All alone on Neill Ave. in Gettysburg

infomanpa

1st Lieutenant
Joined
Feb 18, 2017
Location
Pennsylvania
If you want to be on the battlefield and not see anyone for at least an hour, go visit Neill Ave. in January. In fact, it's lonely at a lot of the sites this time of year. I did happen to meet one guy at the top of Big Round Top. It turned out to be John Archer, author and Licensed Battlefield Guide!

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View from west to east

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View from east to west
 
If you want to be on the battlefield and not see anyone for at least an hour, go visit Neill Ave. in January. In fact, it's lonely at a lot of the sites this time of year. I did happen to meet one guy at the top of Big Round Top. It turned out to be John Archer, author and Licensed Battlefield Guide!

View attachment 342139
View from west to east

View attachment 342141
View from east to west
Been there a few times and was lucky enough to meet the legend Dean Schultz! My dear old father and I got a personal tour for about 45 minutes!
 
Sunday mornings at 6 am is a pretty good time, too. I was in Gettysburg going to the Civil War Institute, and I needed to get a photo of the Pennsylvania Monument for my book but I didn't want to miss any of the CWI, so I slipped out at dawn and had the place all to myself. That's my Toyota parked just outside the Pennsylvania Monument with not another soul in sight.

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The battlefield looks a great deal different to a lad from the deep South when he's standing there in snow up to his knees and perhaps my choice of when to visit the battlefield could have used some more thought. When you have a place like this all to yourself, it's rather thought provoking.
 
If you want to be on the battlefield and not see anyone for at least an hour, go visit Neill Ave. in January. In fact, it's lonely at a lot of the sites this time of year. I did happen to meet one guy at the top of Big Round Top. It turned out to be John Archer, author and Licensed Battlefield Guide!

View attachment 342139
View from west to east

View attachment 342141
View from east to west
Thank you for posting. I’ve found myself missing Gburg and in need of a visit soon.
 
A few years back, my grown son had gone back to graduate school and had pretty much zero money when my birthday rolled around. I told him of course to skip it - you other older guys will appreciate when I say that the last thing I need is more stuff - but it bothered him.

Finally, he came up with the idea of spending the day with me at Gettysburg, a place where we had both been a few times. Naturally, my birthday is in late January.

Anyway, we went down (a couple hours away) and, for the most part, the place was deserted. It was a bit nippy, but only little residual snow here and there.

We walked and talked for hours with nothing but the ghosts and our thoughts.

Still one of the best days of my life.

Why did the room suddenly get so dusty?
 
Donna and I had the opportunity to spend a New Years holiday in Gettysburg. It was amazing, it was in 2015 / 2016. We stayed, as usual at the 1863 Inn Of Gettysburg, there was no one around. The battlefield was a ghost town :smile: the shops and restaurants were warm and cozy, On New Years Eve it began to snow. Believe it or not, there was no snow on the ground. Donna and I sat on a outside bench on the 2nd floor of the hotel located on the far end opposite the Jenny Wade House. It was well after dark, we sat there watching the beautiful snow fall on an all but deserted Steinwehr Ave. The snow was falling fast in large flakes that were accumulating quickly. It was truly magical as we sat there without saying a word watching the beautiful snow fall with the beautifully decorated town of Gettysburg as our back drop. Donna and I remember it so fondly we often talk about returning some New Years holiday in the future in an attempt to recapture the magic.
 
A few years back, my grown son had gone back to graduate school and had pretty much zero money when my birthday rolled around. I told him of course to skip it - you other older guys will appreciate when I say that the last thing I need is more stuff - but it bothered him.

Finally, he came up with the idea of spending the day with me at Gettysburg, a place where we had both been a few times. Naturally, my birthday is in late January.

Anyway, we went down (a couple hours away) and, for the most part, the place was deserted. It was a bit nippy, but only little residual snow here and there.

We walked and talked for hours with nothing but the ghosts and our thoughts.

Still one of the best days of my life.

Why did the room suddenly get so dusty?
This past 4th of July, as we have for the last 20 years, our group does a living history at Pitzer's Woods on Seminary Ridge (where Longstreet and his pony statue resides). We had finished our demonstrations for the day and went to the various memorabilia stores and then to O'Rourke's. Needless to say we were fairly well into our cups when the DD said that he was heading back if we wanted a ride. Not to disturb the rest of the camp, we decided to sleep under the cannon facing Cemetery Ridge (Blount's Battery). The view the next morning was well worth the hangover, a heavy mist, then a purple sky turning into all kinds of red and orange hues....
 
Sunday mornings at 6 am is a pretty good time, too. I was in Gettysburg going to the Civil War Institute, and I needed to get a photo of the Pennsylvania Monument for my book but I didn't want to miss any of the CWI, so I slipped out at dawn and had the place all to myself. That's my Toyota parked just outside the Pennsylvania Monument with not another soul in sight.

View attachment 342157
did you happen take any more photos from the PA monument, like in the other direction across the Emmitsburg Rd where the VA monument stands???
 
If you want to be on the battlefield and not see anyone for at least an hour, go visit Neill Ave. in January. In fact, it's lonely at a lot of the sites this time of year.
That's the beauty of winter touring especially on a weekday. Can't tell you how many battlefields I've had all to myself in January and February.
 
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