If you, my dear reader, are able to name the movie from which that line is from, then you are entitled to serious snaps, props, a sly smile from Rhett himself, and maybe one invisible sweet ass blues guitar solo for good measure. In case you couldn't already tell from the Rhett Butler gif, the title is from one of my all-time favorite movies, Gone with the Wind, and a shout out to the Brousi's most recent travel stop: Gettysburg. I could have quoted another movie classic, but I think I'll go with the better known of the two. Ya know, just in case you haven't yet been privy to the magic of Dagastino.
I know that I haven't done an update blog post in awhile, but I'm going to keep this one about our trip. There's not a whole bunch to update other than I'm still on the prowl for a job, and El just got back from a 6 week jaunt to Malaysia. We've both been working hard and getting ready for the big move to the Chi, and I've been soaking up the last bit of DC: constantly bottomless brunching, checking off bucket list items, going for hikes, and enjoying my last cherry blossom season (but not the cherry blossom tourists; God, they suck). I have a few promising leads for jobs but nothing set in stone. If all else fails, I'll just resort to my back-up calling: professional matador.
El was able to take the week off after returning from Kuala Lampur, so we were able to spend that time together during my spring break. We had a blast, and it was nice to just enjoy hanging out for that week. Gettysburg is only a 90 minute drive from our house, so we booked a bed and breakfast room for Wednesday night that had all sorts of adorable pictures on the web and was described as "charming" and "historic". When we actually checked in, it became clear to us that we were staying at a Quality Inn Motel that used pictures from the adjacent General Lee's Headquarters Museum and claimed them as "room pictures". The room was clean and what not, so it's not like we were slumming it, but it was a far cry from the adorable little boutique room that was advertised on Booking. Shakes angry fist!
We took off for Gettysburg at one pm and were about forty minutes into our drive on 270 when we decided to pull off on a Germantown exit for food. The second we pulled onto the ramp, we heard this loud flapping sound and the tire pressure light on my dashboard went off. We looked at each other like "of course" and quickly pulled into a BP parking lot to inspect the damage. Sure enough, my left rear tire looked like it had a date with Jason Voorhees, so I called up AAA to get a new tire. I had a jack and spare in the car, but it wouldn't be enough to get us to and from Gettysburg. While I was on hold with the gal from AAA, we looked down the street and saw that there was not one, but TWO tire and auto body shops just feet from the BP station. What the hell are the odds? I hung up on Triple A, and we walked down the street to Germantown Auto Body where the guy told us it would be about forty-five minutes to get and change the tire. Fortunately, the guy told us, there were a ton of food options within walking distance. Seriously. What. Are. The. Odds? Sure, our hour detour cost us 100 bucks, but I don't think there's ever been a more convenient flat tire situation in history. We grabbed a quick lunch at the nearby Green Turtle, and we were back on the road within the hour.
Upon arriving in Gettysburg, we decided to head straight to the Visitor Center since it was already almost 4. The Visitor Center is a huuuuuge building, complete with theater, museum, saloon and bookstore. We started our visit by watching a thirty minute film that was narrated by (who else but) Morgan Freeman and included a voice over by Sam Waterston aka The District Attorney from Law and Order ("Whose voice IS that???"-me to Elliot). I've got to be honest with you, I'm not as knowledgeable about American History as I am about Ancient History, so I actually learned a few things from Morgan Freeman aka Red aka God. First off, I didn't know that the Confederate Army, led by General Lee who, despite being a Confederate Commander, is one of my favorite historical figures, marched north into PA to turn the tide of war with a victory in Union territory. My apologies for the massive run-on sentence just there. Second, I didn't know that the battle spanned three days (July 1st-3rd, 1863). I did know that it was the deadliest of the Civil War, but for some reason I thought that it occurred closer to the war's end; I wasn't aware that the fighting continued for almost two more years. Unlike my hubs, I'm not as interested in the military aspect of war (which probably sounds bizarre), so the tactical stuff went right over my head; I'm more interested in the stories of history: the people and how the fighting affected their daily lives. To me, that's the good stuff and the reason for why we should study history.
After the film, we went up an escalator to the "Cyclorama" which ended up being a lot less exciting than the name implies. I was picturing like a Carousel of Progress animatronic ride, but it ended up being a circular room with its walls covered by a fresco depicting Pickett's charge. What was interesting was the painting was over 140 years old and had originally been displayed in Boston. When the "ride" started, a narrator began telling the story of Pickett's Charge while the fresco lit up in places to depict cannon fire. Elliot and I were impressed by the age of the painting but not by the whole Cyclorama experience. I dunno, I think the whole thing could have been improved with some animatronic bunnies or hot Civil War soldiers or something.
The museum was actually fascinating and was set up to walk you through the three days of the battle from the perspectives of all participants: Union, Confederate, enlisted, officers, and civilians. Elliot and I were swept away by all the fascinating artifacts, in particular the stretcher that carried a wounded Stonewall Jackson away from the battlefield. Before we knew it, an announcement was made that the Visitor Center would be closing in half an hour; we had been so caught up in reading all the information in the museum that we didn't realize we had been looking around for over an hour. Highly recommend a visit if you get the chance. It is so choice.
After checking into our "quaint" B&B, we used the Self-Guide map that we picked up at the Visitor Center to drive around the Battlefield grounds. Our first stop was the Soldiers' Cemetery, where we saw numerous placards and monuments that memorialized the various regiments and brigades that fought in the Battle of Gettysburg. We saw where Lincoln delivered The Gettysburg Address, now marked by the Soldiers' Monument, and the numbered tombstones that were the final resting places of the unknown dead. It was all a very sobering experience, but like I told my mom, it was hard to be "sad" about it because it seems so far removed from our place in time. Regardless of personal feelings, though, it's still a place that commands respect and awe for the dead.
We drove past the impressive Pennsylvania Memorial, stopped to take pictures at Plum Run, The Peach Orchard, Devil's Den, the Wheatfield, and Little Round Top. The sun was setting when we stopped at Little Round Top, which made for an incredible view over the battlefield. Everything looked just how I had pictured it, and Elliot and I just enjoyed taking it all in. We had our good camera with us, and we were able to get some pretty incredible shots, all of which I've uploaded onto The Good (Face)Book. Enjoy a few gems here:
After the sun set, we relaxed for a bit in our motel room before having a late dinner at the Appalachian Brewing Company restaurant that was right next to our motel. We each had a good IPA, and I inhaled this delicious bbq quesadilla that I'm going to attempt to recreate at home in the near future. After dinner, we watched tv for a bit before calling it an early night.
I don't know where I first heard this, but I've been told by a few people (or maybe I read it somewhere; I don't really know at this point) that watching the sun rise behind Little Round Top and over the Gettysburg battlefield is an incredibly humbling and awesome (in the sense of being in awe) experience. Never one to turn down an authentic travel experience (see: Tomatina, Running with the Bulls, Oktoberfest, and getting locked out of a Spanish house), El and I set our alarm for 5:30 in the mañana. It was a rough wake up, but we wanted to make it to The Wheatfield area of the battlefield before the official 6:30 sunrise time. We made it with plenty of time to spare, and the scene was both eerie and beautiful. Considering that what we were gazing at was the last thing thousands of people saw was a pretty humbling experience. After standing on the battlefield for about fifteen minutes, we drove to Little Round Top and looked down upon where we were just standing. The photos obviously don't do it justice, but we sure tried. No captions needed.
After a brief snooze back at our motel, we had a nice breakfast at the Cafe Saint Armand, a cute little Parisian style bistro that had delicious French toast and coffee. The Cafe is in Historic Gettysburg, which is exactly what you would expect: adorable Main Street, old time wooden buildings, and all sorts of revamped Civil War hospitals. It was like walking back in time. We swung back by the Visitor Center to pick up our obligatory magnet and postcard before getting on the road to head back to modern times.
One of the things that first led me to DC, and kept me here for so long, is the history that surrounds this city. I live where history has been, and continues to be, made, and that has never ceased to evoke in me a sense of awe. I'm fortunate to be just a day trip away from such significant locations as Gettysburg, and I am going to continue to make the most of the rest of my time as a resident of the DMV. I just hope Bull Run's ready for me....
I know that I haven't done an update blog post in awhile, but I'm going to keep this one about our trip. There's not a whole bunch to update other than I'm still on the prowl for a job, and El just got back from a 6 week jaunt to Malaysia. We've both been working hard and getting ready for the big move to the Chi, and I've been soaking up the last bit of DC: constantly bottomless brunching, checking off bucket list items, going for hikes, and enjoying my last cherry blossom season (but not the cherry blossom tourists; God, they suck). I have a few promising leads for jobs but nothing set in stone. If all else fails, I'll just resort to my back-up calling: professional matador.
El was able to take the week off after returning from Kuala Lampur, so we were able to spend that time together during my spring break. We had a blast, and it was nice to just enjoy hanging out for that week. Gettysburg is only a 90 minute drive from our house, so we booked a bed and breakfast room for Wednesday night that had all sorts of adorable pictures on the web and was described as "charming" and "historic". When we actually checked in, it became clear to us that we were staying at a Quality Inn Motel that used pictures from the adjacent General Lee's Headquarters Museum and claimed them as "room pictures". The room was clean and what not, so it's not like we were slumming it, but it was a far cry from the adorable little boutique room that was advertised on Booking. Shakes angry fist!
We took off for Gettysburg at one pm and were about forty minutes into our drive on 270 when we decided to pull off on a Germantown exit for food. The second we pulled onto the ramp, we heard this loud flapping sound and the tire pressure light on my dashboard went off. We looked at each other like "of course" and quickly pulled into a BP parking lot to inspect the damage. Sure enough, my left rear tire looked like it had a date with Jason Voorhees, so I called up AAA to get a new tire. I had a jack and spare in the car, but it wouldn't be enough to get us to and from Gettysburg. While I was on hold with the gal from AAA, we looked down the street and saw that there was not one, but TWO tire and auto body shops just feet from the BP station. What the hell are the odds? I hung up on Triple A, and we walked down the street to Germantown Auto Body where the guy told us it would be about forty-five minutes to get and change the tire. Fortunately, the guy told us, there were a ton of food options within walking distance. Seriously. What. Are. The. Odds? Sure, our hour detour cost us 100 bucks, but I don't think there's ever been a more convenient flat tire situation in history. We grabbed a quick lunch at the nearby Green Turtle, and we were back on the road within the hour.
Upon arriving in Gettysburg, we decided to head straight to the Visitor Center since it was already almost 4. The Visitor Center is a huuuuuge building, complete with theater, museum, saloon and bookstore. We started our visit by watching a thirty minute film that was narrated by (who else but) Morgan Freeman and included a voice over by Sam Waterston aka The District Attorney from Law and Order ("Whose voice IS that???"-me to Elliot). I've got to be honest with you, I'm not as knowledgeable about American History as I am about Ancient History, so I actually learned a few things from Morgan Freeman aka Red aka God. First off, I didn't know that the Confederate Army, led by General Lee who, despite being a Confederate Commander, is one of my favorite historical figures, marched north into PA to turn the tide of war with a victory in Union territory. My apologies for the massive run-on sentence just there. Second, I didn't know that the battle spanned three days (July 1st-3rd, 1863). I did know that it was the deadliest of the Civil War, but for some reason I thought that it occurred closer to the war's end; I wasn't aware that the fighting continued for almost two more years. Unlike my hubs, I'm not as interested in the military aspect of war (which probably sounds bizarre), so the tactical stuff went right over my head; I'm more interested in the stories of history: the people and how the fighting affected their daily lives. To me, that's the good stuff and the reason for why we should study history.
After the film, we went up an escalator to the "Cyclorama" which ended up being a lot less exciting than the name implies. I was picturing like a Carousel of Progress animatronic ride, but it ended up being a circular room with its walls covered by a fresco depicting Pickett's charge. What was interesting was the painting was over 140 years old and had originally been displayed in Boston. When the "ride" started, a narrator began telling the story of Pickett's Charge while the fresco lit up in places to depict cannon fire. Elliot and I were impressed by the age of the painting but not by the whole Cyclorama experience. I dunno, I think the whole thing could have been improved with some animatronic bunnies or hot Civil War soldiers or something.
The museum was actually fascinating and was set up to walk you through the three days of the battle from the perspectives of all participants: Union, Confederate, enlisted, officers, and civilians. Elliot and I were swept away by all the fascinating artifacts, in particular the stretcher that carried a wounded Stonewall Jackson away from the battlefield. Before we knew it, an announcement was made that the Visitor Center would be closing in half an hour; we had been so caught up in reading all the information in the museum that we didn't realize we had been looking around for over an hour. Highly recommend a visit if you get the chance. It is so choice.
After checking into our "quaint" B&B, we used the Self-Guide map that we picked up at the Visitor Center to drive around the Battlefield grounds. Our first stop was the Soldiers' Cemetery, where we saw numerous placards and monuments that memorialized the various regiments and brigades that fought in the Battle of Gettysburg. We saw where Lincoln delivered The Gettysburg Address, now marked by the Soldiers' Monument, and the numbered tombstones that were the final resting places of the unknown dead. It was all a very sobering experience, but like I told my mom, it was hard to be "sad" about it because it seems so far removed from our place in time. Regardless of personal feelings, though, it's still a place that commands respect and awe for the dead.
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| Try not to be impressed |
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| View from the Cemetery |
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| The Pennsylvania Memorial |
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| Sunset over Little Round Top |
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| Looking down from Little Round Top |
I don't know where I first heard this, but I've been told by a few people (or maybe I read it somewhere; I don't really know at this point) that watching the sun rise behind Little Round Top and over the Gettysburg battlefield is an incredibly humbling and awesome (in the sense of being in awe) experience. Never one to turn down an authentic travel experience (see: Tomatina, Running with the Bulls, Oktoberfest, and getting locked out of a Spanish house), El and I set our alarm for 5:30 in the mañana. It was a rough wake up, but we wanted to make it to The Wheatfield area of the battlefield before the official 6:30 sunrise time. We made it with plenty of time to spare, and the scene was both eerie and beautiful. Considering that what we were gazing at was the last thing thousands of people saw was a pretty humbling experience. After standing on the battlefield for about fifteen minutes, we drove to Little Round Top and looked down upon where we were just standing. The photos obviously don't do it justice, but we sure tried. No captions needed.
After a brief snooze back at our motel, we had a nice breakfast at the Cafe Saint Armand, a cute little Parisian style bistro that had delicious French toast and coffee. The Cafe is in Historic Gettysburg, which is exactly what you would expect: adorable Main Street, old time wooden buildings, and all sorts of revamped Civil War hospitals. It was like walking back in time. We swung back by the Visitor Center to pick up our obligatory magnet and postcard before getting on the road to head back to modern times.
One of the things that first led me to DC, and kept me here for so long, is the history that surrounds this city. I live where history has been, and continues to be, made, and that has never ceased to evoke in me a sense of awe. I'm fortunate to be just a day trip away from such significant locations as Gettysburg, and I am going to continue to make the most of the rest of my time as a resident of the DMV. I just hope Bull Run's ready for me....
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