Harper's Ferry, Antietam, Gettysburg, Eisenhower's House 10/22-10/24

For Harper's Ferry and Antietam Video click here
For Gettysburg Photo video click here
For Gettysburg Battlefield Guided Video tour I made click here
For the Eisenhower House video click here
How fortunate we've been the past few days.  I finally have a little time to reflect on the past few days. Find a good spot and get cozy, this is going to be along one.   On Monday 10/22, we hopped in our car and drove FOUR STATES!  Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania.  Believe it or not, they actually look different.  The trees and terrain are similar but different.  Quite an experience.  It only took three and half hours.  The states are much more compact out here.  Our first stop was Harper's Ferry, the small West Virginia town that has played a huge part in American History.  This small town is in-between to major rivers, and housed the United States Arsenal (where they made guns) for several years.  Merriweather Lewis stopped here on his way West on the Lewis and Clark expedition to get guns.  Also John Brown took over the Harper's Ferry Arsenal in 1859 to procure guns to lead a slave rebellion.  His attempt failed and he was captured, tried and hung.  Many historians believe this event was the spark that started the American Civil War.  It is beautiful country as you can see from the slideshow.  We really could have spent all day there, but had about two hours.  We first walked down to the Arsenal.  It was destroyed during the Civil War, but the remnants are still there.  As we walked there, we were attacked by Gnats!!!!  Thousands.  In our mouths, ears, eyes, hair!  Man, it was thick.  So we stayed there for only a few minutes.  Then we joined a tour of the Firehouse where John Brown fought against the US Army.  It is still there, albeit in a different location.  The Park Ranger opened it up, described the events (incredible storyteller), and we just took it in.  Fantastic.  My daughter was listening intently the whole time, but we are never sure how much she is really listening.  On the way out she said, "John was shot, why?"  Ummm......  This little girl is getting so much history.  In fact her words today after the Eisenhower house tour  was "Eisenhower".  NICE.  Just a quick shot-out to the National Park Service of the Interior Department.  They just do an awesome job.  Every time we leave a site, we say, "Wow, that was nice!"

We took a few more pictures and headed north to Sharpsburg, Maryland aka the Battle of Antietam.  This was the bloodiest day in American History, 22,000 casualties in one day.  The battlefield was epic.  We are now trying to guard my daughter a bit more from the people that "fell down", so I just watched the video.  We then headed out to the battlefield.  Our first stop was the Dunker church.  It was strange.  You will see the famous picture in the slideshow of the dead soldiers laying by this church.  So, to see the church and walk in the place of the dead soldiers was strange.  In fact when I was eighth grade I got my first credit card, and it was  Civil War Preservation Trust Credit Card.  On the credit card was the Antietam picture with Dunker church.  So, since I was 12, I've seen that picture. Now, 24 years later, I was standing in front of it.  We then did a driving tour.  The Cornfield, Sunken Road, Antietam Creek, Burnside Bridge.  Incredible.  My knowledge of the Antietam Battlefield isn't where I want it, so I bought a video, and we left.  The drive through the Maryland countryside was amazing.  Lots of "tickle-belly-hills" as my grandparents called them.  My daughter loved it.  My wife and I were in awe of the little towns, quaint homes, green hills, and beautiful fall trees.

Off to Pennsylvania! Fourth state!  We arrived in Pennsylvania, dropped off our stuff and went out to eat.  I think it is only our second time out to eat.  We went to Hunt's Cafe in Gettysburg, PA.  A SMALL place, but it had good reviews on Tripadvisor.  The waitress was pleasant, but we were the only ones there.  A little concerning.  The waitress suggested the Cheesesteak sandwiches.  She said, they were fantastic.  We figured, what the heck!  For our first Cheesesteak sandwiches we need to be in Pennsylvania.  Folks, they were incredible.  My wife and I couldn't get enough.  Fresh, tasty, delicious. A great way to end a long day!

Tuesday 10/23
We headed over to the Battle of Gettysburg Center.  It is a massive center.  We knew we wanted to do an auto-tour, because we have a two-year old.  We were thinking about the possibility of hiring a guide to go with us, as were were told this was the best way.  After thinking about it for awhile, we decided that my daughter couldn't handle it.  So, we decided on the self-guided auto tour.  After teaching Gettysburg for 14 years and my wife just finishing the movie "Gettysburg" we figured we would figure it out.  The day was rainy.  That's okay, that's how it was the third day of the battle.  My wife and I agreed that Gettysburg was incredible.  The Battlefield is so momentous.  There were not a ton of people there (great time of the year), and it was just so beautiful.  The auto-tour is laid out wonderfully, and my wife was my co-pilot. We saw Seminary Ridge, Devil's Den, Culp's Hill, Pickett's Charge, Little Round Top.  To see the same sights as my heroes saw (Hancock, Chamberlain) was just so great.  This was a brutal battle. A highlight for all of us was walking the field where Pickett's Virginians charged at the Union Army on the third day of Battle.  That was eerie.  Another highlight was to walk up to Little Round Top and see where the 20th Maine Regiment fought to their final bullets in an effort to preserve the United States.  That was again, humbling.   A vicious fight to perserve our great country. Gettysburg is a sickening place and a beautiful place.  To see the carnage was humbling and too see the bravery was inspiring.  We did a fair amount of hiking and a ton of driving.  The whole battlefield took us 5 hours.  Then we went to the Gettysburg National Cemetery, where Lincoln gave the Gettysburg Address.  Wow.  The graves everywhere, the symbolism.  At the stop where Lincoln gave the speech, I whipped out the speech and we listened to it.  Very cool.  To be standing in the same spot and listen to the speech that people listened to 150 years ago.  We spent a fair amount of time there.  My daughter was beat, so they took a nap and I headed out to watch the Gettysburg movie and see the Cyclorama.  The movie was pretty good and the painting was cool.  The museum was excellent, about the same caliber as the Smithsonian.  We then all went swimming in another indoor pool.  This indoor pool concept is strange. On one hand it is cool you can swim whenever you like, no matter the temperature, or time of year.  However, being a Californian, a indoor pool just seems awkward.  Nonetheless, we really enjoyed our time!  Gettysburg was amazing, and definitely in the top three on this trip.

Today, Wednesday 10/24 we headed out to Eisenhower's House.  Dwight David Eisenhower was a Five Star General, Leader of D-Day Normandy during World War II, Supreme Commander of NATO forces post war, and two-term President of the United States.  In my estimation, one of the greatest Americans to have lived.  He chose Gettysburg, PA for his home, for many reasons, and we had the chance to go visit today.  It is a 189 acre farm right next to the Battlefield.  You need to get a shuttle there from the Gettysburg Visitor Center, otherwise it is closed to the public.  One of the first things we noticed was how normal it was.  This larger than life man, was human.  He ate his dinner with his wife in front of the TV using TV dinner trays.  He loved to golf, had a putting green in his backyard, and loved his son and grandkids.  In fact he once said that when he got a hole-in-one at a golf course in Palm Desert, CA that it was almost as fulfilling as being victorious on D-Day in WWII.  I'm sure that was hyperbole.  His bedroom was normal, his cars were normal, he was a very normal man.  We spent close to two hours there, and packed up ready to go home.  After traveling three states (Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia) in an hour and forty minutes, we are home.  The girls are out getting Caribou Coffee for us, thus giving me time to write.  We hope you are well.  Tomorrow I work at Colonial Days again at Mount Vernon and get dressed up as a Colonial Man!  No pictures this time, as I don't need anymore blackmail pictures floating out there.