14 June - Flt 93 Memorial and Deer Run Camping Resort, Gardners PA

14 June
We departed Fox Den Campgrounds at about 08:40 am and headed east to our 12th campground destination, Deer Run Camping Resort near Gardners PA,  

In route we stopped at the Flight 93 Memorial which is near Stoystown, PA.   The National Parks Service has done a great job of capturing this for current and future generations.  It is a sobering reminder of the events of September 11, 2001.

It was a windy, hilly drive from the Pennsylvania Turnpike to the Memorial.  They have plenty of parking available including large spaces for RVs and tour buses.    It is built around what appeared to be a black granite pathway that follows the final flight path of Flt 93.  The end of the black path is an outlook of the impact site in the distance.

The final flight path

The outlook

We walked through the Visitor Center, which just opened September 2015.  It is filled with chronological history of the crash, starting that morning.  There are many artifacts and personal effects on display, with multimedia and interactive displays.  Interesting to pick up a phone-like handset and listen to several recording of phone calls made from Flight 93 to friends and relatives by some of the passengers.  Wow, their last communication....

  

 

The terrorists sat in first class.  Did you know the majority of them were Saudi Arabian citizens?

The flight path.  Flight 93 crashed upside down at over 500 mph.  There was not much left.

A display honoring the emergency responders

After that we walked down a winding 0.7 mile crushed rock pathway to the Memorial Plaza near the impact site.

Over the years the actual impact site has over grown with natural vegetation but is marked with a large rock.  The crash created a mushroom cloud that spread debris in the woods behind. Burned trees can be seen in the background.

The Memorial Plaza has a black granite wall dividing the visitors from the actual impact site, and a "wall of names" of those who perished on the flight.

After leaving the memorial we hopped back on the Turnpike and headed to our campground.  We chose Deer Run Camping Resort due to it's close proximity to Gettysburg PA.  I visited Gettysburg with an aunt, uncle and cousin when I was about 12, but this time we devoted a week here so we can take our time and really enjoy the history.  Tomorrow we will start the Gettysburg experience.

Nice playground and beautiful swimming pool

Of course Doreen scoped out the light house!

Campers spaced tightly, but well-maintained campground

Our Jayco Pinnacle parked next to another Jayco

Liberty is tired of traveling!