Just this past July I moved my family from Massachusetts to start a new life farther south with a warmer climate, and of course with prime access to Civil War battlefields. Now I live just 10 minutes drive from Antietam just across the Potomac and I was psyched to see the luminary tonight as I've never been. I heard it was crazy popular but I had no idea.
We headed out at 10:15 with my wife and two kids - 10 and 8 - figuring the later we went, the less crowded it would be. Boy was I wrong. They were so tired but they agreed to go anyhow. The line was still 3-4 miles long just to get in to see it, let alone the hour or so it would take to drive through. My son was losing it and we gave it a go but ended up aborting. We could have toughed it out but my best guess is we would have entered the battlefield at maybe 12:30, and would not been done until close to 1:30 am and it's no fun being in the car with cranky kids if you've ever experienced that.
I regret not seeing it but now that I live here I know the deal. I think I may volunteer next year to help set up and be one of the first to see it. Maybe they'll let me walk the fields like I'd really prefer to and I'll have a much better first experience. Here's a picture taken by a friend. It's not the best but it does capture it. I did get to see some of the candles from a distance and it's hard to believe that each one represents a casualty. It really makes you think and it's sobering for sure even to see it from a distance.
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Here's a few more from prior years.
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