lovebug

I'm just beginning to do research for a trip in the Spring (2014) to Pennsylvania with my husband and elderly parents. We'll be flying into DC or Baltimore depending on flight prices and times and renting a car. We've been to DC twice in the past several years. The first time spending time in DC, Charlottesville, and along the Skyline Highway. The second trip we spent of couple of days in DC and then headed south to Williamsburg/Newport News. Both trips were in the Fall and we had beautiful weather. This time we'd like to go in the Spring and head north of DC to PA. Some possible stops along the way might be Gettysburg, Baltimore, and possibly Philadelphia (if there is time). Not counting flight days, we will probably have 6 days to site-see. When we travel, we like to take in history/museums, beautiful scenery, local culture, and good food (dives to gourmet - Italian, Mexican, Seafood/Crab Shacks, good old farm food to organic nouveau cuisine ). So my initial questions for anyone who can help would be:

1. What kind of weather should we expect in late April and will trees/plants be green and/or flowering yet?

2. If we want to experience the countryside and some Pennsylvania Dutch towns and history, where should we go?

3. How much time should we set aside for Gettysburg (my parents can't do a lot of walking)?

4. If you only had one day to spend in Baltimore, how would you spend your time?

5. Same question for Philadelphia....if you had one day, how would you spend your time? BTW, are there areas of Baltimore and Philadelphia we should avoid?

5. Would welcome restaurant suggestions for any locations along the loop from DC to Gettysburg, to Philadelphia, to Baltimore, and then back to DC.

6. Given the info I have provided, is there a location north of DC that would make a good "home" spot to do day trips from so that we aren't moving from hotel to hotel?

tomfuller

Since you've already seen Washington DC, I would plan on flying to BWI or perhaps Harrisburg International (MDT).
Late April should be greening up nicely in Southern PA.
York is pretty central for visiting both Gettysburg and the Lancaster area.
For a day in Baltimore, I like the Inner Harbor including a visit to the National Aquarium. Check to see if the O's are playing at Camden Yards on the day you want to go. Parking can be a problem.
I'll let others tell you about restaurants etc.
Another option to go to Philadelphia is to get on a Northeast Regional Amtrak train from BWI station. The Philadelphia station is within walking distance of Independence Hall and other historic sites.

lovebug

Thanks, TOMFULLER. I appreciate your quick response and suggestions. I'll check out York as a home base and BWI and MDT for flights. We live in a secondary market with very few direct flights (which are much easier on my parents who are in their mid-80s). DC is one of the only direct flights we have so that may be our only option. Also, since my parents' ability to walk is very limited, taking Amtrak into Philly won't work for this trip, but maybe my husband and I can try that some time in the future.

GBelle

If you drive from Baltimore to Philadelphia, stop at the G&M Restaurant in Linthicum Heights, Maryland for fantastic crab cakes. They are not far off the exit (see the directions on the website).
http://gandmcrabcakes.com/

Re: Philadelphia
from Fodors threads:
http://www.fodors.com/community/fodo...highlights.cfm

and http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...s-291815-2.cfm

http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...iladelphia.cfm

lovebug

Thanks so much, GBelle. G&M Restaurant looks right up our alley. We always look for a good crab place to eat at when we're on the east coast!

I also read through the threads you provided and saw lots of interesting places and things to do that I can research. Now I just need to find a bit more info on what might be interesting to see in the PA countryside. We like to do a bit of both...city and country site-seeing to get a balance of the area we're visiting.

vincenzo32951

1. Variable weather, but mostly pleasant and good for touring.

2. Well, Lancaster County takes in a large area -- Bird-In-Hand, Intercourse, etc. You can tour Amish homes and shop in those towns.

3. At the battlefield, you can buy a self-guided CD and drive from place to place. Not much walking required. Or use a tour bus. The actual city of Gettysburg is small and not especially noteworthy, IMHO.

4. Inner Harbor, I guess.

5. Do the historic tour -- Independence Hall, Betsy Ross House, the Constitution Center, the Liberty Bell. Take a carriage ride through Old City. You're not going to be anywhere near places you shouldn't be.

6. You want to be within easy reach of G'burg, Balt., and Phila.? Maybe somewhere in Chester County. If you stay there, also consider Longwood Gardens or Winterthur.

longhorn55

I HIGHLY recommend that you hire a Licensed Battlefield Guide for your visit to Gettysburg. The guide will accompany you in your vehicle and give you the best 2-hour tour that you've ever had. The Licensed Battlefield Guides know everything there is to know about Gettysburg. You will probably want to book your guide before you visit (which must be done at least 3 days in advance of your visit).

http://www.gettysburgtourguides.org/

The film, museum and Cyclorama at Gettysburg (additional fee) are well worth the time and money too. I spent about 2.5 - 3 hours there which may be a bit much for your parents. But, perhaps they could see the film, a few exhibits and the Cyclorama (which is quite interesting and historical).

BlackandGold

I agree with longhorn55 completely.

Other than the battlefield, cemetary and battlefield museum, Gettysburg is a very well maintained, picturesquetown with lots to see. Two additional stops that I highly recommend:

The David Wills house is where Abraham Lincoln stayed the night before he delivered the Gettysburg Address. It contains the bed and bedspread where he slept and the desk where he finished his speech. There is a small museum and a film. There are stairs to climb; I don't know if there is an elevator so call if that is an issue. About one hour.

http://www.davidwillshouse.org/

The Shriver House was built in 1860 and has been beautifully restored. The tour of the house provides a wonderful insight into the family who lived there and the battle of Gettysburg's impact on the townspeople. There are stairs. The tour is about 40 minutes.

http://shriverhouse.org/

The Dobbin House/Springhouse Tavern is worth a meal. We have only eaten in the Springhouse which ok for food, but wonderful for atmosphere.

http://www.dobbinhouse.com/

There are also a lot of shops, restaurants and a restored train station in the historical center of town.

There is also the Eisenhower National Historic Site if you are interested in WWII history. We did not visit this, but would like to. I believe you have to to take a shuttle from the Gettysburg battlefield museum.

http://www.nps.gov/eise/index.htm

You could easily spend several days in and around Gettysburg.

Ackislander

You haven't mentioned the Brandywine Valley with Longwood Gardens -- they will be beautiful -- and Winterthur, the duPont mansion now a museum of American art and furniture. Both are world class. The Wyeth Museum is nearby in Chadd's Ford, PA. This is. Fabulous area to visit in the spring.

The historic village of New Castle, Delaware, on the others idle of unpromising Wilmington is beautiful if you like real 18th century buildings, and unlike Willaimaburg, real people still live there. It was the first capital of Delaware.

Coquelicot

You don't need to walk at all to see the battlefield. It's so spread out that you'll need a car or tour bus to see it all, though you may want to get out and walk at some points. If you get a guide, ask them also about the townspeople's experiences.

If you are there when the orchards are in bloom, it's really worth a drive to Arendtsville and then make a loop through Biglerville back to Gettysburg.

The best place to have lunch or dinner in that area is in Biglerville, at Pomona's Cafe. It's small, reasonably priced, and the food is delicious. Open Tues through Sat for lunch and dinner. If the timing isn't right for a meal, you can stop by their bakery which has good bread and pastries (open Tues-Sat till around 2 pm or when sold out).

lovebug

Thank you all very much for all your extremely helpful info. I have a great start now to my trip planning and as always, my fellow Fodorites have come through for me

lovebug

I'm thinking about booking a hotel in the Philadelphia area for a couple of days to allow for our site-seeing in Philly. I'm looking for suggestions for possible areas on the west or northwest side (even towns just outside of Philly) that might be a good lodging option between DC and York (or Harrisburg). Welcome all comments/suggestions

tomfuller

You may find that hotels in Wilmington Delaware are cheaper than in Philadelphia. You can hop on the Amtrak NE Regional train at the Joe Biden station and get to downtown Philadelphia without any parking worries.
Delaware has no sales taxes but I'm not sure about hotel taxes.

lovebug

Thanks, I thought we might save some money by lodging outside of Philadelphia. I'll do some research on Wilmington area hotels.

Still open to any suggestions others might have though.

katherinebw

Something to consider would be a trip to Bucks County, although you'd need your car, i.e. can't do it by train. It's about 45 minutes to an hour north of Philadelphia. Middle and Upper Bucks Counties are full of history and great restaurants. Washington Crossing State Park is the place where George Washington crossed the Delaware River and defeated the Hessians and has a few restaurants, with the Washington Crossing Inn being very nice. If the weather is particularly good in April they have a pretty outdoor seating area. The small towns of New Hope, PA and Lambertville, NJ, right across the Delaware River from each other are antiques meccas but also have funky shops and quality art galleries. And it's very hard to get a bad meal in either town. Hamilton's Grill Room in Lambertville is fantastic and pricey, Marsha Brown in New Hope is the same, but there are many, many other more reasonably priced, tasty restaurants as well, like the Inn of the Hawk in Lambertville or Rick's Italian. There are lots of B&B's in the area, too.