Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, November 28, 1993 TAG: 9311280176
SECTION: HORIZON PAGE: F-6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By Randy Kraft The Allentown Morning Call
DATELINE: GETTYSBURG, PA. LENGTH: Long
After peeking into the first three or four, all the lovely guest rooms started to become a pleasant blur.
While I'd rather spend more time experiencing fewer places, the organizers certainly made their point.
I never realized Gettysburg has so many B&Bs.
On a recent weekend, I was part of the first news media tour ever arranged by a group called Inns of the Gettysburg Area. It represents 14 places, most of the B&Bs in and around Gettysburg. We visited 11 of them, 10 in one day.
Five are in Gettysburg. Others are miles from town.
Despite the organization's name, these are not country inns that serve dinners as well as breakfasts. However, a few primarily are restaurants that have B&Bs.
Based on what I saw, I wouldn't hesitate to stay at any of the 11 places we visited. But I do have personal preferences.
The Tannery, just a couple of blocks from the Visitors Center at Gettysburg National Military Park, would be my first choice.
If I wanted a quieter setting in town, I'd try the Keystone. It overlooks Pennsylvania 116, a less heavily traveled road than other highways around Gettysburg. It's ideal for those who wouldn't mind taking long walks (more than a mile) through town to reach the heart of the battlefield.
If I were more interested in a quiet, romantic getaway than in exploring Gettysburg, my first choice would be Goose Chase. It's surrounded by 25 wooded acres along an isolated gravel lane 14 miles north of Gettysburg.
A close second would be Baladerry Inn. It's on four acres at the edge of Gettysburg's battlefield just two miles south of town but seems far out in the country. "This is not a well-traveled path," said innkeeper Tom O'Gara, who sends his guests to watch romantic sunsets at nearby Little Round Top on the battlefield.
Because of the Civil War battle fought here 130 years ago, Gettysburg is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Pennsylvania, with more than 1.8 million visitors each year. The bloodiest battle ever fought on American soil, with 51,000 casualties, took place at Gettysburg from July 1 to 3, 1863.
The B&Bs offer comfortable escapes from tackiness in this small tourist town, where you can eat at General Lee's Family Restaurant and Gen. Pickett's All-U-Can Eat Buffet, or buy T-shirts stating "Civil War Nut's Wife" or "I Survived Pickett's Charge."
Doris Martin of Keystone, Pa., co-chairman of the B&B association, said many people don't know Gettysburg has bed and breakfasts.
I spent two nights at the Beechmont B&B, which is about 15 miles east of Gettysburg in Hanover and is where a Civil War cavalry battle was fought a few days before the battle in Gettysburg. I also spent one night at the Tannery.
I also visited Herr Tavern Publick House, located 1 1/2 miles west of Gettysburg, which served as a Confederate hospital during the battle. We were told amputated limbs were piled as high as the second-floor balcony.
Each of the B&Bs has its own character. The houses were built between the mid-18th and early 20th centuries. Many of their interiors have high ceilings and ornate woodwork not found in most modern homes. Some are furnished with antiques. Many also have fireplaces, though most no longer work.
B&B standards include unusual breakfasts, electric candlelight and classical music quietly playing in living rooms, where walls may be lined with old books and games.
The closest B&B to the battlefield's visitors center is Dobbin House Tavern's Gettystown Inn. It's next to the Dobbin House Tavern, one of Gettysburg's most popular restaurants, which is in the town's oldest building.
In the visitors center is Gettysburg's Civil War museum and the famous Electric Map of the battlefield. Next to it is the gigantic Cyclorama painting of the battle. The heart of the battlefield, called the High Water Mark of the Confederacy, is just a short walk away. So is the National Cemetery, where Abraham Lincoln gave his Gettysburg Address.
Also within reasonable walking distance are Brierfield B&B and Brafferton Inn. Both are surrounded by other buildings and stand right along Gettysburg's main streets. Yet they were surprisingly quiet inside.
Sam Back of Brafferton said Pennsylvania 30 traffic can be heard only in two front bedrooms on the second floor. He said walls in his place, built in 1786, are up to 2 feet thick.
"Most people come to Gettysburg with an agenda," said Back. "They're not looking for a place to come and put their feet up. A comfortable room, a good breakfast and they're on their way."
Back also noted most people visiting the national park drive rather than walk. "You need a car to see the battlefield."
You can spend hours driving around the national military park, which almost surrounds this south-central Pennsylvania town. One of the world's most famous battlefields, it is filled with monuments and landmarks like Big Round Top, Seminary and Cemetery ridges, Peach Orchard, Devil's Den and the Wheatfield.
Owners of places outside Gettysburg said they offer quiet country alternatives, away from tourist traffic and congestion.
The 100-acre Hickory Bridge Farm in Orrtanna, eight miles west of Gettysburg, is another possibility for a romantic getaway.
At first glance, Hickory Bridge seemed too commercial, with a cute restaurant in a barn, complete with gift shop. But the restaurant only is open to the public (for family-style, all-you-can-eat meals) Friday and Saturday nights and Sunday afternoons.
Places like Beechmont and Bechtel Mansion Inn in East Berlin wouldn't be my first choice if visiting Gettysburg, but only because they are too far outside Gettysburg.
However, some people, especially those traveling farther for longer vacations, use those B&Bs as bases for day trips to many areas: Gettysburg, Harrisburg, Hershey, Lancaster County.
Bechtel Mansion seemed to be the most Victorian place, in architecture, furnishings and decor.
Several of the Gettysburg area B&Bs have individual features:
Goose Chase is the only place with an outdoor pool for guests.
Baladerry has a tennis court.
Herr Tavern has hot tubs for two.
Goose Chase, Hickory Bridge and Beechmont have some rooms with working fireplaces. "We have one room with both a fireplace and a whirlpool tub, " said Monna Hormel of the Beechmont.
Two of Goose Chase's five rooms are in a tiny guest house next to the main house. They are the most popular because they have fireplaces and offer privacy.
Hickory Bridge has cottages in the woods with fireplaces, which are popular with couples.
At Keystone, guests can make their own full breakfast selections from a menu and determine when they want to eat.
Other Gettysburg area B&Bs include Doubleday Inn, which claims to be the only one on the battlefield. Another is Old Appleford Inn, which claims to be Gettysburg's first B&B. West of town is the popular Cashtown Inn, used in filming the movie "Gettysburg."
One place innkeepers highly recommend for dining is Altland House, along Pennsylvania 30 in Abbotts town, 14 miles east of Gettysburg. Although not a B&B, Altland House also has five guest rooms with private baths.
by CNB