Gettysburg on the way to Pipestem State Park

Sunday, September 13

My alarm went off at 7 am - I snoozed it twice before I got up to shower. We had the car packed at 8:30. There was a Dunkin Donuts in the tech park across from our hotel. We stopped there before heading out. It was 69 degrees, humid and sunny. I was surprised that the humidity wasn't bothering me - I had been a little worried after the lung collapse that I would have some trouble breathing in the humidity - but I seemed okay.  

We were heading for Gettysburg - about 2 hours and 15 minutes away.  We passed a large anti-Trump billboard along the highway. I had seen Biden commercials on TV last night.

We passed signs for King of Prussia - originally a pub named after the King of Prussia - George Washington stopped into the pub when his army was camped at Valley Forge. This is another area I would like to spend some time in. I'm very interested in history, but how could I not love the Revolutionary War after growing up in Watertown - so close to Boston, Lexington, Concord. My kids have memories - I'm not sure how fond - of me dragging them to re-enactments of the battles of Lexington and Concord, Paul Revere arriving in Lexington the night before the battle. re-enactments at the Jason Russell House in Arlington, the Boston Massacre, and many others. I belonged to the historical Society of Watertown which owns the Edmund Fowle House where the Provincial Congress met before and during the Revolutionary War.

We made our way to Interstate 76 West. There was a big Keep America Great sign among others for Trump. We also passed some good sized farms - lots of cornfields - there was one farm with solar panels in the fields. We didn't see any more solar panels on houses and no solar farms. We got off at exit 266 for gas - $2.42/gallon. We got back onto the Pennsylvania Turnpike/Route 76. We crossed the Susquehanna River which is the longest river on the east coast - it empties into Chesapeake Bay.

We stopped off route 15 for breakfast at Hunterstown Diner. It wasn't too big - the staff was wearing masks - we were shown our table - Fox News was on the TV - most of the other tables were full. Our waitress came to take our order - her mask was down below her nose - the other waitresses had their masks below their noses or on their chins. It was a little unnerving, but we ate and hit the road again - we weren't far from Gettysburg.

Waitresses in the diner made us a little nervous, but we ate there anyway. 

My brother Johnny did all the driving.

We stopped at Gettysburg's Visitor Center - Johnny bought a motor tour map of the battle sites and we drove around the park. I wish we had had enough time to take the narrated bus tour although the map came with an audio tape. It was 87 degrees but did not feel that warm.  

Notice Vickie has her mask on, but no mask on the fella near her.

Johnny knew a lot about the battles which lasted over 3 days - especially day 2. We saw where the federalists' positions were on the hill - we looked down the slight hill where the confederates' line was. On such a nice, pleasant, sunny day it was difficult to imagine the noise, the smells, the injuries and death of the battles - 23,000 Union deaths - and 28,000 Confederate deaths and injuries. We only had a limited time to appreciate it because we still had to drive to West Virginia. 

Vickie and Johnny checking out one of the memorials.

Memorial to Massachusetts' sharp shooters. "In God we put our trust, but kept our powder dry."

Looking down to the rebels' line.

Guns aimed at the rebels.

Very touching seeing all the white gravestones. It was at the dedication of this cemetery that Abraham Lincoln gave his Gettysburg address - no one remembers Edward Everett who was the main speaker - he was from Massachusetts. When I was in high school, we had to memorize the Gettysburg address. It was such an honor to visit this national park.

"Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

"Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

"But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate—we can not consecrate—we can not hallow—this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”

We crossed into Virginia about 3:30 pm. There were signs along the highway saying that the speed limit was enforced by aircraft!! But I didn't see any! Again there were farms, cornfields, cattle here and there. The worse thing had to be the tractor trailers - there were hundreds of them! And there were only 2 lanes - they were weaving in and out of both lanes! I was glad I wasn't driving.

We went through Hinton to get to Pipestem Resort State Park - it is an old coal town - I want to come back here during the day - it was getting dark. We went up some winding twisting mountain roads lined with evergreens. Johnny checked in at the Lodge. I had thought it odd that houses we passed in Hinton did not have lights on. We found out that there was a power outage - reception gave us some small disposable flashlights to use. We headed to our cabin and unloaded our bags in the dark. We had 3 bedrooms - 2 rooms with twin beds and one with a queen. There was a nice bathroom with a shower, a kitchenette, a dining area, and a living room with a fireplace. There was a deck off the living room - I didn't get a good look at it until the next day. Johnny and Vickie headed off to Princeton for groceries - this was in the opposite direction from Hinton. I opted to stay at the cabin - my phone was almost dead, but I had my computer and Kindle. The lights came on about an hour later - not long before Johnny and Vickie got back.

#11 was our cabin - there were lots of trees on the mountains.

Our neighbors to the left. Each cabin had a fireplace, a picnic table, and a trash bin.

Johnny and Vickie unloading the car after a day trip.

I slept that night - and every other night - with the window open - it was cool, but no need for the heat. I was surprised at the stillness - there was not a sound - no crickets, no birds, no noise. And my bed was so very comfortable!!