Covered bridge in Connecticut

We can travel about 30 minutes from our home in suburban Hartford and be in the middle of nowhere. I traveled east about 30 miles today and stumbled upon this covered bridge in West Cornwall. This one was built in 1864. Kayakers were zipping along the Housatonic River below the bridge as I snapped these pictures. The Appalachian Trail winds its way through Connecticut near here.

Old and new at Gettysburg

The old visitors' center (right} at Gettysburg has closed, replaced by a beautiful, and much bigger, visitors' center (above) just up the road. That's a good thing. While many have a sentimental attachment to the old visitors' center -- it was the first place I remember seeing with my family on my first trip to Gettysburg in the early '70s -- it was dingy, poorly lit and often overcrowded. The new place has cool multimedia displays, ample museum space and a terrific bookstore. The Electric Map, a staple of the old visitors' center, is outdated and won't be displayed at the new center, much to the chagrin of some, but I don't think it will be missed. For old-time's sake, I stopped by the old place. The National Park Service will demolish it next year and restore the land it's on to its 1863 appearance.

War is hell

Horatio Howell (left) was a 42-year-old Union chaplain. After tending to wounded soldiers at the Christ Lutheran Church (above) in Gettysburg, Howell was shot and killed by a Confederate soldier on the steps of the church. Apparently, Johnny Reb thought Howell was an officer. Here is the memorial to Howell at the bottom of the steps of the church.

Now and then at Gettysburg

Here's a shot of a portion of one of the more famous Civil War sites: Devil's Den, the site of fierce fighting during the Battle of Gettysburg. Confederate soldiers used this area to shoot at Union soldiers on Little Round Top, which can be seen in the background. Below is a photograph of the same scene taken by Alexander Gardner after the battle (Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division, LC-DIG-cwpb-04337). The dead Confederate soldier and the gun were moved to this site to give the shot more drama.

Meet Stewart Cornelius, paranormalist

Wandering Civil War battlefields the past two decades, I've met all kinds of people.

A couple from Germany.

Historians.

Famous authors.

Re-enactors.

But tonight in Gettysburg, a lifetime goal was achieved.

I finally met a paranormalist.

Stewart Cornelius, a genial sort, is lead investigator for the Mason Dixon Paranormal Society. His group takes "high-tech equipment" to capture evidence of paranormal activity. Hear strange noises in your closet, a low moaning in the basement or see a shadowy figure dancing outside your bathroom at 3 in the morning? It may not be your strange Uncle Harold. Stewart and his ghostbusters may be just what you need.

According to MDPS Web site, paranormal investigations are free. "Remember, though we like to have fun, we understand the fear and the seriousness of your situation," the MDPS Web site states. "We are after all, normal people."

Stewart eagerly handed me a flyer touting a paranormal investigation his group is holding in Gettysburg in June. The two-night "investigation package" includes lodging at an historic and "haunted" Gettysburg house and a gourmet breakfast in the morning. Ghost hunting and a gourmet breakfast? Now there's a vacation combo I never considered.

Before we bade goodbye, Stewart played a recording of an EVP (below) -- that's Electronic Voice Phenomena -- his group recorded of a Civil War soldier in Gettysburg. "Help me," the "soldier" pleads in a low voice.

Real or nutty? Judge for yourself.

As for the ghost hunting and gourmet breakfast package, I'm telling Mrs. Banks that DisneyWorld can wait. I'm going ghost hunting!

A Connecticut soldier at Gettysburg

Lt. Col. Henry Merwin commanded the 27th Connecticut at Gettysburg, the smallest union regiment in the battle. His troops got into quite a fix, battling a Confederate assault at The Wheatfield. This was a confusing back and forth across a
large, rolling field of wheat near Little Round Top. Merwin fell mortally wounded, one of thousands of Union casualties on July 2, 1863, the second day of the three-day battle. As I was riding my bike across the battlefield today, I came across this small marker (top) for Merwin, which actually calls out a much larger regimental monument (above left) for the 27th Connecticut about 60 yards distant that marks where he was cut down. Merwin was captured at the Battle of Chancellorsville on May 3, 1863, and paroled 20 days later. Perhaps he would have survived the war if he had not been released. Merwin was from New Haven, Conn., where you can find his grave at Grove Street Cemetery. He was 24 when he was killed.

Gettysburg bike ride plan

Here's what I am looking at for tomorrow's bike ride. 18.37 miles with some major hills: Big Round Top and Little Round Top on the battlefield.

Gettysburg up close

Many of the monuments at Gettysburg are beautiful, some almost qualifying as works of art. Here's a few closeup shots I took today. Tomorrow at 6 a.m., I'll ride the battlefield on my bike for the first time.

Another great day

My youngest daughter has now mastered the 24-speed bike. Here she is during a great spring day, a little more than a year after this feat below.

Farmington River on steroids (again)

The Farmington River went into overdrive last year after a few days of heavy rain. It went nuts again this week as you can see here in two cellphone videos I recorded over the weekend. (Audio on bottom video only.)