Gettysburg

The town of Gettysburg is located in south-central Pennsylvania, just a few miles from the Maryland border.  From the air it probably looks like any small town in America.  The surrounding country is now, as it was in 1863, mostly farm land.  There are still active farms within the National Park.  It's not unusual to see cows grazing in the same fields they would have grazed in over 130 years ago.  The town is still a road hub, as it was at the time of the battle, part of why the armies were drawn there.  Gettysburg
itself, has become very much a tourist town.  The Park, which has attracted millions of visitors, has changed the nature of the town, which now caters to those visitors.  T-shirt shops,  museums, book stores, antique shops, Civil War re-enactor supplies, Civil War art dealers and the latest craze; Ghosts of Gettysburg, plus lots of restaurants and hotels should provide any vistor with things to do in town.  There's also my humans favorite thing; lots of places to get good ice cream.  Mom says it's like a gigantic outdoor mall.:)  If you need more, there are places to get Civil War era photos done, horse and buggy rides through town, live shows featuring actors portraying historical figures and there are always re-enactors around giving their flavor to the town via what they call, living history.  A group will camp out and try to re-create life for the soldiers of 1863.  With all that activity, it still seems a nice quiet town, maybe because I'm a New York City dog.:)
There are two things in town that very much bring back 1863.  There are many buildings that have survived the years.  Each has a plaque that reads; Civil War Building.  Some are still residences, others have been turned into Bed and Breakfasts, or restaurants or museums.  Dad took some pictures of several of them on a walking tour of the town we all took.  The other serious reminder of 1863 is the National Cemetary.  I've only seen it from outside the gates as dogs are not allowed inside, but it's very beautiful and very moving.  More than three thousand Union soldiers who fought and died at Gettysburg are buried there along with others of more recent American wars.  It's also where Abraham Lincoln came in November of 1863 and gave the most famous of American speaches, the Gettysburg Address.  Dad has included some nice pictures of the cemetary too.  Remember, click on the small image to get the bigger one.  If that doesn't work,  try Reload.  These computers are tricky!:)

For more information on the Gettysburg National Cemetary and the Gettysburg Address, dad strongly suggests; Lincoln at Gettysburg, by Gary Wills.
For more reading check out the books section.  Mom and dad tried to get me to read once, I liked it, but it's tough turning the pages without thumbs.:)