The Gettysburg Pennsylvania Blog

Brian Culbertson, to be joined by Vesta Williams, Tony Maiden of Rufus, and Mike Phillips, brings you for the third year in a row “A Soulful Christmas 2008.” The nationwide tour kicks off in Seattle, Washington and makes a stop in our capital on Sunday November 30th. The event, sponsored by Higashi Pearls and Fine Jewelry, will be held at the Whitaker Center in Harrisburg.

Culbertson and the gang will serenade you with holiday favorites and will also provide you with hits from their own albums. This is an amazing opportunity to listen to some of the foremost contemporary jazz singers and performers on one stage. Culbertson says that he’s “thrilled to share the Holiday season and the stage with such an amazing group of performers!”

“A Soulful Christmas” is another great way to enjoy the holiday season. Tickets can be purchased in advance by calling 717-214-ARTS. Don’t wait too long because these tickets will go fast!

Picture this for me: you’re curled up on the sofa with a hot mug of cocoa. The steam curls off of the creamy concoction as light Christmas tunes resound throughout your living room. What could make this moment any better? Well, how about a live show in the chocolate capital of the world?

The Hershey Symphony Orchestra will preform their “Christmas Spectacular” at the Hershey Theater on Friday December 5. The show starts at 8:00 PM, so why not head over to Chocolate World before the show and indulge in a decadent mug of Cafe Mocha or a rich, thick hot cocoa made with none other than Hershey’s chocolate.

After you warm your body, warm your soul with familiar Christmas melodies played by the talented Hershey Symphony Orchestra. The Orchestra has been performing for over 40 years and have created a longstanding tradition of excellence at the Hershey Theater.

Tickets can be purchased at the door, but you can also contact the Hershey Theater Ticket Office to place advance orders. 717-533-8449.

You may first know Jeff Shaara for his cooperative effort with his father Michael Shaara; together they brought the Civil War into comfy chairs all across the country. The two partnered to render the thrilling Civil War trilogy: “Killer Angels,” “Gods and Generals” and “The Last Full Measure.”

Maybe books aren’t for you, but you’ve sat through all 261 minutes of Martin Sheen’s Gettysburg, or you’ve memorized all the lines to General Stonewall Jackson’s first brigade speech in the 2003 prequel Gods and Generals. Either way, Shaara’s ability to weave history into fiction has been capturing audiences for over a decade. In his newest novel, “Steel Wave,” Shaara trades Longstreet and Gettysburg for Eisenhower and Omaha Beach as he uses his pen to recapture the Allied invasion of France on D-Day 1944.

You cannot miss this opportunity to meet Jeff Shaara at the Gettysburg Gift Center on Thursday, November 20 and Friday, November 21. From 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM Jeff will oblige history buffs and fiction freaks alike, adding his autograph to his recently released WWII novel.

The Gettysburg Gift Center is located in the Gettysburg Museum, 297 Steinwehr Ave. For more information you can call the museum at 717-334-6245.

This afternoon, my wife and I took the family to see the Pennsylvania state Capitol building in Harrisburg. We went with my grandson’s Cub Scout troop.

When we first planned to make our visit I though it would be just like any other state Capitol. Being from Texas, I’ve had several chances to see that Capitol building, which is huge in comparison, but nowhere near the work of art. The Pennsylvania Capitol was built in 1906 and cost $13 million to build. In 1906, $13 million would have been a fortune. There aren’t enough zeros in the solar system to cover what that would be in today’s dollars.

From the green glazed terra cotta tile on the outside roof to the inlaid 24-karat gold ornaments on the inside chambers, the Capitol building is a site to see. I’m sure the Senate and House chambers would have been 10 times more beautiful had there been sunlight instead of cloudy skies as the stained glass windows were incredible.

Architect Joseph Huston blended Greek, Roman, and Victorian styles to create a masterful Renaissance-era architectural work of art in the state’s capital. I highly recommend a visit to the Capitol building while you are in Gettysburg. Harrisburg is straight up Hwy. 15 about 40 miles. It’s worth the drive.

Do you pair your peppercorn encrusted lamb chop with a nice, full bodied Cabernet Sauvignon? I myself prefer a frosty, carmel Yeungling to wash down my secret recipe grilled flank steak — but there is room for both of us at the 2008 Pennsylvania Food and Beverage Show! Hosted by the the Toyota Arena York Expo Center on November 22 and 23, the Show boasts hundreds of different specialty food and beverage exhibitors.

Not only will you be able to sample the best treats the midstate has to offer, but you can even enter to win a slew of fabulous prizes from dining gift certificates to baskets filled with your favorite goodies. You might even rub elbows with some of Pennsylvania’s finest chefs and restauranteers. Also available are live cooking demonstrations; drool over the presentation of The Yorktowne Hotel’s signature Panko-Crusted Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes or sample some festive holiday cookies from Chef Lisa Ridenour’s new cookbook release, “A Cookie in Each Hand.” If adult beverages are more up your alley, listen in on the health benefits of wine or get tips from a beer tasting expert.

Free parking is available at the York Expo Center, but if you plan to enjoy the samples at the Beer and Wine Garden (part of premium admission at $15), you may want to spend the evening in one of York’s swankiest hotels, the Yorktowne.

For ticket information you can contact the York Expo Center office at 717-637-3831.

A wise sage once muttered that, “it’s not easy being green.” Now, that may have been Kermit the Frog twenty years ago, but that sentiment may resonate with you today. We’re living in a new age of recycling, sustainable building materials, organic clothing, and that buzz word: carbon footprint. What are you doing to help? If you feel overwhelmed by the pressure to live green, then take a day trip down to Washington D.C. to learn about environmentally friendly living.

On Sunday November 16 from 2:00 - 5:00 PM, the National Building Museum will host a Family Workshop: It’s Easy Being Green. Admission is $5 for each child who participates in the workshop. The session will equip you with some easy tips and activities to help usher in your new green lifestyle. After the workshop, explore the Museum and take a look at their new exhibit: Green Community. The exhibition shows how some people have always lived green by preserving their resources and providing spaces for recreation, and how people are working together today to create more sustainable communities.

“Green” has become part of our everyday jargon in this society, but maybe Kermie was wrong after all..it just may be easy to live green! Find out for yourselves this weekend at the family workshop in Washington D.C.!

Get the holiday season started with thousands of Harrisburg residents and visitors on November 22, 2008. Harrisburg’s annual Holiday Parade brings together people of all ethnic and religious backgrounds to commemorate Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and the New Year. Mayor Reed launched the Holiday Parade in 1986, now the celebration boasts it’s place as one of the region’s largest holiday festivities.

The merriment begins at 10:00 AM on City Island where you can listen to Harrisburg locals Kathleen Torchia and Lynn Panattoni belt out the National Anthem. Holiday Parade participants head off on their city-wide trek as the air force flies overhead; they’ll work their way downtown and back with a stop at Market Square. Listen as high school bands show off their school spirit; watch with honor as veterans march with pride; and gaze up as giant helium filled balloons soar over downtown Harrisburg. Be sure to get a peak of Hyleas Fountain, a Beijing Olympics medal winner.

If Olympic medalists don’t excite you, then you may be excited to know that Santa Claus makes his first visit to Harrisburg on Parade day. Beginning at 1:00 PM, children (of all ages) will be able to submit their requests to Jolly Ol’ St. Nick at Strawberry Square where their will also be complimentary refreshments.

Free parking will be available throughout the city, and why not take advantage of the Mayor’s gratuity by spending the entire day exploring Harrisburg? Dine at a downtown eatery, visit the Whitaker Center for an IMAX film, or even turn back time at the National Civil War Museum.

You do not want to miss this exciting opportunity to experience Harrisburg’s strong sense of community pride. Just a short trip from Gettysburg, you won’t be disappointed at what this tight knit, vibrant city has to offer, especially on Holiday Parade day 2008.  

Are you struggling to find plans for the weekend? If you’re in to the strange and often times disturbing world of the underground, then you may want to join some fellow horror hopefuls on November 14 and 15 at a ghastly event sponsored by the Chestnut Hall Bed and Breakfast in New Oxford, PA: A Ghost Hunter’s Weekend Pursuit.

After you check in to the hotel of your choice on Friday evening, you may never leave…I mean, you’ll head over to the Beechmont Bed and Breakfast in Hanover to get a personal look at some genuine ghost hunter’s equipment. After examining the tools of the trade, you travel to the haunted Bechtel Victorian Mansion in East Berlin where you and your associate spirit seekers will unite with Allen Gross, renowned Spirit Photographer, and you’ll listen in as he explains how photography is used in exploring the paranormal.

Saturday morning is up to you: explore the battlefields, visit the outlets, take a walking tour of downtown Gettysburg, or do some ghost hunting of your own. After your personal adventure, reconvene with the group for a nice dinner at the Atland House in Abbotstown. Following your meal of Crab cakes, Chicken Chesapeake, or New York strip steak, you will head to Chestnut Hall for a lecture by psychic mediums Allyson and Adele. The twins will discuss all things psychic in paranormal investigations.

After the lecture, Steve McNaughton, Allen Gross, and the Psy-dentical twins Allyson and Adele will lead you through the haunted streets of New Oxford. As you wander through town your guides will recount the tails that few are brave enough to tell, and perhaps an authentic ghost hunt will arise.

The Ghost Hunter’s Weekend Pursuit is the perfect opportunity to enjoy the amenities of a cozy inn while at the same time exploring the world of the unknown. Advanced registration is required so hurry up and find more information by contacting the Inn Keepers, Tina and Steve McNaughton at 717-624-8988 or toll free 1-888-886-5660.

The Gettysburg Pennsylvania Blog welcomes Cali McCullough to the team. You’ll be seeing more of Cali as she adds more great content to the blog and helps me solicit sponsors for the blog. Cali is working on her master’s thesis, but still has time to fuel the entrepreneurial spirit. You can read her personal blog here.

I hope you’ll assist me in welcoming Cali to the Gettysburg Pennsylvania Blog team. The Tramp will still contribute posts from time to time, but Cali will take the helm for awhile. Businesses interested in sponsoring the blog may contact us and either Cali or I will follow up with a phone call and see if we can help you reach targeted Gettysburg tourism traffic at a fair and reasonable cost of just $10/month.

For more information on Gettysburg Pennsylvania Blog sponsorships click here.

Welcome aboard Cali!

Well, it’s Veteran’s Day and I’m sure we have plenty of veterans that visit Gettysburg every year. We have plenty of veterans buried here.

The U.S Civil War is one of the bloodiest wars in history. Ever since this historic moment in our nation’s history, we have honored our veterans in a very special way. Today marks that day. While Veterans Day was not observed officially until November 11, 1919 to commemorate the day that ended World War I, Americans have always honored its fallen heroes. Initially, President Woodrow Wilson named the holiday Armistice Day. In 1921 Congress officially declared the day a federal holiday.

President Dwight Eisenhower, who retired to Gettysburg after leaving the Oval Office, changed the name of Armistice Day to Veterans Day in 1954 to include veterans who served in World War II and the Korean Conflict. In 1968 Congress passed a law changing the date of Veterans Day to the fourth Monday in October. In 1975 it was changed back to November 11 again. The law took effect in 1978 and observance of Veterans Day has been on November 11 ever since.

Gettysburg Blog honors America’s veterans on this day.