Cosmos Tour … PART 3 … Gettysburg, Philadelphia and being Rocky ……

This week I am going to share with you my onward journey from Lancaster / Amish County into another era ….  The home of the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg which the main spanned over July 1st – 3rd.  First of all we were taken to the visitor center, here we were able to view all the exhibits, this was fascinating, now I was never one for those History lessons back in school, however this was incredible.  I wont spoil it too much in case you do ever take the time to visit, however to think these were real life cannons that were used, or a letter a mother had taken the time to write to the man who had been involved in the death of her husband and 2 sons in 1859!! To see the writing, view the uniform they wore, it makes you remember sometimes different generations you do forget about history and how we all got to where we are today in modern day…..

Inside the Visitor Centre is the Famous Cyclorama – The largest oil painting in North America measuring 42 ft by 377ft …. LONGER THAN A FOOTBALL FIELD.  It took a year to paint and now for visitors is used to immerse us in the sounds, lighting and effects to help us understand that 3rd day of the battle …. Incredible hey …..

After this we met the lovely Tour Guide John who has been retired for over 25 years and he was the most sweetest man ever and I even had a selfie with him bless him! His knowledge was just amazing … I felt like I was being taken back to the battle and how each day unfolded. Along the way to the area where the battle took place, we passed houses that remained and survived this era and even had the scars to prove this … bullet holes … yes you read that correctly … these had been kept and had been painted white to withhold the history of these buildings…..

This evening we stayed at the Wyndham Gettysburg and enjoyed the most scrumptious meal at Dobbin Tavern House … This is listed on the National register of Historic Places and a visit is a must, with the colonial style dinner, underground slave hideout and even providing B and B accommodation it is definitely somewhere to tick off the list ….

The following day we were hitting the roads for ….. Philadelphia …. Approximately a 2 hour drive …. once we arrived of course …. first stop …. THE FAMOUS ROCKY STEPS ….. No visit is complete without running (and filming of course) impersonating Sylvester Stallone in this famous iconic film ….

After this it was the historical sites …. Liberty Bell – The iconic symbol of American Independence located within the area of the Independence Hall – where the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution were both signed.

The US Mint – This was fascinating, it is unbelievable to view how many coins are made every second …. Look at a coin you have and do you see a little P or D????

Now whilst in Philadelphia it would be rude after all the sightseeing to not enjoy the incredible and most delicious Philly Cheese Steak (Now being Coeliac this did not stop me ) …..

Tonight we stayed at the Wyndham Philadelphia and enjoyed what i have to say has been the best place I have EVER been able to eat as a Ceoliac – The Gluten Free Menu was insane ….. THE CHEESECAKE FACTORY ….

The morning after was sadly our time to depart ….. However we most certainly made the most of it ….. A casual stroll turning into a very wet walk and souvenir shopping ….. Macys and to top it off the Reading Terminal Market which has been open since 1862….. offering every cuisine under the sun …..

This has been the most incredible trip and one I will never forget and the knowledge and experiences it has also provided me with is second to none  ……. THE END.