were made by the village adventurous at the local tavern, Lesher’s Bar. The excited men didn't find diamonds, gold or coal but they did find a very beautiful natural wonder.   




In the early days of the cave's operation, tours were given by candle and torchlight. "Illuminations" of the cave were thrown to entice visitors. These involved illuminating different rock formations in the cave and providing the music of a cornet band.  

The cave was one of the first tourist sites in Pennsylvania. It's various caverns hosted dances and even weddings. The cave is is "live" which means it's constantly growing and changing due to water movement. You can see and feel the water dripping off the stalactites.  

The early tours focused on formations with seemingly religious or animal themes.

Overall it was a fun day and worth the trip. The outdoor paths were off limits due to a recent storm, so we didn't do much walking around. In the summer months there is also a miniature golf course.

Advice for Spectators at Reenactments

As the 150th anniversaries of big battles like Chancellorsville and Gettysburg are coming up this year, many people who have never been to a reenactment will be flocking to the sites. Reenactments can be very fun, but can easily become troublesome if you don't know what you are getting into.




As a reenactor, I have seen many spectators who looked completely lost as to what they were expecting when they showed up who could have enjoyed the event a lot more if they knew a couple of things in advance. A reenactment generally isn't the place for high heels, but there's always one woman there who didn't realize that the event was taking place in a field. 

Advice for Spectators:

-Ask someone where the bulk of the battle will be. The battles are typically in the same spots each year so ask around to see if you can get a good spot. It's improbable that you will see the entire battle so if you get a good spot, keep it.

- Bring your own shade. Most events are held in the summer and there is little shade. Make sure you wear hats and sunscreen. If it's really sunny, you may even consider bringing umbrellas. Sunny can be fun but after hours in the sun, sunburn and sweat can easily become not so fun.

-Bring seating. Battles can be up to two hours long and seating is not provided. It's easy to bring a blanket or some beach chairs. Also many events are held on grass with minimum paved roads. Wear comfy shoes and be prepared to walk on hilly fields. Strollers are sometimes more of a hindrance than a help.    

-Pack a lunch. Make sure you bring lots of water and pack a lunch. There are almost always food vendors at events but be prepared to pay high prices and wait in long lines. You could make use of the day and pack a special picnic. Water is very important, make sure you have extra.


-Bring your own toilet tissue. If it's a huge event like the Gettysburg 150th anniversary, you can bet your bottom that there's a good chance there won't be any. Better safe than sorry.  

-Explore the camps in the morning before everyone is exhausted. Many battles start at 1 or 2 PM, explore the camps before the battle so that you actually get a chance to see everything. It's unlikely that the camps will still be there after the battle on Sunday. Many reenactors travel far to attend reenactments so they have to leave early to get home in time for work on Monday morning.

-If you are bringing children, dress them up. The kids will definitely have more fun if they are wearing outfits that they don't normally wear. Dress little boys up in plaid shirts, jeans and a baseball hat. Dress girls in  button down dresses or a shirt and long skirt with an apron and straw hat. It's not historically accurate but your kids won't mind and they'll have a ton more fun. Suitable outfits can be made out of thrift store finds for a few dollars. You may also think about bringing some toys or a card game. Sometimes the battles take a little while to start up.   

General Courtesies:

Remember, reenactors pay as much as you do to go to events, please be respectful of them. Don't touch anything they bring without permission. All items you see are their personal belongings. Most reenactors are more than willing to let you see or even touch anything you ask to but it's much more polite to ask.

If you are a reenactor, do you have any tips on how to have a good time at a reenactment? If you are planning to attend a reenactment this year as a spectator, do you have any questions?

February is Almost Over!

Out of all of the months, February always seems like the longest. The days fly by but each day is dreary. In December, we are enchanted by the snow flurries. In January, we are excited for the big snows. But by February, little buds protruding from the dirty slush of old snow make us wish spring would just force its way in.  

Devil's Den Gettysburg

Unfortunately for us this year, we didn't have any grand snows. The kind where there's nothing that can be done but taking a shovel to your drive way and drinking a cup of hot cocoa to assuage your raw fingers.  It snowed a lot but typically just an inch which melted and was replaced by another inch the next day. On days it didn't snow, it was too cold to go outside for any length of time.

But I am positive this time that spring is finally coming. The claustrophobic blanket of snow and ice is dripping, giving way to the beautiful colors of spring and I can't be more excited.    

                                                                                    

I hope everyone is as excited as I am. I have lots of things planned for this year and can't wait to get back outside. I find that the stagnation of the season always leads to stagnation of the mind. I always walk out into spring feeling rusty and sore from disuse but enthusiasm usually counteracts it. 

The Civil War in American Art: Book Review

I’m so excited. I get to review Eleanor Jones Harvey’s The Civil War in American Art by Yale University Press.  If you like history and art, it is well worth looking into. 

As a Civil War aficionado, one tends to find much of the same information in many books.  The Civil War and American Art deals with many popular Civil War topics but does so from so refreshing an angle that even the most devoted Civil War reader will learn something new. Art is a reflection of society and this book reflects an honesty from a society so deeply ingrained in modern imagination that many people ignore what the society, itself created.    

Harvey seamlessly melds the art into the context of the day using excerpts from literature and first person accounts. The book does not only cover the war years but also includes the years leading to war as well as the decade after to place Civil War era art into its proper context. 

Harvey discusses well-known symbolism in pre-Civil War and Civil War literature and art such as the use of comets and meteors at the start of the war.  Shortly before the war, a meteor was seen by many from New York to Delaware. Many took it as an omen that John Brown, the radical abolitionist known as the “Meteor of War’s” prediction was coming true. On the gallows for his organization of a slave uprising, he wrote a note stating, “I, John Brown, am now quite certain that the crimes of this guilty land will never be purged away but with blood.” It was striking symbolism used by artists and writers at the time who felt that their lives were about to change.      

Not excluding photography, Harvey introduces the rather unprecedented work of famous wartime photographers such as Mathew Brady, Alexander Gardner, Timothy O’Sullivan and George S. Cook giving an in-depth look into the medium of photography as it was. In a time when almost everyone has a camera in their pocket, it is difficult to imagine just how shocking the images of war were to the people of the 1860s. From only ever seeing paintings and etchings of gallant soldiers fighting artistic battles to the sudden shift of seeing lifeless, mangled bodies piled like meat really brought the true cost of war home to people. 

This book is a very interesting read with stunning photographs. It gives a very in-depth look into the art and literature of the time, allowing the reader a better-rounded view on the culture of the people that created it. 

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book for reviewing purposes but that in no way affected the content of my review.

I Don't Like Spam

Recently my blog has been overcome with spam messages and I can't stand it!

In the past 2 weeks I've had over 20,000 spam comments sent to my blog. Most of them were caught by the spam blockers but a few have managed to get published. What's worse is that in order to delete this mass bulk of spam, I had to get rid of some legitimate comments from readers. 

So I've enabled word verification as much as I didn't want to. I very much dislike word verification because it is  difficult for people with reading or hearing impairments. I also think it's silly to make people jump through hoops to leave a comment. I'm not going to just block all comments that contain links because I like to see what my readers are up to and I'm sure other readers do too. Spam is just so frustrating.   

On many popular blogs, spammers will be met with comments from other readers asking questions like "Do you really think people are going to click on your advertisement?" It's nice that readers defend their favorite blogs but few people understand how spam works.

Spam comments aren't like junk mail, where the point is to get a name out to as many people as possible. The point of spam comments is to get a link to the spammer's website on as many other websites as possible because search engines show websites that have a lot of links out in the Internet first in search results.

I just wanted to let everyone know what was going on and why there have been changes and some comments have been removed. Unfortunately, this problem isn't just affecting my blog. Bloggers on blogspot and wordpress have been reporting a surge in spam this month.