Heading out East (Part 2: The Gettysburg Edition)

We enjoyed a lovely drive in northern Virginia, crossed over into Pennsylvania and found our hotel in Gettysburg.  It had gotten really foggy the last little bit of our drive and we couldn't wait to have a dip in the hot tub.  It was the perfect way to end the day!

We woke the next morning to an absolutely gorgeous day!  We got some breakfast, checked out, and made our way to the Gettysburg Visitors Center.  What a facility!!!  We first did the cyclorama, a fully-restored giant painting that was done in the 1880's that depicts Picket's Charge.  The painting is 377 feet long and 42 feet high and hung in a circle.  The world's first IMAX. :)  Very impressive!

 After looking viewing an overview movie of the Battle of Gettysburg and browsing at the gift shop, we left to get on our bus tour.  It was really well done and our tour guide (a 40-year Gettysburg tour guide veteran) was super knowledgeable.  As we toured around the battle scenes and saw where so many died, it truly felt like we were walking on sacred ground.  As our guide described what took place 150 years ago, history came to life. 

Abraham Lincoln pulled up to this very train station when he arrived to give the Gettysburg Address.

General Robert E. Lee

From the top of Little Round Top overlooking some of the bloodiest land in the USA

Our amazing tour guide

This barn that dates back to the Battle of Gettysburg still had the scar of a cannonball hole

Lots of monuments. Everywhere.

Ken was my model all week.  He was glad to turn the camera on me for awhile.

Site of the Gettysburg Address

We returned to the visitors center and walked through the museum.  You could have easily spent several hours in seeing all the artifacts and reading the amazing stories about the conditions that led up to the Civil War, the horrors of the war, and then trying to rebuild after the war.  That was quite the collection and beautifully displayed.  We got a few things at the gift shop for the kiddos and were sad when it was time to leave.  I can't wait to return, spend more time, and bring my kids to experience this!