steps for a successful excursion:

1. congregate in Barlow lobby at 6:40am for bagels.
2. board bus. Professor immediately puts in dvd of "Gettysburg".
3. try to sleep.
4. groggily wake up from half sleep with Stonewall Jackson fighting a battle re-enactment way to loud on the tv right above your head
5. get to Gettysburg.6. go through museum, movie and cyclorama. (tidbit--cycloramas are cool, but not as cool as the name implies. nothing cycled, except us.)
7. get on bus with Jeff the tour guide, learn everything about Gettysburg while traveling around the field.
8. get off bus. sit on cannon. take picture.9. Climb tallest look-out on battlefield (not authentic). All 121 steps, but it felt much taller. Soak in great view.9. go to General Pickett's Buffet, a total tourist trap for student groups. my thoughts...Pickett's Charge was a huge military failure, why would the buffet be any different?
10. Repeat steps 2-4 en route to Harper's Ferry
11. Wander Harper's Ferry, feel jipped lots of things are closed or lame. Walk across the train bridge for a fabulous view of the rivers. Skip a rock in the river and feel wonderful.
12. participate in/view Barlow American Gladiators/Curb Chicken tournament while waiting for the bus. Realize how awful your balance is.13. Get back on bus and marvel at the West Virginia/Maryland/DC countryside on the way back.

All in all, good day. I learned a lot, had lots of fun, and loved the chance to get out of the city and into nature.(this is looking at the site of Pickett's Charge. Can you imagine 13,000 people marching at you in a line 1 mile long? crazy. I still can't wrap my head around that style of battle.)

And the whole day, I was totally quoting this scene in my head...love it.