2024 National Tour

 June 11-15, 2024 

Our host Motel this year is the Quality Inn Battlefield location. They have a Breakfast Cottage which will provide Continental breakfast every day and we will also have our Tuesday evening Driver's Meeting and the Friday evening banquet.  It should be a perfect place for our parking lot get-togethers every evening.  A regularly scheduled trolly is also available for a fee to take you to most attractions in the area.  Our event will start at the Breakfast Cottage on Tuesday evening at 6:00 where we will provide some sort of light dinner such as pizza. 

Wednesday we will head Downtown area where we will be able to roam through the numerous shops, museums, eateries and attractions.  Walking Tour maps as well as downtown brochures will be available.  We will meet at the Garryowen Irish Pub for lunch and to share our downtown experiences.  The "Go" as locals call it is very popular eatery in Gettysburg.  The primary cuisine is Irish but other menu items are available.  We have two options after lunch to tour the battlefield.  You may choose between a narrated driving tour where we drive your own vehicle or a bus tour with tour guide.  The driving tour is a cell phone app that knows your location by GPS and narrates as you travel through the park.  This tour can last between 2-4 hours depending on how many stops you make.  Reviews says it is easy to use and very informative.  The bus tour has very high ratings as well.  It will last about 2 hours with only one stop to look around.  After the battlefield we should have time to freshen up at the Motel and then meet up at the Dobbins House for our evening meal.  The Dobbins House is the oldest structure in Gettysburg and is period correct throughout.  We are welcome to tour the house for free on our own while we are there.  After dinner we can return to the Motel for our usual parking lot get-togethers or stay in town to partake of some of the Gettysburg nightlife.  

Thursday we will depart for a 60-mile trip to Hershey, PA where we will first visit the AACA Museum.  This museum is famous for its Tucker collection and Transportation History display as well as a large rotating collection of antique vehicles.  After the AACA Museum we will travel to Hershey World where we will have lunch at your choice of several restaurants inside the complex and then take a ride on the Hershey Express trolly.  We will experience the inspiring story of Milton Hershey and the main sites of the town that bears his name:  the original chocolate factory, Mr. Hershey's birthplace, Highpoint Mansion, Chocolate & Cocoa Avenues, the Hershey Kiss Streetlights, Hershey Park and Milton Hershey School.   We then will have time to explore Hershey World itself and choose what additional attractions we want to experience and what chocolate treats we want to enjoy.  Just remember....we have a dinner planned for later at the Soda Jerk Diner. 

The Soda Jerk Diner is a step back to the 50's when flat tops and poodle skirts were the norm.  Loosen your belt and sit down to enjoy a meal from the most extensive menu I have ever seen.  Choose from Greek/Italian dishes to Hot dogs/fries to steaks/meatloaf.  All in a 50's soda shop surrounding.  After dinner we will head back to the Motel to recover from chocolate and comfort food overload.  

Friday we will be traveling about 25 miles to the Eastern Museum of Auto Racing where we will see an interesting collection of vintage race cars and memorabilia.  This tour will last about 1 1/2 hours.  Then we will travel back to Gettysburg for a casual day back downtown area to experience whatever we missed or didn't have time to see on Wednesday.   After a few hours of shopping, sightseeing, museums and pubs we will meet back at the Motel Cottage for a catered Banquet dinner.

By Dennis Gruse