Gettysburg

Today we left Lancaster, a real shame because we enjoyed it here. We waved farewell to the Amish (even though there were none in the hotel to wave back) and went on our merry way. Tonight's destination is Washington DC although to be precise we are staying in Arlington, Virginia, just a small hop from DC itself.

On the way we set the GPS for Gettysburg. Peter identified another covered bridge so we went their first. It was around a 2 hour drive. Sachs Covered Bridge is "the most historic covered bridge in Pennsylvania" because it carried both armies during the Battle of Gettysburg. It certainly was in a beautiful scenic spot, and today the sun was shining and around 20 degrees.

The fields outside Gettysburg are where the Battle of Gettysburg took place in 1863. We didn't know what to expect. Will the field be big, or small? Understated? Major tourist attraction? Tacky in that "only in America" way?

The fields spread for miles in all directions, mostly flat with gentle rolling hills. Most have barricades along the edges or roadsides. The are small roads in and around the many fields, and there are cannons and memorials littering the countryside everywhere. Each memorial for a different troop, or state, or event. It's all very respectful. There are people walking the fields, or travelling around by car, or bus, each looking at specific items of interest.

We could not get over the scale of the place. So much land set aside as a memorial. After a look around, and a few photos, we left to carry on to Washington DC.