Gettysburg ride report; Day 2.
Posted on | June 16, 2010 | No Comments
If you haven’t had a chance to read “Gettysburg ride report, Day 1″ you can read it here.
Day 2
A good night’s sleep does wonders for a man’s soul. In fact, Thomas Dekker, said, “Sleep is the golden chain which links health and the body together.” I awakened Saturday morning feeling bright and renewed, with the possibilities of the day’s events bringing great anticipation. I quickly showered, gathered up my belongings, and headed to the lobby. Upon settling my bill, I grabbed a banana, blueberry muffin, and a coffee, from the hotel’s complimentary breakfast bar and hit the road. Today’s weather forecast; cloudy, hot and humid, with more severe thunderstorms.
My hotel was conveniently situated on highway 30, a right hand turn out of the parking lot and I was back on course, only thirty-one miles from my destination.
As I rolled along I began to plan my sightseeing attack on Gettysburg.
- Visit the battlefield.
- Stand where President Lincoln gave the Gettysburg Address.
- See the Jenne Wade home.
My thoughts were interrupted by a sign which told me I was nearing Gettysburg, in what seemed like minutes, I arrived at my final destination; the famed town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
As I approached the outskirts of the small borough I immediately encountered the main battlefield. Statues, monuments, and plaques, were scattered amidst the once blood soaked fields, and now serve as reminders to all who visit here, that this is hallowed earth, this is the very dirt where soldier boys from the north and the south fought and died.
Riding slowly along this countryside, I became increasingly aggravated. Although fairly well versed about the history of the Gettysburg campaign, I was unable to get my bearings; nothing seemed to be making sense. It didn’t take long for my aggravation to become complete frustration! “How in the hell do they expect anyone to navigate this damn place!” I said aloud, Time to find the visitor center!
I was thoroughly annoyed by the time I arrived at the visitor center and I spent the next ten minutes walking around the lobby of this 139,000 square foot building just getting my bearings. I grabbed a coffee and sat down in front of a continually running video which instructs visitors how to enjoy their time in Gettysburg, now we’re talking! The video suggests three sightseeing options which are based on the length of time you wish to devote to your visit.
Finally, I am beginning to get a sense of how I should proceed with my day.
I went for option two. I paid $32.95 to watch an introductory film, the cyclorama, and a two hour guided tour of the battlefield. “We are Met on a Great Battlefield,” is a twenty minute film that explains the important events leading up to July of 1863 and exactly how Gettysburg fit into the whole of the Civil War. After the film we were escorted to a large room on the third floor of the visitors center where we were treated to the “The Battle of Gettysburg” cyclorama; a sound and light show featuring a massive painting by Paul Philippoteaux, a soldier in Pickett’s Charge. The painting is 45 feet high and 377 feet long. It was completed in 1884 at a cost of $50,000 and was recently restored at a cost of several million dollars. It is stunning!
Now armed with some background and a little perspective I was anxious to get to the battlefield. I boarded a large bus with about twenty other tourists, and we were off. Garr, our Licensed Battlefield Tour Guide, was amazing! His succinct presentation of the July 1-3, 1863 events provided us with a great deal of information and insight to this historic battle. We stopped at the David Wills house; the home President Lincoln stayed on the eve of the Gettysburg Address, he led us up to Culp’s Hill, Devils Den, the Peach Orchard, Little Round Top, and the Angle, all the while masterfully explaining the time line and how each event fit into the overall battle. The two hour tour was over way too fast for me, but now I knew how I would spend the rest of my day in this historic place. My frustration had long since abated and I found myself totally enthralled in the history lesson I had just been given.
We arrived back at the visitors center around 1:30 P.M. The film, cyclorama, and tour, took three and one half hours and it was the best thing I could have done. Curious about some of the places our tour guide touched on, I was now going to go back and spend some time at these sites, but not before getting some lunch.
I rode the RT to the middle of the downtown and parked on Baltimore Pike. I spent the rest of the afternoon and early evening walking the streets of Gettysburg, visiting the shops, museums, cemeteries, and a pub or two. As the sun began to set I was sadden by the fact that my time here was coming to an end.
Conclusion
When I first arrived in Gettysburg I was frustrated and confused about what I should see and how I should see it. I have talked to other travelers about this frustration and they echo my sentiments about their first visit. So the following are some personal tips I would like to share with those of you wishing to visit Gettysburg for the first time.
1. Realize you can’t take it all in at once.
There are men and women who have spent their entire lives learning about the three days of July 1863. Just learn the basics, get an overall view of the city and events that transpired there.
2. Go to the Gettysburg National Military Park Visitors Center and Museum, first.
Watch the film I mentioned, see the cyclorama, and take a guided tour from a Licensed Battlefield Guide. I would plan on spending at least a couple of hours at the visitor center.
3. As you are on the tour, jot down the places of interest the guide may mention,so you can visit it on your own later.
4. Park your bike downtown and just walk around.
Some Suggestions of places to eat.
- The Pike Restaurant & Lounge www.thepikerestaurant.com
- The Farnsworth House Tavern 401 Baltimore St.
- Appalachian Brewing Company www.abcbrew.com
- Dobbins House Tavern www.dobbinshouse.com
My time at Gettysburg was a wonderful experience and place I hope to visit many more times. If you want to see more photos of Day 2, click here.
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Gettysburg ride report; Day 2.
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