ECRT - Day 3: Travel Day, MD to Penna

Road Trip Begins - Full of History

Since we only had to go from one state to another and the Hilton has a late checkout time, we actually slept in.  Eventually, we packed up the two red suitcases and the two tote bags and Nick's backpack and headed on up the highway for Pennsylvania. Prophetically, we did note when we crossed the Mason-Dixon Line.

Back when I was on the Girl Scout Council Board of Directors, I became friends with Rosalie.  Nick was on the Diversity Committee when she chaired it and they became friends as well.  Some years ago, she and her husband Roger left the Bay Area and moved first to Baltimore and then to Gettysburg.   I had been to the battlefield a zillion years ago with my family and wanted to see it again.   So, that was our next stop!

We went first to see Rosalie and Roger who served us a lovely lunch on the patio of their big ole farmhouse.  They graciously let me use their wireless internet to dig up friend Paula's phone number whih wasn't in my phone.  More later on Paula.   Rosalie also pointed out the mother robin nesting and feeding babies in one roof corner.  Attempts at photographs were made.  We stayed there about two hours and then headed for the Gettysburg Visitor's Center.

The Battle of Gettysburg

Roger said we "had" to see the Cyclorama and he was right!  For those who aren't going to follow the link, when you get to the Visitor's Center, you have two options.  You can wander around and look at the exhibits or you can do that and for a small fee see the movie narrated by Morgan Freeman and then go up to the Cyclorama.  Don't worry, I'll get there.  But first a word about Morgan Freeman - I love him, ever since the Electric Company (which dates back to PBS and Sesame Street days).  The movie was very good discussing the Civil War, slavery, economics, the South, setting the context for the battle (and the speech!)  It made it clear why doing the right thing was so challenging for so many.  It was very thoughtful and sad at the same time.  Certain sixty-somethings teared up.

After the movie ends, one goes up the stairs.  While Roger had explained it was a large circular painted mural which covers the whole battle, I wasn't really prepared for it.  You really should follow my link for more!  There's a recording which is played detailing the battle and various lighting changes highlighting spots on the mural.  Very dramatic.

After this, we took our map and started heading for Cemetery Ridge, the point of view of the painting.  Alas, the threatening rain decided to become a deluge just as we got there. It was also getting late and we had more travel to do, now in the deluge.  I hope we can go back another time but who knows.

Familiar Turf

Next destination, Glen Mills, in Delaware County, PA.  Long ago, and currently not so far away, I ended up spending almost four years in graduate school at Temple University.  The flunking out there-of is a story for another time.  But in that time, we made some good friends. It was when and where Nick became a Girl Scout Leader (I'd already done so in Palo Alto, Ca.)  We learned the basics of Senior Girl Scout program from a pair of trainers known as Nellie and Deluc. Deluc is really Paula and we have stayed in touch and when any of us are near each other we hang out.

Paula now lives with her cat Misty in an "active adult community" called Fox Hollow Farm.  We were to have dinner there so we pressed on through the rain.  As we were going, we kept reading names of cities and towns that we'd known about and forgotten.  Eventually, the rain eased up and we arrived at an almost reasonable hour.  We had a great dinner, talking about old times, new times, what we're all up to, etc.

The only downside was she doesn't have wireless and we don't have cables to plug in the netbook.  I'd hoped to do some catching up for you loyal readers in that window and didn't.  And so it goes!

Coming next - Philly!!

© 2011 Esther A. Heller