This gray painted marker with gold lettering is located on Main Street near the center of…read moreMercersburg. It points out the home behind it where the "first lady" of the Buchanan Presidency was born. The marker reads, "Built by Thomas Lane. Was later occupied by the family of Elliott Lane, a brother. Here, in 1830, Harriet Lane, niece of James Buchanan and mistress of the White House during his Presidency, was born." Harriet Rebecca Lane Johnston (May 9, 1830 - July 3, 1903) acted as First Lady of the United States during the presidency of her uncle, lifelong bachelor James Buchanan, from 1857 to 1861. She has been described as the first of the modern First Ladies, being a notably charming and diplomatic hostess, whose dress-styles were copied, and who promoted deserving causes. In her will, she left funds for a new school on the grounds of Washington National Cathedral. Several ships have been named in her honour, including the cutter USCGC Harriet Lane, still in service, as of 2021. Lane is the only person to have served as First Lady to a bachelor president, Buchanan being the only U.S. president never to have married. She is among eleven women who have served as First Lady, but were not married to the President, with most of the other women being relatives of widowed presidents. The Lane House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. [Review 15578 overall - 568 in Pennsylvania - 1082 of 2021.]

One of the true treasures of Mercersburg, PA. I fell in love with this place the SECOND I walked in…read morethe door - and on the wall was a portrait of famed 19th century opera singer Jenny Lind. You feel as though you've stepped back into another age at Lane House, and being able to visit was one of my favorite travel memories. Sahand has done an incredible historian's work to restore the property and bring it into the 21st century. The place oozes 19th century charm and I highly encourage EVERYONE to visit this unique jewel in the city's crown.

Highly recommended if you've never been. There are no words, truly…read more Simply humbling to be in an area of such historical significance.

When in Harrisburg, visit Gettysburg. I was in awe of the park. The museum, visitors center, and…read moregift shop of course were great, clean, with clean restrooms. But the experience really starts when you drive the tour. We opted to drive the route ourselves for the self guide tour of the battle fields. It really grounded me while driving though. Knowing how many lost their lives in the area. You were driving through a grave site. The feeling of awe, calm, chills, and honor came over me. I can go on and on about this amazing place. But I'll let my photos do all the talking.

So gorgeous! The history of this battlefield is unlike any other. The preservation the NPS and…read moreothers have helped put into this park is incredible. I loved that they had the driving option available and you can connect it with an audible, especially on a hot day, it is such a large area I don't know how a person could walk it! It's $20 a vehicle, and so worth it.

Visiting Antietam was a wonderful experience and the battlefield is very well-preserved. There's a…read morewealth of information available here and we learned a large amount about the battle that we hadn't known. The NPS has done a great job here and we really enjoyed being able to visit.

Tony and I was driving towards Fort Frederick State Park from having lunch. We saw sign for C&O…read moreCanal Lock Dam#5 and Lockhouse. On the other side of Potomac River is WV It's a free park to enjoy for viewing scenery! There is plenty of parking. Free to enjoy! People were there hiking, biking, fishing...I guess you can swim there is no signage saying you can't. Only a sign saying no alcohol It's a beautiful area with Great open river views! Highly Recommend

Stonewall Jackson headquarters was a beautiful old house from the 1800s the way they lived in those…read moretimes were remarkable times for people to live in where different and exciting times

The guide was very knowledgeable, we thoroughly enjoyed the museum. Would recommend.read more

Quite a view! It is really neat to see this massive road cut. There is an access behind the…read moreMaryland Welcome Center, and there is also a pedestrian bridge that connects the rest stop on the other side of the highway to this access. Climbing up the steps gets you to the view. Looking at the opened walls is very interesting since you can see the various layers going back through time. We somehow managed to end up here at great timing for the sun coming through the hill too, which was an added interesting feature. There is also signage available that provides more details about the National Road and Sideling Hill.

I lived in Baltimore Md as a child, my grandparents had a cabin in West Virginia. Four or five…read moretimes a year we would drive out I83, through the "V in the mountain" on the way to our vacation spot deep in the woods! Sideling Hill became our halfway stop, many times I used the bathrooms there, and ate many sandwiches made by my grandmother in the parking lot! All the employees were always so nice and seemed super informative... Always kept clean! Bathrooms included! As for the hill, Beautiful is an understatement for this very unnatural yet breathtaking view of a mountain, and each season offers another opportunity to see this impressive feat of mankind. There's even a walkway bridge that spans the highway with interesting views of its own! If you travel out western md and happen through Sideling hill, take fifteen minutes and stop in! I'm not sure if it's still there but they had a stuffed black bear standing guard inside. Check it out, definitely a beautiful view that won't disappoint.

I have driven by the farm many times, alwys when closing. This time I found time to stop. I…read moreexpected to spend an hour or so, and ended up spending a whole afternoon!! The gem here are the rangers. I saw two talks, both of which I was completely enthralled with the history and the lessons. I loved being able to see Ike's book collection. Seeing a book collection tells you a lot about a person. Also the discussion on diplomacy was enlightening and so enjoyable. I did do the home tour. I was inspired by Mrs. Eisenhower, but also the partnership they had as a couple, let me with #relationshipgoals to bring home. The landscape is also just gorgeous! Stop. Learn. Enjoy!

The Eisenhower Home was such an interesting and memorable tour. As grand as President Eisenhower's…read morelife and presidency were, it was fascinating to learn that this peaceful hobby farm was where he chose to retire. You really can learn a lot about someone by seeing the place they chose to call home. Getting there is part of the adventure--you enter via a long, single-lane gravel road. It's so long you might wonder if you've made a wrong turn! Thankfully, GPS got us there without trouble. When you arrive, there's one long row of parking spaces. Head straight to the ticket area for your house tour pass, as they do seem to run out early. While you wait for your tour time, you can explore the expansive outdoor areas. Our favorites were: 1. Eisenhower's vehicles, including the limo that shuttled him to and from Washington, D.C., every weekend. 2. The Secret Service room with the small safe that once held the nuclear codes. 3. The putting green, where we enjoyed a little golf while taking in the gorgeous countryside views. 4. The greenhouse and patio, where we imagined the President and Mamie spending peaceful afternoons. We were lucky to get tickets for the 11 a.m. tour, which began with a 10-20 minute ranger talk about how the Eisenhowers chose this home and some of the people who lived and visited here. Tip: arrive a little early--the ranger shared some great informal stories before the official tour began right at 11 a.m. Inside, the ranger spent about 5 minutes pointing out key details, then let us explore at our own pace with a pamphlet to guide us. Indoor highlights included: 1. The portraits of President Eisenhower, Mamie, and their son John. 2. The TV in the informal living room--such a relatable touch for a world leader. 3. The special staircase wallpaper Mamie ordered, featuring the seals of all 50 states. 4. Mamie's very pink bedroom and bathroom. Between the history, the personal touches, and the beautiful setting, this is an absolute must-visit in Gettysburg.

We used this and the adjacent park on the other side of the canal as our launch point for two rides…read more29SEP (went south out & back 10 miles) and 30 SEP went north out & back 24 miles). Spacious parking area, not paved or marked spots but I would guess 30 cars or so would fit comfortably? The days we were there we only saw about 10-15. The trail itself is well packed dirt/gravel and even with a few wet areas along the way it is easy for most bikes, other than a pure road bike.

Tony and I stopped at C&O Canal Lock 44 & Lockhouse. It's free to enjoy and a lovely area to Enjoy…read morefor free. Plenty of parking. There is an old Lockhouse, plenty of signage about history and TURTLES...We saw about 20 plus turtles sunning themselves. Great place for hiking, biking and exploring. Close easy access to the Potomac River for tubing and swimming. Highly Recommend and definitely would go back when in area.

On March 8, 2016 I went to the Wilson Bridge. I had to make the first Yelp review for this because…read moreit was not in their records. It's a pretty view and a cool stone bridge. It is called the Link between East and West. It was built in 1819 and was first stone bridge in Washington County. Erected by Silas Harry making a major improvement to the road system between Baltimore and Cumberland. It helped have a smooth surface from eastern seaboard to western wilderness. It carried traffic until seriously damaged by store flooding in 1972. Now you can just walk on it. It was placed on the National Historic Register 1982. I am giving it 5 stars because it had information there and it was a nice bridge to walk on to take in the view.

I'm hoping that the folks down at Yelp don't decide to merge this with the State Park. The Memorial…read moreArch is its own thing and should remain separate as you can visit the memorial and not visit the park and vice-versa. The arch is 50 feet talll and was built and dedicated in 1896 and is claimed to be the only monument in the world dedicated to journalists killed in combat. As described by the man who built it, "In appearance the monument is quite odd. It is fifty feet high and forty feet broad. Above a Moorish arch sixteen feet high built of Hummelstown purple stone are super-imposed three Roman arches. These are flanked on one side with a square crenellated tower, producing a bizarre and picturesque effect. Niches in different places shelter the carving of two horses' heads, and symbolic terra cotta statuettes of Mercury, Electricity and Poetry." Unchanged for over a century, the arch had four names added in 2003: David Bloom, Michael Kelly, Elizabeth Neuffer, and Daniel Pearl. Hopefully, you recognize the names. On the face: SPEED - HEED Sept. 14 - 62 - 96 To the Army Correspondents and Artists 1861-65 Whose toils cheered the fireside Educated provinces of rustics into a bright nation of readers and gave incentive to narrate distant wars and explore dark lands. On the north side: O wondrous youth Through this grand ruth Runs my boy's life, its thread The General's fame, the battle's name The rolls of maimed and dead I bear with my thrilled soul astir And lonely thoughts and fears And am but history's courier To bind the conquering years A battle's ray, through ages gray To light to deeds sublime And flash the lustre of my day Down all the aisles of time War Correspondent Ballad - 1865 [Round number review 15600 overall - 645 in Maryland - 1104 of 2021.]

An absolute beautiful monument that sits right on the Appalachian Trail. There is a beautiful…read morepavilion, parking, bathrooms, water, and even campsites 1/2 Mike away along the AT. Gathland State Park is accessible from RT 67 and also RT 17 ( Burkittsville), and is of great historical significance during the Civil War as it was a gap in the ride held by the Confederates to delay the Union advance prior to the battle of Antietam. Beautiful area and a definite place to check out for history buffs or just a wonderful, quiet picnic, or a day hike. It is very clean and well shaded.