We left Shenandoah National Park first thing in the morning and the fog in the valley gave us wonderful views!
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| Manassas National Battlefield Park |
We stopped first at Manassas National Battlefield Park. This park has a few sites - a stone house and farm in addition to the visitor center. Typical of civil war parks, this site commemorates an important battle and loss of life. We did part of the auto tour, then drove on to Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts.
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| Filene Center at Wolf Trap |
Wolf Trap holds a special place in my heart because I learned so much from some of the Wolf Trap educators about storytelling when I was a new teacher. We viewed the Filene Center and stopped at the ranger station for a stamp. We also got to view the lovely flower gardens on premises.
Next we drove to Great Falls Park (a sub-unit of the George Washington Memorial Parkway) and took the trail that overlooks the falls in three different places. The rock formations were particularly interesting - very rectangular - and the falls were quite impressive. We were fascinated watching a man kayak down the falls!
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| This pole shows the high water marks from previous floods |
Next we drove to Clara Barton National Historic Site, which includes the Clara Barton House, and was established in 1974 to
interpret the life of Clara Barton, an American pioneer teacher, nurse,
and humanitarian who was the founder of the American Red Cross. This was a fascinating tour with many stories that made us all appreciate her life and work a great deal!
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| Cabinets were built into the walls to keep the emergency supplies ready to go |
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| Front of the Clara Barton House with Red Cross Stained Glass Windows |
Finally, we walked over to Glen Echo Park which is part of the Clara Barton site. This was once a popular amusement park at the turn of the century, then revived during the depression. It has been restored and is used as a park focusing on fine and performing arts education. The buildings made you feel like you were right back in the 1940s!
We ended the evening playing games and going to bed early to be ready for a busy day tomorrow!
Wolf Trap holds a special place in my heart because I learned so much from some of the Wolf Trap educators about storytelling when I was a new teacher. We viewed the Filene Center and stopped at the ranger station for a stamp. We also got to view the lovely flower gardens on premises. 
Finally, we walked over to Glen Echo Park which is part of the Clara Barton site. This was once a popular amusement park at the turn of the century, then revived during the depression. It has been restored and is used as a park focusing on fine and performing arts education. The buildings made you feel like you were right back in the 1940s!
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