I don’t believe in coincidences! I finally found a travel mate for my trip to the Akan festival in Mineral, Va., and I’m counting down the days (13 days to be exact) until we leave for our excursion to the back woods of Va.,
For the two days we’re there our home base will be the Rockland Retreat; a black owned bed and breakfast housed in a mansion on an abandoned plantation. According to the brochure Rockland is stone’s throw away from the Walker Plantation; the area that influenced Alex Haley’s Roots. In addition to the county breakfast that is included the bed and breakfast includes an opportunity to explore the history of slavery in Virginia. Cotton fields, lakes, green space and quiet I can’t wait. In preparation for the trip I’ve been doing some research on the area. I’ve been spending my extra time using google maps to explore the area and chart out our journey and I found a cluster of streets that bare my father's surname : Burton court, Burton Street and Burton Circle. The Burtons are from South Carolina, but I wonder if there was a Burton Plantation somewhere in the area?