Mom promised me she would take me to Gettysburg, but so far it hasn't happened. Saturday, the folks went back to Gettysburg without me. Mom says she is waiting for cooler weather. Time will tell, won't it?
The folks went to Gettysburg to tour the Eisenhower National Historic Site. It is where he built his retirement home. They decided to eat lunch before the tour. They stopped at the Blue and Grey Bar & Grill in Gettysburg. Mom says it is hard to find parking in Gettysburg. They lucked out and found a metered parking spot not far from the restaurant.
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| Inside the Blue and Gray. It was very busy. |
The folks started off their lunch with an appetizer. They ordered the Cajun Onion Peels. They were quite large. Mom said they would have been better if they had been smaller because the breading did not stick to them and it could be because they were so big. The Cajun dipping sauce was good.
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| Cajun Onion Peels |
Mom decided to order the General Abner Doubleday Burger. It has a grilled hot dog on top of a burger with Cheese Whiz and is served on top of a pretzel bun. She was worried about the Cheese Whiz. She didn't think she would like it. Really? That is what she worried about?
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| Doubleday Burger |
She said it was good, but very messy.
Dad ordered the General James Longstreet Burger. It had caramelized onions, bacon and peanut butter. Dad said it was sticky. I don't think he was impressed.
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| Longstreet Burger |
The folks walked around a little bit after lunch.
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| View from outside Blue and Gray. |
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| Lincoln statue. He is pointing his hat at the place he spent the night before the Gettysburg Address. |
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| This is where he spent the night. |
The folks then drove to the Gettysburg National Military Park Visitor Center. This is where you must go to purchase tickets to see Eisenhower's home. A bus picks you up from there as there is no parking at his house. His wife, Mamie, didn't want their ranch turned into a parking lot. Mom said it was hard finding a parking spot at the visitor center because it was packed. They finally found one and bought their tickets. Tickets are $7.50 a person. It includes the bus ride and then the tour of the house and ranch. The bus driver gives everyone a short history lesson before the ride begins and then an audio tape plays that tells everyone about Eisenhower.
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| This is the bus. Mom said there is not any leg room on it. |
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| The house - only part of it is original. After they bought it, they found it was termite infested and most had to be torn down and re-built. |
Most of the house tour is self-guided. An employee does talk to visitors about the living room and then they see the rest on their own. They are given a handout that talks about each room. The furniture in the house all belonged to the Eisenhower family. Mamie lived in the house until her death, so it was left the way that she used it.
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| This was their formal living room. They only showed it to guests, but never really used it. Ike said it was too stuffy. |
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| Mamie wanted this chair, but Ike didn't. Mamie asked her Mom to buy it for her, so she did. |
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| Marble fireplace mantel was used in the White House by President Grant. Eisenhower White House staff gave it to him as an anniversary gift. |
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| This is the porch and the room that Ike loved. It is where he did his painting and entertained guests. |
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| Painting is one that Ike was working on when he died. |
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| Dining Room |
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| Mamie's Mother's Room |
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| Wallpaper in hall. |
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| Ike's Dressing Room - he took naps here after his heart attack in 1955. |
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| Painting of Ike's grandsons that he painted. |
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| Mamie's bathroom which was connected to dressing room. |
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| Master bedroom. She must have loved pink. |
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| Maid's room |
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| Guest Room |
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| Guest Room |
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| Kitchen |
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| Kitchen |
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| Kitchen |
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| Den |
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| Den |
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| Ike's office |
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| Ike's Office |
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| Putting Green |
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| Rose Garden |
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| Guest House - Their grandson, David, stayed here as did some foreign leaders. |
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| Secret Service Office |
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| Secret Service Office |
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| Secret Service Office |
Ike raised Angus cattle. The barns are still there as well as cattle. The folks decided not to walk up the hill to see the barn area as it was rather hot.
Ike died in 1969. He had donated the house to the National Park Service in 1967 and it was agreed that the park service would take over the house six months after his death. After his death, Mamie decided she didn't want to leave and she had to go to congress and ask that the terms be changed. It was agreed that she could stay until her death which was in 1979. The house was opened to the public in 1980.
Ike decided to build his retirement home in Gettysburg because he liked the area. He and Mamie are buried outside his Presidential library in Abilene, KS. He lived in Abilene as a child. The folks have been there. It is across from the Greyhound Hall of Fame.
Joey,
The Greyhound Who Is Still Trying To Get To Gettysburg
