Great Race Day 4

Frostburg, MD to Gettysburg, PA

We started the morning with a nice crisp morning. We were in Maryland, but very close to West Virginia.

We weaved our way back into West Virginia, again climbing hills. Sometimes it is a challenge to hold speed while climbing, but I count when we have fallen behind. Typically once we reach the peak, we will make up the time lost going up the hill. After weaving up and down, we crossed over an old wooden toll bridge. The Oldtown Toll Bridge crosses the Patomic River. The bridge was built in 1937, and is about 15 feet long. You feel every piece of lumber as you slowly roll across it.

We continued rallying throughout the winding roads of West Virgina heading East toward Virginia. We stopped at a fellow Great Racer’s family farm for lunch.

It was a super lunch stop! Brad and I typically pass on lunch, but we could not pass up the beautiful spread Ken Walsh set up for our group. They had different types of salads, sandwiches, and a charcuterie board full of delicious cheeses, fruits, nuts and crackers.

After lunch we were directed to the local Purciville Shell station. There we were given free gas by the Walsh family. We voted that the best lunch stop.

We were in Virginia farm land. The farms were top notch with colonial style houses. The houses all looked like they were well maintained. The fields were mostly covered in corn.

That afternoon we headed toward Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle of Gettysburg took place on July 1 through July 3, 1863. It is said to be one of the bloodiest battles in the Civil War. History says over 50,000 men were killed in the three day battle. Gettysburg was also believed to be the turning point between the North and South.

As we drove through the hallowed grounds, we could imagine by the positions of the cannons how so many young men died. It is incredible to think about the divide that must have driven the Americans at that time to fight to the death.

After seeing the battle fields, the driving tour looped us through the historic part of Gettysburg. The houses from the middle of the 1800s still remain in Gettysburg. The doors are much smaller in height and width than modern homes. The houses were mostly Victorian style row houses.

We finished the day at the hotel a few minutes away from the downtown area of Gettysburg.

There are many volunteers that make this race happen, but one who stands out is a man named Hal from Tennessee. Hal closes his business for 10 days every year and comes on the rally. Hal is a fantastic mechanic. He helps racers with any problems they may have.

We were having some minor electrical issues and I saw Hal. I asked him for help, and he immediately came to the car. He found a wire that looked like it was corroded. He was able to fix it in less than 10 minutes.

We are grateful to Hal and all the volunteers that make Great Race happen. The men and women who sit out rain or shine to mark our times, tally our scores, and set up the lunch and dinner stops are incredible. We are a traveling circus, and this group of people are incredibly organized and make it fun for all.