Gettysburg
(One more Mom Authored Blog)
Sadly Moochdocking could only last so long, so we set off to Caledonia State Park which was just a short distance away. Our agenda was to explore the Gettysburg area and learn about the civil war battle that occurred there. First day was super special because both sets of grandparents came to visit us at our campground and we started our exploration of Gettysburg. We started out at a cool museum called Beyond the Battle. It was focused on the history of the region before the war and then about the people of Gettysburg and what it was like when the war came to their front door. They had exhibits of trees and houses that had both bullet holes and cannon balls left in them from the battle. They had games that kids played in that time like a dice baseball game which we got to try out. The last exhibit was a simulation where you went inside a house and could hear what it felt like to hear a battle raging outside your doors. It was a little intense to hear and feel the shaking but definitely gave a unique perspective!
The boys split this trip with going back with Pap and Gran to Blue Knob for a week while Obie and I did more of a deep dive into Civil war history. If you are ever in the Gettysburg area, I highly recommend doing the private tour of the battle field. It was cheaper than a bus tour and our guide Bruce, drove our truck and took us on a tour of the battlefield. He tailored it to our interest. You get out of the car at certain spots. Ours ended up being 3 hours and 45 mins and I swear it felt like 30 minutes. It was so interesting and actually being on the battle fields while he spoke gave such perspective. Since we were kid free, Obie and I tried some local hard ciders which were delicious. We ate at O’Rourke’s restaurant which was named after James O’Rourke, an officer that fought at Gettysburg—he was in the same class at West Point as General Custer. O’Rourke was first in his class and Custer was last, graduating a year early. We saw a monument for O’Rourke on our tour and the legend is that you get the luck of the Irish if you rub his nose.
Current Leg: 53 miles
Total distance: 1,355 miles
BONUS POST By Isaiah
Travel log “ Ritchey Boys Excursion”
We went to the grandparent camp at Blue Knob, PA. They have a dog named Maia and she’s an English Mastiff and she weighs more than me! She’s big but super sweet. Our favorite activity was playing in the yard and going for walks.
Pap rented a pontoon boat for the day at Lake Galiztin State Park. The day was sadly cold and windy but we still got our fishing in, but we still did not catch anything. Gran packed us sandwiches and chips for lunch.
My pap had a Jon boat that he hadn’t used in 15 years. So you can imagine how much work it took to get it ready. We cleaned it up with the power washer and the hose which took multiple days. Finally after multiple days and some hitch problems, we got to go to the Willmore Dam and I caught 1 fish. It a 3 pound smallmouth bass🎉.
And on the final day we went to the Altoona curve game which was a great game and the curve won 7-6 against the Richmond flying squirrels. We got to meet mascots Steely McBeam, Al tuna and Loco when I yelled “PLAY BALL” at the beginning of the game on the field. I also got a signature from the catcher of the curve. I ate a burger and fry’s for my food. The game was 9/10 the food was great and the mascots were cool.
We also kept up our National park stickers while we were at grandparent camp. Gran took us to the Lemon House. It was a tavern for people who rode the trains newly built Allegheny portage Railroad. For 30 minutes they ate and got the trains repaired if needed.
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