Gettysburg Favorite Tips by PA2AKgirl Top 5 Page for this destination

Walking downtown

Favorite thing: If you are able to do this, I recommed walking from the museums toward the square into downtown. The reason being that on many of the houses, buildings and sites, there are signs or interpretive displays that tell what the role of these places was during the time of the Civil War. The walk is nice...there are a few hills, but you can incorporate a little shopping or browsing into this history lesson. It's much better than trying to drive down, say...Baltimore or Carlisle Streets.

Soldiers Everywhere!

Favorite thing: Don't be surprised if you go in a place to eat dinner and you're seated next to a Confederate Soldier dining with a Union General. Or if you're walking down the street and have a question, just ask the guy in grey. OR if you're on the battlefield and people are camped our in civil war era tents. This is very common in Gettysburg as the re-enactors come every weekend when it's nice out. It used to be once in awhile, now it seems to happen all the time. During the big reenactments, Gettysburg gets so crowded, it's hard to find a hotel room for miles. If you're in town during one of them, check it out. If not, hang out with these guys...there are tents set up for general elections in the 1860s, church services with civil war music and themes, and people playing music everywhere. Just no gunfire on the streets, thankfully:)

Fondest memory: They used to frighten me. They were hairy.

See Gettysburg in September/October

Favorite thing: While it's absolutely beautiful in the Spring and there are more festivals and special events then and in the summer, late summer and early fall are my favorite times to see Gettysburg. Why? Well, not only is this area well known for the Civil War battles that took place here, but they have a HUGE apple harvest. Pennsylvania is also great this time of year, it's not too terribly cold yet, the leaves are changing and what goes better with the colors of the leaves than apples and apple cider? NOTHING!

Fondest memory: Autumn. As a child, I remember going down here, getting the boxes of "Adams County" apples, kicking through the leaves, drinking fresh pressed cider, climbing the rocks at Devil's Den. Many of my fond memories of Gettysburg include my mom and grandmother--perfect times, perfect memories and wouldn't trade them for anything.