Just outside of historic Gettysburg, Pennsylvania stands the charming Mary-Penn Bed & Breakfast. Situated one mile down a dirt path on an expansive stretch of farmland, the bed and breakfast is the perfect place to unwind because of its seclusion from major tourist attractions in the center of town.

The country-style house sits on a portion of over 200 acres of land where not much more than the tranquil sounds of neighboring Marsh creek can be heard. But what sets this bed and breakfast apart from others in Gettysburg are its historical features and its owner, Bea Waybright.

“I want you to make yourself at home,” Bea said as she welcomed guests into the house. It doesn’t take long for Bea to give guests a tour of the bed and breakfast, her excitement bounced off the walls of the antiquated house. Originally created as a one story house with a thatched roof in 1743, the Mary-Penn Bed & Breakfast is Bea’s pride and joy.

The unique location has the Mason Dixon line running straight through the middle of the house, leaving one half of the bed and breakfast in Pennsylvania, while the other half stands in Maryland. Rock markers of the Mason Dixon line were placed one mile apart and is a captivating feature on the Waybright’s land.

The bed and breakfast took years of restoration on the part of Bea and her husband, David, but all the hard work paid off in the form of a wonderful house. With antique and country style furnishings in each room, the bed and breakfast emanates perfectly balanced historical decor with modern touches.

A front sitting room showcases original documents of the house dating back centuries while a large table in the dining room stands as a central gathering place for the owners and visitors to share stories. On the lower level is a modern kitchen, full bathroom, and spacious family room perfect for watching a movie or curling up with your favorite book.

Personal touches in the family room, such as photo albums of weddings held at the bed and breakfast, make visitors feel like they have truly been welcomed into someone’s home.

Each of the four bedrooms at the Mary-Penn Bed & Breakfast contain their own unique charm and, as Bea explained, are named for someone who had a significant contribution to the house over time. The John McKinley bedroom is named for the man who built the original one-story house in 1743 is the only room on the lower level.

The second floor of the house was created in 1793. Three bedrooms are located upstairs, including the Wm. J. Stewart room, named for the man who extended the house upwards. The Mary B. Waybright room, dedicated to Bea’s mother-in-law, is larger and has a queen sized bed with a fireplace.

Finally, the William Penn room is the largest of all the suites with a queen sized bed, adjoining another smaller room with a double bed. Bea transformed the basement into another social gathering area, but did not overlook the deep history of the space. The Mary-Penn Bed & Breakfast was once a house that had slaves.

Marks from the chains that kept them in the basement at night can still be seen in the original wooden beams that run across the ceiling. Bea created a memorial to the slaves of the past that once lived in the house, feeling that it was the right thing to do.

While staying at the Mary-Penn Bed & Breakfast is a complete luxury with all necessary amenities available, the true reward of staying the night at this accommodation is getting to know its owners. Over a deliciously home cooked breakfast, guests surrounded the dining room table and joined in jubilant conversations with Bea and her husband, David.

Plates of Belgian waffles and sausages circled the table, along with freshly sliced pineapples, kiwis and bunches of grapes. A homemade farm casserole was a favorite among the guests, along with cinnamon buns and cups of coffee. It’s easy to spend hours talking with Bea about her grandchildren and how the uncontrollable weather often has an impact on the house and farm.

It’s effortless to find yourself swapping recipes with her or talking about her upcoming plans to create sleigh rides in the winter, in which David jokingly stated, “Her dreams are my nightmares.” Staying at the Mary-Penn Bed & Breakfast is much more than spending the night in a fascinating historical house.

Stepping into the centuries’ old house is more about being welcomed into a family that seemed to always have a place in their heart reserved for you. Bea encouraged her guests to sign the guestbook, keep in touch, and receive Christmas greetings for the upcoming holiday season.

“You are now part of the family,” Bea said as guests checked out and turned in their keys. The kind of honest relationships created at the Mary-Penn Bed & Breakfast makes it that much harder to leave. The Mary-Penn Bed & Breakfast is located at 716 Mason-Dixon Road, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania 17325.

For more information on making a reservation call 717-334-5055 or visit the website at http://mary-pennbb.com/index.html.

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Seated at a corner table with wonderful aromatics wafting from the kitchen, my bubbly waitress for the evening, Beth, asked if I have dined at Hickory Bridge Farm before. When I explain that it was my first time at the restaurant, she smiled and said, “We are easy to get along with.”

It is exactly that kind of warm welcoming gesture that makes Hickory Bridge Farm a unique place to dine. Tucked away in Orrtanna, Pennsylvania, just nine miles outside of Gettysburg, this family run restaurant has been serving the community with scrumptious country dishes since 1977 and has retained its popularity since.

All the dishes are served family style made from homemade recipes that cannot be found anywhere else. The ambiance of the rustic barn, adorned with wood paneling and country character, provided the perfect backdrop to an equally perfect meal.

The meal was kicked off with the first course, a decent sized traditional salad. Bits of bacon and shredded cheddar cheese sat atop a bed of crispy lettuce. A sweet and sour dressing was served over it, which gave each bite of the salad a refreshing taste. Served along with the salad were spiced peaches and slices of whole wheat and white homemade potato bread.

The bread was warm and came straight from the oven, its texture delicately soft and just perfect with a smear of apple butter. Moments after the salad was cleared from the table, Beth brought more than half a dozen plates of food and sat them before me. With no other option but to dig in, I truly began to understand why the majority of the tables at Hickory Bridge Farm were full that evening.

For the reasonable price of $24.50, diners were able to feast on three entrees and a variety of side dishes. One such delicious entree was Hickory smoked ham with a blackberry sauce. Nuances of the smokiness of the ham came through with each bite of tender meat. The classic dish was elevated with the addition of the fruit sauce, as pieces of blackberry mixed well with the flavor of the ham.

Sweet apples with cinnamon, just one of the many side dishes, also paired well with the texture of the entree. Another delectable entree was the boneless, white meat chicken, served with a creamy cornbread stuffing. The richness of the dish reminded me of comfort and the taste helped me feel the warmth of the restaurant.

A side dish of roasted potatoes with caramelized onions served as a good pairing with the chicken entree.

A meal wouldn’t be complete without a couple side dishes of vegetables, which Hickory Bridge Farm creates with strength. A bowl of sweetly cooked carrots and green beans helped round out the meal. For more of a crunchy texture, fried corn fritters were served with sifted powdered sugar on top.

Rolled into perfectly round balls and deep fried to perfection, these corn fritters were masterfully created. A bite into a fritter provided a nice crunch on the outside, while remaining soft on the inside. The corn fritters were one of the highlights of the side dishes and I wasn’t surprised when I heard neighboring diners ordering more.

If that wasn’t enough to satisfy diners’ taste buds, the Crab Imperial dish was one of the highlights of dinner at Hickory Bridge Farm and has been a family tradition for years. Served in a oval shaped casserole dish and sat atop a basket, the piping hot Crab Imperial had a velvety smooth texture with richness that showcased the flavor of the crab.

Like most of the recipes cooked in the restaurant, the Crab Imperial is a family cherished recipe and its ingredients are kept secret. Before I knew it, the majority of the food disappeared from my table. I watched as Beth stacked empty casserole dishes and plates in her hands, carrying them away right before reminding me that my meal wasn’t finished until I had dessert.

The dessert menu made my mouth water, regardless of that fact that I was already full. Among the options were pumpkin pie, warm apple crisp, rum cake, and ice cream pie. The pumpkin pie was a perfect seasonal choice and the portion was generous. The creamy texture of the pumpkin filling served as an ideal reminder of autumn, while the flaky crust balanced out the smoothness of the pumpkin and the swirl of whipped cream on top.

Bert Martin, a third generation family member in the Hickory Bridge Farm lineage, takes pride in his successful establishment. He explained how all their meats are fresh and never frozen, and locally grown vegetables are used when they are in season. Bert also emphasized how almost all of the recipes cooked at the restaurant come from his grandmother.

“We like to keep it family style,” he explained, “We don’t like to rush people in and out.” The restaurant gives an ample amount of time, two hours, for diners to enjoy family conversations over the the country flavors of their kitchen. Throughout the evening, Bert bounced from table to table like a social butterfly as he greeted guests as if they were an extension of his own family.

The warmth of the people at Hickory Bridge Farm stood as an equally important component of what makes the restaurant a true family style dining experience.

As Thanksgiving quickly approaches, Hickory Bridge Farm gets ready for one of its most family centric nights of the year. “Thanksgiving is the busiest day,” stated Bert, “we seat 450 people, that’s a lot of turkeys.” Hickory Bridge Farm serves dinner on Friday and Saturday evenings from 5-8 PM. The dining room is also open on Sunday from noon until 3 PM.

The menu at the restaurant changes weekly, but the warmth of the staff and homemade flavors of the food are always consistent. This popular destination is more than a charming restaurant, it is also a bed and breakfast. Opened in 1977 at the same time as the restaurant, the adjoining bed and breakfast offers accommodations in a farmhouse that dates back to the 1700’s, as well as stand alone cottages surrounded by the tranquility of the woods.

Hickory Bridge Farm is located at 96 Hickory Bridge Road in Orrtanna, Pennsylvania. For more information on the restaurant and bed and breakfast, call 717-642-5261, or visit their website at hickorybridgefarm.com.

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A visit to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania is an opportune time to walk through a town rich with historical American culture. Gettysburg, located in the southern region of Pennsylvania and just miles away from neighboring Maryland, is the site of the deadliest battle in the Civil War.

With the Civil War standing as a monumental turning point in the history of the United States, visiting Gettysburg is often considered a deeply moving experience in understanding where the country has been to get to where it is today.

One of the most popular destinations when traveling to Gettysburg is the Gettysburg National Park Museum and Visitor Center. For any first time tourist or returning traveler, making this Visitor Center a first stop priority is key in getting a detailed scope of the historical town.

Within the Visitor Center is a museum full of relics originating from the Civil War. Both the Confederate and Union are equally represented in the museum and a walk through the space is an educational opportunity to get immersed in American history. From one display to the next, visitors are able to get a vivid picture of how life was during the war through what the soldiers wore as uniforms, what kind of items they carried with them, the types of weapons they used, and even how they slept in small tents.

“A New Birth of Freedom,” is an important short film to watch at the Visitor Center, narrated by Morgan Freeman. With historical accounts of the Civil War and Abraham Lincoln’s monumental Gettysburg Address, this movie is a great way for visitors to continue understanding why the small town of Gettysburg is such an important part of American history.

Along with the museum and film, the Gettysburg National Park Museum and Visitor Center also has a famed Cyclorama. Created by artist Paul Philippoteaux in the 1880’s, the Cyclorama is an expansive 377 foot long oil painting that depicts in detail the Battle of Gettysburg.

The painting stands at an astonishing 42 feet high and visitors can bask in its sheer size as they listen to a recorded narration of the chain of events during the battle. The lighting and special effects in the large room that houses the Cyclorama makes the experience much more interactive and is recommended for anyone who comes to Gettysburg.

A visit to Gettysburg wouldn’t be complete without taking a battlefield tour. There are plenty of tours running from Gettysburg National Park Museum and Visitor Center, along with other independent tour companies throughout town. Visitors can embark on a guided tour bus that drives around the 6,000 acre Gettysburg Battlefield, where the historical events took place.

Audio tours are also available, giving tourists the chance to drive around in their own car while listening to detailed facts of the battlefield. A battlefield tour takes two hours to complete and is a truly one of a kind experience. The streets of downtown Gettysburg are also full of historical buildings and locations where the Civil War unfolded.

The David Wills House now stands as a museum, and its importance is unlike any place else. During the war, President Abraham Lincoln stayed at the house of David Wills, an attorney in Gettysburg. It was there that Lincoln penned the end of his Gettysburg Address. Walking through the David Wills House is like stepping back in time, where people can still see the room the Gettysburg Address was written in, along with the bed Lincoln slept in.

Baltimore Street is a main thoroughfare in Gettysburg. A nice walk along this street is a perfect way for visitors to see more local attractions. Along this road is the Soldier’s National Cemetery and the neighboring spot where Lincoln gave the Gettysburg Address.

Baltimore Street also hosts a variety of museums, including the Hall of Presidents and Confederate States Museum. Ghost tours are popular in Gettysburg and many starting points are on Baltimore Street. Nearby Steinwehr Street is another great place to take in museums and buy souvenirs depicting the Civil War.

Finally, downtown’s Lincoln Square is a hub for local cuisine and small shops that can satisfy many shoppers’ tastes. With a history so strongly weighed by shifts in American culture, Gettysburg is a place not to be missed. Visiting Gettysburg is a humbling educational and travel experience that shines light on how thousands of soldiers sacrificed their lives for the greater good of the United States of America.

For more information on planning a trip to Gettysburg, visit gettysburgfoundation.org

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