Gettysburg's Hot Air

This past weekend my wife and I traveled back up to New York to participate in Utica's 15K Race, the Boilermaker. On our way home on Monday, we stopped in Gettysburg to stretch our legs and for a brief break from driving. We pulled into the old Cyclorama Parking Lot just as ominous storm clouds began rising up over South Mountain in the distance.

We decided to take a quick hike along Cemetery Ridge, but first I wanted to check in on the landscape rehabilitation of the old Visitor Center's parking lot.

The rehabilitation of the ground here has come quite a long way. The park has graded the terrain and green shoots of grass have begun to cover over the old lot. However, we found that something else caught our eye: a gigantic hot air balloon rising up in the background.

The Gettysburg Story Balloon, as they call it, is operated by the Gettysburg Heritage Center (the old Wax Museum, under new ownership). I have no idea how popular the attraction has become, but it certainly is noticeable for tourists along Cemetery Ridge (and probably many other locations on the battlefield as well). At least, unlike previous eye sores, the balloon is not a permanent fixture on the landscape. It is unclear if it is here to stay or not.

From the slopes of Cemetery Hill, we hiked down past the Brian Farm, and then descended the ridge toward Meade's Headquarters. As droplets of rain began to fall from the sky, and distant rumbles of thunder accompanied the approaching dark clouds, we headed back to the car to continue our journey south.