Good Evening! We've had a full and wonderful couple of days. Yesterday we visited both Valley Forge, and Gettysburg. Both were striking, beautiful, and thought-provoking. We hadn't been able to find too much information on Valley Forge, so we weren't sure what to expect there. There was a great museum, and then we did the driving tour around the park, and saw small shelters, Washington's Headquarters, and a chapel. We also saw several deer in the park. There were many people who had come to walk, jog, or bike along the trails, but there were people in period clothing, which gave it an fun authenticity.
The length of time we spent exploring Valley Forge kept us from visiting Eisenhower's home in Gettysburg. We arrived at the Battlefield just in time for our Guided Car Tour. For $55, a licensed battlefield guide will drive your car around the park, teaching you everything they know on the subject. Our guide was wonderfully well-informed, and reminded Laura and me of our Dad, both his looks, and his enthusiasm for American History. He has been a guide for 24 years, and talked to us for 2 1/2 hours about which regiments, and which divisions were where, on each of the three days of the Battle. Our group knowledge ranged from "fairly well informed" to "knowing hardly anything" but we all followed along, and we all learned something new. The battlefield is enormous, and there are an amazing number of regiment markers and monuments. And hey, Dad, did you know the North Carolina Monument was designed by Gutzon Borglum?? Cuz I don't remember you telling us that.... For those of you who don't know my Dad well enough to be quizzed by him, Gutzon Borglum was the man who designed Mount Rushmore. There are also regiment markers throughout the town of Gettysburg, not just out in the fields, which are a startling reminder of the vastness of the battle. There are a few houses in town that have bullet holes in the walls. The highlight for me was being on Little Round Top, where Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain and the 20th Maine fought. The Confederates just kept coming up that hill, and the 20th Maine was running out of ammunition, so they fixed their bayonets, and charged. This decision, and the success of their effort, earned Chamberlain the Congressional Medal of Honor. The view from Little Round Top is extensive; you can see for miles. And wherever we stopped, to take pictures, or for our guide to point things out to us, there were butterflies, and wildflowers, and a rabbit or two. Makes it a little hard to imagine what took place there.
After our Guide returned us to the Visitor's Center, we toured the museum, albeit briefly. We had only about 45 minutes to see the museum, and visit the bookstore afterward. Tony said as we left he wished we had more time, but I know we'll come back. We cannot possibly see and do everything to our hearts' content on a trip like this - it was about introducing the kids to as much as possible, to pique their interest in our beautiful nation, and her history.
After we left the museum, the sun was starting to set, and the clouds had moved in. We drove back to a few places on the battlefield, to look around a little more. We climbed an observation tower, from where we could see almost every part of the field. Then we drove to the Soldiers' Cemetery. This was the cemetery President Lincoln was dedicating when he delivered the Gettysburg Address, in November of 1863. It rained on us just a little as we walked through the cemetery. It was perfect. It was quiet, and somber, and felt - as Lincoln said then - like hallowed ground.
Dinner was at a restaurant called The Dobbin House. Laura has been to Gettysburg a few times recently, on business, so she recommended this place, and we all loved it. It is in the basement of a house that was used as a station on the Underground Railroad. Nice ambiance, good food.
We drove from there to Hershey, arriving about 11:00 at the Hershey Lodge - everyone gets a chocolate bar! And we tumbled into bed.
Good Evening! We've had a full and wonderful couple of days. Yesterday we visited both Valley Forge, and Gettysburg. Both were striking, beautiful, and thought-provoking. We hadn't been able to find too much information on Valley Forge, so we weren't sure what to expect there. There was a great museum, and then we did the driving tour around the park, and saw small shelters, Washington's Headquarters, and a chapel. We also saw several deer in the park. There were many people who had come to walk, jog, or bike along the trails, but there were people in period clothing, which gave it an fun authenticity.
The length of time we spent exploring Valley Forge kept us from visiting Eisenhower's home in Gettysburg. We arrived at the Battlefield just in time for our Guided Car Tour. For $55, a licensed battlefield guide will drive your car around the park, teaching you everything they know on the subject. Our guide was wonderfully well-informed, and reminded Laura and me of our Dad, both his looks, and his enthusiasm for American History. He has been a guide for 24 years, and talked to us for 2 1/2 hours about which regiments, and which divisions were where, on each of the three days of the Battle. Our group knowledge ranged from "fairly well informed" to "knowing hardly anything" but we all followed along, and we all learned something new. The battlefield is enormous, and there are an amazing number of regiment markers and monuments. And hey, Dad, did you know the North Carolina Monument was designed by Gutzon Borglum?? Cuz I don't remember you telling us that.... For those of you who don't know my Dad well enough to be quizzed by him, Gutzon Borglum was the man who designed Mount Rushmore. There are also regiment markers throughout the town of Gettysburg, not just out in the fields, which are a startling reminder of the vastness of the battle. There are a few houses in town that have bullet holes in the walls. The highlight for me was being on Little Round Top, where Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain and the 20th Maine fought. The Confederates just kept coming up that hill, and the 20th Maine was running out of ammunition, so they fixed their bayonets, and charged. This decision, and the success of their effort, earned Chamberlain the Congressional Medal of Honor. The view from Little Round Top is extensive; you can see for miles. And wherever we stopped, to take pictures, or for our guide to point things out to us, there were butterflies, and wildflowers, and a rabbit or two. Makes it a little hard to imagine what took place there.
After our Guide returned us to the Visitor's Center, we toured the museum, albeit briefly. We had only about 45 minutes to see the museum, and visit the bookstore afterward. Tony said as we left he wished we had more time, but I know we'll come back. We cannot possibly see and do everything to our hearts' content on a trip like this - it was about introducing the kids to as much as possible, to pique their interest in our beautiful nation, and her history.
After we left the museum, the sun was starting to set, and the clouds had moved in. We drove back to a few places on the battlefield, to look around a little more. We climbed an observation tower, from where we could see almost every part of the field. Then we drove to the Soldiers' Cemetery. This was the cemetery President Lincoln was dedicating when he delivered the Gettysburg Address, in November of 1863. It rained on us just a little as we walked through the cemetery. It was perfect. It was quiet, and somber, and felt - as Lincoln said then - like hallowed ground.
Dinner was at a restaurant called The Dobbin House. Laura has been to Gettysburg a few times recently, on business, so she recommended this place, and we all loved it. It is in the basement of a house that was used as a station on the Underground Railroad. Nice ambiance, good food.
We drove from there to Hershey, arriving about 11:00 at the Hershey Lodge - everyone gets a chocolate bar! And we tumbled into bed.
Oh I'm soooo glad you got to Dobbin house! It's our favorite place to eat too. The kids will like Hershey park. It's our favorite amusement park in our area. Get some kettle corn. Yum!
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