I got an early start today as I knew I had a long drive today of over 200+ miles and I was going to take the slow, back country road, scenic route. I left Williamsburg about 8 am and headed west on Hwy 5 also know as the Old Plantation Road.

The Old Plantations were all along this road and some are still there to this day providing tours. A funny thing happened to me along this road.

I read that President John Tyler’s Home was in Virginia and it was called Sherwood Forest Plantation.　 I was driving down Plantation Road and saw a sign that said Sherwood Forest Plantation and in small print "Home of President John Tyler".　 So I got out of the car and opened the fence gate and started walking around.　　 Along the drive came this Mercedes SUV and an old fat guy with a poodle drove up to me and "I say boy　I say boy, what you doing on this here property" I replied "I heard this was Pres. Tylers home and am on a road trip...am I trespassing?"　　 "Yes, this is my home, I'm the great grandson of John Tyler...where you visitin' from?"
　
"From Los Angeles"
　
"I got a daughter out that way in rancho Santa Fe.　 Crazy place that California!".　　 "So what brings you this way?"

"Just on a historical road trip and visiting some of the historical sites."
　
"Well, I reckon since you drove all this way I can let you walk around the gardens and the home but I can't let you in the house."
　
He walked with me around the house and the plantation and showed me the Tyler Pet cemetery...there must have 50 graves of poodles, cats, goats, and horses the Tyler's owned.　 He explained that after his great granddaddy was President he retired here and then was a congressman for the Confederate Congress.　　 The land has always been in the Tyler family.　 I felt so honored and priviledged to look around the grounds.　 He said that sometimes they have tours of the houses but that is a prearranged for group tours.

I then got back in my car and continued west along Plantation Road through the twisting road and forests and eventually ended up in Petersburg.

I stopped at the Petersburg National Park Civil War Battlefield and watched a film. Grant wanted to captured Petersburg so that he could invade Richmond and thus end the war. They started their siege for 10 months it lasted!!! Finally in April 1865 the final days of the war unfolded. Petersburg fell and Grant was able to capture Richmond. Lee went on retreat west.

They have a driving tour called “Lee’s Retreat” that retraces the last 7 days of the war. It is a long winding but scenic route with stops along the way marking historical events along the way…a home that was converted into a hospital, a cemetery, skirmishes and finally ending in Appomatox.

The day was cold and rainy and windy, very much like the day Lee Surrendered april 9^th, 1965 Palm Sunday…so I was there almost 145 years later to the day and the weather was very similar. Both armies were tired, cold, starving. Lee and Grant met at McLean House where they signed the terms of surrender. The house is still there as well as the decorated parlor where the two met. It was surreal and sort of a whimpering feeling there….4 years of battles and death and agony and it ended so quietly between two men signing some papers.

The rain and the cold were chilling me to the bone and it was getting late and I knew I had run out of time for any more historical siteseeing. I figured Appomatox was an appropriate ending to my road trip.

I then made the final 52 mile push to Roanoke where I checked in for the nite and wait for tomorrows return to Los Angeles.