Trip to Gettysburg for the 150th anniversary of the Gettysburg Address

[Angela]

(12-05-2013 09:14 PM)BettyO Wrote:  

(12-05-2013 01:46 PM)Angela Wrote:  

(12-05-2013 08:08 AM)BettyO Wrote:  Angela -

LOVE your post! What a wonderful trip -- I, too love Gettysburg and Remembrance Day - By the way, if you come to Richmond, VA - look me up!

Here is that wonderful Lincoln statue at Tredegar in Richmond -

Betty, thank you so much!
How I wish I had known that you live in Richmond!!!

I took a trip earlier this summer - we started in Chicago and went via Springfield and Kentucky all the way to Washington D.C. where we spend the 4th of July.
The trip was about Lincoln and the statues I had learned existed all over the U.S. - the one you just pictured is (along with the McClarey "A greater task" statue in Springfield) my favorite!

I have two personal stories to go along with that.

At the time I did not know about how...challenging... it was to have the statue originally placed. All I knew was that it marked the "official" end of my Lincoln-trip which was at times quite an adventure - I was incredibly grateful that we had made it this far in a HUGE Ford pick-up rental, survived nights in forests so big I did not know they even existed and re-routing because I spontaneously had wanted to attend a lecture from Fritz Klein. I was, at this moment when I saw that "last" statue so...incredibly grateful!

It was the picture below that the Springfield Library and Museum kindly put on their website that got me in contact with the photographer David Wiegers and who, along with his wife, is responsible for the wonderful trip I was able to take to Gettysburg.
He always refuses to admit it, but he taught me that 21 statues is "amateur level" (he has visited more than 200!) and my bf now thinks of himself as Ansel Adams because David said "I wish I had taken that picture".

That visit to Richmond marked an end and a new beginning.

And I am bursting with pride to announce that I own a miniature copy of that statue now because it simply means SO much to me.

And I think now you can understand why I would have loved to meet up!

Next time...!

Angela,

What wonderful photos -- you are a very lucky lady to be able to take the road trip which you did -- the statues are wonderful! You did a grand job with your post.

I live outside of Richmond in Hanover County - about 12-15 miles away. Please let me know when you do come back -

I also have a strong interest in German history - particularly WWI history revolving around the German Flying Corps - Jasta 11.

Betty,
I'm way behind on WWI - but now am curious to check out Jasta 11. Let me know if there is anything in terms of research you need done from here!
And yes, I was incredibly lucky to be able to do this trip - it was a wonderful experience right through...would the "heartland" be the right word here? It certainly felt like it!
It was 20 day trip - and way too short for this kind of a tour! The words "We need to go - like yesterday!" I heard most often, closely followed by "We'll never make it to Washington...NEVER!"
I can't wait to return to Richmond - especially since it was the ONE rainy day of the tour and all the outside sights could not be done.