New York to Gettysburg

So, I'll try and catch you guys up a bit, starting with my experiences in NYC thru Gettysburg. Galaxy, McKinzie, and I got up and got going by about 9 am, Luke was already gone and this was the earliest Galaxy had yet been up since reaching NYC so we were pretty proud of ourselves.

The apartment that they both live in is about right in the middle between downtown and midtown so we went south, to downtown, to start off the day. We say Union Square (where they were filming something as they seem to do regularly in NYC), the Brooklyn Bridge, took the Staten Island Ferry (which is free and gives you a great view of the Statue of Liberty and into the great state of New Jersey), then went up to Ground Zero (where they're actually rebuilding stuff so it wasn't what I expected but is ok once you realize how important prime real estate is in that city and that they are making a memorial), Trinity Church, St. Peter's Catholic Church (which has a memorial set up inside for the 9/11 attacks), and Wall Street before going back to their apt. for lunch.

Afterwards, I took a nap until some maintence men showed up. Then I had to quickly get up and shove the couch cushons from the lounge that I was sleeping on under the bed. This was because we weren't supposed to have anything from the lounge and I swear that I heard the maintence men talking about how there were cushons missing from the lounge. Oh, well, they never found out who it was while I was there.

Afterwards I people watched for a bit. This was Sunday, and right out front of their building was a street market. They are only on the second floor so it's pretty easy to see the variety of people in the City. I can safely say that I didn't care for the city but people watching, which I did all year from my apt. I did.

Around 4 we went to visit some of the Mid-town sites. We were first headed to the Rockafeller buildings but it took us a whole lot longer then normal because it was Puerto Rico day and the streets were a mass of spanish speakers decked out in their Puerto Rican finest, aka flags. It was the same as we headed over to Central Park, and in it as well, but we found a huge rock to sit on and once again people watched, which was great when you're in a park full of Puerto Ricans and everybody else. I tell ya, I've never seen that much skin, or booty, in one place in my lifetime.

After that we went to look at the United Nations building which, since it was sunday, was kinda boring. Suddenly a firetruck showed up, and another one, and another, until there were 6 or so. We were caught standing next to the building and couldn't cross the street since it was blocked off by ginormous red trucks. It must have been a false alarm, they left without doing anything, but it was a suprise, and well worth our trip out to the UN.

After that we went back to the apt, had pizza, and watched a movie before going to bed. I was up in the morning and out of there by 7:30 to catch the 8:45 bus back to Stony Point so that about ended my New York experience, but not quite. I was waiting for the bus when I remembered that I hadn't got a ticket, my stupidity. I looked at the clock and saw that I still had 6 min. so I went downstairs to get a ticket. I wasn't worried, I new it was enough time, but that was under normal circumstances. Two people in front of me, the couple decided to ask all the questions about NYC in the world of the ticket salesman. The person right in front of me ran out of cash and had to scrounge through their purse for loose change. Then I was up, in and out in less than 30. sec. I still missed the bus. Now I had to wait until 11:15. So I did, and that was that. We didn't leave Stony Point until 1:00.

That wasn't a big deal since we reached Gettysburg in under 4 hours but it was a big hassle. My impression of NYC was not all possitive. I did like the people watching, but that was when I wasn't IN the people. The city was just so crowded. I know that I've been to London, and I really didn't mind that, but NYC just didn't click with me. It certainly wasn't Galaxy and McKinzie's fault, they were very gracious and Galaxy was able to put up with my lack of going out at night skills. Maybe I should give it more time but I really don't want to. I think that I'll stick with Portland being my city experience.



So, here's a good break time, if you need to use the bathroom or take a drink. Intermission music. Ok, now on to Gettysburg.


We got in to Gettysburg at My Uncle Jeff and Aunt Pam's around 5. They had delicious bbq sandwiches for us and great company, Aunt Pam and Luaren, my cousin, were great. I mean, great conversation, great food, great bed, just all around great hostesses. We couldn't have asked for a better place to mooch off of for 3 nights.

Anyway, Uncle Jeff gave us a tour of the city after that, I don't know why. I mean, I've been there before and I know the basics. Aunt Julie may have dropped him on his head a few to many times as a child and my dad might have kicked him while he was down. Probably not though, Uncle Jeff developed this way on his own and there is no help for him. Bless her heart, Aunt Pam does what she can, and Lauren is always there for support, but he's beyond repair.

P.S. Uncle Jeff, I love you for who you are, don't ever change. It's just much easier to pick on you here where you can't threaten to put me out in the back yard.

Later that night I got to see Aunt Jan and her fam, at least cousin Milty, his girlfrind Alicia (A-LI-SHA), and Uncle John. That was all, though, and we went back to bed.

The next day we woke up late and didn't get out of there until around 11. We went to the new Gettysburg Visitors Center which, though it cost $10.50, we got in free. We flashed our national parks card, got told it was not good, and then Luke's credit card got refused as well. We didn't complain. The video we saw as actually pretty good, much better then the patriotic propoganda in the video on Mt. Rushmore. Obviously we could nit-pick about it's faults and rediculous use of patriotic music, but overall it was more informative and truthful about what was said.

The Cyclorama upstairs was an up and down. The painting as it was was awesome, an 83 or something foot painting in a circle depcting Pickett's charge at Gettysburg, painted over 100 years ago, and including over 20,000 figures. The downside was that we were in the viewing room with 50 other people and it was difficult to see everything, especially when they try and make you focus on the presentation with lights and explosions instead of the painting itself, which was also bad. On top of that, they hustled everyone through in 15 min. so that the next group of people coming out of the other movie theater could come in. It was a let down but if you focused just on the painting, it was pretty sweet.

The regular visitors center was pretty well done as well. It explained everything, and had relics, from before the battle of Gettysburg, during the battle, and after. We could have spent hours there, but we only had 45 min. because we needed to meet Uncle Jeff for lunch. We went the the Appalachan Brewing Company, we've been searching for a micro-brewery and so we found one. It was good. So was the food. So was Uncle Jeff's company.

(If you haven't yet figured it out, Uncle Jeff was terrorized by my dad as a child and he takes it out on me. His sarcasm directed at me is nothing compared to the trauma he experienced from my father, or so I am told by Uncle Jeff. Sorry dad, we all love you and know that you've matured into a magnificant specimin of human ingenuity and kindness. We also know that Uncle Jeff never passed 6th grade.)

After lunch we toured the battlefield, doing the driving tour and really only stopping at a few places, the peace light, little round top, and devils den to climb on the rediculously fun rocks. We went straight to Aunt Jans around 5 and Milty took us out to his father's families round barn, a really cool feat of engineering. It is a round barn, duh, and it was totally built by hand almost 100 years ago. They own an orchard so after the barn and the burros, we took Milty's favorite truck up mud riding in the back part of the orchards. We only got kinda stuck once but not really and it was quite a ride, other than Luke was in the bed of the truck and got soaked as it had started pouring as we were on the top of the hill.

After this we had dinner at Aunt Jans, with Meme, my grandma. She'd come out for my graduation only a few weeks before but suprisingly enough, she wasn't tired of us. After dinner I saw Uncle Jon, the middle brother. He was in great shape still, though Aunt Tammy was at home because of a migrane, and it was great to at least see him. Then Lauren came over and we went out to Ice Cream at Dairy Queen. Luke and I got Dilly Bars, Mmmmm.

The Next day wasn't quite so busy. We got out around 11 again and went to the gospel mission thrift shop. Luke got a pair of pants for $4 and we together got 8 books for $0.96. it was pretty sweet. We went to the outlet stores after that and I picked up shorts and swim trunks and Luke a sweatshirt. Everything in the men's dept. was half off.

For Lunch we went to the Dobbin house, an old house from the 18th century which had been used on the undergroud railroad, with Aunt Pam and Lauren. The soup that we had was delicious, though I can't remember what it was called. It was probably half cheese.

After lunch we went back to old navy to pick up a couple more things before heading back to Uncle Jeffs. They were leaving around 4 for their 20th anniversary (CONGRADULATIONS AUNT PAM, YOU SURVIVED!!!!) and we had dinner with Meme around 5:30. Her dinner included a stuffed chicken, potatoes, applesause, green beans, and a blueberry pie brought over for dessert by Aunt Barb and Uncle Raymond. They are my dad's aunt and uncle, so my Great aunt and uncle, and I don't get to see them very often either. We sat and talked until the wee hours of the morning, and left around 8:30. I went over to Aunt Jan's to say goodbye to them before heading back to Uncle Jeffs.

It was wierd to only be back for a few days. I think the shortest I've ever been back in the past is 1 week and that was because I'd mainly come for the Naval Academy Summer Seminar for the other week. It was good to see everybody, and I hope to make it back soon but I do wish they could get out to Oregon sometime, some of them have never been and dad's been here over 30 years.

We didn't leave until around noon the next morning. Uncle Jeff came back around 9 to cook me breakfast, Luke wasn't up yet. We talked for a bit before he had to go back to work. Truth be told, I really like Uncle Jeff. I know, everything that I've said may lean toward the contrary but that's just not true. He's a big boy, he can handle my sarcasm, he's even more of a master of it than I am.

Anyway, after some talking with Aunt Pam and some volleyball between Lauren and Luke we left. The drive down to Aunt Julie's wasn't too long and we took our time but for now, that's for another time. I feel like I've written a novel and have been at the computer for around an hour. So, I'll bid you adeau and since this gets you up to only a day and a half ago, I feel very accomplished. Please support me.

Chris