Merlyn's Musings~: February 2017

Our last adventure on our trip back north this year, was to the Battlefield of Antietam on our way home.
You can find the Antietam Battlefield Visitor Center at
5831 Dunker Church Road, Sharpsburg, MD 21782

This museum and location, documents the day, September 17, 1862, one of the bloodiest battles in the history of this nation.

Here is a Betsy Ross flag with the 13 stars

Oh my. So much history...and it's of the tragic kind.

Americans fighting Americans.

23,000 soldiers killed in 12 hours. Making it the bloodiest one day battle in American history.

And the meeting point of both the North & the South, was here at Dunker Church.

Ironically, this church was pacifistic and the battle was fought on its front yard.
Wow.
Let that sink in.

Here is a photograph from that tragic day...

The church was nearly destroyed due to artillery, souvenir hunters and storms...
but was later rebuilt

Here it is as it stands today..

Visit Dunker Church webpage

The museum was very interesting, with so many exhibits to absorb.
Here is a battle drum...

and a minstrel coat of the era....

Some of the many, many monuments that dot the countryside in this historic area:

You can even take a virtual tour on the website! Amazing story.
The Antietam Battlefield Museum

The battlefield itself is now pretty much devoid of any trees...

and there is a haunting feeling of sadness and despair that lingers there to this day....

We remember and pray for those who died there...
and we hope and pray that our present day Americans can learn to listen to each other and work for the good of all now and in the future.
<3

Hey Ho~

Continuing the traveling stories from our tour south....

Our second adventure was to the "Hindu Temple of Florida" and it was wonderful to go and see the artwork and feel the vibes here at this most beauteous temple! Construction started in 1994 and was finished in the year 2000. The folks there were very kind, hospitable and welcoming. We each came away with a banana that was given to us by the Priest. :) We marveled at the shrines, the artwork, the stories, the lavish colors. It was very, very kewl.

We couldn't take pics of the inside of the temple, (which is fine and we used our decorum) but there are a couple of pics posted on the web, that I did include.
See for yourself and surf here:
Hindu Temple of Florida

Check out the Osprey's nest on tip-top of the shrine!

(Ospreys are symbolic for The Osprey is a majestic Bird of Prey. ... The Osprey is a symbol of true power, with mastery over the sea, air and land. It is a true hunter, with speed, agility, power and precision. It is a symbol of keen vision, seeing its prey clearly and not being blinded by the sun as it dives towards its target.)

Ganesh, with his big elephant tusk to carry things is the "Remover of Obstacles"
I personally said a prayer to Ganesh for you, and for our country. <3
Hey, we need all the help we can get! :)

It was beautiful!

Our third adventure was to the Henry B. Plant Museum in Tampa. Talk about your gilded age in the day of robber barons! WOWSA. This building was previously a 500 room hotel in its heyday! So posh! Yet so HUGE! It never really filled....and started going into decline...but it was saved by turning it into another site for the University of Tampa.

The Henry Plant Museum was formerly known as the Tampa Bay Hotel, which was a 511 room resort hotel opened on February 5, 1891 by Henry B. Plant near the terminus of his rail line. The museum's exhibits focus on Gilded Age tourism, the elite lifestyle of the hotel's guests, and the building's use during the Spanish–American War. It was designed by architect J.A. Wood who also created the old Hillsborough County Courthouse and the Oglethorpe Hotel.

U.S. National Historic Landmark

The Tampa Bay Hotel was built by railroad magnate Henry B. Plant between 1888 and 1891. The construction cost over 3 million dollars.^[5] It was considered the premier hotel of the eight that Mr. Plant built to anchor his rail line. The hotel itself covers 6 acres (24,000 m²) and is a quarter-mile long. It was equipped with the first elevator ever installed in Florida. The elevator is still working today, making it one of the oldest continually operational elevators in the nation. The 511 rooms and suites were the first in Florida to have electric lights and telephones. Most rooms also included private bathrooms, complete with a full-size tub. The price for a room ranged from $5.00 to $15.00 a night at a time when the average hotel in Tampa charged $1.25 to $2.00.

The grounds of the hotel spanned 150 acres (0.61 km²) and included a golf course, bowling alley, racetrack, casino and an indoor heated swimming pool. In all, 21 buildings could be found on the hotel's campus. The Moorish Revival architectural theme was selected by Mr. Plant because of its exotic appeal to the widely traveled Victorians who would be his primary customers. The hotel has six minarets, four cupolas, and three domes. In the early 90's, all were restored to their original stainless steel state.

Click this link!
Henry B. Plant Museum on Youtube!