Day 16

Writing tonight from a hotel in Gaithersburg, MD. It's rainy out, so we couldn't do the tent.

Today we left the Zimmermans' and visited Gettysburg for most of the day. The visitors center has a neat "Electric Map" which lights up to show the events of the three-day battle. That was neat, as was the large civil war museum. After that, we had lunch, then followed the two-hour auto tour around the locations on the battlefield. There are monuments all over commemorating the different battalions and troops who fought. Some were small plaques, one was a castle you could climb up in. The whole tour was very moving. Realizing that 4,000 people died right there in that wheat field in one day. It was worth all the time we spent there. Go if you get the chance.

We left Gettysburg around 6:00 pm and headed south toward Washington DC. On the way, we stopped at the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Shrine, where she built her school. It was closed, but we got a couple of pictures, and it was neat to see for a few minutes.

It took a while to decide where we were staying tonight, but we finally ended up here. Tomorrow, we'll go into DC to start sight-seeing. It may be rainy, and if it is, we may see a lot of Smithsonian. But whatever we see will be cool. I get the feeling I'll look like Jefferson Smith at his first view of Washington. It should be fun.

I'll tell you all about it soon! God bless,
-Rebekah

EDIT: It has come to my attention that I've been unclear. Jefferson Smith is Jimmy Stuart's character in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.