Views from the visitor's center

Here are a few views from the visitor's center. The first looks down the Nashville Pike as well as we can from this point. The Round Forest is approximately a bit to the left of the top of the left wheel in the first picture. The other small trees between the cannon and the far tree line obscure our view.

In this next picture we look back towards the big open field (cotton field) from yesterday's post. When I was there the park ranger said that the dead tree that can be seen on the right side of the picture is about as far as the Confederates got in the field.

And then turning to our left you can see how close the national cemetery is to the visitor's center, it is just across the road.

This is the third visitor's center I've been in at Stones River. I was in one in the mid 90's, nothing special. A bit small but certainly not the worst. So small though that the lobby acted as information desk and book store. I don't think they were ever so busy though that this was a problem. Another time I happened to be there while the newest visitor's center was being built so they used a trailer as a temporary visitor's center. And finally I have been in the new visitor's center. It won't remind you of Gettysburg new visitor's center but it is a nice one. It has more exhibit space and more bookstore space. I think it has more office space too but I never was in the old offices (and probably won't be in the new ones either) so that doesn't matter much to me. Adding exhibit space and bookstore space should be the goal of any new visitor's center. Plus every time I've been to Stones River the staff has been extremely helpful. One time I asked a question about a battery and the ranger didn't know so he got me the whole file and let me look through it. That was pretty fun.