It was nice to sleep in a little bit again. I got up around 8:30-9:00 a.m. and Josh and Amy were getting ready to go to Harrisburg for a couple hours. Harrisburg is about a half hour away to the northeast from Carlisle. They had some problems with their taxes and had to go there to get the proper help so they could file them.
We all went downstairs and had granola, yogurt, bananas, strawberries and toast for breakfast. We talked about random things again. Josh brought up that their nephew, Mitch, was coming up from Virginia to spend the weekend with them. He is in his first year of college and just wrapped up his freshman year. He was thinking about transferring to Utah next year to be closer to his girlfriend and his family. He is going to go to Gettysburg with us in the afternoon when Amy and Josh got back from Harrisburg.
I asked Josh were the best place to get gas was and he said the Giant. However, there is a good Giant and a not so good Giant in town. He told me not to go to the Walnut Bottom Giant but the other one. I looked up the address to find out which one it was and where in town it was. Josh and Amy headed to Harrisburg.
Mom found the TV remote and found something to watch for a little bit and then she went upstairs to start going through her suitcase. Mitch showed up around a half hour later. We introduced ourselves and he went to go settle in downstairs. I told Mom I should probably go get gas before everyone comes back and we get busy. She said to have fun. I put the address into the GPS and headed into town. It took me literally through town and since it was a weekday the college kids were all over the place and I had to stop several times for them to walk across the street. So going and getting gas took longer than it needed to. I finally got there, put some gas in our Chevy Malibu and saw there was a cache behind the store. Of course, I went and looked for it. Micro Cache in a Giant World (GC4AC5K) was an easy park and grab underneath a lamp skirt. Most grocery store and mall hides are like these. I wrote my name and Mom's name on the logbook and put it back where I found it.
I, then, drove through the gauntlet of college kids walking to and from campus. I finally got back to Josh and Amy's house and noticed Mitch had left. I went upstairs and started going through the stuff in my suitcase. I had to make sure everything fit inside while we wanted for Amy and Josh to get back. I knew we wouldn't have a lot of time later on or tomorrow morning to go through stuff. I set aside the stuff I would need for the next day while putting everything else away the best I could. It is amazing how much stuff you bring back with you. Mitch came back from getting his haircut.
I got hungry so I made myself a ham and Swiss sandwich with my Uts chips I bought earlier that week. Just before I got done eating, Amy and Josh walked through the door. They said that was a great idea, so everyone made themselves a sandwich before we headed to Gettysburg. We grabbed what we needed, filled up our water bottles and piled into Josh's truck. Me, Amy and Mom sat in the back and Mitch and Josh were in the front.
Along the way, Josh told us about the important places in the small towns outside of Gettysburg and why they were significant. In my mind, I just thought it was really cool we were going to Gettysburg because I probably won't remember everything Josh was going to tell us. I was also in the realm that we were actually going to Gettysburg. Up to this point, Gettysburg was just a bunch of war stories I learned in a textbook at school. Of course, it happened, and it was real, but actually going to experience it made it more real to me.
We drove through Mount Holly Springs and continued down Hwy 34 to Gettysburg. It was about a half hours' worth of driving. We arrived at the north end of town, and we saw there were a bunch of people walking around, lots of busses and people taking various tours of town. One of the first pieces of Civil War information Josh told us was about the statues of the men on horses. He told us that the statues are important and then proceeded to tell us why. If the horse is on all fours, the person survived the battle, if it was on three, they suffered wounds and eventually died and if the horse was on two legs, that person died in battle. Mitch and I made sure to point out the horse statues with the correct outcome.
Josh took us to the Gettysburg Museum and Visitor's Center first. I had to run back to the truck because bags weren't allowed into the museum, and no one told me. Oh well. I joined back up with them and went inside to get our tickets for the film and Cyclorama. The film, A New Birth of Freedom, was narrated by Morgan Freeman. It gave some good information; some I've heard and some stuff I haven't heard about the Battle of Gettysburg. It was about a twenty-minute video.
We left the theater and walked to the Cyclorama. I can tell you I've never been to a Cyclorama before. They were very popular in the late 19th century, and it gives the viewers a 360-degree view of whatever image is being depicted. The intended effect is to make viewers, surrounded by the panoramic image, feel as if they were standing in the midst of the place represented in the image. It was pretty cool standing there in the middle of it following along the Battle of Gettysburg as it was happening. It really had a cool 3D effect while we watched.
We went through the museum and the gift shop really quick, used the restrooms and then took some pictures with Lincoln outside.
I grabbed my usual postcard bundle, magnet and this time I got a book about Gettysburg to read whenever I have some down time...which is usually when the weather gets bad.
We all hopped back into Josh's truck and went on the driving tour of Gettysburg. We saw the location of where Abraham Lincoln gave the Gettysburg Address.
"Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing where that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.
But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate---we can not consecrate---we can not hallow---this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, for above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.
It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us---that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion---that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain---that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom---and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."
-Abraham Lincoln, November 19, 1863
It was so surreal seeing these historical points I've only read about in school. It sure gives a different perspective when you're actually here. We went counterclockwise and saw many important locations, including the Eternal Light Peace Memorial, and many other memorials of soldiers and brigades who found from the various states on both sides of the war. I tried to imagine what this place looked and felt like during the war. I will never know that and am thankful for it. We did stop and get out several times throughout the tour. I did do the geocache, Peace at Gettysburg (GCA250) while we were at the peace memorial. I had to find the artist to claim a find.
He told us about Pickett's Charge, McPherson's Ridge, Seminary Ridge, Cemetery Ridge, Cemetery Hill and Culp's Hill.
Josh showed us the pivotal point where the Union Army took the battle from the Confederate Army because of a huge error on the south's part. It makes you wonder what the US would be like if the south won. I will not speculate because this is not what this blog is about. Everyone has their own opinions about stuff, and I personally do not care what you think. He took us to a few more memorials and hot spots, showed us Big Round Top, Little Round Top and Devil's Den.
Amy had scheduled a reservation for us all to have dinner at the Dobbin House. The Dobbin House was built in 1776 for Reverend Alexander Dobbin, his wife and children. It posed as an underground railroad for runaway slaves who needed a place to hide, and it also served as a temporary hospital for soldiers who were wounded during the Civil War. Today, it stands just as it did in its glory days with a few minor restorations as a restaurant and bar. It was pretty cool we got to eat dinner in a building that's been standing since 1776!
We were seated and served by waiters wearing period clothing from the Civil War. We were served different types of bread and fresh churned butter while we perused the menu. I decided to have prime rib, salad and a baked potato with some lemonade. Mom had the NY steak, baked potato and salad with some lemonade. The food was delicious! We paid and when we got up, I noticed a hutch with dishes in it. They looked very familiar. I got closer and saw that they were the exact same dishes my grandmother Eileen had that I now have. What are the odds that I would see them in Gettysburg? Amy said she had some similar to that as well. I told her we would have to compare them when we got home.
We got back in the truck and drove up the road to another parking lot to where we were supposed to meet up with our ghost tour. I saw there was a geocache in the parking lot, so I grabbed The Only Civilian (GC79HZJ) while the rest of my group assembled near the meet up spot.
Ben called me while I was looking for it to let me know how his day was going and what we were up to. I always forget that when I am on the east coast on trips that home is three hours behind us. So, he was just getting off work and heading home.
The ghost tour started. Our tour guide, a very eccentric guy from Baltimore who relocated to Gettysburg, gave us the ground rules, a little bit about what we were going to see that evening and to let him know if we had any questions or to reiterate information if we can't hear him. I was super excited and really hoped that we saw ghosts that night. Mitch was also super stoked as well. I wasn't sure about Amy, Josh and Mom though.
We started at the cemetery and worked our way through town in an 'L' shape. He rattled off stories about many of the buildings in town that people have claimed to see ghosts, spirits or weird stuff happening. Most of those old Civil War buildings are now hotel rooms and various businesses. We spent a lot of time in front of the Jennie Wade House.
Jennie Wade was the only civilian killed during the three-day battle in Gettysburg. On the morning of July 3, 1863, she was shot dead by a stray bullet while kneading dough in her sister' kitchen. The dough was going to be bread that she served to the Union soldiers later that morning. The projectile was shot through the kitchen door and the parlor door of her sister's house and hit her. It pierced her left shoulder blade, went through her heart and ended up in her corset. She was killed instantly. It is uncertain which side fired the fatal shot; some authors have contributed it to an unknown Confederate sharpshooter. She was 20 years old.
As we neared the end of our tour, our guide asked the group if they wanted to continue the rest of the half hour to forty minutes or they could leave and get a refund. Some left and some stayed. We stayed because I wanted to know more about the town and all the ghost stories. I was still hoping to see ghosts as it got darker. He continued one with his stories about other hot spots in town. He then asked if any of us wanted to go to the gate of hell. Some of us went and others ended their tour. I wanted to see ghosts. He even had some EMF detectors and handed them out to the people who wanted to hold one. Mitch and I just wanted to see ghosts. I took a few pictures in hopes that I would see something in the photograph. Sadly, we did not get a ghost encounter. Our tour ended and we all walked back towards the truck.
Amy, Mom and I checked out some of the Civil War buildings nearby. One of the legends is to peak your head into the door window of one of the houses and you will be able to see ghosts inside. I was not lucky. There were people inside the building browsing the gift shop. While I was peaking inside, Amy snapped some photos of me. You could clearly see orbs on me. I stepped back and took some photos of where I was to see if it was light pollution from somewhere else and nothing appeared. They must have been orbs! I was excited.
Overall, our tour guide gave us some great information however, Josh though the tour wasn't all that great and not worth the money. To me, it was the experience of learning new things in a town I've never been to before but learned some of it in history books growing up. A lot of the ghost activity that has been sighted over the past 200 years, typically occurred from July 1st-3rd when the battle actually took place. You have to go into the experience with an open mind. I have always been fascinated by ghosts and ghost hunting. I'd like to go on more tours if the opportunity presents itself.
We drove back to Carlisle and got home around 11 p.m. We briefly chatted about how the morning was going to go for a bit and then everyone got ready for bed. I went into my room and packed up some of my stuff into the suitcase. We were going to have to leave here by at least 9 a.m. the next day so we could make it to Ronald Regan International Airport. I went to bed after midnight and set my alarm for 7 a.m.
Next Adventure: NYC-DC-PA Vacation: Packing, Driving to DC, Layover in Boston and Back to Seattle
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