Spring has definitely sprung!

Just a quick post to show you some of the bloom that is happening already here in Gettysburg, thanks to the gorgeous 80 degree weather we've been enjoying for the past week.

An article in the local paper quoted one of the commercial orchard owners as saying he's never in his life seen a spring in which the peach, apricot and apple trees were all blooming simultaneously. They are all running 3-4 weeks ahead of their normal bloom time.

Daffodils, tulips, hyacinth and forsythia are all blooming together, and the lilacs are racing to catch up! You can see the changes happening overnight.

Team Doubleday took a drive this morning to check out the redbud trees that are blooming all over the Battlefield. We got lucky and happened to catch the demolition crew attacking the bathroom facility and overhead power lines over at Devil's Den.

Enjoy the pics!

Super Battlefield Viewing Right Now!

This past weekend the Doubleday Inn was proud to host the "Guns of Gettysburg" package with Licensed Battlefield Guides Ralph Siegel & Rich Kohr. We were treated to 10 excellent hours on the Battlefield observing the types and uses of Civil War artillery that were present here in July 1863.

Conditions are absolutely perfect for viewing the artillery fields of fire across the Battlefield right now as the leaves are not yet out on the trees and the underbrush has not grown up. Your window is narrow here, though, as the first green sprouts are already pushing through and we will be back to full foliage by the end of April.

Ralph gave an excellent Power Point presentation on the uses and types of Civil War artillery on Friday

evening, followed by his leading us on a fantastic viewing of Benner's Hill on Saturday afternoon. He pointed out the visibility and proximity of both Culp's and Cemetary Hills and the strategies needed by both sides to hold these landmarks as well as the intense artillery clash that occurred there on July 2nd.

Rich's field tours concentrated on Day 1 and 3 artillery and gave us some really fascinating insights into what actually occurred during the immense cannonade which preceded Pickett's Charge. He also covered the opening artillery clash on McPherson's Ridge, which gave him a chance to spend some time with his beloved Day One guns (and of course throw in just a few references to the gallant men of Roy Stone's Brigade).

It was a really fun weekend filled with lots of great new information. Everyone left tired & happy so we felt our mission was accomplished!

A very special thanks to frequent Doubleday Inn visitor Cheryl, who was here in November and caught these incredible photos of a double rainbow on Oak Ridge. We got to see it but were walking Molly at the time and didn't have the camera with us so we were so happy that Cheryl managed to capture these shots and was willing to share them with us:

With the warm Spring weather we will be getting to enjoy many of our favorite outdoor activities soon. The Gettysburg Farmer's Market in Lincoln Square begins this Saturday and continues through the end of October each Saturday from 7 am to noon. If you're here we might ask you to pick some things up for us as we struggle to finish up with breakfast and get down there before all the "good stuff" is gone...if you're an expert melon or berry chooser please let us use your talents!

Beginning April 1st the National Military Park Museum & Visitor's Center will offer extended hours, from 8 AM to 6 PM daily, and the Battlefield itself features extended hours from 6 AM to 10 PM daily...lots of opportunities to get your perfect sunrise and sunset as well as full moon shots!

Please keep in your thoughts this week our historian and friend Charlie Kingston. Many of you are familiar with Charlie from his discussion sessions here at the Inn. He's got a nasty case of pneumonia and is at the moment resting up, drinking fluids, and looking forward to another busy season getting underway. We hope he is back on his feet soon.

Happy Spring!

Team Doubleday

Battlefield Snow Pics

As promised, here are some beautiful snow scenes from Monday, February 8th. At the time there were 25 inches of snow on the ground. As of today (Wednesday, February 10th) Gettysburg has received an additional 14 inches of snow, AND IT IS STILL SNOWING!!! We will get some updated pics when it's all over.

"Snowmageddon"

Gettysburg witnessed another battle...against Mother Nature!

It was truly remarkable. The snow began to fly on Friday afternoon at 2 pm and did not stop until the following afternoon. The wind was howling all night long on Friday and because of all the snow on the ground reflecting the flakes coming down it never really got dark...just produced a very eerie glow.

By sunset on Saturday evening the storm has completely cleared out, leaving us with a gorgeous sunset (as seen through the Inn's parlor window below).

Sunday morning we began our clean-up and while it was tough to tell the exact amount due to all the drifting, our local news is saying we got a total of 25 inches. We believe it!

Thanks to the snowblower and Todd's forward thinking in getting all the supplies ready before the storm hit, we had a fairly easy cleanup.

The clear skies and bright sunshine helped, though the temperature never reached higher than 23 degrees.

The great news is that our temperatures are not scheduled to be over 32 degrees for the next 10 days so this beautiful scenery is not going anywhere for a good long while.

So get yourself to Gettysburg and the Doubleday Inn for a visit if you want to see the results of this "biblical" snow event!

We've got someone on staff who will be happy to give you a guided tour of the snow spots with the most fun:

P.S., We are heading out for a drive tomorrow to capture some snowy Battlefield scenes, stay tuned for more pictures coming soon!

Christine

Welcome 2010!

HAPPY NEW YEAR FRIENDS!

We hope this new

beginning finds you enjoying

festive holiday fun with your loved ones.

Here in Gettysburg we are enjoying the remnants of several snow storms which enabled us to enjoy not only a white Christmas but a white New Year's Eve & Day as well.

During our second Scrooged! holiday weekend on December 19th, we were snowed in with 19 wonderful guests as we watched 16 inches of fluffy white powder fall onto the Battlefield.

It is truly special to get to see this area bathed in the freshness of new snow, something not many people get the chance to see.

Luckily for all of us the Christmas carols were cheery, the refreshments were plentiful, and the warmth of the fire and the company made for a really special day. Thank you so much to all who survived the "Blizzard of 2009" with us in such jolly spirits! Special thanks to those with 4-Wheel drive vehicles who drove their new friends into town so everyone could grab a bite at the Pub!

We were lucky in that it was just snow and no ice so everyone was able to get out see the Battlefield and all the monuments covered in snow as well as walk/run/play in it a little bit. Can you guess who enjoyed that part the most?

I'll give you a hint:

Your innkeepers enjoyed some wonderful time with family over the holidays. The Inn was festive with a 7 foot live Douglas Fir in the dining room, as well as Todd's Lionel O-gauge train display in the living room. We're getting better, it only took he and his Dad 3 days to put it up this year instead of last year's 4! This year we featured an "Eisenhower Christmas" theme with the 1950's diesel engine with passenger cars and Lionel accessories laid out on our little town of Gettysburg display (my favorite are the teeny tiny phone booths and the functional traffic lights, very cool!).

Below is a great photo that our friend Michael Buck took during his last stay at the Inn. Some of you might remember that Mike also took the breakfast photos that are now featured on our "Dining" page at www.doubledayinn.com. He is one talented gentleman, and we're grateful for all the wonderful shots he's captured for us this year.

Speaking of our website, please stay tuned for some exciting new changes in the month of January. With the help of our awesome web designers at Wowi Zowi we will soon have a new site with updated & larger photos, expanded room descriptions and info on the Inn and even more information designed to help you plan and get the most out of your time during your visits to Gettysburg.

Next week we switch over to maintenance mode for a bit with plans to repaint the dining room and several guest baths, updating some flooring where needed, updating the guest information binders and even getting some work done in the (until recently very messy) owners' quarters!

It is sorely needed and after 3.5 years in this space we are happy to have some time to devote to that.

The Inn will continue to be open so please check on the availability of your favorite room by clicking on our RESERVATION calendar. A reminder that our Discounted Winter Rates continue through March 18, 2010. Take advantage of this beautiful quiet season and plan a get-a-way with your loved one today.

We love hearing from you!

If you ever have questions or just want to say "Hello" please do not hesitate to send an email to Info@doubledayinn.com.

Thank you so much to all of you for making 2009 a fun & prosperous year for us and the Doubleday Inn.

We look forward to seeing you soon!

Christine, Todd & Snow Bunny Molly

Is there anything more eerily beautiful than seeing the full moon rise over the Battlefield in Gettysburg? This shot was captured on November 2nd, standing on the road in front of the Inn. We've recently had inquiries from lots of folks wanting to time their visit to be near the Full Moon so they can get some images like this one. To help them plan we've found this calendar that shows all of the moon's phases. Next full moon will be Tuesday, December 1st.

Beginning November 1st the National Park Service has made the switch to Winter Hours. The Museum & Visitor Center is now open from 8 am to 5 pm daily, and the Battlefield itself from 6 am to 7 pm. Guests to the Doubleday Inn are reminded that the park road on which the house sits, Doubleday Avenue, is open to traffic 24 hours per day so there is never a curfew or specific time you need to be

back to the Inn.

This is a wonderful season to visit Gettysburg for those wanting to really study the battle terrain and get a feel for how the troop movements played out. With the leaves mostly off of the trees, the climb to the top of any of the observation towers is well-rewarded by vistas of up to 10 miles. With few lines at any of the shops or museums and plenty of space on the Battlefield to have it all to yourself, you will love the peace and relaxtion of a winter Gettysburg visit.

Plan your stay now and take advantage of our off-season discounts: Any room at the Inn is yours for just $135/night with no mimimum stays required. Plus book directly through our website and enjoy an additional $10/night off your stay. Treat yourself to a relaxing get-a-way and take time to reconnect with a loved one. You deserve it!

Now is also the time to plan your Holiday visit. We are happy to once again be co-hosting the popular "Scrooged!" weekend with the good folks at the Cashtown Inn. We have one room available for the program on December 4th/5th, click here if you would like to make a reservation.

We have also just finalized plans to offer another weekend holiday special: "Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol" is a live interactive dinner theatre which tells the story of Marley's efforts to save his friend Scrooge's soul. Weekend package includes a Friday night four-course private dinner at the Cashtown Inn along with live dinner theatre performance. Saturday receive tickets to the 13th Annual Gettysburg Holiday House Tour where you can view multiple historic properties decked out in their holiday finest. This very special weeekend is being offered December 11th & 12th ONLY. Click HERE for details and to make your reservation.

Your innkeepers are busy making plans for holiday decorating. By popular demand, the Lionel train dislpay will be BACK for Christmas this year! Decorating will begin just after Thanksgiving. We've been having lots of fun the last few days with Roby & Carolyn Laporte, our website designers. Together they are Wowi Zowi and are responsible for our website being as pretty and user-friendly as possible. They have been here with us for several days, taking updated pictures and making plans for website changes, stay tuned for those in the next few months!

I have to take a moment and thank everyone who has visited in the last few months and spoiled our dog rotten!

Molly has gotten more treats, stuffed toys, balls, and ear rubs than we can count! Thank you for being so good to her, and to us.

While I was snapping pics of the moon this week, Molly took the opportunity to visit Sallie the War Dog and do a little bartering for the biscuit that had been left on the monument. Who do you think came out on the better end of that deal?

We hope to see you soon on the Battlefield!

~Christine, Todd & Molly

Summer Fun!

We're sure you can tell by our lack of posts these past few months that we are deep into the BUSY season here in Gettysburg! This has been our best summer yet, filled with so much history, fun and great folks.

June gave us the opportunity to host the "Lost Gettysburg" weekend in conjunction with the Cashtown Inn.

Licensed Battlefield Guides Rich Kohr and Tim Smith took us on a 10+ hour tramp of the Battlefield as we discovered out of the way places, examined historic photos to see the things that aren't there anymore, and learned some really cool info on quarry sites here on the Battlefield.

Did you know that many of the monument bases were quarried right here from "Gettysburg granite"? Once you know the markings to look for you will find this stone EVERYWHERE on the field!

The absolute highlight of the weekend was the Saturday morning walk onto the property of Mr. Dean Schultz. His historic home sits just off the Baltimore Pike and backs to "Lost Lane" or Neill Avenue, which is a land-locked portion of the National Military Park that few people get the opportunity to see.

Mr. Schultz generously spent more than three hours with our group. He not only showed us Lost Lane with its beautiful monuments and detailed Battle history, but also walked us along the south side of Rock Creek, up to the traces of McAllister's Mill, which has been documented as an Adams County stop on the Underground Railroad.

Mr. Schultz is simply an amazing historian. With his relaxed conversational style and seemingly limitless knowledge, we learned not only Battle history but information on the town of Gettysburg and her citizens of 1863, the geological and geographical features of the town that helped to frame its history, and the role of the area in the Underground Railroad complete with personalized accounts of the McAllister family. Everyone agreed it was simply a once-in-a-lifetime event and we all felt so privileged to be part of it. It will not soon be forgotten, and we are so grateful to Mr. Schultz for his time and for his continued dedication to land conservancy here in Adams County. He is truly a treasure!

In July, we had the distinct pleasure of collaborating with National Park Ranger Eric Campbell as he led the July 1st Battle of Gettysburg 146th Anniversary Walk on "The Attack & Defense of Oak Ridge".

Frequent readers/guests will recognize Eric's name because we talk about him often! He is our very favorite Park Ranger, and one of the first with whom we got to take a tour when we began visiting Gettysburg 15 years ago. Eric has such a passion for the history of this area, and does a tremendous amount of research to be able to share with visitors some very personal remembrances from the soldiers who fought here and their loved ones who remained at home.

Eric's tour began at the Eternal Light Peace Memorial and about two-thirds of the way through, the group (330 people strong, Gettysburg regimental strength!) stopped in the front yard of the Inn for some iced tea, lemonade and watermelon...it was nice to cool off in the shade. The tour continued down the side yard of the Inn, along the railroad tracks and finished in the railroad cut, where Eric read the dramatic account of the 16th Maine Regiment, charged with guarding the Union retreat at the end of July 1st and suffering great casualties in this unenviable position.

We got to see many familiar faces on this tour and met some new friends as well. We were very touched to receive a thank-you card from some folks in Maine who had attended, they were grateful for the chance to get cool and rehydrate and were nice enough to say so! That tickled us. We just really enjoyed getting to work with Eric and hopefully introducing some new folks to the excellent summer ranger programs that the Park offers each year.

We are looking forward to the season finale of the 2009 Battlefield Weekends here at the Inn, with "Pickett's Charge"on August 21/22 hosted by the incomparable Wayne Motts. We will be sure to post photos for those who are unable to attend.

We hope that you are all enjoying some summer fun of your own with your loved ones. Please keep in touch, and we hope to see you soon on the Battlefield.

Christine