Please help plan trip to PA Dutch and Gettysburg
 

Hi everyone! We will be travelling to Lancaster area and Gettysburg in August. Haven't been there in seventeen years. Need help with lodging. Looking for clean motel/hotels with queen beds and pool for the children in both places. Confused by all the listings in the guide book. Would appreciate comments on the following places or other suggestions:
Lancaster area: Best Western Eden resort, Fulton's Steamboat Inn, Country Inn of Lancaster, Continental Inn, Best Western Revere Inn, Cherry Lane Motor Lodge.
Gettysburg: Quality Inn-Larsens (stayed there 17 years ago),Quality Inn Gettysburg Motor Lodge, Days Inn, Hampton Inn.
Travelling with sixteen and nine year old boys. Older one likes history. How many days should we allow for Gettysburg? Any must do or see ideas would be appreciated, too! Thank you all in advance!!

mma:

Saw the Lancaster brochure for the Fulton Steamboat hotel. I'd pick that one for sure. Try something different than the same old boring hotel. It is AAA rated so that is a good thing. I'd say 2 days for both places. You could always venture to Hersheypark for a day.

Can only speak about Gettysburg. Went with 2 kids (10 and 14) and my mother 2 years ago. We spent 2 nights - one full day and part of another - for us it was about right amount of time.

As far as doing the Gettysburg history thing - in august it will be hot - so you may wilt before you see all you want. There are private historian tours you can buy, but we went for the self-guided auto audio tour that they sell at the main visitors center (or rent - but cots is not that different). You get a cassette or CD that you play in your car. The voice (along with map) gives you easy directions between various stops (about 15) and historical blurb. You then park car and spend as much time as you want at each stop.

This worked for us because with the kids and the grandmother, we did not want to have to deal with restlessness, hunger, thirst while with a live person. We were able to stop tape, eat lunch, relax and then pick up the tour. We listened to the entire tape but skipped walking around at one or 2 stops - again, your choice with the tape.

Others have commented here very favorably about the hire-a-live-historian option, and I am sure it gives you a richer historical experience - we went for what was practical for us.

We stayed richt in town square at big hostorical hotel (?Gettysburg Inn?). I would pick someplace else. While nice, it was undergoing its seasonal conversion into a Gettysburg College overflow dorm while we were there (don't know if they still use it as such)

My husband and I attend an annual convention in Lancaster in July. We stay at the Lancaster Host which is located on Route 30 on the eastern edge of the city. It's location provides easy access to the small Amish towns of Paradise, Bird in Hand, Intercourse, etc. It is also located between the two large outlet malls in Lancaster. Although some of the carpeting in high traffic areas was showing wear last year, the facility itself is excellent. It has a large enclosed outdoor pool area that would work well for your boys if you had a poolside room. The hotel is too large to give your nine year old free reign of the facility, however. Another possibility with a more Amish feel to it would be the Strasburg Inn. It is located about five miles south of Lancaster near the Strasburg Railroad Museum, a must see for your nine year old. You can use the Strasburg Area Links option on the following website for more information on the accommodations I mentioned as well as other area attractions: www.strasburgrailroad.com

My husband, the history buff, says to allow at least two days in Gettysburg. Purchase the audiotape tour or consider using the historian option. The NPS also offers interesting evening campfire programs that might make Gettysburg come alive for your nine year old. See if you can obtain a program schedule in advance of your visit so that you can pick your days for programs that will interest your younger child.

Two days in Gettysburg is sufficient. DO get the audio tour OR the historical guide. Both are well worth the financial investment. Otherwise, you may feel you need longer to cover all the battlefields.

For lodging, do you want to stay in town near the shops and touristy stuff, or is a pool more important? The AAA book is right on target for Gettysburg in my opinion, unlike some of the other cities it reviews.

I believe there is a Days Inn right next to the Robert E. Lee Headquarters - one of those chain hotels/motels. I remember stopping for this tourist attraction and checking out the property. I remember it having a pretty nice outdoor pool. This place is on Route 30 and about 2-3 miles west of downtown Gettysburg.

Thank you all for your replies. Gail - I like the flexibility using the audiotape might give us rather than a live guide - may change my mind once I'm there though! Any recommendations from all of you for places to eat? We are not fussy and the boys live by their stomachs!! Also, we were thinking of stopping at the Crayola Factory on our way back home to the Providence area. Is it worth seeing? Thanks again for your help.