Lincoln Highway Journey Continues: Gettysburg to Bedford, Pennsylvania

---

Kate, Bill and I continue our journey along the Lincoln Highway through myriad small towns and up and down the mountains of central Pennsylvania, often just out of sight – but a century apart – of the Pennsylvania Turnpike. We woke up refreshed in Gettysburg – not bothered by the many spirits who linger at the Hilton Garden Inn and site of the battlefield hospital.



We started our day with a visit to the Gettysburg National Historic Battlefield. Since we needed to getting moving down the road, we had to choose our time there carefully. We opted to see a movie at the visitor center, where we learned about this turning point of the Civil War and the South’s last chance and failed attempt to conquer the North. Following the movie, we were led up to the Cyclorama – an amazing 19^th century huge painting done in a full circle. We stood in the middle seeing various parts of the landscape light up with commentary by the park ranger – it felt like we were in the middle of the conflict.

Then on to see the battlefield. The area is still much as it was in 1863, and we stood at the high point the North commanded and while there were brave attempts by the Confederate forces, ultimately victory was in the hands of the Union troops. A few months later, Lincoln chose this battlefield to make his famous Gettysburg address. The Lincoln Highway continues along a long stretch of the battlefield, and from there we enjoyed some of the unique sights of the Lincoln Highway, including Mr. Ed’s Elephant Museum & Candy Emporium, eating ice cream in the driving rain at the Historic Ice Cream Station, and checking out the beautiful Lincoln Highway murals along the byways.

We were tired and ready for a great meal at the Jean Bonnet Tavern when we arrived in Bedford. We had several Lincoln Highway landmarks to see in Bedford but decided to rest and rejuvenate. The Tavern was built in the 1760’s – now a bustling local gathering spot. Hamburgers were amazing!

We’ll share more kitschy and solemn sights with readers in our next post – as we continue through Bedford, on to the site of the United Airlines Flight 93 crash on 9/11, and beyond as we journey toward Pittsburgh!

---