Heading south Day 6

Well this trip is almost over. Today I went to Gettysburg National Military Park. My one take away from this place is how quiet it is, even when it is over crowded with visitors. Its like the wall in DC that it creepy quiet, you could almost hear the ghost speak to you. Today I just went to find a monument and ended up taking pictures of wildflowers. Below are a few pictures from the day.

Since I've done the auto tour with Kathryn years ago, this time I just drove to one or two different monuments and then spent 30 minutes in downtown.

 This was a statue on the road in Gettysburg. It is the Bucktails monument dedicated to the 13th reserves by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 1890. The thing that caught my eye first was that the statue looks like he's covered on the face with black mold. Its a decolorization on his face. When I took the picture as you can see a breeze passed through and the the leaves moved. Could it be the ghosts wanting to show their presence. Could be, maybe it's Colonel Charles F Taylor who was killed on July 2nd right by the statue. Either way I found this picture cool.








One thing that is over looked is that the secession question was
more than about slavery it was about economic freedom and slavery didn't become a factor until later on in the war. It also had to do with:
1. sweeping economic changes
2. the union was rapidly changing
 amidst political upheaval
3. there was a breakdown of decorum
 & civil discourse
4. fundamental disagreement on
constitutional principles
5. different nations, different dreams
 (pitting brother against brother)

Looking at these, they look like they could be said about today's world and that makes today scary. What or where are we headed. How can history help the issues resolve peacefully?



Throughout the entire park there are cannons. I found this one interesting because of the color and the simplicity of the fence and land around it. It was so quiet there and I just looked at the vast space and thinking of the battles and loses that occurred there.

 Another monument to fallen soldiers and the Gettysburg National Cemetery behind it with all the white headstones.

 

Before leaving it was a quick stop to Starbucks and then back to reality.


Final thoughts:
1. Going to keep getting gas at Costco and Sam's club, probably saved .10 cent per gallon by doing this. Most of them are just off the highway so I didn't go that far out of my way and it was a nice stopping point to stretch me legs.
2. Add 2 hours to road trips for the stopping for gas and restrooms or even weather.