So, after an early start, breakfast done, bags checked in and here we are at the airport waiting for the gate to be announced. Waiting is always the hardest part…..

Seat Belts on and ready for takeoff

Once onboard we were told the flight was going to take an extra 30mins due to taking a wider route to avoid the swirling wind of doom. But to our surprise the captain announced during the flight that they’d taken on more fuel and he had been cruising at a faster speed that meant we were going to land more or less at the scheduled time. This was good news as my right buttock was getting very numb.

Once landed, it was very smooth going through customs, apart from the customs officer threatening to deny me entry due to me wearing a Liverpool shirt (he supported Arsenal 😂). Once we cleared customs our chauffeur was waiting for us to take us to Gettysburg .

We had a lovely drive to Gettysburg through the countryside roads and not the freeway as we did before. We approached Gettysburg along the Emmitsburg Road which for those of you who don’t know, this was the road that around 15,000 Confederate troops had to cross in Pickets charge on day 3 of the battle. Many Confederate soldiers lost their lives from musket and cannon fire crossing that road.

At the end of Emmitsburg Road and on the edge of Gettysburg is our hotel. The location of the hotel is great as it’s only a 5min walk to cemetery ridge, this was the centre of the Union lines in day 2 & 3 of the battle.

The hotels breakfast house

After checking in we went for something to eat and a stroll, as we wanted to capture a couple of snaps with our phones.

The plaque on the building below is a special one for me, General Reynolds was the commander of 1st corps of the Union army at the time of Gettysburg. He force marched his troops to get to the aid of General Buford who was holding off a large confederate force on July 1st 1863.

What is special about General Reynolds for me is that he was a very capable general and some would say one of the best they had. But for me he personally led my favourite troops into battle on that day The Iron Brigade. These were 2nd, 6th, 7th Wisconsin, 19th Indiana and the 24th Michigan. The Iron Brigade later becomes part of the 101st Airborne.

General Reynolds was shot from his horse not long after he entered the engagement and his body was taken to this house.

The sun setting over the confederate held Seminary Ridge.

Standing on the side of the Emmitsburg Road looking through the rail fence to Seminary Ridge

Here I am back at the hotel sat outside and all I can hear is the crickets, the sky is clear and the stars are shining brightly.

For me, well it just doesn’t get any better than that……😁👍

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