Spring Break, Day 2
This was our busiest, and most scheduled, day of vacation.
We had an 11am tour scheduled at the National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton in Emmitsburg, Maryland to learn about the Sisters of Charity work during the Civil War. Admittedly this was not the most exciting or interesting presentation. The guide, while knowledgeable, didn't seem to engage our small group and spoke at us rather than to us.
Immediately following was another tour which included more of the grounds and Elizabeth's work in Emmitsburg. We toured The Stone House, the original home of the Sisters, as well as The White House, their second dwelling/school. The others on our tour departed and Emmy started asking our guide a ton of questions. As a result we got a more in depth tour of The White House as well as the cemetery.
Mother Seton was originally buried in the cemetery, and then was moved to a mausoleum her son built for her. Eventually they moved her to what is likely her final resting place, a tomb within the Basilica itself. Our tour guide, Paula, and Emmy wandered around the cemetery and said a prayer together at the grave of a Sister who passed away at 103 the week before.
While we were touring the grounds, my parents and Sarah decided to go to confession and attend Mass in the Basilica, which we had previously seen upon our arrival at the shrine. It was good to split the girls up because they insist on driving each other crazy.
As one would expect, the grounds were beautiful, but my favorite spot was a statue, actually several, that depicts Jesus following the Crucifixion. The height, size, and beauty of this representation made it easy to imagine what it must have been like to there. We climbed the steps, visible in this photograph on the outer left and right sides, and were able to sit directly beneath the cross. Since we were visiting during Holy Week this place seemed especially poignant. Pictures cannot do this justice.
In some ways this place for me was reminiscent of my Hearst Castle experience. I hadn't expected to find it as interesting as I did. We spent far longer at the shrine than I had initially planned. As a result we didn't get to Gettysburg until after 2pm.
With Sarah still with my parents, we decided to take Emmy and Seth to the Jennie Wade House. Again, Emmy was very interested in what she was seeing and asked a lot of questions, charming all the older people on the tour with us. Seth was well-behaved and not disruptive, surprisingly. From the house we went to Jennie's gravesite in Evergreen Cemetery which is easy to find given the American Flag that flies over her grave 365 days of the year. The only other woman to have this honor bestowed on her is Betsy Ross.
Across the street from the Jennie Wade House is a Rita's so we stopped in for a treat. Seth wasn't interested, but it was a gorgeous, warm day and who can resist a mango Italian ice? Not me.
From there we went to Soldier's National Cemetery to show Emmy where Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address. There are other markers/statues to see in this cemetery, but with limited time we decided to try and find Little Round Top rather than lingering here. We got close, but ended up hitting a one way road in the wrong direction. As a result we ended up at Culp's Hill and Spangler's Spring, other favorite sites of mine, but never did get to Little Round Top and Devil's Den.
While we were doing all of that, my parents took Sarah to a presentation on the battlefield which walked them through Day 3 of the Battle at Gettysburg. From what they said, the guide was excellent and Sarah was able to participate in helping to depict where troops were positioned and what was happening. I don't know how much she understood, but she certainly enjoyed the experience.
We had 5pm dinner reservations at the Farnsworth House in downtown Gettysburg. It is believed that the sniper's bullet which killed Jennie Wade came from the third floor of this house. Experts have used lasers to determine the path of that bullet. The side of the Farnsworth House is riddled with bullet holes, like many buildings throughout the area. In this photograph the bullet holes appear white/gray. The girls are seen here pointing one or two out.
As for the dinner menu. . .it was quite pricey and the food was okay. The atmosphere wasn't exactly what I was expecting either. Ultimately, my review is that one should stop by and check out the house, but skip eating here as it is nothing special.
It was pushing 7pm by the time we finished dinner and left the Farnsworth House so we decided we should head back to Hershey to our hotel since we had almost an hour drive and three little kids with us.
I would have liked to see more of Gettysburg, but it will have to wait for a future trip.
We had an 11am tour scheduled at the National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton in Emmitsburg, Maryland to learn about the Sisters of Charity work during the Civil War. Admittedly this was not the most exciting or interesting presentation. The guide, while knowledgeable, didn't seem to engage our small group and spoke at us rather than to us.
Immediately following was another tour which included more of the grounds and Elizabeth's work in Emmitsburg. We toured The Stone House, the original home of the Sisters, as well as The White House, their second dwelling/school. The others on our tour departed and Emmy started asking our guide a ton of questions. As a result we got a more in depth tour of The White House as well as the cemetery.
Mother Seton was originally buried in the cemetery, and then was moved to a mausoleum her son built for her. Eventually they moved her to what is likely her final resting place, a tomb within the Basilica itself. Our tour guide, Paula, and Emmy wandered around the cemetery and said a prayer together at the grave of a Sister who passed away at 103 the week before.
While we were touring the grounds, my parents and Sarah decided to go to confession and attend Mass in the Basilica, which we had previously seen upon our arrival at the shrine. It was good to split the girls up because they insist on driving each other crazy.As one would expect, the grounds were beautiful, but my favorite spot was a statue, actually several, that depicts Jesus following the Crucifixion. The height, size, and beauty of this representation made it easy to imagine what it must have been like to there. We climbed the steps, visible in this photograph on the outer left and right sides, and were able to sit directly beneath the cross. Since we were visiting during Holy Week this place seemed especially poignant. Pictures cannot do this justice.
In some ways this place for me was reminiscent of my Hearst Castle experience. I hadn't expected to find it as interesting as I did. We spent far longer at the shrine than I had initially planned. As a result we didn't get to Gettysburg until after 2pm.With Sarah still with my parents, we decided to take Emmy and Seth to the Jennie Wade House. Again, Emmy was very interested in what she was seeing and asked a lot of questions, charming all the older people on the tour with us. Seth was well-behaved and not disruptive, surprisingly. From the house we went to Jennie's gravesite in Evergreen Cemetery which is easy to find given the American Flag that flies over her grave 365 days of the year. The only other woman to have this honor bestowed on her is Betsy Ross.
Across the street from the Jennie Wade House is a Rita's so we stopped in for a treat. Seth wasn't interested, but it was a gorgeous, warm day and who can resist a mango Italian ice? Not me.
From there we went to Soldier's National Cemetery to show Emmy where Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address. There are other markers/statues to see in this cemetery, but with limited time we decided to try and find Little Round Top rather than lingering here. We got close, but ended up hitting a one way road in the wrong direction. As a result we ended up at Culp's Hill and Spangler's Spring, other favorite sites of mine, but never did get to Little Round Top and Devil's Den.
While we were doing all of that, my parents took Sarah to a presentation on the battlefield which walked them through Day 3 of the Battle at Gettysburg. From what they said, the guide was excellent and Sarah was able to participate in helping to depict where troops were positioned and what was happening. I don't know how much she understood, but she certainly enjoyed the experience.We had 5pm dinner reservations at the Farnsworth House in downtown Gettysburg. It is believed that the sniper's bullet which killed Jennie Wade came from the third floor of this house. Experts have used lasers to determine the path of that bullet. The side of the Farnsworth House is riddled with bullet holes, like many buildings throughout the area. In this photograph the bullet holes appear white/gray. The girls are seen here pointing one or two out.
As for the dinner menu. . .it was quite pricey and the food was okay. The atmosphere wasn't exactly what I was expecting either. Ultimately, my review is that one should stop by and check out the house, but skip eating here as it is nothing special.
It was pushing 7pm by the time we finished dinner and left the Farnsworth House so we decided we should head back to Hershey to our hotel since we had almost an hour drive and three little kids with us.
I would have liked to see more of Gettysburg, but it will have to wait for a future trip.
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