Richmond, VA (USA)

[Mollie was awake by 0730 and immediately started packing for our day trip (her own initiative) - I made breakfast (eggs, cereal and bacon) - we left my apartment by 0810 - after doing some errands, we drove down US-1 until we were able to get on I-95 and then drove to Richmond - the traffic wasn’t fun until we reached I-295 - our goal for the day was to get some stamps for Mollie's NPS Passport - we ended up discovering a unit (Gaines Mill Battlefield) of the Richmond National Battlefield Park - while there, we found a Mississippi monument (to fallen dead who were from near Meridian) - we then drove to the nearby Cold Harbor Battlefield unit - Mollie got a passport stamp and, during a scenic drive around the grounds (with earthworks), we took a 20 minute nature walk - we saw a tree that had been cut down and were able to count the rings (140+) - the leaves were coming in very nicely and Mollie kept marveling about the beautiful weather - we then drove into Richmond (via I-295, US-360 and US-33) - we stopped to visit the Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site - while there, we took a tour of the house and learned about the early civil rights movement, along with the impressive accomplishments of Ms. Walker (African American banker) - when we were done (1245), we got back on the highway (got turned around and had to backtrack to I-64 via I-95 south and north) - while driving, we had a nice talk about the things we’d learned at the National Parks that day - we stopped (1330) for lunch (Taco Bell) in Zion Crossings, near Charlottesville (just west of Lake Anna) - during the meal, we had a nice talk - after we were done eating, we got gas at Sheetz (1415) and, as we were leaving, had an unnerving engine stall episode (car getting old) - Mollie texted Erin and Brenna to see if we could stop for a short visit on our way through Harrisonburg - Erin answered immediately, saying she was “too busy” - Brenna and Mollie talked on the phone and exchanged several texts, with the end result being that we planned a stop at her apartment; Mollie and I talked about relationships, politics and North Korea while we were driving on I-66 and I-81 - we arrived at Brenna's apartment by 1530 and met up with her and all her roommates - we talked about groceries, a roommate moving out for Junior Year and a fancy ball that Brenna was attending that night - Brenna needed to go to Walmart for supplies so we went with her - Mollie rode in her car and I later learned they talked a lot about Brenna’s upcoming IVCF Chapter Camp (Brenna was excited) - we had a nice time shopping - I ended up buying all of the groceries (and took receipts from earlier in the semester) before we said goodbye to Brenna - at 1605, we headed north on I-81 to Stephens City - we located a National Park where we could get a passport stamp but decided to get in line early for the Family Drive-In movie - it was a good thing, too, because the line was HUGE at 1715 and social media sites said the reserved entry access for the movie was sold out - while waiting, we talked about making decisions confidently, my volunteering for ND Alumni Magazine, classical education (and influence on American history) and Mollie more effectively communicating feelings to me and Nicky - the Drive-In management started letting people in about 15 minutes before they were supposed to open (1800), so we were able to park (in a good spot) much earlier than we’d expected - Mollie treated us to the movies (with her dog-sitting money) - we then got in line for food and Mollie treated us to dinner (cheeseburger, chicken strips, fries, souvenir cup) - overall, Mollie spent $40 of her own money - Mollie studied in the car while we waited for the first movie (“Avengers: Infinity War”) to start - we enjoyed the family atmosphere and weather (overcast but pleasant) - we also had some nice talks about school and social media “spoilers” (which Mollie wanted to avoid); the movie started at 2020 and Mollie really enjoyed everything about the movie and retro experience - there was a second movie (“Black Panther”) included in our entry fee but we decided to leave at the end of the first movie (2300); Mollie was very impacted by the movie outcome (many of the main characters died) and we talked about that - it took us over an hour to get home (Mollie fell asleep) and we weren’t in bed until after midnight - the NPS Passport has really opened up our eyes to how many interesting and important historical and nature sites there are in the system - we've got a lot more to do and are having a great time filling in the empty squares]