Travel and Dish

Want to start a new tradition this holiday season? Here’s my insider’s tip. If you’re looking for a special place to take the family or seeking a romantic getaway, consider my favorite Pennsylvania town, Gettysburg!! No matter how many times I visit, I leave with a fresh appreciation for small town America, especially the way they celebrate the seasons.

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

Gettysburg is an iconic American town, where people come from around the world to learn about the three-day battle that’s considered the most pivotal of all clashes between the North and South during the Civil War. Gettysburg became a turning point that helped propel the Union Army to ultimate victory. The National Park Service offers multiple ways to learn about these events at the famous Gettysburg National Battlefield Park and Battlefield Visitor Center. But Gettysburg is much more than its battlefield.

This charming town with its historic architecture, eclectic shopping and a serious culinary scene is a perfect place to celebrate the holidays (or any time). There’s so much to do, you could stay for a week. To be in the heart of the action, stay at the historic Hotel Gettysburg. Located on Lincoln Square, there’s no better place to walk to shops and excellent restaurants in the neighborhood. Just outside the door is Gettysburg’s Christmas tree bathed in bows and lights. I’ve stayed here a few times and this hotel just keeps getting better. Some of the rooms have a gas fireplace making them extra cozy. If possible, time your holiday visit around Gettysburg’s annual Tuba Carol Fest on the hotel’s patio.

One place I recommend visiting year-round is Shriver House & Museum, but during the holidays, Shriver House offers “A Civil War Christmas” tour of the historic home. A guide dressed in period attire walks you through the decorated rooms and explains how the Shriver family prepared for Christmas during the four years of Civil War. While they faced incredible hardships, the Shriver’s still managed to gather extended family for traditional activities. Our guide brought Christmas in the mid-1800’s to life for us.   

I recommend having dinner at the Sign of the Buck, where chef Josh Fidler uses the best local ingredients to prepare his modern take on classic American cuisine. Start with the charcuterie board, and seafood lovers should not miss Fidler’s grilled scallops accompanied by butternut squash puree and broccolini. Of course the menu changes based on what’s fresh and local.

After dinner, you might enjoy taking a horse-drawn carriage through the historic downtown in an old fashioned buggy from Victorian Carriage Company. A group of us boarded the carriage pulled by two strong and able horses, then savored seeing the lights of the town.

 Of all the unique experiences in Gettysburg, the self-guided tour at the Eisenhower National Historic Site is one of Gettysburg’s finest. The house is decorated for the holidays, as Mamie and Ike Eisenhower enjoyed entertaining their family along with world leaders and dignitaries. It’s the only house the couple ever owned, and they lived there during the years following Ike’s presidency. The farm also functioned as the temporary White House when Ike recovers from a heart attack. The grounds are lovely for a picturesque walk in the countryside.

If you’re looking for exceptional cocktails and fun place to hang out, stop in at Mason Dixon Distillery www.masondixondistillery.com , where the spirit of courage and ingenuity is alive and well. Inside this former furniture store, distillers produce small batches of vodka, rum, whiskey and brandy using local ingredients, including wheat grown on the battlefield. Mason Dixon also serves comfort food. 

There are two places that really stood out to me on this recent visit. The first is Gettysburg Beyond the Battle Museum with its artifacts from the Mesozoic Era of dinosaurs to Gettysburg’s place in modern American history. The Adams County Historical Society developed and runs this new museum that features the diverse voices and contributions of Gettysburg’s townspeople who hailed from all walks of life. I loved the immersive room depicting a family caught in the crossfire during the Battle of Gettysburg. You can literally feel what these people experienced, and frankly it’s terrifying. Beyond the Battle also illuminates President Lincoln’s time in Gettysburg, when he gave one of the most pivotal speeches in history. Reading the words of The Gettysburg Address and learning about this modest man and the impact on all who encountered him, brought tears to my eyes. I felt thankful to live in a “united” United States, even when it doesn’t always feel like it.

The most heartwarming experience of the whole weekend was seeing A Christmas Carol at Gettysburg College’s Majestic Theatre with actors from the Totem Pole Playhouse who were energized and brilliant. I heard the words and the songs of this classic Dickens play in a new way, feeling more hope and joy than ever before. Knowing these were local people performing in this 99-year-old theater made this my favorite version ever.

Don’t leave without a meal or tour of Gettysburg’s most iconic dining establishment, Dobbin House Tavern. The oldest home in Gettysburg, oh if these walls could talk, what riveting stories we would hear, beginning with the lives of the Dobbin family in the 1700’s and continuing with freedom seekers on the Underground Railroad. Today it’s a place of merriment and good cheer, serving meals of exceptional quality accompanied by strolling performers. Come hungry, because your entree includes homemade bread and salad with ingredients sourced by local farms whenever possible.

While the town has endless options for entertainment and learning, the surrounding Adams County is a pastoral farming area with several vineyards, breweries and cider makers. Visitors can find plenty of Christmas decor and gifts to take home, along with farm fresh treats.

You don’t have to visit Gettysburg in November or December, but it is a special time there. Check the Destination Gettysburg website to learn about all the upcoming events of 2025. Happy holidays and best wishes for a healthy New Year.

PS. If you’re a hiker looking for a great gift, consider my book 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles of Washington DC. You can order it on Amazon: amazon https://www.amazon.com/Hikes-Within-Miles-Washington-Including/dp/1634040821