Monday, July 18 & Tuesday, July 19

Tuesday:

Visited the Gettysburg National Battlefield Park today.  It's part of our National Park System, and it didn't disappoint.  They have done an amazing job keeping the battlefields the same as they were in 1863.  You really get a feel for what it was like.  Even the weather cooperated, recreating the 89 degrees that the soldiers endured in their wool uniforms.

Confederate cannons on Seminary Ridge, these were used to pound the Union Army prior to Picket's Charge

View from Little Roundtop

General Warren, the "Hero of Little Roundtop"

View from Seminary Ridge toward Litltle and Big Roundtops

We took a two hour bus tour, followed by a one hour movie and cyclorama reenactment of the Picket's Charge, which was on the third and last day of the battle.  There's so much to take in so I'm really glad we have two more full days here.  It's hard not to see the parallels between America in 1863 and today.  One of the issues during Lincoln's election in 1860 was the concern by white's that if Lincoln freed the slaves there would be more competition for jobs.  I think Lincoln would be shocked by the Republican Party of 2016.

We left the park at 5 pm, filled up our car with one of the gas cards that the Lakeway teachers gave me, and are now sitting in a laundramat, washing our clothes, and using their free wifi to find a good restaurant for dinner.

Monday:

Sunday night was a hot one, and unpredictably it rained, so we had some soggy items to put away, which made our packing a little more complicated.  We decided to skip breakfast so that we could get on the road faster and by 8:45 we were on our way, heading to Gettysburg, which was 400+ miles from our campground in Ohio's Mt. Gilead State Campground.  

Traffic was much heavier, lots and lots of trucks, all of whom passed us as I kept our Eurovan at an engine and gas saving pace of 60 mph.  I discovered that 60 mph is a lot less stressful too, and now that I'm retired, what's the rush?

We broke up the drive with a visit to Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater house that he designed for the Kauffman family.  The home is in the town of Mill Run, about 40 miles southeast of Pittsburgh, where the Kauffman's successfully owned and operated a Macy's like department store.  This area, like so much of Pennsylvania, is covered in beautiful rolling hills and very prosperous looking farms.  The epitome of serenity.

We took a guided 2 hour tour of Falling Water, and it was worth every penny of the $27 fee.  The home is not gigantic by Newport mansion standards.  

Wright's intent was to make the home one with nature, and he scaled halls, doors, ceilings, and windows according to the average 1930 male who was 5'8".  Every element of the home's design, including the furniture, is intended to guide your eye to the nature.  We loved it.  It was one of those life moments where you say to yourself, "I can't believe we are looking at Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater!"

It is probably snobby to note that the tourists at Fallingwater, we're definitely from a different socio/economic subgroup than those at Osgood's Bear Farm.  Nevertheless both are worth visiting!

We left Fallingwater after 5 pm, with another 200 miles to go before arriving at our campsite around 8:30 PM, in the Pine Grove Furnace State Park, which is about 30 minutes from  Gettsyburg.  The Applachain Trail passes right through this park and there's even an AT museum here which we hope to explore.

The campsites were very clean, spacious, and surrounded  by tall pine, and quiet.  Mid week camping makes a difference...a nice luxury of being retired that we'll have to remember for future trips.