The last time I visited the Gettysburg battlefield, I was in elementary school…many years ago. Considering that I have been back in Pennsylvania for a few years and the pandemic is still causing travel challenges, I thought it was time to visit something nearby.

On a perfect Saturday morning in August, I entered the beautiful visitor center. This building has a cafe counter, restaurant, gift shop, and museum. I do recommend arriving early, when the building opens so your experience is not as crowded. It was easier to socially distance in the morning.

Right after opening, I entered the building, purchased tickets for one of the first bus tours, killed about 20 minutes in the gift shop, met the bus just outside the main walkway, and headed off. The guide was extremely knowledgeable and recounted in amazing detail the short-lived, yet single bloodiest battle from the American Civil War. The highlight of the tour was the stop at Big Round Top. There are many monuments to see in that area, including the statue of General Warren. The only drawback was that the bus only made a few short stops.

After getting back to the visitor center, I used my ticket to view the short film, and then made my way through the museum. After getting a delicious snack, I hopped in the car and retraced the route the bus took. There are markers along the one-way route, so it was easy to see where to go, unless you wanted to turn off to see one of the hundreds of markers, monuments, and tributes to the soldiers that came from all over the nation to aid the battle. There are plenty of places to park, walk around, and take pictures, so one could easily spend all day on the grounds.

I also found it a bit alarming how much history I forgot about this battle! The recap I received was a true eye-opener and a good analogy for current times. As Lincoln stated, “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” Lincoln knew that when we are at odds (or war) with each ourselves, we are more vulnerable as a country. Coming together is how we move forward, and prove our strength.