August 15-16 2012 Hanover, Pa

On the 15th we toured the National Military park in Gettysburg. It was the scene of a 3 day battle in the civil war. It was one of the bloodiest ones, 51,000 soldiers were either killed, wounded or captured. The Union held Gettysburg, but it was a big price to pay.  They say that the battle turned the tide of the war so that the union won.

We first saw a movie about the war, then were led into the Cyclorama. It is a 42 foot high 360 degree painting in a round building. This is part of it. The right photo is how the same view looks today. It is a 25 square mile park that surrounds Gettysburg.

Another part of the cyclorama. It is the union line. Here it is today on the right. There are over 1,300 monuments, memorials and observation towers on the field today.

Monuments and observation tower.  So flowers seen near by.

The light from the blinds at dinner on John, he looked like he had war paint on. The setting sun at the campground.

Today we toured the Harley-Davidson factory in York, Pa.  How do I look on this bike??

At the plant there are robots who make the frames, fenders and gas tanks. The robots run the dyes, move the metal, weld , paint and assemble the bikes, along with some human workers too. On the assembly line they were making the 2013 models, so we could not see that. But they A start with the middle module, B the rear module, C the front module, D finishing module. They are assembled by robots and people.

John wanted to help with the roll tests. Then we toured the Wolfgang Candy factory. We were supposed to be able to see them making chocolates, but they were done for the day. We saw the machines that make the candy and the packing machines and people. Also got to shop at the seconds shop. I did learn that they have their chocolate delivered in a huge chocolate tanker that hooks to the back of the kitchen and pumps the chocolate up into their tanks.  Would love to see that truck.

John was at first unsure how to wear the hair net, but he got it figured out.

Young American chestnuts. They are crossed with Chinese chestnuts. So the trees are 15/16 American chestnut and 1/16 Chinese. Still have the characteristics of the American, but the Chinese part gives them some resistance to the blight that wiped out all the American chestnuts in the 1920’s. They will keep trying till they make a resistant strain, then replant the forests.  Here is evening light in the forest at the campground tonight.

A couple weeks ago I backed the car, with the bikes on the back, into a tree. John’s bike, on the right now has a bent derailleur hanger, the derailleur is pushed into the gear wheel and the frame is bent. My bike on the left had a bent hanger and damaged derailleur. This is my new derailleur. I have to buy John a new bike. . .