5 Things to Do in Gettysburg, PA

While attending a Higher Education conference in Emmitsburg, MD (south of the Mason-Dixon Line) I had the pleasure of learning some wonderful things about Emergency Management (EM). I also was honored to meet some wonderful people (Melody and William, specifically) who are experts in this field and were very willing to share their knowledge with me; a novice to the field of EM.

Learning trends, techniques and educational needs for being successful with EM was not the highlight of this conference. Hanging out with two wonderful professors (one of which was a civil war buff) was the most exciting part of the whole deal.

As we attended workshops and listened intently to the presenter's, we sat and mapped out our strategy on what to do when we had down time. Those strategic side bars led us to planning a trip to Gettysburg, PA which is just 12 minutes from Emmitsburg.

Our adventure began with us deciding to first find our way to Gettysburg. It wasn't that hard. Our conference headquarters was a stone's throw from US-15 north - which is the road straight to Gettysburg.

Since it was the first time in this area for all of us we decided to drive around town before stopping anywhere to do anything. We wanted to get a feel for the area.

William (our designated driver and war buff) drove and pointed out areas of interest. After 20 minutes of touring we decided on a game plan -

· Eat
· Visitor's Center
· Tour
· Shop
· Eat

First Thing - EAT

Whenever I travel I like to do, see and experience things I can't do when I am at home. That's kind of hard since I live in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. We have darn near EVERYTHING here! So, finding those things that are specific to other states and/or country's calls for tapping into local hospitality.

Since we had not gotten out of the car at this point we relied on our map to outline some restaurants for us. As William drove, I sat in the back seat with my android checking reviews of restaurants as Melody called them out from our reference map. We decided to go with one that got a 3 star review - Dunlap's Restaurant & Bakery.

There was nothing super spectacular about Dunlap's decor. It looked like any other restaurant; good landscaping, neat exterior and colorful signage. What stood out was that it was next to what looked like a huge bed and breakfast; but was actually the coolest daycare I have ever seen.

As we entered Dunlap's we realized that it was a neighborhood restaurant. People were sitting and talking about local things and current issues. Our hostess was very polite and the place was clean.

I had heard about the seafood in this region and wanted to try the crab cakes before I had even booked my flight. So, when handed the menu, I immediately turned to the seafood options.

Dunlap's has a batter dipped seafood combination platter that includes shrimp, scallops, haddock and crab cakes. Melody and William had the Wednesday special; which was meatloaf. Each entree came with the salad bar (which included all you can eat soups and a host of veggies) or any of the other veggies our waitress rattled off. There were a lot of them! Corn is what stuck in my head - along with pickled spinach.

Now, I understand that there is a major German, Irish and Dutch population in this area. I am not a punk when it comes to trying new things. Our waitress even brought a sample of the pickled spinach to our table. It is definitely an acquired taste. I like spinach. I like pickled beets. Not really crazy about them as a combination.

When our entrees arrived I was in awe of the hearty portion of meatloaf served. But, when I received my combo platter, I had to check my inner Texas spirit which states all portions have to overflow the plate. Yes. Texans know how to pile it up on a plate (which explains why we are leaders in having the fattest communities in the nation!)

Regardless of the portion size, this was the freshest seafood I have had in a long time. Keeping in mind that the coast is less than 3 hours away; this was some really awesome food! With exception of the crabcake. I'm not sure if it was the seasoning or if the crabcake was over cooked. But I was a bit disappointed with it. Not to take away from the other items - but the crabcake was just . . . okay.

William says he's a "meatloaf connoisseur" and that he would give that meatloaf two thumbs up. I'm originally from New Orleans, so I have say "Baabay . . . dat some good stuff right der!" Yes, inspite of the crabcake.

Of course we did not just have an entree and leave. We enjoyed their "sweet tea" (a must for southerners) and desserts. I opted for plain tea and Melody had the sweetened tea. I'm not sure which brand they used, but it was tasty. The sweetened version was a raspberry flavor; which Melody said she was "a new fan" of.

For dessert I had the berry cobbler. I am always apprehensive about eating cobbler anywhere since my Aunt Mary was the master of berry cobbler's. But, again, I'm up to trying almost anything once.

DELICIOUS!!! I'm not sure what the crust was made of. But it was buttery, crispy and light with just enough sweetness to let the berries shine through. At first bite I thought the berries were canned. But, bite after bite let me know that they appeared to be fresh berries. William had a sugar free apple pie a la mode (also sugar free). Now, if you met Melody you would immediately be drawn in by her infectious laugh and giddy nature. So watching her order Shoofly Pie was a treat within itself.

I had only heard of Shoofly Pie in movies. Being from the south I may have had it as a child and just forgot. But Melody insisted that we all try this pie just because it was her first time ordering it.

Since shoofly pie is made with molasses, I was expecting to shoot through the roof from the sugar rush. Oddly, it wasn't unnecessarily sweet. It was really good!

After we had our fill of seafood, meatloaf and shoofly pie we decided to ask our hostess if there were any major points of interest she would recommend. It was suggested that if we see nothing else we go to Devil's Den and get a view of that.

Second Thing - VISITOR'S CENTER

Since we didn't have all week to tour the city, we decided to leverage our time by going to the visitor's center for maps and ideas. Honestly, if you are into civil war history and would really like to learn about this area, you will need at least a week to really drink it all in.

The Gettysburg Convention and Visitor's Bureau is an awesome sight. This 22,000 square-foot, fort-like building hosts a museum, theater and book store. Our time was spent in the bookstore. I love cookbooks. So I purchased a Civil War Recipes cookbook. There's actually a recipe for Shoofly Pie!

William wanted to maximize our time spent touring so he purchased the CD for the audio civil war tour. There are many options for taking the tour of the battlegrounds. You can do a bus tour. You can hire a personal guided tour. You could get the free map and just travel the area and read about each point. I personally liked the self-guided audio tour. This way we could go at our own pace and hear re-enactments of the conflict while traveling through the battle grounds.

Third Thing - TOUR

There are 16 points of interest on the guided tour. This tour begins at McPherson's Ridge (where the July 3, 1863 battle began) and ends at the National Cemetery (the setting for Lincoln's Gettysburg Address). Devil's Den is explained at tour stop 7.

Now, I am not a historian (as William discovered when I asked what part Geronimo played in the civil war). And even being a veteran of a foreign conflict (Desert Shield/Storm) I have never been really interested in war history or stories. But this tour was really cool. There are so many monuments throughout this area that were donated from various states as a means of support to the troops (both Confederate and Union). Some are subtle and others are very grand and ornate.

Although it is not required, you will want to get out of your car at various points to see things that are pointed out by the audio guide. NOW, if you do this in the summer, please wear sensibly comfortable shoes and bring water and a towel. You are allowed to take pictures. But, signs will encourage you to be respectful of the grounds. Do not climb on the monuments! This had to be yelled at a group of teenagers who were on a class field trip '" often!

I was delighted to know that my past five months of Curves circuit training whipped me into good enough shape to climb two really neat towers and sustained me while walking on rocky terrain.

Fourth Thing - SHOP

After about 2 hours of touring the battleground, we decided to double back to one of the areas where we had seen tourist shops.

I highly recommend the Blue and Gray Gift Shop. Not because it has reasonably priced civil war items (remember, I'm not a buff). But because the gentleman who runs the shop was not only gracious, he was happy to help veterans and also recommended our 5^th thing.

Fifth Thing - EAT

We didn't realize all of the ground we had covered until our stomachs started to grumble. While at the Blue and Gray Gift Shop, William asked the clerk for a dinner suggestion that would be good and reasonable. He suggested O'Rorke's Family Eatery and Spirits.

O'Rorke's is nestled behind the gift shop on Steinwehr Avenue. Apparently Steinwehr is undergoing some major renovations - and that's a good thing. This will be the cutest street once they finish the refurb. There are more shops and eateries tucked away. But, as a tourist, if you don't know it's there you will miss it.

O'Rorke's had a small scale Cheers feeling to it. Remember the 1980's TV show with Sam, Diane and NORM!? Well, as you enter the restaurant the first thing you see is the bar; which is flanked by televisions. The seating in front of the restaurant is by the windows and surrounding the walls opposite the bar. There is additional seating in the back of the restaurant.

Our host handed us huge menu binders and took our drink orders. Again, "tea, sweet tea and water" were ordered. Then we studied the menu. So many choices!

The daily special was a porterhouse cut steak. I'm not a big red meat eater so I opted for a twist on the traditional Fish and Chips. Instead of plain old French fries, I went with sweet potato fries. Melody had the shrimp and chicken basket. William had a hamburger with apple fritters.

I'm not sure how people in Pennsylvania prep or fry their food. But nothing was greasy! Something we have not perfected in all areas of the south. Crisp, flavorful fries! And the fish, again, was incredibly fresh tasting. Melody raved about the shrimp! William said the burger was "darn good". He commented on how tender it was and that they may have used the same grade of meat that was used for the steaks.

When we sat down in the restaurant there were several tables open. By the time we left it was close to being standing room only. That alone tells you something about this hidden gem.

So, there you have it - 5 really neat things to do in Gettysburg - a town with a population of less than 10,000 people. People, who like those in many other tourist towns, were very helpful and considerate of visitors. So, should you find yourself in this area or are just curious about the battle of Gettysburg, remember these places. Oh, and for my Texas folks - the portions were delicious and filling! So do not complain when you get your plate. All things are big in TEXAS. Meaning, if you are visiting somewhere other than Texas this may not apply!

Enjoy!

Dunlap's Restaurant and Bakery
90 Buford Avenue
Gettysburg, PA 17325
Phone: (717) 334-4816
Fax: (717) 334-2053

Gettysburg Convention & Visitors Bureau
1195 Baltimore Pike
Gettysburg, PA

Blue and Gray Gift Shop
531 Baltimore Street
Gettysburg, PA 17325

O'Rorke's Eatery and Spirits
44 Steinwehr Avenue
Gettysburg, PA