Camden: it's history

Hmmm...I don't feel super inspired to blog Christmas photos, after all. Picture extended family gatherings and toddlers drowning in wrapping paper, and you've got it covered. Actually, I think I will do a posting of the impromptu family music fests after this. But first! If you haven't been to the South, you might not know that everywhere you turn you find some kind of Civil War relic, battle site, or memorial, and Camden, Arkansas is no different. For the first time in my life I toured the historic Chidester House, made famous first by being occupied by Union troops during the Civil War, second by being continuously occupied from antebellum times through the 1960s by two different families, and third by being the set for a few different scenes in the soapy, steamy, boob-alicious "North and South" mini-series. Usually mention of the Civil War gets my eyes a-glazin', but our tour guide's description of 10,000 Union troops descending on our little town of 3000, marching up Washington Street (still lined with antebellum homes to this day) was pretty interesting.

After our tour Dave, Anneke, Chloe, and I went to the Confederate Cemetery to go geocaching. I used to hang out here in high school out of sheer boredom, and because the riverfront park was always flooded. Not a lot else to do in my little hometown...except maybe then walk on over to the Jewish Cemetery.

Remember the scene where Patrick Swayze's character attends classes for the first time at West Point? This was the classroom. Obviously, they removed the furniture. There's an outbuilding on the grounds where they filmed a steamy love scene I was far too young to watch, but was allowed to because so many locals were extras in the film (but not the love scene).

Nary a creepy vibe to be felt here...just lots of interesting headstones and stories.

I really do love hanging out in cemeteries.