Everyone has to go to Gettysburg

That everyone has to go to Gettysburg is immediately apparent when you see the size of the car park at the Visitor's Centre.  And the size of the Visitor's Centre itself.  At 9.30 on a June weekday it was already seething when we arrived.  It must be hell on a busy day.  We grabbed the self guided tour brochure & escaped the centre, but still had to cope with the busloads on the way round, especially the convoy of 3 buses full of Marine Cadets.
But crowds aside it is a fascinating battlefield - with terrain that matters, move & counter move.  No surprises for a wargamer of course, but there really is nothing quite like being there.  The Battlefield is in the main remarkably well preserved, though as usual, there are many more trees than in 1863 so fields of fire are sometimes obscured. As usual the Parks Service has done a great job with their interpretive signage & guide brochure.
We could see that Lee might have won it with a bit more luck at critical times, but remain convinced that the campaign was an insane gamble in the first place.

Looking across the ground of Picket's charge from the start point.

And from the Union side.  Everyone thinks the charge was just crazy brave, but a few months later Thomas stormed up the very steep slope of Missionary Ridge against an entrenched enemy & won with minimal casualties.   There were more factors at work than the distance & lack of cover.

We found a quiet place to boil the billy for a picnic lunch at the point of the fish hook near the end of the tour route.  Most of the gawkers had had enough & gone for a Maccas by then.