Gettysburg

It was hard to leave DC today. There is so much more we could see and do...and how great would it be to experience a 4th of July celebration in our Nation's capitol? But time is the issue - we just don't have it. After another major reality check we realized we're running too tight on time. So once again we made a hard decision to cut something. I actually prefer to say we are delaying it. We decided to make a return trip to see New York City sometime very soon.

Leaving the city we take the oh so beautiful drive into Pennsylvania. Our destination is Gettysburg. They say "Come to Pennsylvania where our Nation was born, and visit Gettysburg where our Nation was saved." As we drove we read about this very sobering time in our nation that resulted in a civil war, President Lincoln's agony over the sin of our nation, God's judgement and ultimately His grace in preserving our Union which Lincoln did not live to fully see.

Our first stop at the Visitor Center and Civil War Museum had to be the Electric Map. When we visited here in '92 this was a highlight and a most helpful visual presentation using lights on a large relief map to explain how the Battle of Gettysburg was fought. Well, its still here and we did see it again, but probably for the last time. A new Visitor Center/Museum will be opening in '08 and Gary found out the map will not be a part of it.

We then walked across the street thru the National cemetery where President Lincoln gave the Gettysburg address. We listened to part of a Park Ranger presentation which was really well done. Gary later found the grave of a Civil War soldier whose body was uncovered in 1996. Someone composed a beautiful poem about this unknown soldier and left it on that grave.

At Gettysburg you can actually have a personal guide ride with you in your vehicle touring the battlefield. If we had more time we would have done this. We did drive around a bit and stopped at Little Round Top. In reality we only glimpsed Gettysburg.

For me the significance of this trip to Gettysburg was considering it all thru spiritual eyes. Our reading gave us great insight into this and it has been very powerful. The faith of Lincoln, Lee and Jackson are all quite astounding. A spiritual war for the souls of men was equally waged and thousands of soldiers came to Christ. Right now I am reading "Christ in the Camp" by J. William Jones, a Confederate soldier and chaplain, telling the true story of the great revival that took place during the Civil War. It is well documented thru writings and letters of eye witness accounts. I will never see this war the same after this.

You can't go to Gettysburg with out stopping to eat at the Lincoln Diner which once upon a 1992 was in a railroad car. It has been remodeled, but still was good. The pie there was one of our greatest memories so we had to get some.

Leaving Gettysburg late in the afternoon we had a beautiful drive into Amish country. How beautiful and green it is! Feels to us a bit like home. A significant rain fell as we travelled so there were not many buggy's out. We did stop when we saw a sign for shoo fly pie. You gotta do the pie, and yes, it was a two pie day for us!

Our "resort" here was amazingly beautiful. Tucked in the beautifully green rolling hills of Lancaster County this was one of the most well maintained "resorts" we've had the pleasure of staying at. As we set up a storm was blowing in and soon our TV was flashing a tornado watch for our area. Taryn and I were quite concerned about a cloud formation on our left but it was passing beside us and not coming towards us as it first appeared. We were fine and soon the warning was dropped. We did have a spectacular wind, thunder and lightning storm thru the nite.