Gettysburg and Manassas

A day of a little learning and a little fun. The learning occurred on the Gettysburg Battlefield where we were led by one of the finest teachers I have ever heard. The man is a certified guide for the battlefield and spoke with energy, antimation and conviction so that everything he shared flowed in a smooth sequence. We understand the military tactics, the ebb and flow of the 3 days of the battle, and the pivotal events. Also highlighted was why this was such a critical battle within the war - the South with limited resources and men at their disposal to fight the war used large quantities of supplies and lost many men, a blow from which they were never able to recover.
As the guide started his presentation at the sight of the first confrontation he asked, "do we have anyone from the South with us this morning?"
After a pause he added,"You're really going to like the first twenty minutes of this tour."
After the tour I have never reached into my pocket so quickly, or so deeply, to find a tip for the guide.
Advice for anyone touring the battlefield - Allow one of those people who live this battle in their minds daily so vividly to share their vision with you.
Had lunch at the Stonebrook Tavern in th Dobbins House. Two things made the lunch special. First, the setting is a 1776 home built of stones. Lunch was in the cellar which had candles on the tables for light. The cool dankness of the room and the waitress in period costume transported us back like in the Time Machine to a time gone by. I was so swept up by the setting that when the sweet, young lass asked if I was interested in Pecan Pie, "Ya, you betcha>" was out of my mouth before I could think about an answer.
The second point that made the meal special was a pint of Yuengling Amber Ale. Doesn't go well with pecan pie, but a treat just the same.
Today in Manassas we had lunch with a couple we had visited with during the first days of our trip while still in Oregon. It is an example of the relationships that begin to form when undertaking this type of trip. They are back at work and took a long lunch break to share their home with us. Neat experience.
To help make tomorrow memorable we spent this afternoon on a dry run to get to mass transit stations so we can do it tomorrow in the Washington DC traffic.