Richmond and Gettysburg

Notwithstanding (now there's an excellent former bureaucrat word) having been caught for nearly half an hour in a bottleneck on 64 North of Hampton, and  having stopped on Route 5 to visit the Shirley Plantattion which has been in the same family for 11 generations - where nary a mention of the slaves who worked there- , I still arrived in Richmond early enough on Sunday to be able to take in a quick tour of the State Capital Building and to have a nice walk along the canal by the river after a particularly fine dinner at The Hard Shell Company on Cary Street. The oysters and the rib steak, perfectly cooked, with pan roasted potatoes and rapini went very well with the local Hardy Wood beer.  The hotel I stayed in for the night, the Linden Row Innn on Franklin Street is a wonderful establishment in old premises that is full of charm and character.  The complimentary continental breakfast was varied and, for the first time on the trip, was served on china with real cutlery.  Even the coffee, in a real mug, was good; and so was the complimentary ice cold pink lemonade in the glass urn by the reception desk. And if that isn't enough to impress, the staff were welcoming, helpful, and courteous.  I've noted the address for a possible return visit.

Monday morning before leaving Richmond I visited the excellent Civil War Museum in Richmond.  The chronological disposition helps understand not only the conflict itself but importantly the broader context in which it occurred and its aftermath. 

Some 307 kilometers later I arrived at the simple, but extremelly well located, Colton Motel in Gettysburg. Indeed the property is just accross the street from the National Cemetery which I visited this morning after taking a two hour guided bus tour of the battlefields.  Having taken in the Gettysburg Diorama Monday night I was better able to follow the presentation by our excellent guide.  The battlefields cover a very large piece of countryside around what was at the time the village of Gettysburg, and the terrain has ridges and small points of higher ground which were the favoured emplacements of both armies. 

After the tour I had a decent lunch in the 1776 Dobbin House Tavern, Gettysburg oldest, most historic house.

A two hour tour in no way does this national site justice, and I can appreciate why so many people come to visit the place where events truly changed the course of history.  I would lover to return with Jane to continue to explore this area of the USA.

Tonight I am in Scranton, and tomorrow I ride north throuch the Adirondack Mountains.  I think, as Craig said about his cycle on one of the ferry rides on the Outer Banks, that my motorcycle has smelled home and is looking forward to his return there.  So am I.

Here are some pictures of the last few days.

This is the Main House of Shirley Plantation

 This is a picture of the second of three levels of balconies at the Linden Row Inn leading to my room. The building on the left, along with other similar ones are around a series of beautiful small courtyards where guests can spend time reading or simply enjoying the air.

This is the Civil War Museum of Richmond Virginia. It is located next to one of the largest iron mill of Virginia that produced rails for the railroads and, during the war, canons, armaments and steel plate to cover Confederate ships.

Finally this is a view fron the top of Little Round Top, a small boulder strewn mountain that the Union forces faught off the charges of the troops of General Robert E Lee. Off in the distance looking west are 'The Peach Orchard' and 'The Wheatfield'.  So many men, from both armies, lost their lives or were wounded in the battle that occured here.  In the end the Union won the three day battle of Gettysburg, and it proved to be a turning point in the war.