Bullet and Shell Civil War Projectiles Forum
General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: speedenforcer on May 18, 2017, 04:16:47 PM
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Who is going to the Gettysburg show? Looks like my wife, son, mom, and myself are going to go this year ;D. I have never been to the Gettysburg show, well I have never been to Gettysburg at all. I am getting pretty excited, not just for the show but to be going to see some of the sites. Our time will be very limited so there is no way we will see everything in this trip but would like to see some of the highlights. Any suggestions? We will probably arrive some time late Thursday night, get some sleep then site see Friday. Take in the show Saturday then leave to go to Massachusetts. We have to take Mason to Edaville to see Thomas the Tank Engine. We may stay in Gettysburg until Sunday afternoon not sure. Anyway Carl will you be going or Mike?
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I am not going. Summer weekends in Gettysburg are very crowded so pack lots of patience. Little Round Top, the Cemetery, and the High Water Mark are some favorites but there are lots and lots more. Several forumites have great Gettysburg experience so hopefully they will share.
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I was hoping you would be there. I haven't met you yet but I met Carl and a few others. Anyway am really excited about getting to finally get to go to THE BURG. Thank you for the pointers on locations. As far as patience goes, well not sure I have much of that. I'll certainly try to muster some up.
Carl are you going, I have a shell I need to bring to you for cleaning.
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I think I'm going. I usually do, & drag someone along with me for company.
I put a "what to do in Gettysburg" document together a few years ago, I think I can dig it on my home computer at lunch. If I find it, I'll post it.
How old is your son?
Spray for ticks, especially if you walk the Pickett-Pettigrew-Trimble charge route (which you definitely need to do!).
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If time is limited, I suggest you call and book a licensed battlefield guide. They do an auto tour with you that runs 2 hours and shows you the key points. I think its $60 but well worth it, especially if you have never been there.
http://gettysburgtourguides.org/reservations/
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If you are interested in a tour, you should try for early Friday morning, 'cause some of the guides will be tied up with the relic show the rest of the weekend, & it's good to have the tour at the beginning of your visit so you can return to the spots that interest you.
Here's my guide to first timers -
Bone up on the battle before you go. Seeing certain areas – Devil’s Den, The Wheatfield, Little Round Top, Culp’s Hill, the railroad cut, the Pickett - Pettigrew - Trimble Charge, etc. – will mean a lot more to you if you know what happened there before you see them for the first time. National Geographic put out a good map, showing the armies’ approaches towards Gettysburg, in 2013.
Read the Gettysburg chapter in I Rode with Stonewall by Henry Kyd Douglas, & chapter 11 of Fighting for the Confederacy by Edward Porter Alexander. There are plenty of books that can tell you more - I enjoyed (most of) Gettysburg: The Last Invasion by Allen C. Guelzo. Watch the movie Gettysburg – after reading about the battle. (You might enjoy the easy to read historical novel The Killer Angels – adapted by the movie Gettysburg – which won the 1975 Pulitzer prize for fiction.)
Take a car tour (the guide drives your car) – all sorts of tours are available, but you’ll probably want the general tour if you’ve never been before – it takes about two hours – and then go back to walk the areas you read about & your guide talked about. If you are interested in a tour, I suggest you set it up days in advance. Call the Visitor’s Center & ask how to do this. Some guides are better than others, and you can request them by name. The new Visitor’s Center was disappointing to me. It tries to tell a politically correct version of the war, & the lead up to the war, and the entire war, rather than focusing on the battle & showing the many relics that it has locked away in storage. The display portions used to be free – but not any more! (However, there is a big food court, & a souvenir shop the size of a football field.)
Definitely walk the path of the Pickett - Pettigrew - Trimble Charge (from Seminary Ridge to Cemetery Ridge, & back again). I suggest you do that at the end of your visit. There are two paths cut through the fields in the summer. Keep an eye out (and wear repellent) for ticks during the warm months.
Visit The Horse Soldier (219 Steinwehr Avenue) & Union Drummer Boy (37 York Street) – they are high end relic shops, & they have more relics on display than you’ll see at the Visitor’s Center.
The Farnsworth House is a good place to eat lunch (401 Baltimore Street). Two neat places to grab a beer or drink at night are the Reliance Mine Saloon (in the NE corner of the Quality Inn @ 380 Steinwehr Ave. parking lot – it’s hard to find, but unique) & the basement bar @ the Dobbin House (89 Steinwehr Ave.). Several years ago I discovered the upstairs bar at The Garyowen Irish Pub (126 Chambersburg Street), and I’ve drunk many a Red Breast there ever since.
Call the Visitor’s Center, go on line, or see if your motel has literature about any demonstrations taking place. Reenactors often camp at Pitzer Woods & Spangler’s Spring, & put on artillery firing, rifle firing, camp life, etc. demos. two or three times a day on Sats. & Suns. (but this slows down in the cold months). Climb the towers on Culp’s Hill and at the southern end of Confederate Avenue.
Pick up a National Park Service map as early in your trip as you can – it’s helpful in seeing where all the battlefield sites are, & could save you time & keep you from getting lost.
Here’s an interesting (to me, you have to be dedicated to read it all) link to a study on the Devil’s Den sniper
http://www.jamescgroves.com/henry/hcp1a.htm
The official position of the Park Service is that the body was found elsewhere, photographed at that site, drug to Devil’s Den, and photographed again. The park rangers I know agree with the conclusions of the link’s author – the body was originally found in Devil’s Den, is that of the sniper, was photographed, drug down the hill, and photographed again.
There are two relic shows each year in (or near) Gettysburg. One is the last weekend in June, the other is in the fall. You have to pay an entrance fee, but there are lots of relics on display.
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Thanks for the very informative and helpful replies. I will certainly look into hiring a guide service sounds like it is pretty cheap to do so. I figured it would cost a lot more than that.
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Watch your driving! Speedenforcers are known to pounce on the heavy footed tourists in that area!
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:o Now THAT was funny. Smart a$$ LOL. Just kidding.
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I've been to Gettysburg a few times and it is a great visit. Very different than visiting a great battlefield like Shiloh that is remote and quiet. Summer's at Gettysburg can be a little like going to Disney with the crowds but it is still a good visit. And the town is a big part of the tour as the wave of battle rolled right through town so many buildings are important battlefield points of interest. Everyone I know who has visited there, just as Lamar has, says to get a tour of the battlefield. They get a lot of visitors and the infrastructure is geared up to handle it in the summer. I got a private tour and it was incredible and made what you were seeing come alive much more. Here are a couple sites Google quickly found:
http://www.gettysburgfoundation.org/14/gettysburg-battlefield-tours
http://www.historictourcompany.com/
http://www.gettysburgbattlefieldtours.com/
There are quite a few more so you might even find an obscure one that does the best job. Maybe some of our local forumites can recommend a tour service. Here is a list from the National Park Service on things to do:
https://www.nps.gov/gett/planyourvisit/things2do.htm
They have tour info there too and they seem to be the cheapest so I'd suspect they are the hardest to get tickets for so book early!
Y'all will have a blast.
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Lamar: Thanks for sharing the sharpshooter link. That was (and is ongoing probably) a lot of focus by the author. Though lengthy, a good read.
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Thanks for all of the valuable info guys. I appreciate it. Got my rooms reserved last night in Emmetsburg, Md.
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Besides going to all the heavily traveled spots like Devil's Den and Little Round Top, don't neglect doing Big Round Top. It's a nice hike and the view from the top is pretty spectacular. Have fun, Gettysburg is a great place to be at any time of the year.
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Never been to Gettysburg? YIKES!
You're going to be overwhelmed for sure. But starting off with a Park Guide will get you through the battlefield and hit all the highlights without you having to go looking for all the individual spots named by the others. Then you can always go back and revisit any that you favor.
As far as eating establishments, LAMAR named many of the best, but places in town at that time of the year can result in long waits. Add the Appalachian Brew Co. to your list. It's new (was torn down when restoring Lee's HQ) and rebuilt on Steinwehr Avenue...the main drag! If you like crabs, a place called RUBES in Emmitsburg is very good and should not have the crowds that Gettysburg has.
Look me up at the Horse Soldier and I can help with directions or whatever. Or contact me and we can meet up when you get in on Thursday. I will also be in the shop all day Friday. Saturday and Sunday I'll be away, bicycling (170 miles) for the American Cancer Society.
Personally, I've never attended the GBPA Summer show. The Autumn show is much bigger and better.
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Thanks Jim for the info, The Horse Soldier was already on my list for sure. My good friend Dicky told me to go by there. I periodically check out your web site so was already planning a visit and he said make sure I get by there. I will make it a Friday visit for sure. As far as the summer show versus the Autumn show, my son is in kindergarten so I have to settle for the summer show. Do I like crabs, I've always tried to avoid them, oh wait you mean the food oh ok. LOL. :o
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I'll be at the show again this year. As far as touring the battlefield you'll find the "hot spots" like The High Water Mark, Devils Den and Little Round Top heavily crowded and no parking spots. I don't even bother to visit the battlefield on this weekend, but I've been there dozens of times. The best time to visit is early spring and late fall.
I'll be going to the show both days and walking to places around town. I stay in town so we don't need to drive as much.
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Now I am discouraged. :(
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I've been hitting Gettysburg that weekend for the last 10 years or so, & I've never had a problem with those spots late Friday, early Saturday, or early Sunday.
I believe most people don't know you can walk the charge route, it's never been crowded when I've been there.
Watch out for the Boy Scout troops - I've never heard such goshawful language in a public place, the adults with them don't seem fazed at all!
If you see any Segway tours, & you're driving, pretend they're duckpins!
Where I see the biggest crowds are the ghost tours - what a racket!
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I've been hitting Gettysburg that weekend for the last 10 years or so, & I've never had a problem with those spots late Friday, early Saturday, or early Sunday.
I believe most people don't know you can walk the charge route, it's never been crowded when I've been there.
Watch out for the Boy Scout troops - I've never heard such goshawful language in a public place, the adults with them don't seem fazed at all!
If you see any Segway tours, & you're driving, pretend they're duckpins!
Where I see the biggest crowds are the ghost tours - what a racket!
Yeah, thats the ticket. Get out there early and beat the crowds. Mornings on the battlefield are great. Dont be discouraged , just have patience.
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Speedenforcer,
Here is the name and number of the guide I used a few years ago. He did a great job and I agree with everything that has been posted. Best way to go is get a guide. Michael Strong 717-818-3066 mjstrongyork@comcast.net. It is a great park to be enjoyed and treasure the time you spend there. Have fun I'll be in Maine hunting relics on a WWI fort site(hoping to get some other goodies as well. Gary
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Thank you Judge, I will give him a call. good luck on your hunt.
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GETTYSBURG-----GETTYSBURG-----GETTYSBURG----- I guess I am getting to excited but 3.5 weeks right.
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News to me, but helpful in a place of exceedingly marginal, high priced hotels:
http://loyaltytraveler.boardingarea.com/2017/05/31/federal-pointe-inn-gettysburg-ascend-collection-wins-choice-hotel-of-the-year/
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well, I guess I got the bug to go to Gettysburg too !! I have to pick up some shells next week in Virginia, so I figured I might as well keep heading North and set up at the show. Called and got my tables reserved. So, I will have two tables of fine artillery deals and other relics to do some trading or selling. Come see me !!
Man, hotels are an absolute rip off for that weekend. Couldn't find anything reasonable within 30 miles ....... David
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well, I guess I got the bug to go to Gettysburg too !! I have to pick up some shells next week in Virginia, so I figured I might as well keep heading North and set up at the show. Called and got my tables reserved. So, I will have two tables of fine artillery deals and other relics to do some trading or selling. Come see me !!
Man, hotels are an absolute rip off for that weekend. Couldn't find anything reasonable within 30 miles ....... David
I''ll be there . I guess I'll look for someone with artillery shells. :)
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Well we may just make it after all. wasn't sure. got real sick 3 days ago and no way were we going started getting better yesterday then this morning I woke extremely lethargic and sick to my stomach but this evening I am feeling great must of just been a stomach bug that's gone. no fever and feel fine now. not contagious. my son a couple of hours ago threw up all over the place so I say ok trip is back off again. but he's up running around no fever he just ate to much pizza at lunch time I guess. So on again off again is now ON AGAIN.
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Well he is sick again, probably not going.
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just in case any of you were gonna stop by and say hi, I will not make it to the show this weekend, but I plan on setting up at Richmond as usual.
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Too bad. I was going to try to find you. I haven't been to the Richmond show in years.
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woo hoo we are here got in on Thursday night. ;D Went to town and spent the day in Gburg all day Friday. it was BEAUTIFUL. Not crowded at all. We got an early start. was raining most of morning. ah trying to decide if we want to mover here. No it probably snows too much and I am a southern boy so I may have to stay in Dixie. But IT IS beautiful here.
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Some shots at the show today.
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another
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It is a scenic place for sure.
Wow, that is some nice projectiles. Glad I didn't make it up there as I'd need a 3rd mortgage!