In linking up with Kristen today for What’s New With You, I figured I’d share about our Gettysburg anniversary trip.
If you haven’t picked up on it yet, I really enjoy celebrating things. I constantly have friends and family over for parties or plan a special trip out for birthdays & holidays. When it comes to our anniversary, we always try to do something special. The last time we travel-celebrated was in 2015 when we went to Niagara Falls for our 2nd anniversary. Originally I wanted to do something BIG this year for #5 like a cruise or an all-inclusive resort, but after being sick at the start of April and traveling +3 weeks already for work this year, I was a little burnt out and in need of a nearby quick trip. We’d never been to Gettysburg and we’re big history lovers, so it was the perfect choice!
I married a work-aholic and I know that. His job stresses him out but he loves it, so I try to be respectful of that when I plan trips. As such, our Wednesday morning started at work. We finally left town a little after 10am.
We checked into the Gettysburg Hotel a little after 4 pm, dropped our bags in the room, and set out on foot for some dinner. It was sprinkling slightly but we didn’t have to venture far. We crossed the street and found The Pub & Restaurant. It was welcoming and quaint and very unoccupied.
After nomming on some Maryland Crab Bisque, Spicy Chicken (for me), and Meatloaf (for K) we took a short walk around the square. The rain was only spitting here and there, and the sun was shining so we hardly noticed.
We got some milkshakes from the Cannonball Olde Tyme Malt Shop and then we compromised. K wanted to watch the Cavs game so we pushed our movie date to the next night.
We scheduled a guided tour at 9 am on Thursday morning so we were up for breakfast bright and early! We had Bananas Foster French Toast (K) and Texas Toast Egg Sandwich (me) at our hotel’s restaurant, One Lincoln. It was so yummy and our server was super friendly.
Then we were off to the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum & Visitor Center.
I scheduled a two hour driving tour with one of the Gettysburg Licensed Battlefields Guides. They give you the option to hand over the keys and be chauffeured around the park while they explain the battles, landmarks, important people, and scenery. It was an awesome tour.
Our guide, George Maturi, gave use the basic rundown of each day. Gettysburg was a three day battle and for the first 2/3 it really looked like the south was going to win. Thanks to hubris, luck, and a little talent, the north pulled out a win and the south didn’t win the war. (If they’d won Gettysburg the south was convinced that they would’ve won the Civil War.) Of course, victory didn’t happen without sacrifice- thousands upon thousands of lives were lost each day of fighting.
After our tour we decided to peruse the museum, get some Starbucks, and drive ourselves around the park, stopping at whatever caught our interest during the tour. We had a gorgeous day to cruise around. A little windy, but sunny and clear.
We had a late lunch at food 101 and I ordered a Salmon Avocado Sandwich that has forever set the bar for sandwiches. Seriously. It was IN.CRE.DI.BLE. I don’t even know what K was eating because I had such a moment with my food…
After lunch we popped into the hotel so K could nap while I journaled. We went to see Isle of Dogs at the theater just around the corner (Majestic Theater) at 4:15 pm, then ordered dinner in and relaxed all evening. I love that we went to see that movie because Wes Anderson is one of my favorites and it just felt so perfect that his new movie was in theaters over our anniversary date.
We said goodbye to our hotel on Friday morning, picked up some coffee for moi, and headed back home so K could check in on the office before the weekend truly started.
If you decide to explore Gettysburg I would say it’s a 2 or 2 1/2 day adventure. We skipped Jennie Wade’s house, the David Wills House, and the Eisenhower Farm, but they each would’ve taken two hours or less. I would HIGHLY suggest the guided in-car tour. You can opt for longer than 2 hours AND you can ask them to focus on specific things if you want to (i.e. certain days or battles, specific regiments, etc.). I’m very glad we had a guide!
So tell me, have you ever been to Gettysburg? (I can’t believe both K and my 8th grade D.C. trips skipped this National Park!) Have you seen Isle of Dogs? How do you typical celebrate anniversaries?
Life as Louise 
Sounds like you had a great trip. Happy anniversary!
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It was a lot of fun! Thank you!!
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I definitely feel like I need to visit Gettysburg since it is such a defining battle during the Civil War and so many people lost their lives. That’s cool that there’s a driving tour, and I have a feeling that we’d probably try to do that when we make it there.
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I love visiting places that tie history and nature together. The battlegrounds are so peaceful and gorgeous now, but hearing stories about all the bloodshed that happened in that very place makes them feel a little eerie and haunted, too! So unique and strange.
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Gettysburg is amazing and eerie on the battlefields. Looks like you had a fab time. Happy anniversary!
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It really is… So peaceful now but such a haunted past.
Thank you!
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Happy Anniversary! Sounds like the perfect trip. The food – the bananas foster french toast looks amazing. And that salmon sandwich sounds delicious. I’d be interested in seeing Gettysburg but my loud and vocal cheering about the North winning might offend some. 😀
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I really thought the whole town would have more of a southern vibe, even though it’s in a “free state.” It totally didn’t. They were very pro-North and we saw NO confederate flags unless it was a historic tour or showcase. The general consensus was pride for the North 🙂
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I really want to go to Gettysburg one day. Chris and I really love history too. The guided tour sounds great!
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My grandparents actually suggested it to us before we left town. I looked the association up on TripAdvisor before we left and they have a perfect rating- 5 stars across the board. It was great!
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We did Gettysburg in 24 hours so clearly we crammed a whole lot in in a very short time. We didn’t do much eating but we did a ghost tour, did the self-guided driving tour, and something else that’s escaping my brain. It was a really fun, last-minute trip I’m glad I did.
I’m glad you had fun and happy anniversary.
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I wish we’d have done a ghost tour!!! K is very very very anti-ghost anything, lol. I take advantage of traveling with my parents because they like ghost tours, too. Next time we’re planning to do a self-guided driving tour 🙂 I’m sure we’ll be back there eventually!
Thank you!!
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That looks like a fun trip, and the food looks so yummy!
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A short trip but a fun trip nonetheless 🙂 The food was SO good!
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Oh what a fun trip!! I really understand how you were feeling, that was our start to the year as well. Being sick, not traveling, canceling travel, etc. Bummer. But I am glad this trip worked out for you. We enjoyed our road trip to Arkansas, but are really looking forward to our Cruise! It’s just a month away now! EEK! 🙂 I love these reviews and tips. Definitely referencing this if we ever go to Gettysburg! Glad you had a great anniversary trip! 🙂 XO – Alexandra
Simply Alexandra: My Favorite Things
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I enjoy traveling but I’m really glad we stayed relatively close to home 🙂 I also planned it so we’d get home on Friday and still have the whole weekend at home 😉
I’d like to squeeze another vacation in this year- hopefully a cruise or beach trip or all inclusive. Early fall probably. If K doesn’t wanna go I’ll take my bffs 😀 Haha!
Thanks! (And I can’t wait to hear about your cruise!!)
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This looks like an amazing trip! I know Jordan would LOVE something like this! He’s a huge history buff. Happy anniversary!
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We both love history and watch or read (me) stuff all the time, but we’d never been to Gettysburg! I’m so glad we finally took the time to go! I be Jordan would love it! The tour was awesome!
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This is not a place I would have thought to go to, but it looks like a great tourist destination! Exploring a place together is an ideal anniversary trip-in my opinion! I thought we’d do something be for year 5 too, but not I guess we will wait till 10.
Happy anniversary! And thanks for such drool worthy food pics!
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It’s been on my radar for a while but it’s a short-trip destination and I usually like to go on bigger vacations. It worked out perfectly this time, though!
Now I’m ready for a big beach vacation, though… hahaha. I think by mid-summer or early fall I’ll be begging K to take a week off for the beach 😉
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i really enjoyed this post – i knew absolutely nothing about gettysburg (not something we learn about in school, obviously lol) but this sounds like a fabulous place (and i want that bananas foster french toast please and thank you) and i feel like KC would love it. we are also both history lovers but it’s a bit awkward when we grew up learning different things, we very rarely know/love the same things. happy anniversary! we have our 5 year coming up and i’ve planned a secret surprise trip to vegas, where we went on our honeymoon. i’m super excited!
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That’d be a unique situation- both lovers of history but having been educated in TOTALLY different countries/cultures! Gettysburg was really cool. I think being from a state that was established and involved in the war adds a little something, too. K actually had relatives in the Civil War although we don’t know their full names =/
Your surprise Vegas trip sounds so awesome!!! KC is going to love that and y’all are going to have so much fun!
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gaaah how cute are you two?! we spent an afternoon in gettysburg a few years back so i love getting to see more of it from your multiple days there! also, i now need, like NEED NEED a milkshake from a cute place like you went to.
happy anniversary to you two – keep loving and adventuring together!
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Thanks, Chelsea!! (And I am planning to email you back today 😉 lol)
Gettysburg is just SO pretty and peaceful. It’s hauntingly ironic how much devastation and killing took place there!
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My husband and I are thinking of a trip to DC and Philly in the fall and we have discussed making a side trip to Gettysburg, so I enjoyed reading this. I’ve been to Gettysburg once before, but I was a jaded teenager at the time who didn’t want to see historic battlefields, so I don’t really remember that much about it.
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I wish I could go back and smack my jaded teenage self when it comes to travel. Dumb little Audrey. Sigh. Lol
I think Gettysburg is totally worth the stop- and really you can see all you want in an afternoon!
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I went on a family trip when I was a teen and I was so bored because I was a brat. We did the same kind of tour where they drive your car, and I was falling asleep. My mom and I read in the hotel after and my dad was astonished that we were reading when there was “so much history around” (he’s a history buff… we are not). LOL. I think I’d appreciate it much more now that I’m older! We also did a ghost tour at night which was really cool.
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Oh man… we went out west when I was a teen and I was TERRIBLE. I still feel bad about it. Lol
Kyle likes lounging in the room and I’m all, “BUT THERE’S SO MUCH AROUND US TO GO & SEE!!” Hahaha.
I wish we’d have done a ghost tour!! K *really* doesn’t like supernatural stuff, though, so we skipped it.
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We’ve only been to Gettysburg once and it was just a quick stop on our way back home one time, but we’ve been meaning to go again to spend more time there so this post was so informative! It looks like you guys had such a great trip!
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We don’t live *too* far away and we both love history so I thought it was strange that we’d never been. Then again, up until 3 years ago we’d never been to Niagara Falls and it’s even closer to us than Gettysburg. So many nearby place to explore that I completely overlook!
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