Being retired, I sometimes on a whim, decide it’s time for a road trip. Usually I have a destination in mind, sometimes I know the destination when I get there. Driving has always been enjoyable and my best thinking and planning is done at those times. The back roads and off the beaten path routes are what I like to explore.
The last road trip I ventured out on was about a seven hour drive from point A to point B, but it turned out to be a much longer drive by making some short stops here and there. Those stops were at cemeteries.
For some strange reason, I’ve always found cemeteries fascinating, especially old cemeteries. As strange as it may sound, there are many stories to be found there. Some stories can be guessed, some have to be made up or imagined. I usually lean toward the latter.
My first stop along the way was a cemetery in a small town where many of my family members are buried. Grandparents, parents, a sibling, my spouse, and numerous aunts, uncles and cousins are there, so I had many stories to remember and reflect on. I placed flowers on the closest of these relatives graves and hoped the others understood that I didn’t have enough for all of them.
The next town I stopped in was basically more of the same except an older version that contained many of my immigrant family and their friends from many years ago. These immigrants really have a story to tell about being imported from Italy after the civil war to replace slave labor on a plantation called Sunnyside. But that’s another story I’ll get into another time.
The Civil War is another intriguing subject, so naturally, I headed for the nearest Civil War National Park! The one I went to had monuments for both the North and the South. All the ghosts of the blue and the grey seem to still be there telling their stories.
Before I arrived at my final destination, I found another smaller Civil War Park off the beaten path, so I spent some time browsing and looking at the more unusual headstones.
A few years ago, I was in Paris, France and yes, I had to make a visit to the local cemetery. There I discovered the gravesites of a few famous people. Vivant Denon and A. Fred Chopin were among some of them.
Not sure why cemetery hopping appeals to me so much, but I do enjoy it. Maybe it’s because they are such an important part of history, maybe for some unknown reason I don’t understand, maybe because I know I’ll be spending quite a bit of time in one myself. Who knows? I’m wondering if anyone else has this peculiar type of interest or is it just me?
Hope you enjoyed reading about this little road trip!
Remember,
Keep on the Sunnyside!
Photos 1, 4 & 5 property of the author