Gettysburg Military Park

It was an eventful Tuesday. On the first play from scrimmage, we had to call an audible and change our plans to suit our trip later in the day to Gettysburg, PA.
What was to be a trip to see a collection of historic aircraft at the Udvar-Hazy Air and Space Museum (next to Dulles Airport) turned into a trip to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.

However, due to a big accident on the highway leading to Chantilly, VA., we had to scrap our original plans and head to the Smithsonian. There, the students spotted (much older) aircraft and spacecraft from the 20th century and learned a good deal about our country's early aircraft, and the beginnings of its space program.

If you do get a chance to fly into Dulles Airport, it's a very quick trip to the Udvar-Hazy Air and Space Museum. Known to many as "America's Hangar," the U-H is a dream come to life for anyone who loves to see more modern aircraft up close. Craft like the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird and a retired Space Shuttle are within reach and seem like friendly giants.

From D.C., it was onto Gettysburg. Sure it was raining, but that did not dampen our spirits. Paul, our Gettysburg Military Park tour guide was awesome. He boarded our Eyre bus and led us on a very entertaining and informative tour of the battlefields. We saw a memorial to Abner Doubleday (of baseball fame), several monuments dedicated to a variety of Union and Confederate infantries, and we climbed Little Roundtop, to see where Chamberlain and the 20th Maine helped to defend the strategic hill. The more we learned from our guide, Paul, the more we found out there was to know.

Paul, our excellent tour guide

Here is one of 5 observation towers constructed in 1895. The one pictured here is known as Eisenhower Tower, named after "Ike" himself.

Eisenhower Tower. It's 120 years old. Shaky? Only on windy days. Notice some brave students climbing the 100 stairs to the top. Great vantage point from which to see so much of the famed battlefields.

Look lively, soldiers!
Some more brave students on the business end of a Civil War cannon.