Saturday, August 8, 2015

Another Day Vacay!

So we went on our second day vacay on Thursday and went to historical Gettysburg.  I love history, always an A+ student in that class in high school.  The road was long from where we live, but the ride was well worth it.  Standing on a battlefield where a war took place, you could almost see it right before you eyes.  The is so much to do and see in Gettysburg, it's a beautiful town with alot of authentic inns and places to eat.  
We ate at the Dobbin House Tavern, it was an absolutely great choice.  After trying to figure out where the room was to eat, we asked one of the people there and they told us to follow the steps all the way down.  The small restaurant is underground, very cool!  There was a working, centuries old spring that is still running right in the restaurant.  The restaurant was packed with people as it was so small, but we were offered bar seats.   The huge plank of wood that was the bar top had a brass sign stating it was from 1818.  Wow, I wondered who the people were that were served from this bar back then.   After sitting at the bar for a few minutes, we were led to a cozy table.  The whole restaurant was lit with single white candles on the bar and each table, that was the lighting!  The walls were stone and the ceiling was beamed. The ambience was breathtaking for the middle of the afternoon.  Even the maidens and gents were dressed in authentic period clothing, which made the experience even better, and the food was fantastic.  The Dobbin House (cir. 1776)  was part of the Underground Railroad, which hid runaway slaves during the Civil War to keep them safe, as well as a hospital for wounded North and South soldiers. The current owner let us walk through the house so we could see where all this took place. The house is virtually the same after 200+ years, beautifully and authentically restored.  Lunch and dinner are served in two separate areas of the house.  If you are a history buff, check it out!

I took some pictures along the way, we didn't arrive back home until almost 10 PM after leaving at 8 AM, but the day was full of so many interesting things I have never seen or done.

Wait, did the hubby take a wrong turn?
 Nothing but corn and cows all the way out, miles and miles of it!
 So we arrived.  And the home of?  You guessed it, Gettysburg College.
Saw another blast from the past while driving around.
The American History Store was a beautifully painted store with lovely rose gardens.
Entering the park, and replica cannons.
 We parked our car as opposed to doing the whole auto tour, to get the feel of the land, it was much better than driving the whole tour, but be sure to wear comfortable shoes!   There are alot of trees and wild flowers growing everywhere and the fragrance is wonderful.
 A small stable upon the trail.
 More of the battlefield.
 There are monuments erected all throughout the park to depict what states where fighting.  This is one from Pennsylvania.
A statue of Gen. George Gordon Meade, Union General.
 Monument from New York.
Cannons facing the peach orchard.
 Artillery wagons
 This monument stands on the spot where Major General Winfield Scott Hancock was wounded.  He traveled back to Norristown, PA to be treated by a doctor.  He is buried in Montgomery Cemetery in Norristown.
 You can also do a horseback riding tour, if you like.
 So, after all that walking and blisters on my feet, we stopped at the Dobbin House Tavern for lunch, this place was awesome if you are looking for a place to eat that will definitley bring you back in time.
 Oh yeah, it was dark but I loved it!  Real roasted sliced hot roast beef sandwich au jus and a side of delicious potato salad.  For dessert, a homemade huge brownie sundae with chocolate sauce, just what I needed after all that walking, YUM!
But we didn't stop yet, went into York, PA did a little shopping, then it was dinner time, around 7 PM, stopped and ate dinner, a little more shopping and then it was home.  My 2 day trips this year, proves you don't have to spend alot of money to have fun and eat good food.  No air fares, just a tank of gas, and other than meals for us on both days, which were only about $100 including tips, I'd say it was pretty cheap.  Hit the roads not the air, when you're looking for some history and a good time.  This country is a big place,  explore it!


0 comments:

Post a Comment