In Gettysburg, reminders of Minnesotans' pivotal role

The Traveler: Steven Bursaw from Anoka.

The scene: Evening casts a purple light on cannons at Gettysburg National Military Park. The nine-square-mile park in southern Pennsylvania is dotted with monuments.

The trip: "I recently traveled with my brother Michael and my dad to Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania to tour the Civil War battlefield," Bursaw wrote in an e-mail. On their first of three days, they toured the battlefield, had dinner at their campsite and then returned to the battlefield at sunset to take pictures in the waning light. Bursaw got this shot at a row of cannons on Hancock Avenue. Nearby, a monument honors the 1st Minnesota Infantry, which lost most of its soldiers but played a pivotal role in winning the Battle of Gettysburg.

Why go?: "In the evening, there is such a serene beauty to the park. Being there at sundown, you really get the physical beauty of the park along with the quiet serenity of not a lot of vehicles and people being there. It is a very powerful place to be if you know the history of the park and what went on there in early July of 1863." Bursaw added, "To all the readers out there, read about the 1st Minnesota Regiment that fought at Gettysburg. Those men were true heroes."

Equipment: Bursaw used a Sony A33 camera fitted with a 28mm Minolta lens.

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