Four-Score and .. Really, two weeks ago.

Two weeks ago I visited Gettysburg with a group of friends.  It was on my summer field trip list but it wasn’t feeling like summer by the time I went.

Autumn skies over the battle fields.

We reserved a personal tour guide for our van.  It felt like luxury.  He drove and talked.  We listened.  And we got out to walk around at important spots.  If you ever go to Gettysburg, get the guide!  The battlefields are really just rows and rows of fields and monuments.  Unless you are particularly familiar with the events of the battle or particularly fond of reading and walking, a tour is the way to go.

Memorials scatter the field.

Our tour guide took us through the highlights and turning points of the three day battle at Gettysburg in chronological order.  The only thing I knew about it before I went was a bunch of vocabulary words and the first several lines of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address.  Seeing and hearing simultaneously really brought the event to life.

On Little Round Top.

Bonus: the views were spectacular.

Much to our amusement, our tour guide orchestrated this photo.

Classic, monuments and fields.

Sometimes the monuments are interactive.

After our tour we headed to the town for Gettysburg for lunch.  We ate at Lincoln Diner.  There was no wait and we all got to sit together.  Pretty good for a group of nine.

After lunch we took a tour of President Eisenhower’s home.  It boarders Gettysburg National Military Park and we got our tickets and shuttle at the Park’s visitor’s center.

Eisenhower’s farmhouse home.

My favorite room, President Eisenhower’s napping room.  What a concept!

Sometimes farm things are pretty.

Exploring the farm.

Why does this old air pump make me smile?

To end our day we headed to Pennsylvania’s monument.  All the northern states have their own monument.  Pennsylvania’s has a balcony with views.  Pretty cool!

Gettysburg views from Pennsylvania’s monument.

We met some friendly civil war fans.

We are happy (and cold).  Can you tell?

Why you should visit Gettysburg:

1. Interesting history (if you get a tour).
2. Natural beauty (because: clouds, big sky, distant mountains).
3. A local adventure (aka, affordable break from routine).

 

Advertisement