Thursday, 2 Sep 2010 - Gettysburg, PA

We made two good decisions today: the first was to stay put in Gettysburg for a second night and the second was to take the shuttle into Gettysburg and do the bus tour thing. The digital sign on the bank said the temperature at 2 pm was 101 degrees and I don't doubt it for a second!

We had intended on staying downtown after the tour but as soon as we got off the bus, I knew that I would not last one minute in that heat, even if we stayed on the 'shady' side of the street. Fortunately our shuttle driver was free and had no problems delivering us back to the KOA early. According to her, this area is seeing increasingly higher temperatures every year and they hit 107 degrees this summer. There was no one wandering the streets and I'm hoping that we can park the van somewhere downtown on our way out in the morning just to have a quick look and take some photos.

I've said it before and I say it again.....no-one does historical restoration or re-creation like Americans and Gettysburg is at the top of the list! Considering the Battle of Gettysburg occurred over a 3-day period during a war that lasted 4 years, a person wouldn't think it was that big a deal. However, it had the highest number of casualties (51,000) and is considered to be a major turning point in the Civil War.

The bus took us on a tour of the battlefield while a very well-versed individual with a microphone provided a running commentary of the success/failure of the Union and Confederate troops at each stage of the battle. I'm not being glib here...the guy was amazingly knowledgeable and entertaining and I loved every second of it! But what amazed me most was the 1400 (not a typo) monuments, statues, historical markers, et al that lined the roads that meandered through the 6000-acre battlefield area. For example, each town, state, or private militia unit, from each side, that participated in the battle, has a monument erected in the exact spot that they fought. There's often a H-U-G-E statue of the the corresponding General, sitting on his horse. Some of the monuments are beautiful and I'd like to drive through part of the area when we leave tomorrow to get a few more photos as well as the cemetery where Lincoln gave his Gettysburg address. If it's still 90 degrees or more though, we may put it off and try to do it on the return trip.

We did a short walk around the block before getting on the bus. There are a number of houses that were built before 1863 that have maintained their 'civil war' look, including one which still has Union bullet holes over one side. About 160 houses have been identified with plaques indicating their Civil War authenticity at this point and more are expected. The Federal, State, and community groups who are involved in historical research really try to ensure every piece of memorabilia is identified correctly.

We will be on the road early and will spend the next 3 days at the KOA in Richmond. Hopefully the internet service will be strong enough and I can post some photos. Until then, take care.