The road to Gettysburg was not
long nor complicated and we came into cell service about halfway there. After a week with nothing but messages
bleeping in, it was quite a treat to catch up on some calls to Matt with Madi,
Mom and more and get some overdue business done. Being out of the mountains also meant being
out of the cool weather and things heated up quick!
We arrived in Gettysburg in the
midday heat. First order of business was
the educational video and “cyclorama” at the Visitor Center. The video was well produced and the cyclorama
quite an experience. A 360 degree oil painting
created by a French artist in 1882. It
took a surprisingly short 1 year to paint by one artist and his 11
assistants. The canvas spans 377 feet in
length and 42 feet in height! It weights
over 5 tons with 4 of that being paint.
Wow!
Added to its WOW value is its
value in depicting the battle itself. The park uses current technology to make the
battle come to life with lighting and sound and by the end of the 15 minute
presentation one feels some of the magnitude of that historic day.
Eternal Light for Peace United |
Being that driving a big rig around
the 24 mile battlefield area wasn’t practical (or allowed for that matter!), we
chose bikes for our method of transport for the day. The sun was high and the temps climbed –
right along with the path!! It didn’t
take us long to realize it was going to be a challenging day on the bikes.
Not a superstore, we grabbed a
couple of very basic supplies and did manage to get a needed prescription filled. We grit our teeth, got our work caught up,
tried to distract ourselves with dinner and a game or two and spent a very long
night trying to ignore the amazing variety of souped-up or poorly maintained
cars that frequented the parking lot through the night! Lessons learned…!
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