I was up and riding to the battlegrounds by 6:45am. According to the forecast, rain appeared imminent for Gettysburg around 7:00am, but this wouldn't deter me from going taking in the sites. I rode to the battleground without my gear, and the bike felt weightless being unbound from the trailer and panniers. One of the first places I visited at the battleground was the Devil's Den. This is a boulder-strewn hill on the south end of Houck's Ridge. Big Round Top sits just to the south of this place. Not long after arriving at the Devil's Den, the misty precipitation changed to a steady rain. From here, I rode uphill to Big Round Top, and once there it was immediately apparent why this hill was pivotal in the battle. Much of the battleground to the north was visible from this high point on Big Round Top, and this was what made this hill strategically important. Panoramic views from this hill made it easier to imagine the scale of this battle. This coupled with the rainy weather was fitting, given the considerable loss of life here back in 1863. By 8:30am, I was ready to hit the road. Much like yesterday, today's 59 miles was considerably shorter than the average mileage throughout the trip. This was favorable for riding with the broken finger. Rain fell sporadically once on the road. The state highway I rode on winded through countryside away from Gettysburg. Every creek, run, and river that I crossed was inundated with water. Lightly brown colored water rushed through the watersheds. This was most apparent when crossing the Susquehanna River. I was very surprised by the width of the Susquehanna River. It reminded me of the Mississippi River back in the Midwest. The Columbia-Wrightsville (War Memorial) bridge stretches over 6,600 feet across the Susquehanna River. I took my time crossing the bridge, stopping periodically to marvel the flooded Susquehanna and this bridge that crosses it. Not long after crossing the Susquehanna River, I rode into Lancaster and its downtown district. The amount of traffic unexpectedly rivaled that of Chicago! However, I was lucky and mostly hit green lights along the route. When riding through downtown, I noticed several Amish folks along the way. Lancaster is in Lancaster County, and the latter is considered as the largest Amish settlement in the world with approximately 37,000 Amish people calling this county home. After riding across town, I arrived at my host's home. David and I chatted for a bit about cycling, soccer, work, and the trip. I also had a chance to chat with Lisa, David's wife, who works in a very similar profession as me. It was good sharing and relating on the challenges and rewarding aspects of our professions. Our conversation also reminded me that I would be back to work in about three weeks! I was really thankful for the wholesome homemade meal that David and Lisa provided. Even though today's ride was shorter than the usual day along the trip, I was feeling exhausted and ready for bed not long after 8:00pm. Before falling asleep, I reflected on the trip and its upcoming conclusion. Today and days past along this trip reminded me that the places across this country have been really neat and unique, but the people I've been fortunate enough to meet along the way have been nothing but great.
