Gettysburg Beyond the Battlefield

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania is perhaps best known for its key battle in the American Civil War, which was followed several months later by President Lincoln’s famous speech at Gettysburg National Cemetery. But there’s more to this small town than its historic past & when Destination Gettysburg invited B & I up for the weekend to check things out, I was intrigued. Was there enough to do in Gettysburg – beyond the battlefield – to fill a whole weekend? I’m happy to report that indeed there is.

Where to Rest Your Head

For a town of its size, Gettysburg actually has several good lodging options. We stayed at the Inn at Herr Ridge, an inn on the edge of town, near the portion of the battlefield that saw some of the first action. Our room was super cozy, but even the full sized bed seemed cute, rather than inconvenient (okay, it was a little inconvenient for two adults who are used to a queen – but there are bigger beds in other rooms!). We enjoyed our room’s gas fireplace, jacuzzi tub, & the inn’s afternoon tea service. There was a plentiful breakfast which was offered each morning (the sausage & cheese crepes were especially delicious). Was it the most luxurious place we’ve ever stayed? Certainly not. But the hospitality was warm & welcoming & the personal touches – like the freshly baked chocolate chip cookies packaged up for our car ride home – made it feel more like staying at a friend’s house than a cookie cutter chain hotel.

If you’re looking for something a little more five star, Gettysburg has got you covered. The Federal Pointe Inn is a former school, with each classroom transformed into a luxury suite. The Gettysburg Hotel, which has been a variety of things over the years before being turned back into a hotel by Gettysburg College in 2002, is smack in the middle of downtown. It definitely offers the best location for getting around on foot. But even if you’re not staying downtown, you’ll find plentiful public parking & a walkable downtown core.

Where to Eat

Gettysburg has a wide variety of restaurants & not a single one downtown is a chain. Whatever you fancy, they probably have it.

Our first night in town, we had a fantastic meal at a traditional colonial tavern. You read that right: colonial, not Civil War. I will admit that I was very skeptical when I saw the Dobbin House on our itinerary – I thought ‘there’s no way this wasn’t going to be a tourist trap.’ But, like most first impressions, it turned out to be wrong. We dined in the basement tavern, which felt like walking back into the 18th century: stone walls, low ceiling, candlesticks lighting the tables. They’re known for their french onion soup, roasted chicken & crab cakes, so that’s exactly what we ordered. In traditional colonial fashion, the portions were giant & our entrees were served with a salad & baked potato. We washed down our meal with a glass of Hauser red wine, a locally made table wine, & ended our meal with a sweet piece of pecan pie. The food & the service was both excellent – it was easily our favorite meal of the trip.

We had a fantastic french brunch that was straight out of Paris at Cafe Saint-Amand (their homemade croissants & the Nutella crepe? I die.)

We had dinner Saturday night at the authentically Irish pub, the Garryowen. I am normally opposed to eating at “Irish pubs” in the U.S. because usually it’s an Americanized interpretation of a real Irish pub. But no worries, because Garryowen is the real deal . The owners came from County Armagh in 1993 & decided to open up an authentic pub in 2007. We sat at the long bar (it was packed on a Saturday night), drank Irish beer & ate shepherds pie & burgers. It was great pub training for our trip to Ireland next month!

What to Do

The Gettysburg National Military Park might be the top destination for visitors, but there are plenty of other things to do around town that don’t involve the Civil War.

• For lunch on Saturday, we took the Savor Gettysburg Food Tour, which was three hours of heavenly gluttony. If dessert is more your thing, they also have an afternoon sweets tour.
• If you’re looking to relax, the Gettysburg Day Spa offers a variety of services. B & I had an incredibly relaxing couples massage on afternoon.
• There are some great wineries in the area, which produce a variety of wines & ciders. Hauser Estate Winery & Reid’s Orchard Winery both have tasting rooms in town & sprawling wineries outside of town. Make sure & check the calendar before you head there: they both offer live entertainment some evenings.

• If you want to get out of town & stretch your legs, Strawberry Hill Nature Preserve has easy walking trails & a nature center to explore.

B & I were both surprised at what a fun weekend we had in Gettysburg. If you think the only thing to draw you to this central Pennsylvania town is its place in Civil War history, you may be surprised as well.

Note: Our lodging & some of our meals were provided compliments of Destination Gettysburg; however, all opinions are my own. This was a fun little town!