Fractured Fairytales - My Visit To Secretariat's Birthplace

[trackrat59]

I’ve been cooped up all winter and decided to get out of the house today and drive the two hours it would take me from my house to go visit Secretariat’s birthplace, the site of Meadow Farm in Doswell, Virginia. A portion of the original Meadow Farm is now Meadow Event Park, the official site of the State Fair of Virginia. What’s left is 360 acres of Meadow Farm, buildings included.

About an hour into my trip heading south on I-95 I see a couple of big state highway signs along the road letting me know that just left off of I-95 about 4 miles is a shrine to Stonewall Jackson. At this point I had to, well, go to the bathroom so I figured I would find facilities and go visit Stonewall’s shrine. I drive the 4 miles and pull up to the shrine. I’m lucky it’s Saturday because Stonewall’s shrine is only open on Saturday and Sunday. I hit the facilities.

So, come to find out the shrine is actually the site where Stonewall died. He was badly wounded and they took him to a local farm house – “the shrine”. The doctors tried to save him but they couldn’t. I do know he lost his left arm prior to his death. The left arm is buried in Chancellorsville, VA and Stonewall himself is buried in Lexington, VA.

I walked into the little farm house and inside is a park ranger guy wearing a really bad, God-awful hair piece. Keep in mind there are about 9 other people walking around outside so I’m not the only one there. Inside the farm house are me and a nice older couple. The park ranger guy starts giving us the tour of this tiny little farm house. I notice in the rangers hand is one of those little clicker things so he can keep track of how many visitors come into the little farm house. He explains that the bed in the bedroom is the actual bed that Stonewall laid in and died in. And, he said, “see the blanket on the end of the bed, that’s the real blanket that they covered Stonewall with”. Well, all this time I just can’t take my eyes off of his hair. My mind thankfully comes back to planet Earth and I walk out of the little farm house and head back to my car.

I drive another hour and get off at exit 98, VA Rt. 30. I follow the signs to Meadow Event Park. I knew what was coming next. YUCK! The Meadow Event Park is just about across the street from Kings Dominion. Kings Dominion for those that don’t know is a very big amusement park.

So I try to imagine Meadow Farm in its day without Kings Dominion across the street. Then I realize that the Meadow Event Park is closed up tighter than a drum. Can’t get into that place. No events today and forget about it if you came there to see the site were Secretariat was born. CRAP!

Ok so no big deal I try to convince myself. I decide that I’ll come back on March 27th for Secretariat’s birthday celebration. They’re even giving tours that day of all things Secretariat.

As I head back north on I-95 a little disappointed, I decide to do what any other depressed female would do at that point. I stopped at the mall – Tyson’s Corner and went into Lord and Taylor. Had a great sale going on and I got some really nice blouses.

As I head home from Lord and Taylor it hits me. Why is it that on a Saturday I can go visit a shrine dedicated to the place where Stonewall Jackson died but I can’t get into see the birth place of Secretariat? OY! I would think Virginia could afford one more park ranger to man the birth place of Secretariat on a Saturday.

Anyone else do anything different today?

[Sightseek]

Originally Posted by trackrat59

I’ve been cooped up all winter and decided to get out of the house today and drive the two hours it would take me from my house to go visit Secretariat’s birthplace, the site of Meadow Farm in Doswell, Virginia. A portion of the original Meadow Farm is now Meadow Event Park, the official site of the State Fair of Virginia. What’s left is 360 acres of Meadow Farm, buildings included.

About an hour into my trip heading south on I-95 I see a couple of big state highway signs along the road letting me know that just left off of I-95 about 4 miles is a shrine to Stonewall Jackson. At this point I had to, well, go to the bathroom so I figured I would find facilities and go visit Stonewall’s shrine. I drive the 4 miles and pull up to the shrine. I’m lucky it’s Saturday because Stonewall’s shrine is only open on Saturday and Sunday. I hit the facilities.

So, come to find out the shrine is actually the site where Stonewall died. He was badly wounded and they took him to a local farm house – “the shrine”. The doctors tried to save him but they couldn’t. I do know he lost his left arm prior to his death. The left arm is buried in Chancellorsville, VA and Stonewall himself is buried in Lexington, VA.

I walked into the little farm house and inside is a park ranger guy wearing a really bad, God-awful hair piece. Keep in mind there are about 9 other people walking around outside so I’m not the only one there. Inside the farm house are me and a nice older couple. The park ranger guy starts giving us the tour of this tiny little farm house. I notice in the rangers hand is one of those little clicker things so he can keep track of how many visitors come into the little farm house. He explains that the bed in the bedroom is the actual bed that Stonewall laid in and died in. And, he said, “see the blanket on the end of the bed, that’s the real blanket that they covered Stonewall with”. Well, all this time I just can’t take my eyes off of his hair. My mind thankfully comes back to planet Earth and I walk out of the little farm house and head back to my car.

I drive another hour and get off at exit 98, VA Rt. 30. I follow the signs to Meadow Event Park. I knew what was coming next. YUCK! The Meadow Event Park is just about across the street from Kings Dominion. Kings Dominion for those that don’t know is a very big amusement park.

So I try to imagine Meadow Farm in its day without Kings Dominion across the street. Then I realize that the Meadow Event Park is closed up tighter than a drum. Can’t get into that place. No events today and forget about it if you came there to see the site were Secretariat was born. CRAP!

Ok so no big deal I try to convince myself. I decide that I’ll come back on March 27th for Secretariat’s birthday celebration. They’re even giving tours that day of all things Secretariat.

As I head back north on I-95 a little disappointed, I decide to do what any other depressed female would do at that point. I stopped at the mall – Tyson’s Corner and went into Lord and Taylor. Had a great sale going on and I got some really nice blouses.

As I head home from Lord and Taylor it hits me. Why is it that on a Saturday I can go visit a shrine dedicated to the place where Stonewall Jackson died but I can’t get into see the birth place of Secretariat? OY! I would think Virginia could afford one more park ranger to man the birth place of Secretariat on a Saturday.

Anyone else do anything different today?

You could have just asked me for pictures -- I ride horses up the street! Without the "Birthplace of Secretariat" sign the Commonwealth put up you would never know that was the right place.

Actually, there is one cool thing in those fields beside the event park, a bald eagle has been there for a few weeks now.

[trackrat59]

Originally Posted by Sightseek

You could have just asked me for pictures -- I ride horses up the street! Without the "Birthplace of Secretariat" sign the Commonwealth put up you would never know that was the right place.

Actually, there is one cool thing in those fields beside the event park, a bald eagle has been there for a few weeks now.

Well I got up today and had a wild hair. So off I went. I'm going on 3/27 so if anyone else decides to go it would be nice to hook up.