Gettysburg, Antietam & the Unthinkable Pt1

The electric map is worth seeing but really, DON’T miss the extensive FREE museum in the NPS Visitor’s Center. Grab the visitor’s map and follow its easy driving directions. Get out of the car and climb an observation tower or two. Scratch the chin of a farmer’s horse while driving through the Peach Orchard. Needless to say, there are some truly impressive monuments throughout the park, such as the Irish Brigade Monument for which photographs can’t do justice. Drive through town; see the bullet holes still in the walls.

Another must-see is the small village of Cashtown west of Gettysburg, especially the historic Inn that is the center of the town.

Considering Gettysburg has been the destination of travelers since the week after the 1863 battle (when worried families came to find their wounded or deceased relatives), the town is not the COMPLETE tourist trap we thought it would be. Yes, even the Wal*Mart sells postcards in large racks, but overall, it was pretty dignified. The Confederate High-water Mark, shrouded in the early morning fog, was hair-raising...

I will enter another journal entry for our trip to Antietam, when we arrived early in the morning, September 11, 2001

Quick Tips:

To get the most out of Gettysburg, I recommend hiring a Battlefield guide. Yes, it will cost about but these folks (licensed/tested for accuracy) will give you more detail and personality than a guidebook or tour group. We were "Yankees" and the guide was a Confederate ("States Rights-Lee Was Right" kinda fellow), but he really brought the history to life with his enthusiasm.

If you like fine dining, the food at the Cashtown Inn was very nice, but it’s obvious they were subsidizing the upkeep of the historic old Inn with the menu pricing. The experience was worth it, however.

Go before school lets out for summer or after Labor Day. Yes, there's a big seniors crowd, it's better than having to take pictures of children being hauled off Mead's monument.

Best Way To Get Around:

The BEST way to get around to see the whole park peaceably is in the morning. The tour buses start around 10, so if you get into the park before eight and head to the popular destinations first, you can become more immersed in the experience with the other respectful "purists". Occasionally, I was envious of the bus tours for the "fuller picture", but the NPS signs are fairly helpful. The NPS Gift shop does sell audiotapes and CDs to listen to from the comfort of your air-conditioned car.

If you''re a tent-camper, stay AWAY from this place. I do NOT recommended the tentsites.

In our ignorance of commercial campgrounds (we''re backpackers, usually), we made reservations here because it was one of the very few that claimed to have tent sites. Obviously, these sites were developed by deaf people who like sleeping on vibrating slopes. The level tenting spots were situated in the turnaround loop of the RV road OR on the sloping ground in the back...right alongside US Hwy 15, which the semis use to travel from Harrisburg, PA to Frederick, MD.

To give credit to the campground, they refunded our money when we didn''t stay the 2nd night of our reservation, even though the website said clearly that no refunds would be provided.

Another point to their credit: the bathrooms and shower facilities were outstanding! If you''re an RV-er, you would probably like this place a great deal; it seemed well organized!

The food was very good, nearly gourmet. My husband had the venison medallions and I had lemon chicken. We were on the verge of splitting our entrees because sampling the other's meal generated so much envy in each of us.

The server was knowledgable about the wine list but it wasn't terribly long, so it was easy, I suppose. Local wine was quite good, although a sweet Reisling was probably not entirely appropriate for the meals.

The setting iswonderful, with old tin-types of 19th century Pennsylvania and the modern 20th century photographs of the filming of the movie "Gettysburg". The Inn has been around since the late 18th century and the innkeepers have done a good job blending the past and the future. It would be lovely to stay at the Inn.

Dinner hours are somewhat restricted, especially on Sunday evenings, so call for hours and reservations are recommended (we lucked out without them, however).