Trip Journal: Mini-Meet-up in Gettysburg
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and Sharpsburg, Maryland; Wednesday, June 3, through Sunday, June 7, 2015
Lynn and I made a little road trip to Gettysburg for a mini-meet-up with few fellow members of the Utah Trip Advisor Herd. There were three couples converging on south-central PA for a long weekend of exploring the battlefields. Rhonda and Chris were also traveling from Ohio while Donna and Oscar were cruising in from New Jersey. Everyone pitched in with the planning and logistics so it was a very fun yet relaxed visit. We had secured a nice VRBO house south of the square in Gettysburg on Baltimore Street, so very convenient to the park and town. Plus is made a nice place to relax and hang-out in the evening. During the days we toured both Gettysburg and Antietam National Battlefield Parks, so we had a chance to relive the history, do a little hiking, and see a few critters but mostly to spend time with our friends.
Wednesday, 3 June – Travel to Gettysburg. We were on the road as per plan just after 8:00 AM. We made a quick stop at Momma Jo’s Pies for cookies and then breakfast at McDonalds (the kitchen is currently gutted for remodeling, so it was just easier to grab a quick bit on the road), so we were really on the road at 8:40.
It was a very gray day but no rain to speak of, which was great for driving. Overall it was a very easy drive to Gettysburg, basically just running along the turnpike. While the overcast sort of muted the landscapes we were driving through we still enjoyed the changing vistas. It seems that there was a different view as we came through each tunnel. Parts reminded me of the West Virginia turnpike while other areas were more wide open similar to southwest Virginia east of Big walker Tunnel. The trip took about six hours including a couple quick stops. We packed a lunch for the trip just to finish up some sandwich leftovers, rather than our normal habit of just grabbing some snacks on the way (well, I did find some chocolate covered pretzels at one of the service plazas!). There were not a lot of interesting critters along the highway. The only sighting of note was a large hawk being harassed by about ten little birds; probably the largest number I have ever seen chasing a raptor. The only issue was trying to stay awake. I’m no road-tripper, so these long drive are tough on me. Lynn was nodding off in the navigator’s seat…that’s just not fair!
We arrived at the VRBO right at 3:00 so exactly as planned. Surprise! Donna and Oscar were already there. They figured they would be the last to arrive even though they live the closest, but Oscar ended up taking the day off so they got an earlier start. Turned out that Chris and Rhonda were not too far behind us. We unloaded the vehicles, quickly settled in then headed to the back yard for a beer or two and some quiet time to catch up. Donna mentioned that she had read that the house is a favorite of folks interested in the paranormal…great we’ve got haints!
We finally started thinking about dinner options about 5:30. We planning on eating out this evening but cooking in the rest of the weekend. However, since our kitchen is dismantled, there was no way to do any pre-work so Lynn and I offered to buy pizza or something one evening. We headed to Garyowen Irish Pub about 5:45 but moseyed our way there as we checked out the shop fronts and historical markers along the way. We arrived at 6:00 but there was a 45 minute wait so Donna provided her phone number for a text when our table was ready and we headed out to further explore Gettysburg.
We continued around the square reading the markers. All of the buildings that were present during the battle had some historical purpose. Most were swamped with wounded soldiers and used as hospitals. We saw where Lincoln stayed prior to delivering his famous “Gettysburg address” at the dedication of the cemetery. Of course there were some odd things in town as well, like the statue of Lincoln with a modern day tourist. What’s up with that?
We were almost back at the pub when Donna received the text so good timing. There were a few seating areas in the pub; the bar, a rustic, more traditional area and a lighter, more formal area. We were seated in the latter. Mostly pub food on the menu, but a nice variety if dishes. More importantly there were some interesting beers to try as well. I went with the Stubborn Prig Porter for something different. For dinner I started with the crab bisque (and regaled the group with our search for a seafood bisque to replace the most excellent lobster bisque that we used to get at Grand Market) and had the spicey sausage sandwich which was very good. Lynn at the beef stew which was also very good ( I snitched a piece of the beef and it was very tender), but had a lot of gravy (too bad they did not pour the stew over mashed potatoes). Add to the nice setting and the good grub, the great company and the outstanding service and it all points to a nice evening.
After dinner we went back to the house and sat in the backyard until 10:00 when Lynn and decided to call it a day (I was already nodding off!). We crashed while the rest of the gang visited a little while longer.
Thursday, 4 June – Guided Tour of Gettysburg. I was up at 5:45 and downstairs around 6:45. I just snacked for breakfast. Rhonda brought banana-nut bread which was outstanding, plus I got a couple of huge blackberries from Oscar. Lots of comments this morning on how well the house is working for our little meet-up. The house really is nice and has plenty of space for us. Plus it is in great shape and appears to have been painstakingly restored. The woodwork throughout really made the place standout. Of course for this group the outside space is key and the backyard we had was ideal.
The plan for today is a guided tour of the battlefield here in Gettysburg, probably the most famous of all the major battles of the American Civil War. As it happens, Donna and Oscar have an “in” to an expert on Gettysburg, their son Oscar’s wife’s dad works for the Gettysburg Foundation and knows an awful lot about the history of the battle and the area. Ray is not an official guide, but after spending the day with him it seems to me that he should be.
The plan was to meet Ray at the visitor center at 10:00, but we were getting antsy sitting in the house and decided to head over early for a look around. I guess we were walking into the visitor center about 9:30 so we had a little time to look at the historical displays and the bookshop (although that place was packed with kids so it was hard to move about). This was an all new facility since Lynn and I had visited last in 2003; the cornerstone on the new building stated 2008. Ray arrived right on time and we figured out the plan for the day. His original idea was to have us first view the movie on how the war came to Gettysburg and see the Cyclorama, but the early shows were already sold out. So we shuffled the order and went into the museum first then took in the movie and the Cyclorama.
Ray told us that there was a special display of artifacts from the Philadelphia Museum. These items were on load while the other museum was being renovated. Of particular interest were items of General John Reynolds, Commander of the Union First Corp, who was killed on the first day of the battle. Both his saddle and hat were on display. There was also a death mask from President Lincoln.
After the special exhibit, we went into the museum where Ray gave us an overview of how the armies came to be in southern Pennsylvania, and it had nothing to do with the Rebels looking for shoes, despite what General Henry Heath had to say. We just made a quick spin through the museum as we thought we might have time later in the day to further explore the exhibits, then headed to the theater for the movie and finally the Cyclorama.
The film is titled “A New Birth of Freedom” which was taken from Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. The film is narrated by Morgan Freeman and features Sam Waterston and the voice of Lincoln. The movie places the monumental events of the Battle of Gettysburg into the larger context of the Civil War and American history.
After the movie we went a level to the circular room housing the Battle of Gettysburg Cyclorama painting. French artist Paul Philippoteaux spent months on the battlefield researching the battle with veterans, a battlefield guide and a photographer. It took Philippoteaux and a team of assistants more than a year to complete the painting. The resulting canvas measures 377 feet in circumference and 42 feet high, so longer than a football field and as tall as a four-story building. The oil painting depicts Pickett’s Charge during the third day of the Battle of Gettysburg. The painting has been completely restored and today is displayed the way Philippoteaux originally intended with an overhead canopy and a three-dimensional diorama foreground that realistically features stone walls, broken fences, shattered trees and a cannon.
Lynn and I made a little road trip to Gettysburg for a mini-meet-up with few fellow members of the Utah Trip Advisor Herd. There were three couples converging on south-central PA for a long weekend of exploring the battlefields. Rhonda and Chris were also traveling from Ohio while Donna and Oscar were cruising in from New Jersey. Everyone pitched in with the planning and logistics so it was a very fun yet relaxed visit. We had secured a nice VRBO house south of the square in Gettysburg on Baltimore Street, so very convenient to the park and town. Plus is made a nice place to relax and hang-out in the evening. During the days we toured both Gettysburg and Antietam National Battlefield Parks, so we had a chance to relive the history, do a little hiking, and see a few critters but mostly to spend time with our friends.
Wednesday, 3 June – Travel to Gettysburg. We were on the road as per plan just after 8:00 AM. We made a quick stop at Momma Jo’s Pies for cookies and then breakfast at McDonalds (the kitchen is currently gutted for remodeling, so it was just easier to grab a quick bit on the road), so we were really on the road at 8:40.
It was a very gray day but no rain to speak of, which was great for driving. Overall it was a very easy drive to Gettysburg, basically just running along the turnpike. While the overcast sort of muted the landscapes we were driving through we still enjoyed the changing vistas. It seems that there was a different view as we came through each tunnel. Parts reminded me of the West Virginia turnpike while other areas were more wide open similar to southwest Virginia east of Big walker Tunnel. The trip took about six hours including a couple quick stops. We packed a lunch for the trip just to finish up some sandwich leftovers, rather than our normal habit of just grabbing some snacks on the way (well, I did find some chocolate covered pretzels at one of the service plazas!). There were not a lot of interesting critters along the highway. The only sighting of note was a large hawk being harassed by about ten little birds; probably the largest number I have ever seen chasing a raptor. The only issue was trying to stay awake. I’m no road-tripper, so these long drive are tough on me. Lynn was nodding off in the navigator’s seat…that’s just not fair!
We arrived at the VRBO right at 3:00 so exactly as planned. Surprise! Donna and Oscar were already there. They figured they would be the last to arrive even though they live the closest, but Oscar ended up taking the day off so they got an earlier start. Turned out that Chris and Rhonda were not too far behind us. We unloaded the vehicles, quickly settled in then headed to the back yard for a beer or two and some quiet time to catch up. Donna mentioned that she had read that the house is a favorite of folks interested in the paranormal…great we’ve got haints!
We finally started thinking about dinner options about 5:30. We planning on eating out this evening but cooking in the rest of the weekend. However, since our kitchen is dismantled, there was no way to do any pre-work so Lynn and I offered to buy pizza or something one evening. We headed to Garyowen Irish Pub about 5:45 but moseyed our way there as we checked out the shop fronts and historical markers along the way. We arrived at 6:00 but there was a 45 minute wait so Donna provided her phone number for a text when our table was ready and we headed out to further explore Gettysburg.
We continued around the square reading the markers. All of the buildings that were present during the battle had some historical purpose. Most were swamped with wounded soldiers and used as hospitals. We saw where Lincoln stayed prior to delivering his famous “Gettysburg address” at the dedication of the cemetery. Of course there were some odd things in town as well, like the statue of Lincoln with a modern day tourist. What’s up with that?
We were almost back at the pub when Donna received the text so good timing. There were a few seating areas in the pub; the bar, a rustic, more traditional area and a lighter, more formal area. We were seated in the latter. Mostly pub food on the menu, but a nice variety if dishes. More importantly there were some interesting beers to try as well. I went with the Stubborn Prig Porter for something different. For dinner I started with the crab bisque (and regaled the group with our search for a seafood bisque to replace the most excellent lobster bisque that we used to get at Grand Market) and had the spicey sausage sandwich which was very good. Lynn at the beef stew which was also very good ( I snitched a piece of the beef and it was very tender), but had a lot of gravy (too bad they did not pour the stew over mashed potatoes). Add to the nice setting and the good grub, the great company and the outstanding service and it all points to a nice evening.
After dinner we went back to the house and sat in the backyard until 10:00 when Lynn and decided to call it a day (I was already nodding off!). We crashed while the rest of the gang visited a little while longer.
Thursday, 4 June – Guided Tour of Gettysburg. I was up at 5:45 and downstairs around 6:45. I just snacked for breakfast. Rhonda brought banana-nut bread which was outstanding, plus I got a couple of huge blackberries from Oscar. Lots of comments this morning on how well the house is working for our little meet-up. The house really is nice and has plenty of space for us. Plus it is in great shape and appears to have been painstakingly restored. The woodwork throughout really made the place standout. Of course for this group the outside space is key and the backyard we had was ideal.
The plan for today is a guided tour of the battlefield here in Gettysburg, probably the most famous of all the major battles of the American Civil War. As it happens, Donna and Oscar have an “in” to an expert on Gettysburg, their son Oscar’s wife’s dad works for the Gettysburg Foundation and knows an awful lot about the history of the battle and the area. Ray is not an official guide, but after spending the day with him it seems to me that he should be.
The plan was to meet Ray at the visitor center at 10:00, but we were getting antsy sitting in the house and decided to head over early for a look around. I guess we were walking into the visitor center about 9:30 so we had a little time to look at the historical displays and the bookshop (although that place was packed with kids so it was hard to move about). This was an all new facility since Lynn and I had visited last in 2003; the cornerstone on the new building stated 2008. Ray arrived right on time and we figured out the plan for the day. His original idea was to have us first view the movie on how the war came to Gettysburg and see the Cyclorama, but the early shows were already sold out. So we shuffled the order and went into the museum first then took in the movie and the Cyclorama.
Ray told us that there was a special display of artifacts from the Philadelphia Museum. These items were on load while the other museum was being renovated. Of particular interest were items of General John Reynolds, Commander of the Union First Corp, who was killed on the first day of the battle. Both his saddle and hat were on display. There was also a death mask from President Lincoln.
After the special exhibit, we went into the museum where Ray gave us an overview of how the armies came to be in southern Pennsylvania, and it had nothing to do with the Rebels looking for shoes, despite what General Henry Heath had to say. We just made a quick spin through the museum as we thought we might have time later in the day to further explore the exhibits, then headed to the theater for the movie and finally the Cyclorama.
The film is titled “A New Birth of Freedom” which was taken from Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. The film is narrated by Morgan Freeman and features Sam Waterston and the voice of Lincoln. The movie places the monumental events of the Battle of Gettysburg into the larger context of the Civil War and American history.
After the movie we went a level to the circular room housing the Battle of Gettysburg Cyclorama painting. French artist Paul Philippoteaux spent months on the battlefield researching the battle with veterans, a battlefield guide and a photographer. It took Philippoteaux and a team of assistants more than a year to complete the painting. The resulting canvas measures 377 feet in circumference and 42 feet high, so longer than a football field and as tall as a four-story building. The oil painting depicts Pickett’s Charge during the third day of the Battle of Gettysburg. The painting has been completely restored and today is displayed the way Philippoteaux originally intended with an overhead canopy and a three-dimensional diorama foreground that realistically features stone walls, broken fences, shattered trees and a cannon.
We next toured the battleground with Ray from about 11:30 until 6:45 with just a short break from lunch. The weather had not improved; it was a grey day, cool, overcast and drizzling, with some harder showers but mostly sprinkles. So it was not a good day for photos, but still nice enough for a tour.
We covered just about the entire battlefield during the course of the day, getting both the main events as well as specific details from Ray about all three days of the battle. There is no way that I can recall everything that Ray discussed during the tour, but here are some of the key points and interesting notes, and also the general route that we took around the battlefield. Link to map of the battlefield for reference. If there are any historical inaccuracies in this summary, they are due to my faulty memory, not from bad information from Ray; that man knows his stuff!
We covered just about the entire battlefield during the course of the day, getting both the main events as well as specific details from Ray about all three days of the battle. There is no way that I can recall everything that Ray discussed during the tour, but here are some of the key points and interesting notes, and also the general route that we took around the battlefield. Link to map of the battlefield for reference. If there are any historical inaccuracies in this summary, they are due to my faulty memory, not from bad information from Ray; that man knows his stuff!
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It was about 2:00 when we departed the Peach Orchard so Ray led us back toward town for lunch at the Dobbin House Tavern. That was a great choice as it was one of the places that had come highly recommended from Trip Advisor and our VRBO owner. Well, Ray is a local so he should know the best places to eat, right? The tavern is in a home that traces back to Revolutionary War time and was used as a stop on the Underground Railroad. The tavern is in the lower level; I guess it would be called the basement. It was dark but the candles provided sufficient light as well as nice ambiance. The servers were dressed in period garb which just added to the atmosphere. Plus the food was excellent and there was a decent selection of beers on tap. I had the crab cake sandwich and potato salad (Rhonda speculated that the potato salad was made with vinegar) along with a Troegg’s IPA which was quite tasty. After lunch, we resumed the tour at the southern end of the Union lines at Little Round Top.
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That was a full day of Civil War history. Ray really knows his stuff! I particularly enjoyed the day. It was great taking with someone who was really into this period of history. We dropped Ray back at the Visitor Center and headed home for dinner. Even though it was not a great day for photos in terms of light, Lynn and I still took several to document the tour; here's the link.
Rhonda cooked dinner tonight; a chicken dish over rice with broccoli. Quite tasty. Then we retired to the back yard for a few beers and chatted away until 11:00. Funny thing happened while we were sitting out back. We had not seen the tenet who lives on the third floor of the house, but just as Oscar was commenting on that fact, POOF, there she was. She just walked into the backyard on her way to her apartment. Just odd timing…or was it something else…
Friday, June 5 – Road Trip to Antietam. As usual, I was up early and headed downstairs to sit in the front parlor and work on my trip notes, review photos from yesterday’s tour and do a little prep research on today’s activities. Whatever haints might be in the house, it seems that the weather spirits are on our side as it looks like a better day on tap in which is good as we are planning on a drive to Sharpsburg, Maryland, to explore another Civil War site, Antietam National Battlefield Park.
Donna made a Cowboy Casserole for breakfast, a recipe she got from Max (wow, another Trip Advisor Herd connection). We got our gear in order and mounted up for the drive. We split up today; Lynn and I rode with Oscar while Donna cruised with Chris and Rhonda. We were on the road about 8:45.
The drive from Gettysburg to Antietam took right at an hour. Once we were off US 15, the state and county roads wound through the mountains. We figured that Donna and Rhonda would not be pleased about the winding nature of the roads but it seemed that everyone survived the trip. But it was a pretty drive as we went through Catoctin Mountain Park and South Mountain State Park.
We started our tour at the Visitor Center and caught most of the 10:00 AM Ranger talk that provided an overview of the battle. The Ranger provided a great summary of how the armies ended up here in Sharpsburg, including the audacious plan that Lee developed to split his forces to capture the Union garrison at Harpers Ferry and defend the gaps at South Mountain, and the stroke of luck that McClellan had when Lee’s orders for the Army of Northern Virginia were found and delivered to him. McClellan now knew that Lee had divided his army so the Union commander had an opportunity to attack and defeat each of the dispersed elements, but he squandered this advantage and allowed Lee time to gather his forces in Sharpsburg where the bloodiest single day in the American Civil War took place.
After the Visitor Center we drove the entire tour route through the park, basically following the numbered stops on the map (link). We covered a lot of ground and took a fair number of photos. Here's the link to the park map. And here’s a summary of our day at Antietam:
Rhonda cooked dinner tonight; a chicken dish over rice with broccoli. Quite tasty. Then we retired to the back yard for a few beers and chatted away until 11:00. Funny thing happened while we were sitting out back. We had not seen the tenet who lives on the third floor of the house, but just as Oscar was commenting on that fact, POOF, there she was. She just walked into the backyard on her way to her apartment. Just odd timing…or was it something else…
Friday, June 5 – Road Trip to Antietam. As usual, I was up early and headed downstairs to sit in the front parlor and work on my trip notes, review photos from yesterday’s tour and do a little prep research on today’s activities. Whatever haints might be in the house, it seems that the weather spirits are on our side as it looks like a better day on tap in which is good as we are planning on a drive to Sharpsburg, Maryland, to explore another Civil War site, Antietam National Battlefield Park.
Donna made a Cowboy Casserole for breakfast, a recipe she got from Max (wow, another Trip Advisor Herd connection). We got our gear in order and mounted up for the drive. We split up today; Lynn and I rode with Oscar while Donna cruised with Chris and Rhonda. We were on the road about 8:45.
The drive from Gettysburg to Antietam took right at an hour. Once we were off US 15, the state and county roads wound through the mountains. We figured that Donna and Rhonda would not be pleased about the winding nature of the roads but it seemed that everyone survived the trip. But it was a pretty drive as we went through Catoctin Mountain Park and South Mountain State Park.
We started our tour at the Visitor Center and caught most of the 10:00 AM Ranger talk that provided an overview of the battle. The Ranger provided a great summary of how the armies ended up here in Sharpsburg, including the audacious plan that Lee developed to split his forces to capture the Union garrison at Harpers Ferry and defend the gaps at South Mountain, and the stroke of luck that McClellan had when Lee’s orders for the Army of Northern Virginia were found and delivered to him. McClellan now knew that Lee had divided his army so the Union commander had an opportunity to attack and defeat each of the dispersed elements, but he squandered this advantage and allowed Lee time to gather his forces in Sharpsburg where the bloodiest single day in the American Civil War took place.
After the Visitor Center we drove the entire tour route through the park, basically following the numbered stops on the map (link). We covered a lot of ground and took a fair number of photos. Here's the link to the park map. And here’s a summary of our day at Antietam:
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- We noticed a Cedar Waxwing collecting nesting material as we made our way along the Sunken Road. There were a few other little critters in the park as well: lots of birds, a few squirrels, a rabbit or two and a plethora of groundhogs. They had it made here in the park.
- The crew also found a picnic basket sitting on a stone wall near the north end of the Sunken Road. Well, some of our party is more nosey than others, so it was determined that the basket was full of fried chicken and other picnic delicacies. The basked was still there when we returned and according to our observers, there was even more chicken plus pie. Someone was in for a treat. Miraculously, we management to get past the basket without Chris having a snack!
- We paused to look around the Roulette farm a bit. The old structures were in very nice shape, just like the Poffenberger place. We had noticed a horse drawn wagon a few times throughout the day and it ended up following us to this old farm. Turns out that it was a guided tour, and they had the picnic basket! They stopped here for lunch, and we had an opportunity to talk to the driver. Lynn was the first one there for additional fur therapy! The horse was a Hackney, one of only a thousand or so in the U.S. Riding around in a wagon was certainly a novel way of touring the battlefield, sort of period, I guess, and they were making about as good on time as we were (I first noticed the rig in the parking lot of the visitor center when we were heading out for our tour, then again at the Poffenberger farm, so they were hitting the same spots at about the same pace.
- Our little hike took us back my the Mumma Farm so we got a little closer look there as well an finally back to the start of the Sunken Road. It was about 1.6 miles, so just a nice stretch of the legs.
- Our last stop of the day was at the southern part of the battlefield at Burnside’s Bridge. The bridge was the focal point of the action starting around noon when Union General Ambrose Burnside attempted to capture the bridge to attack the southern end of the Confederate lines. However, about 500 Georgia troops were able to stymie the 14,000 Union troops of the IX Corp for several hours before the bridge was captured and the crossing made. The bridge become known as Burnside’s Bridge as a result of the action of during the battle.
- While at the bridge, Donna became a butterfly magnet as one orange fritillary was particularly fascinated with her. The butterfly landed on her hand a couple of times as well as on her shoulder. Maybe it was her purple shirt that was the attraction.
- We checked out the Georgian Overlook while in the area of the Bridge, but there really was no view. But it was nice little walk through the woods.
Here's the link to the rest of our photos from our day in Antietam National Battlefield Park.
We completed our tour about 3:00 and retraced the route back to Gettysburg. Lots of little horse farms in this area. We were home just a little after 4:00 and out in the backyard with a beer shortly after that. The plan for this evening is a meal at the house with Donna in charge of the kitchen. Donna’s and Oscar’s son Oscar and his wife Tammy are joining us for dinner this evening and Oscar will be adding to our beer cache (remember Ray, our guide through Gettysburg? Tammy is his daughter. We’ve got a real family affair going on here!).
Dinner was a hit. We started with cheese and crackers out in the backyard. Donna made pulled pork, mac and cheese and I think green beans. For dessert we walked down to G’s for ice cream (cones, cups, shakes…whatever you wanted!). The beer drinkers in the group enjoyed sampling a variety of brews this evening, the featured one being the Heady Topper Double IPA from The Alchemist in Waterbury Vermont. It was very good, but was past the best enjoyed by date which is just a month after being canned. I’ll have to look for this one when we finally get up into New England. We chatted a bit with Leah, the upstairs tenet, again this evening. She’s a very nice girl. But somehow we got back on the supposedly haunted nature of the house as well. I think we were all heading in the same direction when the comment was made that if we mentioned the tenet to the VRBO owner, his response would probably be “What tenant?” I guess you had to be there.
We discussed our plans for tomorrow. The forecast was calling for a nice day so we could get some time on the Gettysburg battlefield without rain. Rhonda suggested an 0630 departure if we wanted to get good light for photos seemed early for this group, but worked for me as I’m an early riser. However, at the end of the night I wanted to confirm our departure time so I asked Rhonda if she was serious about 6:30. “No, I don’t won’t to go that early. I would rather sleep in.” Wait, what?
Saturday, June 6 – Gettysburg in Detail. Another start of a day with some quiet time in the front parlor. I heard Donna coming downstairs after I had been sitting there a little while. I could hear here get the coffee started then it seemed that she was having a look around the old house. I startled her when she looked in the parlor as she was not expecting anyone to be sitting there. Perhaps this haunted house thing is getting to her? Shortly everyone is up as well as we are planning on an early departure for photos on the battlefield. Well, “early” is a relative term. Chris would have been out at 0500 to get the best light while Rhonda would have slept in! But we were all up early and ready to head out about 6:30 so we piled into Oscar’s truck and headed to the park.
We completed our tour about 3:00 and retraced the route back to Gettysburg. Lots of little horse farms in this area. We were home just a little after 4:00 and out in the backyard with a beer shortly after that. The plan for this evening is a meal at the house with Donna in charge of the kitchen. Donna’s and Oscar’s son Oscar and his wife Tammy are joining us for dinner this evening and Oscar will be adding to our beer cache (remember Ray, our guide through Gettysburg? Tammy is his daughter. We’ve got a real family affair going on here!).
Dinner was a hit. We started with cheese and crackers out in the backyard. Donna made pulled pork, mac and cheese and I think green beans. For dessert we walked down to G’s for ice cream (cones, cups, shakes…whatever you wanted!). The beer drinkers in the group enjoyed sampling a variety of brews this evening, the featured one being the Heady Topper Double IPA from The Alchemist in Waterbury Vermont. It was very good, but was past the best enjoyed by date which is just a month after being canned. I’ll have to look for this one when we finally get up into New England. We chatted a bit with Leah, the upstairs tenet, again this evening. She’s a very nice girl. But somehow we got back on the supposedly haunted nature of the house as well. I think we were all heading in the same direction when the comment was made that if we mentioned the tenet to the VRBO owner, his response would probably be “What tenant?” I guess you had to be there.
We discussed our plans for tomorrow. The forecast was calling for a nice day so we could get some time on the Gettysburg battlefield without rain. Rhonda suggested an 0630 departure if we wanted to get good light for photos seemed early for this group, but worked for me as I’m an early riser. However, at the end of the night I wanted to confirm our departure time so I asked Rhonda if she was serious about 6:30. “No, I don’t won’t to go that early. I would rather sleep in.” Wait, what?
Saturday, June 6 – Gettysburg in Detail. Another start of a day with some quiet time in the front parlor. I heard Donna coming downstairs after I had been sitting there a little while. I could hear here get the coffee started then it seemed that she was having a look around the old house. I startled her when she looked in the parlor as she was not expecting anyone to be sitting there. Perhaps this haunted house thing is getting to her? Shortly everyone is up as well as we are planning on an early departure for photos on the battlefield. Well, “early” is a relative term. Chris would have been out at 0500 to get the best light while Rhonda would have slept in! But we were all up early and ready to head out about 6:30 so we piled into Oscar’s truck and headed to the park.
We went directly to the site of the Confederate lines along Seminary Ridge, looking for interesting images in the morning light and to learn a bit more about the history of the battle. It was a nice morning, still a bit overcast with some low hanging fog in places but it was dry and the birds were singing. We parked north of the North Carolina monument, near the access road to the youth camp, then walked along the road down to the Virginia state monument (Oscar trotted back at some point and brought the vehicle up). We were all just enjoying the peace of the morning as there were not many folks out at this time (a jogger or two and a few bicyclists but only a very few cars on the road).
In addition to reading the historical markers and looking for interesting images with the canon, we were also treated to some wildlife sightings. Hey, this is a rural area and a National Park so it should not have been a surprise to see critters, particularly field birds, in the area, especially at this time of morning. There were a few squirrels and several songbirds as we made the hike along Seminary Ridge and then we spotted a Red-tailed Hawk perched in a dead snag overlooking a field off to the west of the road. She was obviously looking for breakfast, but the little birds did not care for her location. |
We walked on down to the Virginia State monument. Completely different scene than on Thursday we had the place to ourselves…well that and it was not raining. The sun was starting to peak through the morning sky and there were several more birds flitting about the area: bluebirds, swallows, Robins and a Red-bellied Woodpecker were all spotted right around the monument. Per Ray’s suggestion, we decided to walk across the open field between the Virginia monument and the PA monument just to tread on the ground where Pickett’s Charge at taken place. There were wide paths cut through the tall grass and we stuck to those as we knew that there would be ticks out here in the fields.
It was just after 8:00 with we started our walk across the field. We did take our time to enjoy the view, look for critters, take a bunch of photos and think about what it must have been like for the men in Longstreet’s command who had to make that famous charge. The mowed path that we were on ran along a fence than ran east-west but also cut past a few other fence north-south fence lines that the attacking Confederates would have had to deal with as then made their way to the Union lines. This was basically open ground all the way from Seminary Ridge so the Rebels were under fire from canon then infantry from the time they left the woods on the ridge. But today it was quiet. Just the six of us out for a morning stroll.
It was just after 8:00 with we started our walk across the field. We did take our time to enjoy the view, look for critters, take a bunch of photos and think about what it must have been like for the men in Longstreet’s command who had to make that famous charge. The mowed path that we were on ran along a fence than ran east-west but also cut past a few other fence north-south fence lines that the attacking Confederates would have had to deal with as then made their way to the Union lines. This was basically open ground all the way from Seminary Ridge so the Rebels were under fire from canon then infantry from the time they left the woods on the ridge. But today it was quiet. Just the six of us out for a morning stroll.
We spooked-up a deer about half-way across and watched her bound over the fence back toward the ridge. There were plenty of Red-winged Blackbirds and swallows out in the field, plus I spotted a Bobolink. Rhonda was looking for interesting images using the fence and their shadows, so that got Oscar and I looking at those options as well. It is fun watching what the other photographers are looking at as it provides ideas for new images. We were heading toward the copse of trees, just like Pickett’s Division had done. Once we were nearly across the field there was a nice view of the big red barn of the Cordori Farm framed partially by the fence and wildflowers.
It took us a while to make our “charge” but then we did not have the motivation that Lee’s men had in 1863. We reached the Copse of Trees about 8:45 then headed over to the Pennsylvania Monument (well, really we were heading to the restroom just beyond the monument). Over behind the monument, there was a reenactment encampment. We later learned that this was the 119th New York Volunteer Infantry. They were going through an inspection but would be doing a drill and firing demonstration at 10:00. That’s cool, but we don’t want to wait around for an hour so we decided to “retreat” back to Seminary Ridge and retrieve the truck then drive back over for the demonstration. Hmmm, they said they would be firing their muskets; I did not think that was allowed on park grounds.
The girls walked back along the path that we initially crossed but the guys walked up to The Angle and across the field. We converged on the path just across Steinwehr Avenue. More critters on the return walk: Mockingbirds, Grey Catbirds, Oriole, rabbit and some squirrels (grey and fox) back at the Virginia monument. Once back at Seminary Ridge, we loaded up in the truck and drove around to the PA monument to see the 119th New York Infantry drill.
The girls walked back along the path that we initially crossed but the guys walked up to The Angle and across the field. We converged on the path just across Steinwehr Avenue. More critters on the return walk: Mockingbirds, Grey Catbirds, Oriole, rabbit and some squirrels (grey and fox) back at the Virginia monument. Once back at Seminary Ridge, we loaded up in the truck and drove around to the PA monument to see the 119th New York Infantry drill.
On our drive back, we passed a military wedding party just to the south of the PA monument. Our timing was nearly perfect as the reenactors were just forming up in camp to march to the field near the 1st Minnesota monument. I was surprised that there was not more of a crowd but perhaps this is still too early for most tourists. The sergeant provided some information on the gear used by the unit and provided the narrative as their officer guided the unit through the firing drill. While the 199th was drilling, we saw another Union unit marching along the road back toward Seminary Ridge (the Parks Service Ranger who introduced the 119th did mention that there are usually three reenacting units here on the park each weekend). Following the drill, which included practicing a skirmish line, we found out that it was in fact allowed to fire a weapon on the park, but only as part of a drill. Reenacting a battle is not allowed as that would portray “an act of aggression.” So no battle reenactments allowed on park grounds. However, the 119th was at Appomattox for the 150th anniversary earlier this year and there was a reenactment of the battle as well as the surrender ceremony held on the park grounds. They later found out that whoever within the Parks Service had given the permission for the battle reenactment should not have allowed that, so it was the first and only time that there was a reenactment on a battlefield park.
After the demonstration, we went up in the Pennsylvania monument and got some nicer views of the surrounding area. Much better views than we had on Thursday. Then we headed back home for lunch. There were plenty of leftovers for everyone. Here are the photos from our morning in the park.
Lynn opted out of the afternoon tour of the battlefield. She spent the afternoon chilling in the backyard with a book. The rest of us piled back into Oscar’s Expedition and headed back to the park to cover areas we had missed so far plus a few that we wanted to get better light as the afternoon was sunny, with blue skies and big white clouds.
After the demonstration, we went up in the Pennsylvania monument and got some nicer views of the surrounding area. Much better views than we had on Thursday. Then we headed back home for lunch. There were plenty of leftovers for everyone. Here are the photos from our morning in the park.
Lynn opted out of the afternoon tour of the battlefield. She spent the afternoon chilling in the backyard with a book. The rest of us piled back into Oscar’s Expedition and headed back to the park to cover areas we had missed so far plus a few that we wanted to get better light as the afternoon was sunny, with blue skies and big white clouds.
We basically looped around the entire primary battlefield, starting by heading north through town to Barlow’s Knoll for a quick view, then back over to the Eternal Flame. The skies were much clearer than on Thursday, but we could not see Little Round Top. We also tried the view from the observation tower on nearby Oak Ridge and figured that Little Round Top was hidden by the trees. Next stop was at the Seminary Ridge Museum, but we decided that the cost and timing was not conducive to our plans. All we really wanted to do was go up into the cupola that Buford has used on the first day of the battle to help scout the area, but that was only accessible through a guided tour. We next headed south along Seminary Ridge but did not stop until near the south end of the ridge when we stopped at the Longstreet monument and then to the observation tower at the north end of Warfield Ridge for a nice view of the southern end of the battlefield.
Somewhere along this stretch of our drive we had another animal sighting, but this one was not one we wanted to have: Tick! I found it crawling on the outside of my pants leg. It was quickly ejected from the vehicle. During the course of the drive we found four or five others, so we’ll all have to do a thorough inspection this evening.
We swung around the south end of the park and back up the road along the Union lines. We stopped at Big Round Top and made the short hike to the summit of the little hill. Oscar and I also had to figure out the 20th Maine marker here, and finally realized that this must have been their location at the end of the second day after they charged down Little Round Top then ended up on this position on Big Round Top. We also spotted an interesting butterfly and an white dragonfly which was sort of cool.
Then it was on to Little Round Top to explore for a while. We parked at the base and walked to the top, like we had on Thursday. This was probably the most crowded part of the park that we had experienced as there were several tour buses parked near the summit and herds of kids, each in their matching tee-shirts to designate their group, running all about the place. But still the crowd was a problem at all.
Somewhere along this stretch of our drive we had another animal sighting, but this one was not one we wanted to have: Tick! I found it crawling on the outside of my pants leg. It was quickly ejected from the vehicle. During the course of the drive we found four or five others, so we’ll all have to do a thorough inspection this evening.
We swung around the south end of the park and back up the road along the Union lines. We stopped at Big Round Top and made the short hike to the summit of the little hill. Oscar and I also had to figure out the 20th Maine marker here, and finally realized that this must have been their location at the end of the second day after they charged down Little Round Top then ended up on this position on Big Round Top. We also spotted an interesting butterfly and an white dragonfly which was sort of cool.
Then it was on to Little Round Top to explore for a while. We parked at the base and walked to the top, like we had on Thursday. This was probably the most crowded part of the park that we had experienced as there were several tour buses parked near the summit and herds of kids, each in their matching tee-shirts to designate their group, running all about the place. But still the crowd was a problem at all.
We climbed up to the viewing deck in the 44th New York Infantry monument which provided a little better view of the terrain around the base of Little Round Top, including the Devils Den, and also afforded us a view all the back across the battlefield to the Eternal Flame Peace Memorial. We walked over to the General Warren statue then found our way down to the 155th Pennsylvania monument, with its Zouave inspired uniforms. Ray had mentioned a monument with an unfinished musket and I wondered if this was it as the end of the gun barrel was obviously missing. We lingered on this part of the hill a while, just taking in the views. I spotted a Red-tailed hawk in one of the dead trees down the slope. It was just perched there, calmly preening. An Oriole was keeping a very close watch on the big raptor and buzzed the much larger bird a couple times but the hawk seemed happy just taking in the view and ignored the colorful little songbird.
We next drove down to the Devils Den for a look around. This was another area teeming with tourists, but it was so packed that parking was an issue or that folks were in each others way. We climbed about on the rocks a bit and eventually found the spot of the famous staged photo by Alexander Gardner of a dead Confederate sharpshooter behind a stone wall in the Devils Den. The story is that Gardner arrived two days after the battle and dragged the body of a dead Confederate about 30 yards to the sharpshooters perch in the photo. The gun in Gardner’s photo is also not the king used by a sharpshooter. But it was a compelling photo, even if it was contrived after the battle.
We made a couple more photo stops along the section of road that wound between the Devil Garden and Rose Farm, then back through the area of the Wheatfield and the Peach Orchard, plus a stop at George Weikert farm house on the intersection of United States, Hancock and Sedgwick Avenues, which was a very picturesque setting. We noticed an monument on the wooded hillside across the road from the farm, which I think is to the 1st New Jersey Brigade. This was sort of off the beaten path but a good example of how there are monuments and markers strewn all over the park (again, the monuments and markers are supposed to be positioned where the units actually fought, so it does provide an indication of size of the battle and the complex nature (perhaps chaotic at times) of the order of battle at Gettysburg.
We next drove along Cemetery Ridge with a quick stop at the facilities near the Pennsylvania State monument, then past the Visitor Center to our next stop at Spangler’s Spring where a New Jersey reenactor unit was camped. Very nice location for the camp in among the trees, after the ticks we found today, I’m thinking that camping “Civil War style” would not be the best of ideas. We chatted with the guys for a few minutes (a couple of the guys lived near Donna and Oscar). We did find out that they were not the unit that we saw marching off in the distance during the 119th NY’s demonstration, so there was a third unit camped somewhere else on the battlefield.
Our final stop was at the top of Culp’s Hill where we took in the views from the observation tower and checked out the monuments in the area. Decent view from the tower as we could see the lines south to the Round Tops and northeast to the site of the first day’s fighting. One of the monuments was to the 66th Ohio. We completed our full day of touring a little before 6:00. Photos from the afternoon tour are linked here.
We next drove down to the Devils Den for a look around. This was another area teeming with tourists, but it was so packed that parking was an issue or that folks were in each others way. We climbed about on the rocks a bit and eventually found the spot of the famous staged photo by Alexander Gardner of a dead Confederate sharpshooter behind a stone wall in the Devils Den. The story is that Gardner arrived two days after the battle and dragged the body of a dead Confederate about 30 yards to the sharpshooters perch in the photo. The gun in Gardner’s photo is also not the king used by a sharpshooter. But it was a compelling photo, even if it was contrived after the battle.
We made a couple more photo stops along the section of road that wound between the Devil Garden and Rose Farm, then back through the area of the Wheatfield and the Peach Orchard, plus a stop at George Weikert farm house on the intersection of United States, Hancock and Sedgwick Avenues, which was a very picturesque setting. We noticed an monument on the wooded hillside across the road from the farm, which I think is to the 1st New Jersey Brigade. This was sort of off the beaten path but a good example of how there are monuments and markers strewn all over the park (again, the monuments and markers are supposed to be positioned where the units actually fought, so it does provide an indication of size of the battle and the complex nature (perhaps chaotic at times) of the order of battle at Gettysburg.
We next drove along Cemetery Ridge with a quick stop at the facilities near the Pennsylvania State monument, then past the Visitor Center to our next stop at Spangler’s Spring where a New Jersey reenactor unit was camped. Very nice location for the camp in among the trees, after the ticks we found today, I’m thinking that camping “Civil War style” would not be the best of ideas. We chatted with the guys for a few minutes (a couple of the guys lived near Donna and Oscar). We did find out that they were not the unit that we saw marching off in the distance during the 119th NY’s demonstration, so there was a third unit camped somewhere else on the battlefield.
Our final stop was at the top of Culp’s Hill where we took in the views from the observation tower and checked out the monuments in the area. Decent view from the tower as we could see the lines south to the Round Tops and northeast to the site of the first day’s fighting. One of the monuments was to the 66th Ohio. We completed our full day of touring a little before 6:00. Photos from the afternoon tour are linked here.
Next stop was back home. I got cleaned up…no ticks found! Then it was out to the backyard for a beer and a last night with the crew. Dinner tonight was pizza. Ray had recommended Tommy's Pizza, well more so for the beer, but we tried it anyway. It was odd that we could not get through on the phone so the guys made a road trip to place the order. The bonus was having a beer at the restaurant while we waited. The Stone Ruination 2.0 was excellent. The pizza was quickly ready and we headed back to the house for a backyard picnic. The pizza was outstanding. Not a scrap left. Shoot, I think we could have eaten a little more.
We hung out in the backyard for the rest of the evening, well except for a return trip to the ice cream place. It is both a blessing and a curse to have an ice cream shop within walking distance! We also confirmed that Leah is “real” and not a ghost; not the first time that she has been asked that! Great time visiting with the gang in the backyard.
Sunday, June 7 – Heading Home. Once again downstairs about 0600 for some quiet time in the front sitting room to catch up on trip notes. But the rest of the gang was soon stirring and getting ready for departure. We all had a bite of breakfast, cleaned up the house (not that there was much to clean as everyone helped to keep the place in order) and packed their vehicles. Then we said our good-bys; hugs and handshakes all around. We were all on the road a little before 9:00.
Lynn and I kicked around a few ideas for places to stop along the way. Rhonda had mentioned the Flight 93 Memorial, but in the end we just opted to drive straight throughout, well, with a couple of rest breaks of course. Lynn and I passed the time discussing upcoming trips as well as reviewing the past weekend. We’ve got Glacier on the schedule for next summer, a return to Yellowstone and Grand Teton with Lisa, what to add to Bluff if we return there for the 2016 meet-up. We were home about 3:30. Not sure exactly why the return trip took longer; perhaps the less direct route that we took from Gettysburg to the turnpike was the difference (that is we missed a turn and had to make a slight detour, but it was ground that we had not covered before and made for a nice drive in the country).
Post script. That was fun. It was great getting to see our friends and spend some touring the historic sites. The tour of Gettysburg with Ray was phenomenal; that guy truly knows the history of the battle and is very passionate about preserving the battlefield. Plus he’s a beer guy!
The house we rented was great! Plenty of space and all the amenities plus and ideal location. It was right on the road so a little noisy but not too bad (I slept through it but it bothered Lynn a little). We are all kitchen folks and would hang out there in the mornings and some while dinner was being prepared, but it is a smaller space. The backyard was the highlight for sure!
We did better than I thought we would in terms of animal sightings, but we were in National Parks and areas that were basically rural, meadow…good habitat. Mostly small varmints and birds but a good selection of butterflies as well:
We hung out in the backyard for the rest of the evening, well except for a return trip to the ice cream place. It is both a blessing and a curse to have an ice cream shop within walking distance! We also confirmed that Leah is “real” and not a ghost; not the first time that she has been asked that! Great time visiting with the gang in the backyard.
Sunday, June 7 – Heading Home. Once again downstairs about 0600 for some quiet time in the front sitting room to catch up on trip notes. But the rest of the gang was soon stirring and getting ready for departure. We all had a bite of breakfast, cleaned up the house (not that there was much to clean as everyone helped to keep the place in order) and packed their vehicles. Then we said our good-bys; hugs and handshakes all around. We were all on the road a little before 9:00.
Lynn and I kicked around a few ideas for places to stop along the way. Rhonda had mentioned the Flight 93 Memorial, but in the end we just opted to drive straight throughout, well, with a couple of rest breaks of course. Lynn and I passed the time discussing upcoming trips as well as reviewing the past weekend. We’ve got Glacier on the schedule for next summer, a return to Yellowstone and Grand Teton with Lisa, what to add to Bluff if we return there for the 2016 meet-up. We were home about 3:30. Not sure exactly why the return trip took longer; perhaps the less direct route that we took from Gettysburg to the turnpike was the difference (that is we missed a turn and had to make a slight detour, but it was ground that we had not covered before and made for a nice drive in the country).
Post script. That was fun. It was great getting to see our friends and spend some touring the historic sites. The tour of Gettysburg with Ray was phenomenal; that guy truly knows the history of the battle and is very passionate about preserving the battlefield. Plus he’s a beer guy!
The house we rented was great! Plenty of space and all the amenities plus and ideal location. It was right on the road so a little noisy but not too bad (I slept through it but it bothered Lynn a little). We are all kitchen folks and would hang out there in the mornings and some while dinner was being prepared, but it is a smaller space. The backyard was the highlight for sure!
We did better than I thought we would in terms of animal sightings, but we were in National Parks and areas that were basically rural, meadow…good habitat. Mostly small varmints and birds but a good selection of butterflies as well:
Butterflies:
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Birds:
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So a nice long weekend overall with a good time had by all.