Useful Tips for Your Trip to Gettysburg

Gettysburg, PA, was the scene of a major three-day battle of the Civil War (1861-1865) in which 51,000 Americans in blue and gray died, where the forces of Confederate General Robert E. Lee invaded the North to threaten Washington DC and met the Union forces of General George Meade. It culminated in the Day Three event known as Pickett's Charge which crossed a mile-wide field into the waiting guns of the Union troops and was cut to pieces. The Confederates suffered thousands of irreplaceable casualties, and returned South. Had they been successful, Lee's forces might have enabled negotiations to assure independence for the South.

Monuments and silent cannon pepper the landscape in and around Gettysburg and are visited regularly by reenacters trying to recapture a taste of the past and other visitors of all ages. Here are a few things which will help you in planning a trip to Gettysburg..:

To your increase your appreciation of the experience, be sure to read about Gettysburg before you come. You don't need to become an expert so for a succinct account, try the chapter about Gettysburg in a couple different histories of the Civil War. Then read the Shaara novel Killer Angels and watch the movie based on it, Gettysburg. Just keep in mind, it was a big, sprawling battle and no matter how much you read, there will be entire major aspects of the battle that will surprise you when you learn of them.

When traveling to Gettysburg, be aware that although the town only has about 10,000 people, it is a crossroads drawing traffic from everywhere, as it was in 1863. There's lots of traffic. Be prepared for it.

If you arrive by way of I-70 (Pennsylvania Turnpike) from the west, you might want to avoid turning off at US 30, which will take you through switchbacks over the mountains the first five miles or so and through numerous stop lights thereafter all the way to Gettysburg. Instead, follow the broad sweep of I-70 below Gettysburg, then exit and come up from the south.

Gettysburg has so much to offer, it's difficult to take in everything in a brief visit. But if you have only one day, check out the Gettysburg Museum and Visitor's Center, then drive out to Little Round Top and Devil's Den, then go out to Seminary Ridge where a statue of Robert E. Lee overlooks the field his troops crossed during Pickett's Charge.

Gettysburg is a busy town. Expect a variety of businesses and a fine selection of restaurants, fast food joints, and so on that cater to the tourist industry. Even a Thai restaurant. Gettysburg has things you just won't find in the usual small town environment.

Walking and bus tours abound in Gettysburg. There's even a business that provides segway tours. You'll find no shortage of informed guidance available for your visit. There are three or four business offices offering ghost tours of the town and battlefield alone. Do keep in mind, the fighting was not only on the battlefield, but in the town itself as Union forces retreated to the high ground south of town before the Confederate advance on the first day.

Gettysburg provides for an all-weather visit. You can explore the town itself and its environs and walk out to more distant points in good weather. There are some great souvenir and collector's shops in town as well as numerous restaurants. But to get out further, a car is a good idea and in wet weather, the car will permit you to spend as little or as much time as you want out in the open. Naturally, in wet weather an umbrella will add to your flexibility.

Consider bringing along your bicycle. The battlefield is quite large and is a nice area to cycle. It is practical transportation for the site. Speaking of exercise, you'll note morning joggers on the service roads that connect the different battlefield locations.

Don't pass up the little-visited outlying areas that are a mile or more away from the main battlefield. Sites include, for example, one area where a battery of Confederate cannon overlooking the town supported the cannonade on Culp's Hill and East Cavalry Field where thousands of cavalry under Union General George Custer and Confederate General Jeb Stuart clashed. As with any battlefield, the battle ranged far beyond the protected modern-day battlefield site. Both sites,incidentally, are not only little visited but notoriously haunted. Good luck hunting ghosts at Little Round Top and Devil's Den with flocks of visitors, including antsy young Boy Scouts, roaming the area at night "ghost hunting."

The park closes at 10am. Use of metal detectors on federal park land is verboten. Consult the excellent website from the Gettysburg Convention and Visitors Bureau at http://www.gettysburg.travel/. The museum and visitor's center website is at http://www.gettysburgfoundation.org/. The National Park Service website is at http://www.nps.gov/gett/index.htm. Consult the websites for special events which might enhance your visit.

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