Appalachian Adventure Day 4: Gettysburg

We woke up to sunshine and a doe eating the roses off the bushes in the front yard, and were on our way to Gettysburg for the 150-year celebration reenactment of Pickett's Charge, the battle that changed the course of the Civil War and an event that we had been looking forward to for a year.

We stopped on the Pennsylvania state line for our picture

before making our way into Gettysburg, via the Emmitsburg road.

We'd never been to a reenactment before, and it was fun to walk around the encampment and look in the shops.

And learn interesting new facts, like what a Sutlery is (look it up).

Within a few minutes we were all sweating in the heat, so Jimmy and Cathy found a nice shady tree to sit under and we joined the line to get into the bleacher seating.

Two and a half hours, two large lemonades and four bottles of water later, we were seated in the stands when **BAM**, the cannons started firing,

Guns blasted

and men fell over 'dead'.

 I had had no idea what to expect, having never been to a reenactment before. It was incredible. Sean was enthralled.

and before we knew it, the battle was over and they were playing Taps.

When the last note sounded, it began to rain, and pour, and rain and pour some more.

As the crowds quickly got to their cars we waited it out in a refreshment tent, feeling sorry for the reenactors who just minutes earlier were roasting in their wool uniforms, and now were soaked to the skin.

While we were waiting, we were approached by a local newspaper reporter who interviewed us about our experience that day.

We are now famous in York, Pennsylvania thanks to Mollie Durkin of the York Dispatch.

Read our story here. Mollie did a good job, but I can guarantee that Sean has never used the word "palpable" in his life.

We hid in the tent for about an hour before deciding to make a break for it and at least find somewhere warm to eat. By the time we were finished with dinner, the rain had let up enough to make the 70 mile ride back to Harper's Ferry. A long day of hot sun and cool rain left us tired, dirty and wet. It was a relief to get back to the Bed and Breakfast and to bed.

Fun facts:

High gas price so far: $3.69 in Virginia
Low gas price so far: $3.15 in West Virginia
Hot. Hot. Hot. Rainy. Rainy. Cold.
Miles day .5: 303
Miles day 1: 566
Miles day 2: 518
Miles day 3: 164
Miles day 4: 128