Okay, now I am beginning to understand a little better. I thought you were referring to the battlefield alone. Whenever I plan a vacation I usually have one specific place I want to see, and then I find things to do in the vicinity. Within thirty miles of the battlefield I am sure there is a lot of interesting things. I have not taken many guided tours, but I don't think I would like them. It would particularly be hard to enjoy things are someone else's timetable.
Oh, absolutely right here. When I did them, I always hated the pressure of having to be back to the bus when someone told us to be there. When it's something like the Smithsonian in D.C. it becomes silly because there's no *way* anyone can see everything in even one of the buildings in the short amount of time the tours allow. Same thing with the Moving Wall (Vietnam)... by the time they dropped us off during the one trip I did that way, and we walked to the wall, it was time to head back. Ridiculous! D.C. needs to be seen slowly and on one's own time. But Gettysburg... yes, it's 30 minutes from Harrisburg and about 8 miles from the Maryland line. Antietam is about an hour away.
I am beginning to think I might need a separate vacation to see the Civil war battlefields, Smithsonian, and other attractions in the area. Are there any sites in the area (besides Gettysburg) that focus on Lincoln's roles in the battlefield (or other areas)? There are several pictures of him at the sites, it would neat to be there.
Hmmm... putting me in a spot here, @primalclaws1974 because I really have no idea. In Gettysburg, there's the house where he slept, the church he attended, and of course the cemetery where the address was given... but you said besides Gettysburg, so I'm floundering. (Got any tartar sauce?) I know that I have *seen* Ford's Theater in D.C. but haven't a clue whether or not people can get inside. Oh... I think (don't quote me!) that Lincoln traveled to Sharpsburg, MD after Antietam (the town where Antietam is located) to talk with General McClellan. He (Abe) also watched the battle at Fort Stevens (Washington D.C.) from the sidelines.
Springfield, Illinois. Lincoln gave his "house divided" speech as well as his farewell speech (pre inauguration) in Springfield. The whole city is pretty much dedicated to him. There's a large park where you can get all of the touristy stuff, but the Lincoln museum is fantastic. It's just about the only reason to go to Illinois. IMHO of course. It's not a battle field type of place but Primalclaws 74 did say "other areas."
I am sure that there were hot-air balloons there, and I understand that in the North there were frequently crowds of civilians who created a carnival-like atmosphere by going to watch the proceedings as if they were the type of re-enactments done today. Perhaps someone needs to visit the battle-grounds (both Revolutionary War and War Between the States) in Virginia.
Not sure if you understood the reply Tom. Claws wanted to know (if I read it right) where else he could find more stuff about Lincoln. He was given a pretty good tour by Kate but there was no mention about Illinois. So, since I have been to the mansion in Springfield and the museum I figured that if he was around that area he might get another perspective of Abe if he visited. No baloons but you never know from dad to day where one might be. By the Bye..hope the bike thing is healing well. Nice to see you back.
The thread is about Gettysburg. I was referring to the Comments by Kate about the hot-air baloloon and carnival atmosphere at Gettysburg. I am doing better, but have some whiplash that limits how much I can sit at computer. My knees seem to have some pain.
I visited Gettysburg for the first time this summer. I was in the middle of a long road trip and was headed for Philadelphia. I only had about four hours in Gettysburg and chose to tour the Eisenhower home first (thinking I could drive through the battlefield once the home closed). I was thoroughly moved by driving through the grounds, and it would have ruined my experience for a hot air balloon to cruise through the atmosphere. It is a shame that such commercialization has to occur around our national treasures, but I suppose that in the end, the hot air balloon people are enjoying the fruits of a free market system the US military fought hard to protect. Everything seems to come full circle!
