There’s a hush that hangs over Orleans — a silence too even to be accidental. You feel it the moment your boots cross into the old township boundary, like the woods themselves are holding their breath, remembering. Once, this was a place on the map. Now, it’s a place you have to feel your way … Read more
Operation Iron Lantern | TMP Covert Ops There’s something hypnotic about a carousel. The color, the glow, the music — it all feels timeless. So when I arrived at Glen Echo Park, I expected silence and dust. An abandoned amusement park frozen mid-spin. Instead, the air was alive with laughter. Children raced past me, their … Read more
TMP Covert Ops | Operation Iron Lantern Mission 6 Before “Uncle Tom” became an insult, he was a hero. Explore the Josiah Henson Museum & Park in North Bethesda and discover the true story of the man who defied slavery and led more than 100 souls to freedom. “History isn’t just written by the victors … Read more
Glen Echo, Maryland • Operation Angel’s Echo A Locked Door and a Lingering Presence Just nine miles from President Lincoln’s Cottage sits another piece of history—quieter, more reserved, but every bit as powerful. The Clara Barton National Historic Site in Glen Echo, Maryland, was supposed to be my next stop on the itinerary. Unfortunately, I … Read more
A single road north of Brooksville divides more than land — it divides memory.On one side, beneath the tangled arms of live oaks, lie the weathered graves of Confederate settlers. On the other, the red clay of Spring Hill cradles African American veterans, freedmen, and children so young their names fit on a single line … Read more
There’s something strangely peaceful about a place that once carried the full weight of a nation’s grief.When I turned through the gates of President Lincoln’s Cottage, I didn’t expect to find serenity. I expected formality, fences, and signs that said Do Not Enter. What I found instead was a quiet hilltop retreat — and the … Read more
Operation Iron Lantern — Arrival Zone When my plane touched down at Washington National, I thought the mission was just beginning. Turns out, it had already started centuries ago. Before the runways came Abingdon Plantation — a colonial estate buried beneath the airport’s asphalt. Some say the ground still remembers. Declassified with restrictions. The Arrival … Read more
New Orleans Road Trip #1 – TMP Origins The French Quarter never looks the same twice. By night, it hums with life—music in every direction, people spilling out of bars, and the smell of gumbo, whiskey, and rain clinging to the cobblestones. By morning, it feels like a different city entirely. Quiet. Hungover. A little … Read more
An Unplanned Stop Worth the U-Turn We weren’t even supposed to be here. Dusty and I were rolling toward Tannehill Historic State Park when a weathered wooden sign caught my eye: Sadler Plantation Home, Circa 1838. Before my brain caught up with my hands, I’d whipped the truck into an illegal U-turn. Murph laughed the … Read more
We hadn’t planned this stop. With Sloss Furnaces closed and a little time to kill after visiting The Old Grist Mill, Dusty and I pointed the truck toward Tannehill Historic State Park, not really knowing what we’d find. Honestly, I thought it might just be a quiet patch of Alabama nature—a picnic spot, maybe a … Read more