Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

For labor day weekend, we decided to take a short trip to Gettysburg on Saturday morning. We planned it so we'd be back in time for the Texas game that afternoon and catch our first real college football Saturday of the season. After our trip last weekend in Baltimore and all that we did, we kind of needed a weekend with some down time. Of course, there isn't a chance that we wouldn't do anything so we picked Gettysburg because it was actually only an hour away. It was also a gorgeous weekend and we knew we had to take advantage of it.

We toured the Gettysburg National Military Park which included the visitors' center. We purchased tickets to the movie/cyclorama and the museum. Dilan lasted about 10 minutes in the 20 minute movie so I left with her and then we made a run through the museum really because with two small kids, you can't possibly look at everything. What we did see was neat and the history of the civil war is just so fascinating.

Gettysburg was considered a major turning point in the war - neither side officially won but Robert E. Lee was making such progress that when he chose to fight his first fight on union soil and didn't win it, it was basically considered a win for the union and the momentum shifted to the Union and never ended until the war was over.

Drew in front of a Union uniform

Obviously, being from Texas, we liked the Secession part of the museum - look at Dilan's face here. There is something to be said about seceding from the union and having the courage to fight for what you believe in (even if that reason - slavery- is not a good cause obviously).

Flag of the Union on the left, Flag of the Confederacy on the right

Drew and me in front of a replica of the Union calvary

Replica of a big canon

Dilan has started to walk everywhere with her hands behind her back. It's so funny! Here she is looking at her reflection in the glass.

This is Dilan's favorite part of the museum, laying on the floor and just being all over the place. I believe it was right after this where David said, "this is miserable," but he was still glad we went. :)

Drew and me with Abe

Dilan and me in front of Gettysburg Address

After the museum, you can drive on an auto tour and see the grounds of the battle of Gettysburg. It is huge. Each state of the union dedicated multiple monuments to their various infantries, etc. who fought and died here.

Pennsylvania has the biggest monument dedicated to their men lost in this battle. I actually have an ancestor who fought on the Union side and was from Pennsylvania, but I have no idea if he fought in Gettysburg or not.