# Would like to take a trip to Gettysburg later in summer



## Marie5656 (May 19, 2020)

*Rick always wanted to go, but we never made it. I am still interested in doing a road trip there.  I can drive one way in 6 or 7 hours.  A couple we were friends with are both buried in a veteran cemetery there.  Rick wanted to see them there.  Plus there are interesting attractions.
I would probably only stay a couple days.  I am told there are tours you can take.
Anyone here ever been?*


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## oldman (May 19, 2020)

I go there all the time. I live about a half hour away, so we really enjoy doing a picnic on the battlefield or just visiting the museum or the Cemetery. Sometimes, we just drive take the self guided tour. It's all laid out and numbered. Pick up a copy of the map to follow or maybe it's here online or even from the Visitors' Bureau. 

Here is a picture of the Pennsylvania Monument.


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## fmdog44 (May 19, 2020)

Gettysburg is too sad for me. I would like to go to the site of Custer's Last Stand partly because I'm a fan of our history in the wild, wild West.


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## oldman (May 19, 2020)

It's not sad. It is very historical. They did a wonderful job with building the new museum. Most everything is original and still as it was back in the 1863. Many years ago now, we had a lot of damage to the monuments and stones on the battlefield. Some of the culprits were caught and punished and some weren't. But the National Parks Service has replaced, repaired and brought everything back to its original shape. 

I have two favorite spots; Little Round top and Spangler Springs. Really great stories there. Devil's Den would be my third choice.


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## Gaer (May 19, 2020)

That reminds me. There's a mini series on  "Grant" next week on the history channel!  I don't want to miss this!  I saw a photograph of General Grant taken right after Gettysburg and the horror of the dead and maimed, the slaughtered and dismembered soldiers was reflected in his eyes.  When I saw the photo , I cried!  I have such a deep respect for the honor and courage of these leaders of the civil War.  I just finished reading about Joshua Chaimberlain and General Nathan Bedford Forrest.  Wow!  That's when men were men!!!


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## Meanderer (May 19, 2020)

I was there many years back, with my Son's Scout troop.  I remember how small the whole field of action seemed.  I remember that the North arrived from the South and the South arrived from the North.  It seemed they were to meet up at Harrisburg, but just ran into each other at Gettysburg.  There was a boot factory close by and one theory was that they were "shoe shopping" on a large scale, but that proved to not be the case.  It may be one of the battlefields with the most statuary.  I hope you make the trip, Marie and enjoy it!  The guide we had, looked old enough to have been in the battle.






The Soldier's Monument


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## gennie (May 19, 2020)

I was there several times in my traveling days. Very impressive and it deserves several days to fully appreciate it.   Meanderer, I also grew up hearing the boots story.  Even if that was not the case for Gettysburg, many of the big battle locations were by happenstance.  
I love history and often try to imagine this country if the Civil War had not happened OR if the other side had won.


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## Meanderer (May 19, 2020)

gennie said:


> I was there several times in my traveling days. Very impressive and it deserves several days to fully appreciate it.   Meanderer, I also grew up hearing the boots story.  Even if that was not the case for Gettysburg, many of the big battle locations were by happenstance.
> I love history and often try to imagine this country if the Civil War had not happened OR if the other side had won.


"Lee, of course, was frustrated, forced to move in enemy territory without his cavalry to serve as his eyes. And when the Union and Confederate forces eventually ran into each other near Gettysburg on the morning of July 1, 1863, it was because Union cavalry scouts encountered Confederate infantry."

"The Confederate cavalry was still separated from the rest of Lee’s army for the first and second days of the battle. And when Stuart finally reported to Lee late on the afternoon of July 2, 1863, the Confederate commander was supposedly very angry."


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## Pecos (May 19, 2020)

Marie5656 said:


> *Rick always wanted to go, but we never made it. I am still interested in doing a road trip there.  I can drive one way in 6 or 7 hours.  A couple we were friends with are both buried in a veteran cemetery there.  Rick wanted to see them there.  Plus there are interesting attractions.
> I would probably only stay a couple days.  I am told there are tours you can take.
> Anyone here ever been?*


We have, and we enjoyed the visit. 
As I recall, Eisenhower's residence is not too far from there, and that is worth seeing as well.


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## Aunt Bea (May 19, 2020)

It sounds like a nice trip Marie!

Take a little time to plan your adventure and maybe swing through the Amish Country in Lancaster county or push on another 3-4 hours to Monticello Virginia and or Williamsburg.

For me, the most fun of a trip is the planning and learning about all of the places that I want to see along the way.

Keep us posted about the plans for your adventure!


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## Marie5656 (May 19, 2020)

*Wow, I am definately looking forward to going. Just want to wait, to make sure all I may want to visit will be open for business.  I do not want to drive all that way and have half of what I want to see closed still.  *


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## Meanderer (May 19, 2020)

One of the features was the large Cyclorama, a wrap-around painting of the battlefield.  I remember the readheaded, bearded artist had painted himself leaning on a tree, in the painting.  I think a second copy was in Richmond.   I also came across a small cannon, that we bought in the gift shop.


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## old medic (May 20, 2020)

Definitely going to get back there again... its been 35+ years


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## EllisT (May 20, 2020)

Watch out for the ghosts....


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## oldman (May 21, 2020)

EllisT said:


> Watch out for the ghosts....


Oh, yes. There is (or was) a ghost tour in the evening.

Marie, you know that if you get to Gettysburg, you will only be a short hour and a half from Washington, D.C. Even more great stuff to see there, including the Smithsonian Institute. I used to fly out of Dulles, not too far from all the sites, but my favorite was always the Lincoln Monument. And, just across the Potomac is Arlington Cemetery. I have often visited the Kennedy gravesite and also the Unknown Soldier Monument, along with the Marine Corps training base and FBI headquarters in Quantico.


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## RadishRose (May 21, 2020)

fmdog44 said:


> Gettysburg is too sad for me. I would like to go to the site of Custer's Last Stand partly because I'm a fan of our history in the wild, wild West.


All battlegrounds are too sad for me. I couldn't shove food in my mouth or party on a piece of ground a young man screamed in pain on for hours before he died. JMO


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## Gaer (May 21, 2020)

fmdog44 said:


> Gettysburg is too sad for me. I would like to go to the site of Custer's Last Stand partly because I'm a fan of our history in the wild, wild West.


Grew up there.  (Custer's Last Stand)  but there is nothing there to see.  Nothing!  There is a musuem in Miles City and in Billings, 
and of course you can FEEL the history, but it's all dirt and tumbleweeds.


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## Gaer (May 21, 2020)

oldman said:


> Oh, yes. There is (or was) a ghost tour in the evening.
> 
> Marie, you know that if you get to Gettysburg, you will only be a short hour and a half from Washington, D.C. Even more great stuff to see there, including the Smithsonian Institute. I used to fly out of Dulles, not too far from all the sites, but my favorite was always the Lincoln Monument. And, just across the Potomac is Arlington Cemetery. I have often visited the Kennedy gravesite and also the Unknown Soldier Monument, along with the Marine Corps training base and FBI headquarters in Quantico.


What do they do on the "ghost tour"?


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## oldman (May 22, 2020)

Gaer said:


> What do they do on the "ghost tour"?


The people that run the ghost tour starts out in the square of the town of Gettysburg because there were events that occurred in the village. For example; The Jennie Wade House where 20 year old Jennie Wade was making bread and was shot and killed with a Confederate bullet. She was the only civilian killed in the Civil War. I know the Jennie Wade House was part of a couple of the tours available. Supposedly, Jennie haunts the house.

We were also able to tour the Lincoln Hotel-Tavern, which the original caught fire, but was rebuilt to its original specs. Eisenhower used this hotel as his office and signed Congressional bills while as President, so a few Historians have credited Gettysburg with being a short term U.S. Capitol. The Battlefield Cemetery is my favorite part of this tour. Great stories about some of the men lying in their graves. Gettysburg is definitely worth anyone's time and money to tour, if you are into history.

The ghost tour also extends out onto the Battlefield with many other interesting stories being told by professional storytellers, etc. I went on the tour many years ago when there was only the one tour, but now there are other companies also giving tours. I enjoyed our tour, which was held in the evening. Very appropriate for a ghost tour and enjoyable. Maybe your tour, if you ever decide to give it a whirl, will include one of the Paranormals that go along on these tours. Interesting people, to say the least.

In fact, I am going to Gettysburg tomorrow because I have to go West Virginia and the route that I take is just on the skirt of the town. I have to go to West Virginia to get a haircut. Isn't that ridiculous?


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## Gaer (May 22, 2020)

Oldman:  Thank you SO MUCH for explaining that to me!  I would of course, be with the "paranormals".  (which is just normal but yet undiscovered by science).  It sounds wonderful and I hope I get to take this tour one day!


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