Evening star., 1936-05-31
Trip to Gettysburg Makes Happy Holiday
Historic Battlefield Lies
Less Than Three-Hour
Journey From City.
Maryland Countryside at Its
CoIorfuI Best in Spring
Season.
By James Nevin Miller.

n row that the iris season is in
nj full swing, how about motor
" journey today through the re-
gion where this superb flower
reaches its fullest measure of love-
lines in almost every gay tint Of the
spectrum!
Maybe you're also fond Of snow
balls and weigelas, in their sparkling
whites, pinks and reds. But even if
you don't care particularly for fow-
ers, no doubt you'd enjoy a glimpse
of the famed Cumberland Mountains.
Certainly their cool air is delightfully."-
refreshing after the sticky heat OF the
weekday work routine in the city.
A trip to Gettysburg is being sug-
gested here. The national park, sa-
cred in memory and enshrined in
the hearts of the American people,
has become a mecca to all lovers Of
the Union, and to tourists and history
| lovers 1t ranks with the most inter-
esting places in America. Right after
Decoration day the park is especially
| colorful with flower r-bedecked graves
and innumerable flags of the Blue
and Gray.
If you like to eat in sylvan solitude,
by all means persuade mother to pack
picnic lunch. Tell her the lovely
park has lots of old-fashioned pumps
from which you can get delicious
drinking water and there are plenty
of tables and shady hooks for ideal
picnicking.
There's no reason why, driving at
q reasonable rate of speed, you cam
not reach your destination in less
than three hours.
| But don't hurry. There's so much
to be seen in the way of scenery,
points of historical interest, quaint
residences and rich farm lands that
a speedy drive would steal away much
of the fun. Get a fairly early start,
say around or 9 in the morn
ing, and you can figure on a two
hours visit to the battlefield and a
leisurely return trip before evening
shadows fall.
EVEN if you feel trifle lazy and
don't take off until 10 or II,
there's still ample time, though you'll
run into quite a bit of traffic which
may interfere a bit with your whole
hearted enjoyment.
| N.--ether you start from Connect
cut avenT0 Wisconsin avenue or Six
teenth street makes little difference,
except that a small section of upper
| Connecticut avenue is still under re-
pair and is rather a nuisance to ride
through. Anyway, be sure to head
toward Bethesda. You'll find your
self on Route 240. Stay on It until
you reach Frederick, then shift to is.
This will take you to your destination.
You will find that Maryland has
earned her reputation as one of the
Nations finest farm regions. Wheat
fields look as neat as If they'd actually
been laid out with a tape measure;
most residences have a fresh coat of
paint; almost every fence is white
washed, in sharp contrast to the bright
red barns with their white doors, win
oows and roofs. Quite few of the
| windows, py tne way, are artlStlc
fakes" simply painted ON an un-
broken surface. But they're a treat to
the eye.
Slow down bit as you pass through
Gaithersburg. Almost every other
lawn has at least handful of pink
and white peonies. There are road
signs galore, offering bit of history.
One reads: Gen. Edward Braddock,
in April, 1855, accompanied by Gov.
Sharpe of Maryland, travelled this road
in a coach and six horses on his way
to Frederick to meet Benjamin Frank
lin and George Washington to ar
range for teams for the Fort Duquesne
expedition"
Shade trees and vines are especially
luxuriant in this region. There are
hickories, dogwoods, locusts, apples