ALL ROADS SPLIT SOMEWHERE—or reach their end. Driving into Pennsylvania from the Blue Ridge Mountains, the landscape ignites with autumn color. You can imagine the highway going on forever. Life can take on a momentum that seems unstoppable, unalterable. Everything moving in one direction, until you reach a fork in the road.
Historically, leaves are not the only things to fall in Pennsylvania. In July 1863, the road split here for an entire nation. Two years into a brutal civil war, two massive armies of Americans collided at a town called Gettysburg. Here, the fortunes of war fell. And men by their thousands. Musket and cannon balls littered the field. The combat lasted three days and became the single largest battle the Americas had ever seen—an enormous price for a house divided. A dead end for a national injustice.
Everyone knows Gettysburg. We’ve read Lincoln’s address in history class. We might have picked up Michael Shaara’s Killer Angels or thumbed through Bruce Catton’s Glory Road. We’ve seen stuff in the movies, too. (And scrolled Wikipedia after- wards.) But every camper knows that’s not all there is. Place, after all, has the unique power to bring history into the living present. And that’s the stuff we go for.
Pulling onto the Gettysburg Battlefield Resort, the wheels of history still turn. Little Round Top is not a footnote here. It’s a rugged hill to climb—where thousands of stories once converged and are still converging. With new eyes, we see the past and steer into the future.
The roads to Gettysburg branch out from major highways—each about a half hour away. Taking exit 16 off I-81 near Chambersburg, the town is just a lazy drive to east along US-30. Or, approach- ing from I-70 in Frederick, you’ll swing north at exit 52B onto US-15 following the path the Union armies once took. There’s a tranquility on the road. The busyness of the interstates vanishes. Small homes, open fields, and friendly trees seem to smile as you pass. On clear days, the autumn sun gives the route a warm golden glow, and the air feels crisp like the apple orchards to the west. This is gorgeous country. You can taste it.
Stemming north onto Emmitsburg Road, three more miles will put the Gettysburg Battlefield Resort on your right. White fencing and open ground appear on your passenger side. As you pull past the stonework sign, a line of American flags from 1863 salute your entrance. A little cabin there serves as the host station, where you’ll be directed inside to the barn lodge with the general store and the front desk.
Inside the lodge, Travel Resorts of America members and their guests settle in at their own pace. A large fireplace is kept burning. Comfy couches and large TVs await road-weary travelers. There are beautiful bathrooms. Hershey ice cream is available steps away, which you can take with you as you head to the sunroom with the kids. The general store is right on hand with an attentive staff present, the manager Jaron among them. Once you enter, you’ll likely meet him.
Jaron Starner is a Pennsylvania native. He was born and raised in the RV industry, and he has a passion for the way his team takes care of TRA guests. Private membership camping clubs like TRA were once a dying breed, but they’re seeing a bold resurgence. TRA’s own footprint keeps expanding across the country. It’s not hard for Jaron to see why—it’s all about relationships and expectations.
Members at Travel Resorts of America belong to a more perfect union. “From the moment a guest pulls into our resort, we want to make sure we take care of them,” Jaron says. “Our members are incredible people.” They’re a loyal, candid, high-energy bunch—who make relationships with other members and become part of a thriving community. Jaron laughs, “It cracks me up how well our members know our resort.” His members know the resort because they roll their RVs in. Often.
Jaron says it’s easy to understand why. Not all campgrounds are made equal. Every RVer knows this. And Jaron sees that’s one big advantage members have with TRA, “You have a park to go to that’s going to meet your expectations and fit your rig.” Members have that assurance—whether they’re staying in New York, Florida, or Minnesota. At the Gettysburg Battlefield Resort itself, members get the full hookup, solid internet, and access to a 165,000-gallon swimming pool with 2-foot shallows for children and 9-foot- deep end for the divers among us. The resort is also very up to date with the electrical demand—80 percent of it being 50 amp.
Even so, Jaron is convinced the staff is the resort’s No. 1 amenity. Camp sites are reserved by members calling or booking online. Even if the desk is busy, member services will answer questions. The resort even has a concierge service to help members get the most from their visit, from local treasures to great food. To see the battlefield itself, Jaron says they don’t have to go far: “You leave the resort; you take a right-hand turn; and you are on the Gettysburg Battlefield.”
Interested in viewing Gettysburg Battlefield Resort, please call 855-481-6556 (by appointment only).
The history of Gettysburg is big. Even today, the sight of the 6,000-acre field of battle is grand. But the town itself is still relatively small, preserved to maintain its 1863 condition. Just five miles up the road from the Gettysburg Battlefield Resort is the National Mili- tary Park Museum, where most visitors start. Learning just a few facts here clues you into the magnitude of the history involved. Over 175,000 combat- ants faced each other, brother against brother. Over three days of fighting, 51,112 became casualties, and 7,058 never left the field.
Today, 1,328 monuments cast shadows in remembrance. Setting out onto the battlefield itself, you can start the tour from your vehicle. But ultimately, you need to walk this hallowed ground. You need to feel the same earth beneath your feet and imagine what those moments were like. Visualize the desperate scramble of Joshua Chamberlain’s 20th Maine to seize the high ground at Little Round Top—the harrowing danger as they fired against attack after attack from the 15th Alabama—the moment they realized that all that was left was the bayonet. Drive just over a mile north and make your stand at Cemetery Ridge. Imagine yourself there as Union soldier Frank Haskel gazing across the open field to see, “an overwhelming resistless tide of an ocean of armed men, sweeping upon us!” Then imagine being a soldier in the 11th Mississippi making that Confederate charge—weathering a storm of lead across an open field—the mass of your formation disappearing like smoke— then realizing only fourteen men from your regiment made it across the road.
There is power in being in the place where this happened. No film, no book can compare. At Gettysburg, you feel the weight of the wheels of history. Of men caught amid the blunders and ambitions of generals. Of extraordinary acts of heroism and sacrifice that still move us. The whole tour leaves one awestruck. And, truth be told, probably a little hungry.
Watch this video of how the Battle of Gettysburg unfolded.
Back at the resort, Jaron might give you his recommendations before the concierge service can. There are great local Italian places like La Bella Italia and Tommy’s Pizza. Even more, the town of Gettysburg is full of little pubs, taverns, and bars that also serve great food. (See below.) Any of which are the perfect place to sit together and share what impressed you most. It’s also not a bad place to pivot toward what’s next. Because there’s more to Gettysburg than the battlefield alone.
Napoleon once said: “An RV marches on its stomach.”
Get. The. Wings! (Trust us.)
Blue and Gray Bar | 2 Baltimore St. Gettysburg, PA 17325
Grab a pint and toast an Irish hero!
O’Rorke’s Pub & Eatery | 44 Steinwehr Ave, Gettysburg, PA 17325
Flavor that goes back to 1776.
Dobbin House Tavern | 89 Steinwehr Ave, Gettysburg, PA 17325
Just let the desert take over!
The Chocolatier Restaurant | 100 Hersheypark Dr, Hershey, PA 17033
Steve Baldelli
Steve Baldelli started Travel Resorts in 1986 at the age of 27 after a call from his friend Jim who had found some beautiful property in Pinehurst, North Carolina after a round of golf. Steve flew down from Minnesota to come to see the land and when he got there, there were 12 unfinished RV sites, a lodge, and a hole in the ground that was supposed to be a pool. He fell in love. Steve and his partner had no idea how to run a campground, but he knew he wanted to focus on three things: Taking people out of their normal element, making it close enough to home but far enough away to be a get-away, and making it affordable so all families could enjoy the campgrounds together multiple times a year.
35 years later, Steve has built Travel Resorts into 11 premier RV campgrounds from Florida to New York and now just recently has started venturing into the Midwest!
As a father of 3, an avid wine connoisseur, foodie, and lover of travel, Steve lives a busy adventurous life, but his heart is in providing the best camping memories to his members. You can find him at any of the resorts throughout the year, interacting with members, planting fun ideas in the activities directors’ heads, and always thinking about how to enhance our members’ experience. Because of Steve and his vision, Travel Resorts really is the definition of the Pursuit of Happiness.
In order to participate in this promotional offer, you must meet the eligibility requirements and terms and conditions set forth in these Details of Participation. This promotion is sponsored by Travel Resorts of America LLC, d/b/a Travel Resorts of America (“Travel Resorts of America” or “TRA”), a North Carolina Limited Liability company whose address is 1930 N. Poplar Street, Suite 21, Southern Pines, NC 28387, in order to introduce you to our campground membership program. Travel Resorts of America and its affiliates and subsidiaries is the developer and seller of Travel Resorts of America memberships in multiple states and is the sponsor of this promotion. In order to participate in this promotional offer, you and your spouse or cohabitating significant other (if applicable) must meet the requirements set forth in these Details of Participation. If you and your spouse or cohabitating significant other (if applicable) do not meet these requirements, you will not be eligible to receive any gifts and/or accommodations in connection with this offer. If you are married or cohabitating with a significant other, you and your spouse or significant other (as applicable) are hereinafter collectively referred to herein as “We” or “Us:” The camping promotion being offered is provided by Travel Resorts of America, LLC. Each participant (if married or cohabitating with a significant other) must have a valid driver’s license, government-issued I.D., or, if not a US citizen, a current valid form of government issued identification. If you are an RV owner, you, or at least one of you (if married or cohabitating with a significant other) must be at least 21 years of age. If you are not an RV owner, you, or at least one of you must be at least 25 years of age and must have a gross annual household income of at least $50,000. (. You (or We if married or cohabitating with a significant other) must attend and complete an approximately 90 minute Travel Resorts of America® sales presentation and tour regarding the benefits of campground membership at the Travel Resorts of America preview center in the selected destination area. If married, or cohabiting, both individuals must attend and complete the sales presentation and tour together. Travel Resorts of America is not responsible for cancellations or interruptions due to nature, strikes, terrorism, or Acts of God. If you are a resident of a country other than the U.S. or Canada, you may be ineligible for this promotion and it may be withheld in the sponsor’s sole discretion. The following are also ineligible for this offer: Current members of Travel Resorts of America, current members of Camp Coast to Coast; current holders of TRA promotional offers; and those who have attended a TRA sales presentation without purchase within the past 12 months.
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