It Pays to Walk

One of the reasons John and I traveled to D.C. and Gettysburg was just to get out and see forests- the type of flora different than Florida, which is usually sage brush and palm trees.  Fortunately by Sunday the sun was out and, after leaving our cabin, we drove over to Pine Grove Furnace State Park.  Ostensibly we stop there because our son Dan wanted to show us the iron furnace which has been preserved there. 

The furnace pictured above was built in 1764.  It was the age before railroads when iron production needed to be done where there were nearby resources of iron ore, limestone and charcoal.  Near the furnace was part of the Appalachian Trail which just beckoned us to hike down its tree-line path.

 

  The part of the Appalachian Trail in this park is located half-way between Georgia and Maine.  The park is also home to the AT Museum, which we did not see.  Maybe another time.  We were quite happy to be outside and walking!

Spring is well on its way in this part of the country.  Many wildflowers are now in bloom, including mayapples and buttercups.  Unfortunately we did not hike as long as we desired as we were on a bit of a time constraint, needing to get back to D.C. by evening.

Monday morning I was on my own to walk around the Brookland neighborhood where our son Dan and his wife reside.  John and I had already done one walk with them several days ago.  The homes in this area now have beautiful blooming bushes of azaleas and roses surrounding them, as well as flowering magnolias,  I just had to get out and walk some more to see them.  Just around the corner from their house I came upon this very colorful building.  It is the Pink House, home of a grassroots organization led by women to end U.S. wars and militarism.  They would rather us to direct our resources for health, education, green jobs- putting our resources toward life-affirming activities. 
Back at our son's home I had to take another picture of a spring beauty, which is the columbine.

Eisenhower Naational Historic Site

Dwight Eisenhower, our 34th president, in 1918 was appointed commander at Camp Colt, the army Tank Corps training center in Gettysburg.  He and his wife Mamie loved the area, located in the Appalachian foothills, and searched for rural property there.  They bought a farm in 1950.

He was elected president in 1952 but he and his wife planned to relax on weekends at the farm.  In November of 1955 their country home became a temporary White House while he recovered from a heart attack.

Much of the original farm house had to be gutted, there is still a brick part of the original  building located to the left side of the house pictured above. A park ranger greeted us outside of the home, then left us to explore the home on our own.

The home has many of the Eisenhower's own furnishings still in it.  Pictured above is a mother-of-pearl inlaid, black lacquer coffee table gifted from the Republic of Korea.  It was in appreciation for the work done by President Eisenhower in bringing about the Korean Armistice in 1953.

Fortunately the rain had stopped when we toured the Eisenhower farm.  Besides touring the house we also visited the outlying buildings of the farm, as the show barn pictured above.  President Eisenhower was proud of his prized Angus beef cattle.  He also proved knowledgeable in his farming methods, using crop rotation and contour plowing.  He is quoted as saying " I shall leave the place better than I found it".  The Eisenhowers gave the farm to the federal government in 1967.

A Trip North to Washington D.C.

Maybe it was a case of too much sunshine here in Florida, John and I felt a trip was needed.  Not sure what exactly drove us, but we then made plans to visit our son and his wife in D.C.  We had taken a long road trip to Texas a few months back, so this time we thought we would leave the driving to Amtrak.   The first day on the train we encountered clouds and rain.  Also an awesome rainbow.

 Our son Dan and his wife also felt the need for a trip, so the next day after John and I arrived we drove northwest out of D.C. to Gettysburg, staying at a cute cottage in the woods.  It remained cloudy and wet for the next two days- also a bit cool.  Strangely, I did not long for the sunshine of Florida!

John and I had been to the Gettysburg Civil War battlefield a couple of other times in the past, but we had no issue with seeing it again.  Friday afternoon it was misting and cloudy but we still tramped out to a section of the battlefield where there was a ranger talk scheduled.  The ranger discussed the events which took place on Cemetery Ridge, where we stood, on the third and final day of the confrontation at Gettysburg.

While standing on the ridge the ranger pointed out a farmhouse on our left in the distance.  It was the home of Lydia Leister, a widow.  Her home became General Mead's headquarters on July 2nd and 3rd.  Twelve thousand soldiers were brought by General Lee to break the Federal line (lead by the Union General Mead) on Cemetery Ridge.  The battle started on July 1, 1863 and ended two days later at Cemetary Ridge with the South loosing.  A total of 51,000 soldiers were killed over the three days.  The Confederates had initially gained control of the town of Gettsyburg, but were gone by July third. Not only the countryside, but also the town had been horribly impacted by the battle.

Quite by accident on Sunday we walked by Christ Lutheran, one of the churches in Gettysburg which opened their doors to the wounded.  We saw a historic marker at the church and stopped to read it.  On July 1st, while the South had control of the town, a volunteer Union chaplain from Pennsylvania was entering Christ Lutheran when he was "cruelly shot on the steps" by a Confederate soldier.  Quotation taken from a memorial to the man which is located in front of the church. 

Too say the least, it must have been a frightening time for the townspeople of Gettysburg.  Churches of the town opened their doors immediately after the battle begun to receive the wounded- Christ Lutheran was one of them, as well as Gettysburg Presbyterian (the latter church was attended by Lincoln and joined by the Eisenhowers).  During and after the battle dead people as well as animals lay everywhere, and even after the dead and wounded were removed, blood stains could be seen inside as well as outside many buildings.  War is hell, no doubt about it.

Within 4 months of the battle Governor Curtin of Pennsylvania commissioned local attorney David Wills to buy land for the Union dead.  His home is pictured above.  It was at this home where President Lincoln stayed the night before he gave the Gettysburg Address for the dedication of the Soldiers National Cemetery.  That was in November of 1883.
 We do hope to return to Gettysburg again sometime in the future.  It has many historic buildings built pre-Civil War.  Some of our time over the weekend was also taken at the museum in the Visitor's Center, as well as touring President Eisenhower's farm outside of Gettysburg.