Adventure Outdoors Magazine Summer 2017 | Page 16

GETTYSBURG

GETTYSBURG
Visiting the Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania is something that everyone should do in their lifetime . It is the most famous battlefield in America and is open year-round , excluding some national holidays . Make your way to the visitors center to get the full experience . Here , you will pay about $ 15 and get access to the film experience , narrated by Morgan Freeman , along with cyclorama , and the museum exhibits . Battlefield tours via bus or with a professional guide are available , and you can reserve a position on one of those tours at the visitors center . Entry to the park and visitors center itself is free !
Experience the history behind one of the most important battles in the Civil War . Here , you will be able to view the actual battlefield , as well as pictures and artifacts of soldiers , generals , and citizens of the era . July of 1863 is brought back to life during the tours , and rightfully so , as this is a vital part of America culture .
You can also visit other imperative sites , like the George Spangler Farm , the Rupp House , David Wills House , and the Eisenhower National Historic Site . The George Spangler Farm was made into a field hospital for the wounded soldiers , while the Rupp House and David Wills House show us what life was like for civilians during that time , as well as the aftermath of the war and the impact it had on Americans . As the sun sets over these sites and over the battlefield , you will feel the history come alive and experience firsthand what it was like during the time of the Battle of Gettysburg .
FRENCH QUARTER
The French Quarter , and New Orleans itself , have come a long way from the early settlement days when the French used the area as a military outpost . The French Quarter is the oldest neighborhood in the city of New Orleans , and has a vibrant mixture of cultures that have established a new lifestyle all their own . Influences from African , Spanish , and French settlers have turned the city into a melting pot of cuisines , traditions , and heritages that all stir together effortlessly .
The city ’ s importance grew as the United States used the port for an opening to the Mississippi to ship goods and extend services . New Orleans became a hub for importing and exporting , as well as countrywide commercial expansion . The French Quarter , also known as the Vieux Carré , is literally translated into “ central square ” or “ city center .”
Explore the French Quarter ’ s influences and development through early architecture , museums , and walking tours that will explain , in depth , the history behind the neighborhood . Take a tour of The 1850 House , a museum that displays artifacts and furnishings from one of the most prosperous eras that ever graced the city . Visiting the house will only cost you a $ 3 entry fee , and you will be able to feel the luxury and vitality of early ancestors as soon as you walk through the door .
14 | Summer 2017 | Adventure Outdoors