One more time at Gettysburg Military Park and Visitor Center

It's been rainy for the past couple of days.  Reminiscent of last spring, but at least this year we are not getting the ark ready.  Last year the rains were so intense, and simply day after day after day.  I'll never forget the one day last year when the rains came so hard so fast that the street in front of Shriver House ran like a river.  When it was time to leave work, I had to cross that street; and, as I stepped off the curb onto the street, the water covered my shoes.  Driving home that night along Taneytown Road, which has a few places in it where the road dips some, was really scarey.  There were three occasions when I had to drive through water that was almost 12" deep.  I did my best to stay to where the highest part of the road was each time I went through the water.  By the time I got back to the campground the car was not driving all that well.  Turns out I had slipped my serpentine belt.  Thankfully, there was a Boy Scout troup staying at the campsite, and one of the fathers came to help me get the belt back in placed.  And, then that night there was a terrible storm.  The rains came in buckets and the winds were making the trees sway by almost 10' back and forth.  I was so frightened that I ran out to my car and drove over to the cinder block building where the bathrooms and laundry were located and went inside.  I at least felt a little safer there and my car was out of the reach of the trees.  I did hear one tree come down; fortunately, it did not hit any of the RV's, but it did make a mess and blocked one road for a day.

Anyways, to occupy this rainy day, I went to the Gettysburg Military Park and Visitor Center.  Friends, if you come to Gettysburg, this site is a must see--along with MY museum, of course.  At the Military Park you see a film that talks about what brought the war on and gives highlights up until the Battle of Gettysburg.  Next you get to see the cyclorama.  Now, if you have never seen one of these, it is amazing.  A cyclorama is a huge painting of some historical event.  It was a way of presenting these events to people all over the world.  The painting is 42' high and 337' around.  This painting was restored to its 1882 luster, and portions that had been torn away were replaced.  It depicts Pickett's charge.  And, then you go to see the museum, which is filled with artifacts and interactive displays.  I particularly like the TV screens where you can stop and sit for a few moments to understand what was taking place during the military maneuvers and other screens you will watch and listen to the soldiers and civilians talk about what they experienced.

What made this visit extra nice was the couple that I met in the parking lot.  They were cordial, and I offered to get them into the museum on my membership.  Of course, they accepted.  For the first hour in the museum we had an interesting discussion, and then we moved in our own directions.  I also suggested to these folks to come to the Shriver House.  We'll see if they show up tomorrow.