10/15/2026 Th – 8hrs drive to Landenberg PA, checked the weather, and decided to reverse the order of my site visits for tomorrow, due to rain in the morning in NJ and rain in the late afternoon in VA.
10/16 F – As I was driving to VA, I decided to visit the 9/11 Pentagon Memorial. It was designated an Affiliated NP Unit on 9/9/2026, two days before the 15th year anniversary of 9/11 – See Blog for October 2018 for photos from my first visit. This photo of Helen and Lillian is from July 2021.
The following photos are from this visit.
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Exited the Pentagon and drove the George Washington Parkway west along the Potomac River to Leesburg VA and the General George C. Marshall House – Dodona Manor. I entered the gate from the parking lot at 9:30am.
Back of House –
Dodona Manor
Next – I walked around to the front of the house. The House was declared an Affiliated National Park Unit on September 25, 2026. “General George C. Marshall was Time magazine’s Man of the Year twice. He led the U.S. Army to victory in World War II, served as Secretary of State and of Defense, and even led the American Red Cross. But his greatest legacy is his vision for and leadership of what came to be called the Marshall Plan, America’s historic investment in rebuilding the economies of Western Europe.”
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I went for breakfast and returned when the house opened at 11am, which was also the time of the first tour. I had purchased a ticket for the 2pm tour ($12 Sr) online but they kindly allowed me to go on the 11am tour. We watched a fifteen-minute video that summarized Marshall’s life and accomplishments.
Mike, our docent, did an excellent job. General Marshall was a very important and successful military and political figure who has not received adequate recognition for his accomplishments.
1950s Kitchen
Marshall’s General Electric radio and television combination set, is seen here next to his favorite red La-Z-Boy chair in the Library. “He used it to watch shows like I Love Lucy, Gunsmoke, and American Bandstand, as well as to listen to and watch his favorite baseball team, the Brooklyn Dodgers.”
“Marshall and his second wife Katherine purchased the property for $16,000 in 1941 and lived there until his death on October 16, 1959. Dodona Manor is unique among historic houses because over 90% of the furnishings and memorabilia in the house were owned and used by the Marshalls and were obtained from Mrs. Marshall’s heirs. The grounds have been restored to their Marshall-era appearance of the 1950s and include a large vegetable garden that was restorative as an antidote to the pressures Marshall felt as Army Chief of Staff.” Our docent told a tale of how Katherine threw the For Sale sign in the bushes after she first saw the house and was determined to buy it!
It took 3.5hrs, and a Dunkin Donut French Cruller, to get me to SW NJ and the offices of CU (Citizens United) Maurice Wild and Scenic River in Millville NJ.
Millville
CU were in the process of moving three stores down to 25 Main St, but Karla Rossini, the Executive Director, still took the time to provide me with information on the river. This is a photo of the old office at 17 Main St. The Maurice Scenic and Recreational River is a unit in the NPS Sponsorship Program.
The Maurice River and three of its tributaries include 35.4 miles of protected water, 28.9 miles Scenic River and 6.5 miles Recreational River. Going S from Millville, my first encounter was the SR-47 Bridge over Menantico Creek.
Looking West from SR-47 Bridge
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My next stop was the Bridge over the Manumuskin River.
Karla recommended I walk the RR tracks off Port Elizabeth-Cumberland Rd to a RR trestle over the Manumuskin River in order to get a good view of the wetlands.
Looking East from the Manumuskin River RR Trestle
I took this photo looking West off the SR-47 Muskee Creek Bridge –
and then a photo looking east. The sign at the bridge over Muskee Creek was missing.
Selfie with the Maurice River sign –
Setting my foot in the Maurice River. The Maurice River empties into Delaware Bay. The water here continues to be a prime oystering location.
I then hustled to get to the East Point Lighthouse before sunset.
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2hrs (78mi) through a storm to return to Landenberg PA, arrived at 8:30pm.
I would like to return to this area and get in some paddling on the rivers, creeks, marshes, and bay.
*I have now completed all 567 parks in the All Parks category of the National Parks Travelers Club.
After I returned home, I updated my U.S. Map for roads driven (orange) and water (blue) paddled and traveled.
