Gettysburg. It had rained hard just a few hours earlier and the air was cool and damp with threatening clouds blowing in from the west. Paula and I had checked in to a Motel, which felt strange after the last 7 months traveling in our RV’s. The Motel was 60’s vintage, clean, compact, no frills and a door lock that could be opened by any 10 year old with a pocket knife.

“We won’t unload  much from the truck”, I said to Paula “and we won’t leave the room after dark. This town is pretty low crime I suspect, but nothing ruins a trip faster than having your belongings stolen.” We both had experienced being robbed while traveling. The consensus was that we would take a walk around in the evening light, grab some supper and back to the room to plan for tomorrow.

Cannon, facing the Peach Orchard

The rain resumed on our walk around the town and battlefield cemetery.

We hustled over to the restaurant enjoyed a Chinese Buffet and back to the room in the clammy gloom of near dark.  The next day was going to be the usual post storm weather, clear skies and brisk winds chasing the cold front to the east coast.

We decided that night on a two pronged assault of Gettysburg. The newly opened Gettysburg Museum and Visitors Center looked like a great starting point followed by a personal guided tour of the Battlefield and surrounding area. The Museum looked very extensive in all the online information we could gather and the Motel manager had strongly recommended using a personal guide to get around the battlefield area.

We felt like a couple of Junior College students cramming for a history final as we browsed online and read aloud literature and information about the Battle of Gettysburg. It was getting pretty late when we turned in and it was just as well that we were so tired. The Motel’s beds might have been from the 60’s as well.

Nothing that a hot shower and a good breakfast wouldn’t cure in the morning. Tomorrow should be a day to remember.