150th with a one year old

[tonijustine]

I hope you all can give me some advice.

I made it to Shiloh's 150th earlier this year, but missed out on Antietam's since our son was only 2 months old at the time. I was planning on going to Gettysburg's 150th up until our son arrived this summer. I decided that it wouldn't be good to take a 1 year old to such an event. Lots of people, in the middle of summer, and I would be planning on staying for 4 days or so.

Then a very wise friend told me that I should go anyway and take him. My trip would probably have to change (shorter, fewer hikes, shorter days), but that if I got him used to taking history trips early, it may become something he really liked to do. And I couldn't just stop pursuing my interests entirely. She made so much sense, I think the trip is back on.

My problem is that I've never been to a Gettysburg anniversary and know it is crowded. I can't even imagine what the 150th will be like (Shiloh was wonderful, but as crowded as it was, it couldn't touch the traffic that Gettysburg has on a normal school day). Can anyone who has been to an anniversary before give me some pointers on events/places that would interest a 1 year old? I haven't been to Gettysburg looking for kid-friendly places to visit in a long, long, long time, so is there something in town that would be geared toward kids that I should add to the itinerary?

I plan on staying in Frederick or Hagerstown, and we will have our own car. I probably will only get 2 days there, and would like to have those be the 2nd and 3rd, but if anyone else has any advice, I would appreciate hearing it. I usually know exactly how I would do a battlefield trip, but I've also never wanted to engage a 1 year old in the same trip!

Thanks for your help!

And no Dh will not be joining us. He's been to Gettysburg once, for 15 minutes on his way back from a baseball trip and that was plenty for him.

 

[pamc153PA]

I'd say go! Actually, it got tougher as my son got older: now he's 10 and does well, but 4, 5 and 6 were a little exhausting. My son was not quite one when we took him the first time, and it was great: he was mostly a lump, but he was along for the ride, and was too young to really complain! His first time across Pickett's Charge was then: we put him in his dad's backpack, and he fell asleep at about Emittsburg Road. We LOVED that backpack (and the Snugli before it) because we could take him so many places and he felt safe, and in some ways had the best seat in the house! If you don't have one, get one--you'll want your hands free, anyway.

It is true that little ones get used to the battlefields as a way of life. Better to get them used to it before they realize they have a choice! My son began to recognize particular places on the Gettysburg battlefield really early, and now he knows exactly where he's going, even to some of the more out of the way places. There aren't many places geared to one year olds there--there is a please-touch museum sort of place, and playgrounds--but don't they find most places interesting? My son loved to open and close the drawers in the hotels, put his stuffed animals in them and also our stuff. There will also probably be a pool at your hotel, if your baby likes that.

And yes, it will be full! Hopefully your son will be the patient kind of kid, because you'll be dealing with lots of crowds and long lines. But I'd say, definitely, do it! (But book soon if you can--it's already kind of late to book for such a big event)

 

[Evan]

Who knows... maybe if you bring him, he'll get used to going on trips! So when he's older, he'll go no problem. Unlike some snotty kids!

 

[JerseyBart]

Who knows... maybe if you bring him, he'll get used to going on trips! So when he's older, he'll go no problem. Unlike some snotty kids!

Hilarious!!!