Gettysburg--3 Hour Tour

[Sled Puller]

I live 4 hours away for 33 years and have never made it there.

Well, we snuck in for 3 hours on Saturday, and I want go back and spend a few days.



Words can not describe it.

 

[Oliver88]

Take it from me. It is well worth it to take the tour with a knowledgable person that knows what really happened there. Don't get one of the park rangers.

Greg

 

[SmokinRam]

Me Too

Hey Gene,



I live even closer than you and I have never been there either...



I do plan on going out for a weekend this summer sometime...



Andy

 

[Ben Rumson]

Don't take it for granted...

I have never "connected" much with the Civil War. Something about always bothered me and I found it irretating to even discuss it.



Well... .



I attended some FEMA training in Emittsburge, MD 2 years ago and we made a point to going there (rental car) as much as possible. I had been there as a Boy Scout in '76 - didn't learn much. I was home sick, and had "monument overload".



While there 2 years ago, we met a small family in downtown Gettysburg who lived 2 hours away for 10 years and had never bothered to visit or take the tours. My friend and I were dumb founded that they lived that close and had never been by. They regreated not having been by sooner.



THIS time I was completely moved by the experience and found a new interest in the war and what really happened and what price was paid. I vividly remember the feelings I had while at Plums Run and Little Big Top... life changing moment for me.



Taking things for granted is easy. I've lived my whole life within a 1/2 days drive of the Golden Spike Monument where the East and West railroads met and I've never stopped by. I've passed within 20 miles of the monument while rabbit hunting and have just never bothered.



There are many places out West where I have been, but have yet to take my wife and kids - like Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Bryce, Zions, Canyonlands, the 4,000+ yr old Bristlecone Pines west fo Delta, Utah (oldest living organisms on the planet), the Oregon coast, Carlsbad Caverns.



But we have seen the Remington Museum in Cody, Wyo. , Disneyland, and Tiajuana.

 

[Sled Puller]

Re: Don't take it for granted...

Originally posted by Ben Rumson





I attended some FEMA training in Emittsburge, MD

What is funny here, is we picked up a friend in from NV who was attending FEMA training.

That is the only reason we even went.

 

[Bob Beauchaine]

Try Ted Turner's movie "Gettysburg" - long but it is supposed to be very accurate and was shot on site. 50,000+ Americans paid the ultimate price at Gettysburg. It was not until the Battle of the Bulge in WWII that that number was surpassed. This was the turning point in the Civil War and as always those who do not heed the lessons of history are doomed to repeat them.

Happy trails

 

[Doc Tinker]

It's been a long time since I visited Gettysburg (as a teen). I've always wanted to go back again, but I never seem to do it. I've always been interested in the Civil War. I think I was a surgeon during that war. I had a flash back once, when I was fresh out of high school.



Doc

 

[Hammer]

Gettysburg

Hey Gene,,Maybe thats what we can do later in the season in a off time,,Post it up and get a group of TDR members to come in and do the tour,,Even as close as I am and as many times that I have been thru and toured the area it still captures my interest,,The re-enactment they do later in the year is something to see also,,Bunch of nice places to house a after tour BBQ also,,Just a thought..... Andy

P. S-Good thing your squeeze was doing the navigation so you didn't get lost while you were there. . he he he

 

[Sled Puller]

This has possibilitys- The northern GLTDR meets at Gettysburg with the Southern Mason Dixon TDR.

 

[fest3er]

Originally posted by Bob Beauchaine

Try Ted Turner's movie "Gettysburg" - long but it is supposed to be very accurate and was shot on site. 50,000+ Americans paid the ultimate price at Gettysburg. It was not until the Battle of the Bulge in WWII that that number was surpassed. This was the turning point in the Civil War and as always those who do not heed the lessons of history are doomed to repeat them.

Happy trails

If you prefer to read, try:

Battle Cry of Freedom, by James M. McPherson

ISBN 0-19-503863-0



It's around 900 pages, and is a very good book.



Fest3er

 

[Oliver88]

The movie Gettysburg is pretty accurate except where General Longstreet is drawing in the dirt and telling how the men will attack on the 3rd day. He puts the Virginians in front of the North Carolinians on the left flank. Not so. Might have something to do with the fact that the technical advisor of the movie is from Virginia.

Greg

 

[Ben Rumson]

Recommendation ...

We bought an Auto Tour cassette that we played while driving around the area. Once we got to an area that the tape was talking about, we stoped the car and listen to what it had to say about that place.



It begins with Day 1 of the 3 day battle (which was new to me... I had always thought it was a one day battle) and ends with Lincoln's Gettysburg Address (delivered amidst the carnage and stench from the surrounding battlefields). It was narrated very well and had music and background noise to help you envision what might have taken place.



We also bought a map of the battle field and used the cassette tape and the map together.



I'd highly recommend calling the National Park Service or a Tourist shop and get the tape and map BEFORE going so that you can listen to them before hand. There was so much to absorb. We were too busy figuring out which direction we needed to go next that we didn't have time to get out of the car at each stop and read all of the other information on the site plackards. The times we did stop and get out were well worth the extra time because the tapes don't cover everything.



Side note: We noticed a Parks Ranger metal detecting (highly ILLEGAL for you and I) a road side prior to them digging a trench to install some utilities. We stopped and struck up a conversation. Within about a half hours time, he found several union bullets (number of grooves on the sides) and a large metal ornamental button from a horse bridal. He let us hold them and take pictures of them. We got to talking and come to find out, he was my age and had been to the same Boy Scout Jamboree in Moraine State Park PA when I was there and saw Gettysburg as a boy... small world.

 

[QRTRHRS]

Just read in the newspaper today. 100 million to be spent in upgrades to Gettysburg. If your traveling a long ways to see, you may want to hold off for a year.

 

[Ben Rumson]

and ...

There was a big "to do" while we were there about whether the large Observation Tower (inside the town) would stay or go...



Word was that a lot of local residents and Purists did not like the tower artificially obstructing the landscape. One person said that they thought it was actually decided that the tower would be torn down. We made a point to climb to the top, and overlook the entire area in 360 degree view, in case it wouldn't be there the next tiime we happened through.



Haven't heard whether it has actually been torn down or not. ???