America: Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Gettysburg:
Third time's a charm! Some tales and tips from my visits to this wonderful town.
Four score and seven years ago we arrived to Gettysburg (KIDDING- historian joke). On this visit (along our Snowbird Commute) we met my friend Col. Gerald Royals at his lake house and after a couple welcome brews we hit the road to his favourite restaurant, Hoss’s. Now, I’ve visited Gerry, and Gettysburg three times now and we’ve hit Hoss’ every time. Would I ever go here without him? No. But his ear to ear smile as he indulges, and gets treated like royalty there is what makes it all worth while. It is the classic all American buffet equipped with a salad bar, pasta bar and sundae station.
And don't forget to get a photo with the Lincoln statue!
As a tourist on a regular visit though, let us recommend some spots in Gettysburg's downtown Lincoln Square for you... Places like Hoss’s are almost like a commercial haven where the locals go to escape the extreme authenticity of their town. Gettysburg is the real deal. Preserved civil war battlefields- where brother fought brother, history was made, and Lincoln delivered his famous address. The streets are still filled with people roaming in 1800s garb, Union and Rebel flags, and GHOSTS! I can kind of understand why the locals may want to escape for a little fabricated, consumer experience.
As for sites, you’ve gotta go see the Cyclorama which includes a film and a 360 degree depiction of Pickett’s Charge painted by artist Paul Philippoteaux. Do this first to buff up on your facts.
Then of course, tour the Battlefields! If you ever want a personal guided tour by my man Gerry -accompanied by his cassette tape equipped with gun shot sound effects- just holla. You could easily spend an entire day visiting the sites of the Battle. Definitely get to Big Round Top, Little Round Top, Devil’s Den, and the site of Pickett’s Charge (if you're lost, this will all make more sense after the Cyclorama).
Also, pay a visit to Jenny Wade’s house (the sole citizen casualty of the Battle) She was just baking for the soldiers in her kitchen when a stray bullet shot through two doors killing her. But her house is still standing and now serves as a cute little gift shop.
You can also stop by this house on the edge of campus. Tell them Sydney sent you.
We’d also recommend a quick tour of Gettysburg College’s campus. It's beautiful, and many of the buildings were used during the Civil War. Many are haunted and Gerry told us one still had soldiers' blood on the roof! Eisenhower's also left his house to the College- that's a site to see for any history lover as well!
I’ve also never done the ghost tours but hey, if you have the time, try it and let us know how they are. I hear they’re super spooky. Oh, and ask the local's about ol' Blue Boy who haunts one of the main campus buildings- now him I'm familiar with.
Climbing up Devil's Den
One more thing! If you have some extra time, head over to Hershey, PA to check out the Hershey Chocolate Factory! The town smells like chocolate and has decor to match!
Apparently the last time I went through Hershey, IntsaCollages were cool! Needless to say, this image does kind of cover all the bases. Minus the factory tour.
Joe Richard
July 10, 2020
Not sure if you heard, Gerry passed away earlier this week. You were lucky to have known him.