Couldn't figure out a word that began with an S to use like Throwback Thursday or Flashback Friday. Well, since I missed both, it's now "Something, something, Saturday" on the blog! And today's topic is... Gettysburg!
Gettysburg? Why? Well, I went to Gettysburg last September and I can not get it out of my head! I can't wait to go back! The sights, the eerie silence while wandering through the park at night (park didn't close til 10pm!), the smells of the grass and plants growing there. All of it added to the wonderful trip that I had hoped it would be!
We stayed at a little motel that was perfect for our budget, CLEAN, and right within walking distance of the shops and restaurants! Also, right across the street was the cemetery, so that was our first stop. Peaceful and beautiful. Of course, one of the monuements we were hoping to see was... "closed for repairs."
The auto tour is the best way to see the most of the battlefield and the best place to start is the Welcome Center. There, they have a free map (and bathrooms!!!) of the auto tour and how to go about driving it. I had purchased a cd auto tour and that was a great investment. I plan to bring it again on future trips. The auto tour has 16+ stops on it, but obviously the route and stops you take are all up to you and you can go at your own pace!
The actual park portion, I highly suggest driving since it contains over 26 miles of paved roads through the park with plenty of places to park and walk around.
Also, if you stop at the Welcome Center at the beginning of your trip, they have a list of ranger guided tours that you can enjoy as well! We made sure to do at least one a day. They were not only informative (and secretly educational), but they were a lot of fun!
More often than not you'll also have the same guide. We ended up with the same three guides and went to sooooo many guided tours.
So, if you're even thinking of going to Gettysburg, do it! There is so much to do! Many of the people we met there were only there for the weekend or for a few days. We stayed an entire week and didn't get around to everything we wanted to see. It's an amazing piece of history and a great change of scenery. A perfect place to sit in absolute silence and contemplate.
Don't forget to go on a ghost tour or two either! There are plenty of them on the main roads, so be sure to check them out!
We ended our trip with something I've been wanting to do on vacation for a while, and something I said I would not leave Gettysburg without doing... a trail ride on horseback across the battlefield.
More often than not you'll also have the same guide. We ended up with the same three guides and went to sooooo many guided tours.
So, if you're even thinking of going to Gettysburg, do it! There is so much to do! Many of the people we met there were only there for the weekend or for a few days. We stayed an entire week and didn't get around to everything we wanted to see. It's an amazing piece of history and a great change of scenery. A perfect place to sit in absolute silence and contemplate.
Don't forget to go on a ghost tour or two either! There are plenty of them on the main roads, so be sure to check them out!
We ended our trip with something I've been wanting to do on vacation for a while, and something I said I would not leave Gettysburg without doing... a trail ride on horseback across the battlefield.
I cannot truly express how wonderful Gettysburg is. It's something you really have to be there to enjoy.
Happy travels!
-Kelly
Happy travels!
-Kelly