This location gets 5 stars because of my love for the trail! Wasn't sure what to expect. It's an…read moreoffice with a sitting area and a water spigot and outlets for recharge for thru hikers. The trail runs right past the front of the building. The stream close by is fresh water and littered with ducks. Lots of trees. They carry various stickers, t-shirts, caps, books, bandanas, socks, and pamphlets. Not really a store. Stuff is randomly laid out about the small space. Staff...not friendly at all. Unfortunate. Woman with desk closer to door looked at me like I had three heads. Not sure why? None of the other staff said a word. The thru hikers were GREAT! I wish I had brought Trail Magic. This was a last minute stop...but next time!!!

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.

Heikes Covered Bridge, Circa 1892 at 67 feet long. The…read moreHeikes Covered Bridge is a historic covered bridge in Huntington Township, Adams County, Pennsylvania. It was built in 1892, and is a 67-foot-long, Burr truss bridge. The bridge crosses Bermudian Creek. It is one of 17 covered bridges in Adams, Cumberland, and Perry Counties.

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.

I am SO happy I stumbled upon the Echo Dell Indian Echo Caverns during a rainy day in Hershey, PA…read more After visiting the gift shop at Hersheypark and eating some ice cream, I did a quick search for things to do in the area and the Indian Echo Caverns popped up as a tourist attraction very close by. My family and I have never done a cavern before and I've always wanted to see one so we said why not? We got there around 3:15 on a Tuesday and we were able to hop on the next tour. Our tour guide Jack was absolutely fabulous. The way he told the stories about the cave and the history behind it was just so interesting. My kids were very engaged during the entire tour of the caverns. The caverns are absolutely gorgeous. All the different "rooms" had different stories and different formations throughout. I loved seeing crystal lake, the water was beautiful. The different colors of the limestone was so cool. Everything was just so impressive and neat. They also have a pretty large gift shop, a playground, and a small petting zoo. It was pouring rain so we couldn't do any outside activities but that's OK. The caves are a cool 52 degrees so make sure to bring a sweatshirt or light jacket if you get chilly. Also, you can't touch any of the rocks so if you have a little kiddo who can't help themselves just be aware of that. Echo Dell Indian Echo Caverns was such a cool spot to visit and I am so happy we found it while in Hershey! Thanks again to Jack for the awesome tour, it was so much fun.

The caverns are very high and big, lots of space so it's cool to see. There are super big…read moreformations, but most are dead, would have been amazing if the flowstone were alive and glistening white, majority was ugly grey and dead. They have farm animals outside you can feed, a jungle gym and swing set. It's a nice area and was a nice time

I visited the Cornwall Iron Furnace for the first time during their 345th Charter Day celebration,…read moreand I'm so glad I finally made the trip. This historic site had been on my list for a while, and with the beautiful weather and special event happening that day, it felt like the perfect time to go. Interestingly, I had only learned about the iron furnace a few months ago. I've always been fascinated by history especially the processes behind how things were made so visiting a place like this was incredibly intriguing. Seeing such an important piece of industrial history still standing today really makes you appreciate the ingenuity and craftsmanship of the people who built and operated it centuries ago. My group tour started at 12:45 PM and lasted a little over an hour. One thing I really appreciated was that we got to hear from several different volunteer guides throughout the tour rather than just one person leading the entire time. Each guide shared their own knowledge and perspective about different parts of the furnace and its operation. They were all incredibly informative and made the history easy to understand, even if you're not familiar with iron production. By the end of the tour, I honestly felt like I had learned dozens of fascinating facts about early iron-making, the daily lives of the workers, and how complex the entire process was. Workers often had 12-hour shifts to keep the furnace operating, which really highlights the amount of labor and coordination required. Standing inside the furnace structure itself was a unique experience. Even though it was warm outside, it actually felt noticeably cooler inside the building, which was surprising. You could really see the age of the structure and imagine the incredible amount of work that went into building and maintaining it. A few helpful things to know before you visit: Parking: Because of the Charter Day event, we were able to park directly on the property near the furnace building. However, there is also additional parking across the street and slightly down a hill, which requires crossing the road to reach the site. Restrooms are located inside the Welcome Center, where the gift shop is located. These appeared to be the only bathrooms on the property. Visitor tips: *Wear comfortable shoes, as there are stairs involved during the tour. *No food or drinks are allowed during the tour. *Plan to spend about an hour or a little more if you take the guided tour. Overall, this was a really enjoyable and educational experience. It gave me a much deeper appreciation for the hard work, skill, and innovation that went into early American industry. If you enjoy history, learning how things are made, or exploring unique historic sites in Pennsylvania, visiting the Cornwall Iron Furnace is absolutely worth adding to your list. Highly recommend taking the guided tour you'll walk away learning far more than you expect.

Built in 1742 and in use until 1883, the Cornwall Iron Furnace is "the only surviving intact…read morecharcoal cold-blast furnace in the Western Hemisphere." I absolutely love history and history museums and loved everything about it. My girlfriend, 11-year-old son and I visited on a Saturday afternoon on a trip to Harrisburg and Hershey. We took the tour and definitely got our money's worth ($18 for the three of us which included a AAA discount)! Started with a 15 minute video, then a guided tour by Beth which lasted over an hour, during which we got to see the furnace from all angles. Beth was very knowledgeable and also very patient with my son's many questions. The property also boasts a small museum and gift shop in the building that formerly housed the operation's charcoal. The gift shop is excellent. Among other things they have a range of cast iron products, as well as many cookbooks with suggested uses. This was an excellently run museum that I can definitely recommend to others who enjoy American history.

Such a great experience! Our guide did a wonderful job explaining things and helped our group of…read morestudents leave with new knowledge.

Located just off US-15, the Catoctin Furnace (also known as Catoctin Iron Furnace) is a historic…read moreiron forge. Only the smelting blast furnace remains and the forge is long gone. Catoctin Furnace was constructed in 1774 by four brothers Thomas, Baker, Roger and James Johnson to produce pig iron from locally mined hematite. In blast by 1776, the furnace provided ammunition (cannonballs) for the American Revolutionary War. Ultimately, three furnaces were built at the site, each named for the site. The first Catoctin Furnace was rebuilt a short distance away in 1787. The second, named Isabella was built in the 1850s by Jacob Kunkel (references give dates from 1853 to 1867). It still stands, within Cunningham Falls State Park. In 1973, the Catoctin Furnace Historical Society, Inc. was formed by G. Eugene Anderson, Clement E. Gardiner, J. Franklin Mentzer, and Earl M. Shankle to "foster and promote the restoration of the Catoctin Furnace Historic District...and to maintain the same exclusively for educational and scientific purposes...to exhibit to coming generations our heritage of the past..." The Catoctin Furnace Historical Society, Inc., celebrates, studies, and preserves the rich history of this pre-revolutionary industrial village, including the architecture, cultural landscapes, lifeways, and foodways of the workers. This is a nice stop just off the highway for a bit of industrial era and Revolutionary War history. Several captions adorn the site pointing out the important parts. Much of the area is handicapped accessible. [Review 15590 overall - 635 in Maryland - 1094 of 2021.]

Awesome experience taking the ferry across the Susquehanna River with my car (with driver) on board…read moreand one passenger for the grand total of $25 ($20+$5) one way. Next time we will plan to spend a little time in Millersburg before heading over to the other side of the river. We'll probably just do a round-trip next time without the car so we can spend a few hours instead of just the trip across. Very huge and cool campground on the west shore with some ice cream and a store. I plan to learn more about the area and come back again soon.

What a wonderful way you cross the river just like they did in the old days. The talk with the boat…read morecaptain was awesome to find out how the riverboat works.

The first of the three remaining covered bridges in Maryland that the family visited. It was built…read morein the first half of the 1800. This beautiful bridge was still being use during our visit. My daughter drove her vehicle through it for the ultimate experience. This location had no adjacent parking nor restroom facility.

The Utica Road Covered Bridge is a Burr truss wooden covered bridge located. Originally built in…read more1834, it spanned the Monocacy River at the Devilbiss Bridge crossing. An 1889 flood damaged the bridge and the surviving half was moved to Fishing Creek in 1891. A pier was inserted at the middle of the bridge to halve its span. The Utica Covered Bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. The bridge is currently closed, which just means that you'll find it at one end or the other of a dead end road. The bridge is still open for pedestrian traffic. [Review 15592 overall - 637 in Maryland - 1096 of 2021.]

"There's a little green fountain On a little green mountain…read moreDon't you think we ought to stop?" (Johnny Cash) This fountain might have a little green in it, but it sure isn't little. It's in the shape of a 16-foot circle on the south-west corner of Penn Square, and its greenish tint is simply the result of a natural patina from the fountain's welded copper panels. As you make your way to the Central Market, you really can't miss it. Built in 1972, the fountain was designed to soften the constant traffic noise at the heart of Lancaster, just steps from Central Market. Water rises from the base and spills over the textured copper surfaces, creating a steady sound that helps muffle the busy intersection around it.

Abstract copper fountain, in the quadrant of Penn Square. Often illuminated at night in blue. The…read morewater never seems to freeze even in the depths of winter. If you look closely you can see Lady Liberty on top of the monument.