Heading to the Eastside: Gettysburg Here I Come!

I decided to take a last minute road trip to Gettysburg, Baltimore, and Alexandria, Virginia. I originally took the vacation time with the intention of going to Portugal, but that was canceled due to current circumstances going on in the world. I didn’t want to do a staycation, but needed to take time off for my mental health (I work in Employee Relations and this year has been the worst with employee complaints). I asked a friend that hasn’t been working to tag along. I was able to get great prices on booking.com for Gettysburg and Alexandria (if you don’t stay in the downtown it is cheaper). I used Pinterest for ideas on what to see after googling top sites in each city that I planned to visit. I knew Baltimore would be a pit stop to see Edgar Allan Poe’s home and burial site. I also knew George Washington’s Mount Vernon was a must see in Alexandria. Since Americans can’t go overseas to many destinations, I decided that I will make the best of it by exploring the US.

I woke up extremely early in order to hit the road so I could knock out the drive to Gettysburg in one day. I lost an hour due to time change, and I do not like to drive when it is dark out. My friend packed some wraps so we didn’t stop at the rest stops too long. I made it to Gettysburg after 5pm and decided to go out for a nice dinner since I was tired and needed a good meal. I wanted to eat at Dobbin House Tavern, which was built in 1776, making it the oldest structure in Gettysburg. The place was also believed to be a stop on the Underground Railroad. The wait staff dresses in colonial period clothing and you can sit under canopied tables, which is very cozy. I recommend the French onion soup as it was amazing. I had some appetizers while my friend had crab cakes, which I was able to try and recommend as well. The food was delicious and our service was great. After dinner, we walked around downtown Gettysburg, and then headed back to the hotel to relax.

The next day was a busy site seeing day. The Gettysburg National Battlefield Park was closed so we couldn’t book a tour. I started at the Gettysburg National Cemetery, which was created for the Union casualties of the Battle of Gettysburg, which took place from July 1-3, 1863. There is a monument there in tribute to Abraham Lincoln delivering the Gettysburg Address at the consecration of the cemetery. This is an important site that honors the soldiers that died during the historic battle (even though soldiers that died in the Spanish-American War and WWI are buried there). Next door is Evergreen Cemetery where the civilians of the town are buried (i.e. Jennie Wade whom you will learn more about). Across the street is the Gettysburg Battlefield where you can see various monuments that different states erected to honor Union soldiers. There are artifacts displayed at the Gettysburg Museum and Visitor Center.  

Nearby is the Jennie Wade House, which honors the only civilian that died during the battle. Wade’s home has been preserved (you can see the bullet hole that passed through the door and killed Jennie) to give people an idea of how people lived during the Civil War. We received a brochure that led us through the house where we could take our own self-guided tour (we had to reserve the time in advance). It’s a good way to see an old home of someone that wasn’t wealthy and how many lived during the Civil War era.

I took a short car ride to see Sachs Covered Bridge, which was used by both Union and Confederate soldiers during the Civil War. It has been reported to be haunted so it is a popular stop for the ghost chasers. The bridge was built in 1854, and cars are no longer allowed to cross it. I’m a fan of covered bridges and have visited the Bridges of Madison County, so I had to take a look at Sachs Bridge.

After seeing the bridge we took another ride through the Gettysburg National Military Park to see the Pennsylvania Monument (which is quite impressive) and some other memorials there. The park is massive and there are so many monuments. I recommend taking a tour since I had to improvise. There are also many reenactments done there if you are into that. We had dinner and drinks at Appalachian Brewing since I am a beer fan, and like to visit different breweries when I travel. It was Taco Tuesday so I had to take advantage of that. Our hotel had an open swimming pool so it was great to go for a swim before ending the evening.

The next day was less hectic. I had a delicious blueberry lavender latte at Eighty Two Coffee to start the day off right, and then it was off to the Battlefield to explore another section (I wasn’t kidding when I said it was huge). After that venture, I decided to see former President Eisenhower’s Home. I took a stroll around the outside area since the inside was closed. The grounds are pretty and it was worth at least seeing the outside. The place was renovated in the 1950s and Eisenhower retired there in 1961. The property was gifted to the federal government in 1967, but Mamie requested to remain there during her lifetime. The home was taken over by the park service after Mamie Eisenhower’s death in 1979.

 My next stop was on the wackier side with a visit to Mr. Ed’s Museum and Candy Emporium. I loved the outside since it was decorated for Halloween with grounds you can walk across and enjoy. There is an area for children, a gazebo, and elephant tea pot museum in a building that looks like a teapot. The inside is a candy store that sells products made there like fudge and truffles with other souvenirs and fun items. I bought my nieces both a unicorn that grows in water. The back has a museum dedicated to all the elephant nick knacks the owners have collected over the years. This place is so out there that I loved it!

Make sure you take time to visit downtown Gettysburg for some shopping and good eating. You have to see the bizarre Lincoln statue at the center. I also enjoyed Fourscore Beer Co. My favorite was the passion fruit mango beer I tried, it was delicious! The food was good too. There are plenty of ice cream shops if you are a fan. Make sure you walk around, eat some good food, and support the small businesses in downtown Gettysburg.

I was originally going to write one post but it was becoming quite lengthy so I’m splitting the trip into two posts. If you like my Facebook page, there are videos from the trip posted that you can check out as well. I also update the Instagram WayfaringGal page (which has more photos from the trip) with new posts. Thank you for reading, and comments and feedback are always welcome since that is how we learn and grow.