7/21/2014 - 7/23/2014 Florida, NY

We are in Florida .......NY.  We were first confused where we were going.  We ended up at Black Bear Campground.  https://blackbearcampground.com/

I noticed it states on the web site "no steep grades".  Actually we pulled the van up a hill about 45 degrees to the upper section.  The 450 hp diesel motorhome had no problem getting to the top.  I didn't get the best fuel economy.  The top was nice.  We thought of the grand children a lot.  There were signs stating no skate boards, bicycles, or motorcycles allowed.  Obviously the hill was too extreme for them.

We actually rested and shopped.

The Appellation trail crosses the road near our campground.  We seem to be close to the trail in our travels.

Off to visit Nikki and family next.

7/19/2014 - 7/21/2014 A Memorable Day Gettysburg

We traveled to Gettysburg 7/19/2014.  We decided to travel the Pennsylvania turnpike.  It was our first toll road.  I gave the toll lady $20. She said it wasn't enough.  It was $27 to pass.  We had it, but were amazed at the rate.  We had the EZ-pass for the RV mailed to Nikki's house.  The route the GPS took us was over hill and dale through several small towns and tight turns.  We made it to our destination, but we are now very weary of the GPS directions.  We stayed in Artillery Ridge Campground.  http://www.artilleryridge.com/

We liked the site assigned.  We were in a back section past the horse corral to another area with cabins and another horse corral and pens.  We saw signs to pick up poop for dogs, but noticed there were stable hands cleaning up the horse poop also.  This place was enjoyable and relaxing.

We got to Gettysburg early enough that we could scout around for what we wanted to do there.  We also ate at General Picketts Restaurant.

We have been to Gettysburg before and decided to do the bus tour vice self guided or auto tour.  We got tickets at the visitor center for the bus and theater.  The Theater included a film, a  Cyclorama and a museum.   The painting has been restored, and it is very impressive.

We took the bus tour afterwards.  It was well worth the cost.  We had a guide who explained the strategy and locations of the Battle of Gettysburg.  It was very somber to get such detail of so many people dying at this site.  It appeared that Lee's decision to advance at Pickett's Charge was a big mistake.  It was explained why he attacked and where.

There is at least one or more monuments from each state, from Maine to Texas.  There are also monuments to artillery groups, states, cavalries.  

After  our bus tour we went to the National Soldiers Cemetery.  This was also where Lincoln delivered his Gettysburg Address.

Actual location of Gettysburg Address.

After the cemetery we went to the Gettysburg Diorama and Ghost Lab.  The diorama is the largest in the US. 

As nice as it was to visit Gettysburg, it left us with feelings of sadness about the carnage that occurred at this place.  It was a battle that changed the course of our nation for the better, but at a cost of over fifty thousand lives over three days in July.

There is more information at this site.  

http://www.gettysburgfoundation.org/

http://www.nps.gov/gett/index.htm

  

7/16/2014 - 7/19/2014 Flight 93 Memorial

We left Misty Mountain Resort Thursday, 7/17/2014 for our destination in Bedford, PA. We stayed in Friendship Village Campground.  http://www.friendshipvillagecampground.com/welcome/ .  We like the sites.  It has two swimming pools, miniature golf, fishing etc.  Our site was one of the largest and flat.

Our purpose for the visit was to visit the Flight 93 Memorial which was twenty miles away.  We arrived and learned that the field where Flight 93 came down was a coal mine restoration project.  It is still being restored, and the memorial is quite impressive.  There are continuing to build at this site.  A visitors center, a tower of voices and a walkway are either in progress or planned over the next two years.    The memorial is very respectful of the forty people who died here.

The flight data recorder that was recovered from the crash site revealed that the terrorists had reprogrammed the aircraft's autopilot system for a new destination - Washington, D.C. Recovered evidence and responses to interrogations revealed that the terrorists' intended target was most likely the United States Capitol Building, where the nation's legislators were in session. Flight 93 crashed only 20 minutes flying-time from Washington, D.C.

Because of the quick and determined actions of the passengers and crew, Flight 93 was the only one of the four hijacked aircraft that failed to reach the terrorists' intended target that day. The passengers and crew showed unity, courage, and defiance in the face of adversity.

A park volunteer told the entire story along with individual reasons for the passenger being on the plane.  A boulder was placed at the impact point and a wall of names has been erected along the actual flight path.   The memorial wall has a section per passenger.

There is also a phone number to dial with extensions to get a portion of the story as you visit each section.  http://www.nps.gov/flni/photosmultimedia/upload/cell_tour_scripts_formatted_4-2013.pdf
It was a good way to get questions answered.
The Flight 93 web page is:  http://www.nps.gov/flni/index.htm

The pictures are of the area as we toured.  Read and learn about this event from ground level.

To us this was a very respectful place where you can just sit and reflect on things.  It is the final resting place of forty people who started their day just going about their daily lives.  In the course of thirty minutes, they were hijacked, realized via phones calls made how dire their situation was, formulated a plan, voted on that plan, and enacted the plan.  Due to their heroic actions many were saved.  These forty people are true heroes.  They will never be forgotten!

A common field one day.

        A field of honor forever.