"Holiday Road" - The Official Vacation Thread

[English Natsie]

I just got the joke. I’m a little slow . 

Just my English sense of humor...and respect for 'coming clean'.      (one thing you definitely aren't is 'slow'...)

[wj73]

We’re on the road, and who know for how long? A burst pipe in our house did a LOT of damage - soaked carpet, warped wood floors, wet drywall, and eventually mold. Insurance and contractors have finally lined up, so we’ve moved out, the entire contents of the house are being packed up and taken to storage, then the contractors will get to work. With luck, they’ll be done by June 30.

So, we downloaded a bunch of minor league schedules in PA, NY, and OH, and will go where the spirit moves us, visiting ballparks and taking in local sites.

We’re currently staying in Gettysburg for a few days, and of course did the driving tour of the battlefield the first day. I’ve visited Gettysburg so many times, yet I always learn something new each time.

And yes, yesterday we visited the Civil War Tails museum. It was really good! The had dioramas of Pickett’s Charge, Little Round Top, Fort Sumter, the battle between the Monitor and the Merrimack, and others. The writeups on each diorama were excellent and informative. If you’re in Gettysburg and want something a little different, I can recommend it. I posted the address above.

We also took a ride on the new Gettysburg Railway - a 90 minute out and back ride into the Adam’s County countryside on beautifully restored Pullman cars. There’s an informative low-key historical narration as you pass various sites. The scenery is nice - nothing spectacular, but just lovely rolling countryside with occasional glimpses of wildlife. And the seating is deep comfy sofas and armchairs - the most comfortable train seats I’ve ever been on.

From here we plan to go to Harrisburg for a few days to catch some games, then probably onto Altoona to take in some Curve games. Altoona also looks like a good jumping off point to visit sites like Shanksville and Fallingwater. From there, we may head to Pittsburgh to take in some Pirate games. We shall see.

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

  that's turning lemons into lemonade

[wj73]

We visited the “Beyond the Battle” Museum in Gettysburg today. As the name suggests, it covers the history of Gettysburg and Adams County, from the dinosaurs up through the present. It’s very well done, and I learned a lot about the area.


Of course the battle is a large part of Gettysburg’s history, but this museum’s emphasis is on the local residents and their experiences during the battle. The highlight is an exhibit called “Caught in the Crossfire Experience”. You go into a darkened room replicating the main room of a local house. Then there’s a simulation of what you might have experienced on July 1 when the Confederates overran the city, with US forces fighting them in the streets. Loud booms, flashes from gunfire, shouts and screams, and the whole room shakes from the cannon blasts. It’s very effective.


There’s so much emphasis in Gettysburg on military history. This museum is a nice supplement, emphasizing how ordinary humans were impacted when they suddenly found themselves living in a major battleground.

[wj73]

We left Gettysburg, and spent a few days in Harrisburg, catching a wild 21-4 Senators win. We also plannned to take a ride on the Susquehanna River’s paddle boat, but just when we were about to board, a large log surfaced in the river, blocking the boat. They tried to free it, but in the end the excursion had to be cancelled.


Yesterday we drove to Shanksville to visit the Flight 93 Memorial. It’s absolutely heart wrenching. As you enter, there’s a long walkway of interlocking black stone. A sign informs you that the walkway is the Flight 93 flight path. The walkway ends at the top of a hill. Down below you can see the continuation of the black walkway, and behind it, a sandstone boulder marking the crash site.

Inside, there are audio-visual panels describing 9/11, and in particular Flight 93. It was hard to relive that day - I wasn’t the only one with tears running down my face. They even had audio earpieces where you could listen to some of the messages the passengers left on the answering machines of loved ones once the passengers realized what had happened with the other planes. I did not have the courage to listen as I was already a mess, and that would have broken me.

After the Visitor Center, we walked a couple of miles down to the continuation of the flight path. There are white stone panels lining it, each with the name of one passenger or crew.

Finally we stopped at the Tower of Voices - a tall tower with metal pipes that sound when the wind blows. It was lovely.

The whole Memorial was done so well and with such sensitivity, like everything else NPS does.

[tomterp]

We visited the “Beyond the Battle” Museum in Gettysburg today. As the name suggests, it covers the history of Gettysburg and Adams County, from the dinosaurs up through the present. It’s very well done, and I learned a lot about the area.


Of course the battle is a large part of Gettysburg’s history, but this museum’s emphasis is on the local residents and their experiences during the battle. The highlight is an exhibit called “Caught in the Crossfire Experience”. You go into a darkened room replicating the main room of a local house. Then there’s a simulation of what you might have experienced on July 1 when the Confederates overran the city, with US forces fighting them in the streets. Loud booms, flashes from gunfire, shouts and screams, and the whole room shakes from the cannon blasts. It’s very effective.


There’s so much emphasis in Gettysburg on military history. This museum is a nice supplement, emphasizing how ordinary humans were impacted when they suddenly found themselves living in a major battleground.

Agreed, a very nice museum.  Also had a geology section for the local scene.  I think the owner is an accomplished Youtuber who does a lot of US Military history videos where he walks battlefields and talks about how the fights were affected by the topography.

[wj73]

While in Altoona, we took a day trip to Fallingwater. I’ve always wanted to see it. Tix were a bit spendy at $42 a pop, but I think it was well worth it. We had a great guide on our tour of the house, and I learned a lot. I have a much greater appreciation of the architectural and engineering expertise that it took to build it. It was absolutely lovely.

We also took in an Altoona Curve game, the Pirates AA team. It’s a nice ballpark. There’s an old wooden roller coaster behind right centerfield. An usher told us there used to be a small amusement park there, and the roller coaster was in use until Covid shut it down and it never reopened. Made for an interesting backdrop.

We’re in Pittsburgh now, with tix for tomorrow night’s Pirates-Marlins game. PNC is my #1 favorite ballpark, so it will be nice to return there.

On our drive from Altoona, we stopped by the Johnstown Flood Museum. It’s a small museum, but very well done. There’s a 20 minute film which explains why the flood happened and the devastating effect on the city. The museum itself has some excellent storyboard exhibits which build on what the movie covered. The entire back wall of the museum is a life-size model of the debris field which was carried down the river as it smashed into Johnstown. As the docent said, can you imagine looking up and seeing this wall of debris crashing towards you? Whole families were lost, and the bodies of the humans, horses, and other waste created a serious disease risk in the days following the flood. Clara Barton, who was 67 years old by then, came to Johnstown for over 5 months to lead the Red Cross disaster response.

[varoadking]

Have you been on the Incline?  If not, it's a nice diversion since you'll be there tomorrow anyway...

https://www.duquesneincline.org/

[wj73]

Our hotel looks over the river and the Monongahela Incline, so we thought we’d try that one or the Duquesne today. It seems like a “must do” here.

[varoadking]

Our hotel looks over the river and the Monongahela Incline, so we thought we’d try that one or the Duquesne today. It seems like a “must do” here.

That, and a Primanti Bros. sandwich...provided you aren't allergic to potatoes... 

[wj73]

That, and a Primanti Bros. sandwich...provided you aren't allergic to potatoes... 

I’m of Irish descent. Think that answers the potato question.