GETTYSBURG

This is a new building since I was here 5 years ago. It is the Gettysburg Museum and Visitor Center. I was very impressed with it. You could spend days in the Museum alone. It had a nice movie and also houses the Cyclorama. There was also presenters outside all throughout the day.

Part of the cyclorama. It is a circular painting that was done of the battle of Gettysburg in the 1870's. It had been fading and needed to be restored. It is really amazing to see it now.

Our next stop was the cemetery. It was the first National Cemetery in the USA.

This docent shared her story as a woman who lived on Taneytown Rd during the battle and what it was like after the battle with all the dead bodies. She told of Lincoln coming to town and hearing him speak. In real life she was a retired special ed teacher who lives about 15 miles away. I guess she was in her 70's at least but stood in the heat for her whole 45 minute presentation.

All the bodies are buried in a wood box. The graves are in a semi circle and all their feet are towards the monument in the middle. They are all Union soldiers except they believe for nine, who were thought to be union but have since been discovered to have been confederate soldiers. We sat under this tree during her talk because she said there is always a breeze here from the angel wings over the graves.

On July 8 we had a rendezvous lunch at General Pickett Buffet. June, John, and Jim, Sandy and Dick. Sandy and Dick , a Masons, we met at Thousand Trails. They live close by so they are just camping with us here in Gettysburg.

Les and Joy, Larry and Jim and Liz. Les and Joy are from Florida and Jim and Liz are from California. At the luncheon we shared where we travel, about our families, careers and Masonic experiences. We were saddened that two other couples had to cancel traveling with us at the last minute. One because of health and the other because of RV difficulties.

Gettysburg Diorama use to be at Artillery Ridge Campground, but is now housed in this building. It has the only 3 dimensional viewing of the entire Gettysburg Battlefield. It has over 20,000 hand-painted figures . It really helps to understand the 3 day battle that occurred here.

Hard to see all the detail in this diorama from this picture.

Jim and Liz looking at the diorama.