Flight 93, Lincoln, Gettysburg, & more

We've tried to see as much as we can while here in MD. However, you could spend every day seeing historical sites around here. The east coast is rich in history, especially with the Civil War.

I had wanted to see the Flight 93 Memorial in PA for some time. We decided to go on 9/12, one day after the large tributes of 9/11. The memorial is designed to commemorate the flight path the plane took before crashing, while also paying homage to the passengers and crew of that flight who gave their lives to save others. It is a fitting memorial while reminding us of the horror of that day and how it changed lives forever. 

Son Sam & I outside the Visitor's Center

After that we went on to Gettysburg for the first of two stops there. In downtown Gettysburg we found the David Wills House. This is the house that President Lincoln is believed to have stayed in the night before giving his Gettysburg Address. 

History abounds here, with plaques everywhere. This sign indicates that this church was used as a hospital during the Civil War.

Putting history aside for a while, we traveled to the Hershey Park RV Show, the largest RV show in the US. After all, we were only a couple of hours away, so why not go? 

Just a few people and RV's at the show 

On the way back from Hershey, we stopped at Gettysburg again. This time we went to the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitor Center. We viewed the show the History Channel did on the Gettysburg Battle, then went up to the Cyclorama, where there is a 377 foot painting (by a french artist) of Pickett's Charge, which was completed in 1844 and has been restored. There is a story narrated while lights highlight certain aspects of the painting and the battle. I wish that every student of US History could visit this museum-it brings "alive" the battle of Gettysburg and the lives it cost. This is much better than just reading a textbook. The museum also has numerous artifacts from the war. 

You can take a self guided auto tour. After doing part of it, we decided that if we came back we would spend the time and money to take the 2 hour bus tour with a guide. The whole park is nearly 30,000 acres and includes the Soldiers National Cemetery. 

Tomorrow we leave to head towards the Freightliner Factory in Gaffney, SC and then back to the Tiffin Factory in Red Bay, AL for maintenance. We will miss everyone, but especially these two guys-

Jacob sleeping with Vince behind him