Gettysburg getaway

*note added at the end on Aug 30*

For the mini-retreat last week, Ron used a travel agent to find The Lodges at Gettysburg. Neither of us had ever heard of them because they are only a year old.

Set on the side of a hill about 4 miles from downtown, it was the ideal place for both rest and being productive. We were in a Captain's Lodge named aptly Ohio (room types are all military ranks and individual building are named after states that participated in the battle). The decor was rustic, but featured all modern conveniences like flat screen, WiFi and an iPort.

The great room had awesome peaked ceilings with exposed beams and a ceiling fan over the ginormous bed (no lie  i had to take a running start to jump up into the bed).

There was a desk under one window where i set up camp with another table i brought from home.
Did i mention that i was serious about getting stuff accomplished?

On the other side of the great room by the back door to the porch was a comfy chair perfect for napping or curling up with a book and some wine.
Did i mention that sometime getting stuff accomplished means giving yourself permission to take a much needed break?

Mayhaps you noticed the charming little fireplace in the corner.
It didn't give off any heat, but made a perfect nightlight at bed time.






Next to the fireplace was the kitchenette which was functional (mini fridge, microwave, dishes and a sink; plus they had a recycle bin which made me smile), but also sported a breakfast bar with a window where Ron set up his work station.

Speaking of making me smile, the bathroom was done in rough hewn slate tile so it felt like you were showering in a really clean cave and the water pump into a basin sink was a perfect touch.




The Lodge itself, plus its proximity to both town and the battlefields made it ideal for our quick getaway, which was by turns productive,

historic,
(dinner one night was at a colonial tavern in the basement of Dobbin House where i had spit-roasted chicken by the light of a courting candle)

beautiful,
(the crescent moon setting in Venus' Belt over Oak Ridge and McPherson Ridge as seen from one of my favorite spots - the Peace Light)

educational,
(the largest monument on the battlefield is understandably from Pennsylvania, where i found out that over 34.5 thousand boys from that commonwealth alone were involved in the battle; btw, Ron is at the top of the monument waving to us - i marked him for you because  a white t-shirt against a marble dome doesn't really stand out)

and relaxing.
(the weather was perfect on our back porch for a little nap complete with sleeping bag and music)





The Lodges also offer continental breakfast, meeting rooms, a full service spa, a stocked catch and release pond and a bonfire pit. I definitely recommend it.

NOTE: for the lovely ladies tasked with keeping me on course ;-) here is an update -
I finished all four piles of sorting, got all of the beads separated (though ran out bags at the end so a few types are still clustered together), designed a few necklaces and read a book. I did not get the earrings made that i wanted to, but came home knowing which ones i wanted to design with first so i'm calling that a win. All-in-all not bad for 3 days if you consider that we touristed one day and went outlet shopping another.