Day Eleven
My last day on the road, and I’m ready to go home. After looking at some Gettysburg websites, I realized that there is too much to see in two hours, so I decided to just visit the cemetery. I went back to Bantam Coffee Roasters since it is next to the cemetery. When I asked for my espresso to be poured into my cup, the girl exclaimed, “How cute!” I responded, “You are the third person to say that, and I gave a cup to the last person who said it.” I then handed her the cup and left.
Bantam Coffee Roasters Gettysburg, PA
The cemetery is very interesting. There is a monument about 100 feet from the spot where Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address. It is actually two cemeteries, the original civilian and the military cemeteries. The Civil War-era graves consist of simple markers level with the ground in circular formations around a central monument. I also noticed many WW1, WW2, Korean, and Vietnam veterans’ graves with the same white marble stones as used at Arlington. I crossed the street and visited Cemetery Hill, where there was a Union gun battery during the battle of Gettysburg.
Because I had enough restaurant food over the past 10 days and the fact that I wanted to get home sooner, I changed my next stop from Allentown to Bethlehem. I visited the Bethlehem Steel mill, based on a recommendation from my friend Lance. The mill shut down in 1995, but it has been turned into a historic site, an arts space, and an event venue. An elevated walkway that reminded me of the High Line Park in New York City runs along the blast furnaces. This place is fascinating, and I now know why it will be a monumental task to bring the steel industry to this country. After eating what was left of my food, I spent over an hour touring the parts of the mill that are open to the public.
There was one last drive to get home. I stopped at the Greenwich, CT rest stop for gas and called Maureen to let her know I would be home soon. The trip ended just like it started, in bumper-to-bumper traffic on the Merritt Parkway.
Cemetery, Gettysburg, PA
10/17/2024
Gettysburg, PA to North Haven, CT
314 Miles
Cemetery Hill, Gettysburg, PA
