Gettysburg, PA

We arrived in Gettysburg on Monday about 2:30 and proceeded to park the RV and get ready for our 4 day stay. The KOA we are staying at is very nice and all the sights are heavily wooded. Hence, no satellite reception! At checkin we were informed that for another $2 a night we could get cable TV. Now I guess we're supposed to be here to take in the wonders that surround us but decided that TV is a wonder in itself and an integral part of our travels. That evening we mosied down to the rec center and watched a half hour movie describing Gettysburg and an orientation of the battle that occured here in 1863.

On Tues. morning we headed over to the Visitor Center at the Gettysburg National Military Park and spent about 3 hours looking at the artifacts and watching a half hour presentation of the 3 day battle on the Electric Map. The map was truly worthwhile and was approximately 50 ft. x 50 ft. with hundreds of tiny lights that indicated important locations of battles as well as the troop movements of both armies. This presentation really helped in presenting an overview of what we were about to see. There are many ways to relive the battle here including bus tours, private drivers, horseback tours, park service tours, and audio tours. We decided to purchase a 4 hour car audio tour from the Gift Shop of the Visitor Center. While in the Gift Shop, we browsed through the hundreds of books available for purchase. It seemed that there was something for everyone in gaining a better understanding of the battle.

From there we walked across the street to tour the Gettysburg National Cemetery and stood where President Lincoln delivered his famous speech four months after the battle. That speech contains 272 words and took about two minutes to deliver. Yet it transformed Gettysburg from a scene of carnage, giving meaning to the sacrifice of the dead and inspiration to the living. Less than half of the Union battle dead had been interred in the cemetery before the dedication. Within the next few years the bodies of more than 3,500 Union soldiers killed in the battle had been reinterred in the cemetery. Following the war, the remains of 3,320 Confederate soldiers were removed from the battlefield to cemeteries in the South.

After leaving the cemetery, we had a late lunch at the Dobbin House Tavern. This authentic colonial tavern is the oldest building in Gettysburg and was built in 1776. The tavern is actually underground with rock walls creating a very cool temperature and was entirely lit by candles. The food was so-so, but at least we can say that we dined there. It was then back to the campground to get ready for our self-guided auto tour on Wed.