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Entry Six: Monday, June 14, 2004

Gettysburg was incredible, with a capital "I"! Even though the day was colder than usual, it was worth it and I am so glad I went! What an amazing view of a piece of our nation's history. Breath-taking. I had a very nutritious breakfast of an espresso and a lemon-custard donut.

From the hotel, our convoy of caravans journeyed south to Gettysburg on one of the interstate highways of Maryland. An hour-and-one-half drive took us down to the Gettysburg area. Stopping at the National Fire Fighting Station, we visited the national monument erected for fallen fire fighters. One of the guards at the gate there mentioned that he had not seen the flag all the way up the pole in all of the seven months he had worked there, except four times.

On to Gettysburg! We stopped at the information center, unloaded for lunch, and ate. Parking spots were scarce. Inside the information center, we saw old rifles and muskets used during the Civil War and the Battle of Gettysburg in the 1860s. I saw two bullets that had collided in the air during the battle; they had exploded together, melting into an interesting mass of lead. Our group paid to see the Electric Map Show"a map that stretched out on the ground showing the area of the Gettysburg Battle. As the overhead lights dimmed, a voice narrated the scene as small lights on the map blinked on and off to demonstrate the positions and actions of the Confederate and Union Armies. When the light show was finished, everyone crammed into the two vans to go view a simulation of the Union side of the war.

Young and old men stood before us. Their captain spoke to us about the various issues surrounding the Civil War: the newly-developed firearms used during the war and how this influenced Napoleonic tactics previously used, and unsanitary medical practices. These men then showed the audience how the members of the Union Army fought, using gunpowder clips. We were able to talk with two of the young men who had authentic articles in hand-made packs; they explained the use of each object. Behind us stood a tall monument honoring the fallen American soldiers of the Civil War from Pennsylvania. Heading back to the information center, we embarked on the three-hour car tour of the Gettysburg Battle area. Two words: unbelievable! beautiful! The Pennsylvania hills were exactly how I had imagined them; only here they were in three-dimension form. I never honestly thought I would get the chance to see the places I have read so much about (in sixth grade, I did an NHD project on medical practices during the Civil War).

My favorite spot has to be Little Round Top. This hill gave the Union forces a vantage point over most of the countryside below. Clear-cut during the time of the Battle of Gettysburg, I can imagine one would have an incredible eagle's-eye view, as the rest of the area is a large valley—magnificent country—so green, lush, and wide open. From so much riding in the car, I was starving, of course; so was everyone else. McDonald's served us for dinner.

On the way back to the hotel, Mr. Rankin's van had a transmission problem. He waited until 0300 this morning for a rental replacement. My dad and I visited Starbucks Coffee—and drove past it. There was a thirty-car jam leading to our destination. We went past this traffic and across a massive interstate junction called "The Belt" in this area, and turned around at Beltsville Agricultural Research Center a few miles down the road. I really woke up with an extra-hot grande mocha! By the time we reached the hotel, everyone was ready to hit the University of Maryland to register for National History Day.

Registration turned out to be quite easy, so we quickly zipped through and stayed afterward to watch and support Tony Deal, teacher-consultant Patty Deal's son, in his Junior Division presentation on Ernest Shackleton's exploration of the Antarctic regions. Tony did an amazing job. Most of the group, including my family and me, also stayed to encourage and watch Kayla's friends from Idaho. Kayla met Joel and Jordan Schaeffer (a dynamic home-schooled duo telling the story of the Lewis and Clark Expedition westward in the eyes of Sacajawea and Captain Clark) via the internet after coming across an article written about their participation in NHD. Still not accustomed to the humid heat of Maryland, we kids begged the adults to transport us back to the Howard-Johnson Express Inn for some pool time. How refreshing!

Later on that evening, everyone hit the road again to view the exhibits in the Grand Ball Room and see the results from the day on the Junior Division finalist sheets. Although Tony Deal had not made finals, the Schaeffer siblings had. There was a dance that night, but we went back to allow the Midas' Touch group to touch up and Sacajawea to recite their lines. Signing out—Agent 520

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