March 10, 2012 - Confederates vs. Union (yes, still!)

Living in the South has always been an intriguing endeavor. When I was a 14-year-old teenager moving from the Florida Keys to North Georgia, the South (which Florida is certainly not a part of) was very foreign to me. Especially the part of the South we moved to - where we lived down a dirt road, everybody said y'all, fried food and cornbread abounded and gun racks and Confederate flags were a mainstay in the back windows of pick-up trucks. Hell, we might as well have moved to Mars.

But I grew to love all (most of) the traditions and quirks and nuances of Southern living - it's why I was so anxious to get back to this land of sweet tea and front porch rockers after moving to the Midwest.

But after all these years, there is one southern mainstay I have never ventured into - Civil War re-enactments. You know, that war that took place about 150 years ago that these lovely southern people will NOT put to sleep? I have now been inducted into this experience.

Today, my family and I headed out to a Confederate "encampment." There was a Union one in town too, but I would have felt like a trader there (even though my parents and older generations are from Pennsylvania and Ohio). And guess what? It was all pretty cool.


Georgia was a little puzzled and kind of freaked out at first. I don't know if it was all the campfires or the uniforms or just all the people (she's not a people person), but she warmed up by the end of our trip back in time.



Here's a few more moments from our day roughing it in the camp and preparing to take on those Union soldiers:



(notice the futuristic man in the blue jacket and sunglasses!)

I must say, after our experience today hanging out with the Rebels, next time the time machine lands in our town, I think we'll make another visit.