Day 51 – Sunday June 10, 2007 – Gettysburg & Hershey, Pennsylvania
Today on our way to Gettysburg, we passed through many of the same areas we saw two days ago near Lancaster, Pennsylvania. I assure you that there is a simple explanation for this. You see, I forgot to incorporate Gettysburg into our trip to Pennsylvania, when I got caught up in all of the excitement of Washington D.C. It has always been on the itinerary, but I simply forgot that we were this close. When one is dealing with so much planning, it is just a matter of time before a little detail skips past one’s mind! Or so I say!
With that decision made, we looked around at some of the exhibits in the museum, before deciding to take in the “Electronic Map” show. The Electronic Map is just as the name describes. It is a large map in the middle of a square room with light bulbs that help describe the troop movements during the three day Battle of Gettysburg. Yesterday in Philadelphia, we spoke to a couple that told us the Electronic Map was very helpful in describing the battle. The fact that we had seen the map, helped us visualize things better as we toured the battlefield.
Before starting the tour, we walked across the street to the Gettysburg National Cemetery. On November 19, 1863 Abraham Lincoln dedicated the cemetery by giving his infamous Gettysburg Address. In the middle of the cemetery is a monument with a statue of Lincoln in the center and the text of the speech on the sides. The Gettysburg Address has always been one of my favorite speeches. It really puts into perspective not only what this country is about, but also why it is worth fighting for. When you think about how young this country was at the time, the speech’s importance multiplies. After taking a few minutes in the cemetery, we headed to the car to start the tour.
The whole battlefield from beginning to end is lined with statues and plaques memorializing the different regiments that fought there, both union and confederate. As a historic site, this area has been maintained wonderfully. We actually imagined what it would’ve been like to see the soldiers fighting on those three days in July of 1863. The National Park Service tour roads lead to all of the major areas of the battle, including “Little Round Top” which is the highest point on the battlefield. From what I understand, they are building a new Visitor Center, which will feature even more exhibits and improve the overall experience for visitors. Even though we had to back track a bit, in the end, we all felt that going to Gettysburg was worth it.
With everything we wanted to do completed, we left Hershey’s Chocolate World at 8pm and headed to our hotel in eastern Pennsylvania. Tomorrow we are going to drop our car at the hotel in Newark, New Jersey before heading into New York City. We decided to stay in Newark for budgetary reasons. Staying outside the city saves us about $100 a night. Since our hotel is only a 30 minute train ride from Manhattan everything should work out fine! We are really looking forward to New York City!
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WOW!did u guys make me home sick,and yet I was right there with u while i was reading it remember i grew up back there u are on my home turf now be well,be safe have fun.all my love to u all