Today we decided to do a little sightseeing in the Gettysburg area. Since we had been to the battlefield and visitor's center several times, we opted for the Eisenhower National Memorial Site , where President Dwight Eisenhower and his wife Mamie lived for many years. Eisenhower was a general in WWII and was our 34th President from 1953-1961.
We still had to go to the visitor's center for tickets and waited a little while for a shuttle bus. The weather is still drippy and gray this morning. So we ran between raindrops. Enough, already!
The farm was purchased in 1950, before Eisenhower became President and was the only family home they ever owned. Only a small part of the house is original, as it was added on to and repaired before they moved in. Prior to that they moved frequently, so never really settled anywhere. The farmhouse tour was interesting. The home looks just as you would expect a 1950's-1960's farmhouse to look (although a bit larger for guest rooms).
Very down-to-earth and simple, although for it's time I suppose it was fancy, with a private putting green, two small TV sets, a baby grand piano and one room with many shelves and cabinets displaying gifts from other countries. (Eisenhower was the last President allowed to keep gifts.) As President, he entertained many heads of state here.
It was a working cattle farm and Ike was hands on with breeding, raising and showing his stock. The rain held off long enough for us to walk some of the grounds. It is still farmed and used, though not by the Eisenhower family.
Lots of pretty, green rolling hills and well known horse farms in this area.
From here we went to Dobbin's Tavern in Gettysburg. Built in the 1700's, it is a nice stone building with a fancy restaurant upstairs and a more casual tavern and restaurant downstairs. There is a small spring downstairs and upstairs there is a small hiding place once used by the Underground Railroad.
Nice lunch!
On the way back to Anita's, we stopped at a Clark Shoes outlet in Hanover. Good prices! Anita, Sue and Beth managed to find a few bargains!
We enjoyed some wedding leftovers for dinner and packed things up, as both Tom & Sue and Greg & I will head out tomorrow.
Cody is such a hoot! Here he is making himself comfortable.
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