July 8 We leave DC. Fredericksburg

One of the things Abbey enjoys doing at each National Park is the Junior Ranger program. Almost every day she has an opportunity to take part in it. Today was no exception. After leaving Smallwood and good riddance to gigantic spiders, we headed to Fredericksburg Battlefield State Park. On another very very hot day, we toured the Civil War Battlefield south of DC. This part of the battlefield is small compared to Gettysburg and that was kind of nice. We felt like when we left we had gotten as much out of it as we could have. We got a nice tour by a ranger that sounded a lot like Forest Gump but was considerably smarter and Abbey participated in the 7th of her Junior Ranger programs. After competing a short workbook that quizzes you on what you have learned about the particular park you are in, you take the book to the ranger and he or she gives you a badge. Some of the rangers look at the kids work and tell them good job and give them their badge. Some of the rangers go a step further and have Abbey raise her right hand and repeat a pledge that they will take care of the parks and then give them the badge (like the one at Independence Hall in Penn) and some of them go all out and announce to everyone in the room that Abbey Neff has completed the Junior Ranger program and is now officially a Junior Ranger (like at Fredericksburg and Mammoth Caves) Abbey really likes that. Sometimes Madeline participates and sometimes she doesn't care too.. At this point its a bit of an obsession for Abbey much like my cancellation stamps. She hangs the badges on her curtain in her sleeping area. She has 8 now.
After Fredericksburg, we stayed at our favorite KOA yet in Natural Bridge, Virginia. It was everything a KOA should be. It had a pool, trees, friendly people and a nice convenience store. They were even having Christmas in July and the girls got to do a candy hunt after they went swimming. That night we had a doosey of a thunderstorm and finally the first rain we have seen since Chicago.