A bonus of this trek are wild encounters along the way. Goldenrod is just beginning to blush, while thistles, milkweed, butterflyweed, ironweed, black-eyed Susan, and wild bergamot all spatter color across the slopes. Banks of lavender-hued wild bergamot massed among the thistles. Bergamot is one of the wild mints, and its spicy fragrance is as pleasing as the sight of its shapely pale-violet blooms. We are fortunate to have public lands like Fort Necessity National Battlefield so convenient to visit in our region.