Travel

[Allegheny]

DH & I have been talking about doing some day trips (perhaps overnite).  We  love Chambersburg peaches and they are in season now.  As Chambersburg is relatively close to Gettysburg, we are tossing around spending the night and doing a tour of the battlefield.

If there is anybody who live near Chambersburg/Gettysburg or have taken a trip to the area and could toss out some inspiration, we would really appreciate it.  

[Annabellethecat66]

I live in Northern Va (right outside of Washington, DC).  If you want to see endless amazing things, come to the the DC area!

I know I sound like a travel agent.  I've just lived in Va all of my life.  Over the years I've seen wonderful things about our country's history, etc.

If you like being out in the country, go to George Washington's home in Alexandria (Mt Vernon).  If you've never been to Monticello, go there, it's beautiful.

But once you get into DC you could spend weeks (even a month) and STILL not see everything.  This is a busy time of year (Summer).  However, soon the children will be back in school.  There won't be many school trips in the beginning (school is just getting started).  Early Fall is the perfect time to visit the Washington, DC/Va area.

Here's a hint.  Stay right outside of DC.  If you get up and out early enough you can ride the Metro into DC (you have to beat the commuters).  There are many nice and inexpensive places to stay in Va, just a few miles from the DC line.

If you like walking around.  Walk around "Old Town" Alexandria.  There are many things to see and wonderful places to eat in Old Town Alexandria.  I know, I was born there.  Go through the old, old churches, witness History.

I forgot to add that if you like battlefields.  In Prince William County there is the Manassas Battlefield.  It's beautiful with historical markers everywhere.  There is a museum located nearby that is wonderful.  I think you might enjoy seeing something different.

Go here to find out about historic Prince William County, Va. http://www.manassascity.org/211/Manassas-Museum-System

[VaBelle35]

Gettysburg is a great day trip.  There are a variety of ways to see it, like on bikes or segways as well as the old fashioned self walking/driving tour with a map.  I did it once with a CD that gives you a dramatic rendition of the battles.  Search "Tours of Gettysburg."  

My favorite thing there is the Eisenhower National Historic Site in Gettysburg.

[Eileen in Virginia]

DH and I went to Gettysburg about 9 years ago. It is HUGE. Once we settled in at our hotel, we went to the visitors center and looked around. While there, we signed up for a personal tour. I don’t remember what it cost, but it was well worth the money. Many of these tour guides are experts on the Battle of Gettysburg and are fonts of information. I think our tour took a couple of hours and DH (the history buff) was in his glory. If you’re only planning on spending a day at Gettysburg, a personal tour is the way to go. 

We also live live in Northern Virginia and @Annabellethecat66 is absolutely right about Manasses Battlefield Park. We were there in the Spring and I told DH it reminded me of Gettysburg on a smaller scale. They didn’t have guided tours at that time, but they had docents at strategic locations who were very knowledgeable. 

Both battlefields are in beautiful settings, so you don’t have to be a Civil War buff to appreciate it. However, if you are, it’s the icing on the cake. 

[VaBelle35]

I live in Manassas and yes, it is a much smaller scale and you get not one but two different tours as there were two battles of Manassas during the civil war.  The Park Service also puts on a reenactment every summer.  

I forget it's happening sometimes and all of a sudden you start hearing cannon fire or a group of women in hoop skirts walk across the street to get back to the visitor center.

[Annabellethecat66]

The Museum I posted about is wonderful!  It isn't large but it is informative.  It talks about the history of Manassas and the large part it played in the Civil War.  It's excellent in that it talked about the slaves and their part in history.

It's also fun to walk around Old Town Manassas and visit the shops.  This little town is designed specifically for walking tourists.  It's a fun way to spend the weekend.

[Scooby Doo]

Is the Eisenhower farm still a tourist destination in Gettysburg?  That was interesting.

[Allegheny]

Thanks all!  We are going this week.  Chambersburg is only about 3 hours from us.  Some people would think we are crazy to drive there just for peaches.  But they are so good and we are retired...so why not a road trip.

Since Gettysburg is so close and neither of us have been there we decided, Why Not.  He just now booked the hotel.  We've been getting a lot of info from Trip Advisor.  We are still deciding whether to arrange a guided tour or buy a CD at the center and wing it ourselves.

@Annabellethecat66 and others.   Washington DC  area is one of my favorite places.  DH's nephew lived in Alexandria for four years (3 miles from Mt. Vernon).  We stayed several times and I yearn to return.    It would take me months to scratch the surface of all the places I long to explore.

I don't know if DH is up to Washington anymore.  His knees and lower back are a real bother to him. He has to stop and rest frequently when walking.

[Annabellethecat66]

@Allegheny I understand about your husband and walking.  I have a really bad back.  My brain says go and my back says "NO"!  So frustrating.

I googled something like, 'do the museums in washington, dc have accomodations for wheelchairs.

Here's the website that came up:https://wheelchairtravel.org/washington-dc/museums/

Basically, they all do.  He might not be wheelchair bound all of the time but there's nothing wrong with renting one and having it available.  There is no reason a person with limited mobility shouldn't be able to enjoy everything people who can walk enjoy.

When I went to Disney World a few years back I rented one of those mobil motor things.  It made it easy for me to keep up with everyone and the children loved riding on the thing.  That was before I received both of my new knees.

I don't use walkers, canes or wheelchairs either, but after awhile I get tired because of my back.  Perhaps he's like that.  You might want to look into renting one of those scooters or something similar.  Please don't let that cause you to  miss out on enjoying your life together.

Here's my moto...enjoy every minute while you can because you might not be able to do even that one day.  Sounds silly but it's true.  You guys are lucky you have each other.

I wish my honey was still here. Please come back and let us know how much fun you guys had.  It seems like no one ever let's us know how much fun they had.  We ALL love to see and hear about happy people....

[PA Mom-mom]

@Allegheny Well, I'm sure you are going to have a great time! If you get a chance, go to  Maplewood farm stand off of I-81 near Shippensburg. Just go. Don't ask.