Calling all Americans: I need your help!

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David Spencer

David Spencer

A Fixture
Joined
Jun 15, 2020
Messages
1,505
Location
UK
The Gettysburg Foundation is actively engaged in screwing up my forthcoming trip there.
Given that everything is booked, (hire car,flight to Washington, insurance) can US forum users suggest alternatives that will be interesting in the PA/Maryland area?
History, museums, hiking etc?
I have a few weeks to alter my plans, or pull the expensive plug and cancel altogether.
Any ideas appreciated (am thoroughly miffed off with the GF right now and they need to produce something bloody spectacular to change this).
Thanks
One very tall, very angry Brit.
 
50 mins from Gettysburg, is Harrisburg, PA an is the capitol of the state and has the civil war museum. Also Hershey, PA has an amusement park and the candy factory. Everyone who has been, never complained. That area of the country is beautiful, highway 15 follows along the Susquehanna river and it is a beautiful drive.

45 minutes from Gettysburg is Carlisle PA has the US army heritage and education center www.ahec.armywarcollege.edu .

1 1/2 hours south, you could also drive down to Washington DC and hit the Smithsonian museums.

Hope it helps
Todd
 
About 2 hours drive east to Philadelphia, too. Museum of the American Revolution, Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Franklin Institute, Academy of Natural Sciences, the USS New Jersey (anchored across the Delaware, at Camden), are among the attractions there.

Baltimore isn't too far, either.

Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton (the Lehigh Valley) are about 2 hours east as well.
 
Hi David,

Two ACW battlefields to consider:

If you head south from Gettysburg towards Washington DC I recommend you visit the Antietam National Battlefield (Sharpsburg, Maryland).

Antietam was one of the most important ACW battles next to Gettysburg. Bloody as hell. The Union victory there lead directly to Lincoln's issuing the Emancipation Proclamation.

And if have the time: About 1-hr south of DC is Fredericksburg. The battle there, just a few months after Antietam, from the Union point of view was one of the most ineptly-led, near-hopeless, and very costly. I've walked both battlefields and they're dramatic and moving; Fredericksburg at dusk is especially so.

Check online with the US National Park Service about those two places, plus the other ACW sites in Maryland and Northern Virginia. That region was the site of much skirmishing and fighting throughout the war, so ACW history is everywhere, and a lot of it has been well-preserved.

Hope you can get your trip settled.

CC
 
If it’s ACW battlefields you are interested in additional to the above recommendations- just SW of of Washington DC is the 1st and 2nd battles of Mannassas/Bull Run battlefield. Just W of Fredericksburg are the Chancellorsville, Wilderness and Spotsylvania battlefields. Plenty to see in the area you are visiting.
 
Thanks everyone.
Those suggestions are noted and I will investigate them and make a decision on the trip going ahead.
Much appreciated.
 
The gift shop's overpriced, anyway... A shame, as I enjoyed it there - the guides are very knowledgeable and passionate. Philadelphia is good in the day. Do not go at night. Delaware is worth visiting if you're a student of the AWI.

367356986_1747998392293844_2567973981543698339_n.jpg
 
bigtodd said:
Yeah but if he wanted to see the same old same he would stay home. Plus our cow pastures smell better.........:ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::hilarious::hilarious::hilarious:
Click to expand...
Steady boys... Be nice to each other!
This is a one-off trip to see far-flung battlefields.
Then it's going to be the Alsace (Vosges), for WW1 again (language barrier not an issue) and maybe the Italian Alps for the same. Hiking boots holidays.
 
It's like Waterloo . Any day : almost nothing to see except cow pastures But for the bi centenial , re-enactement more than 5000 on foot, 360 on horse, 100 canons. And for every annual re-enactement ( divide by 2 ) .

And in a radius of 1500 Km of all central europe capitals see the field of battles that made History, Or come in Brussel, sit at any cross road and dreams of all armies, rulers, scientists, who followed on of the road for 10.000 years , almost all or them, from Caverns to Atomium ;)
 
Mirofsoft said:
All European cities have far more to show than cow pastures ;)
Click to expand...
As a proud European myself, I know where you're coming from with this, but the civil war is a bit of a passion and this is a once-only trip so quite significant in my wee universe.
Am anticipating some serious goosebumps whilst there.
However: beer, food, museums ... I will be as objective and open-minded as possible.
Belgium takes some beating.
 
Mirofsoft said:
It's like Waterloo . Any day : almost nothing to see except cow pastures But for the bi centenial , re-enactement more than 5000 on foot, 360 on horse, 100 canons. And for every annual re-enactement ( divide by 2 ) .

And in a radius of 1500 Km of all central europe capitals see the field of battles that made History, Or come in Brussel, sit at any cross road and dreams of all armies, rulers, scientists, who followed on of the road for 10.000 years , almost all or them, from Caverns to Atomium ;)
Click to expand...
I live within cycling distance of three major battlefields (Saxons beat the Vikings, Yorkists beat the Lancastrians, Parliament beat the Royalists) and at least two less famous ones from the Middle Ages.
In Europe we have a wealth of history, but travel broadens the mind and there are other fascinating places further afield.
This trip hung in a very precarious balance Monday and Tuesday; it looks more likely to go ahead largely as planned now.
The challenge will be NOT releasing the beast within, based on recent experiences, if anything goes wrong again.
Short fuses don’t sit well with international relations.
 
C Child said:
Hi David,

Two ACW battlefields to consider:

If you head south from Gettysburg towards Washington DC I recommend you visit the Antietam National Battlefield (Sharpsburg, Maryland).

Antietam was one of the most important ACW battles next to Gettysburg. Bloody as hell. The Union victory there lead directly to Lincoln's issuing the Emancipation Proclamation….

Hope you can get your trip settled.

CC
Click to expand...
Thanks CC. I will definitely be visiting Antietam…
image.jpg
 
David,

Remember the phrase "Never meet your heroes." Go in with low expectations and let it surprise you. For us to go to these places and feel the history is something others don't get. If you know the battles and walk the fields you get a sense of what it was like. The downside is the roads being replaced on the south end so modern equipment can ruin it. You are big fan for you to fly over here. Just enjoy as much as possible. If it is not meeting expectations pick up and head to one of the other places we suggested.

I want to go to the Shetland islands, I have a feeling it might not meet my expectations, if that helps.

Cheers,
Todd
 

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