Meet Fellini, the proprietress at Chariots on Fire, one of the hip shops on the LA street named the coolest by GQ mag.

A moment to savor after a hectic short visit, rudely interrupted even before it began, when the ride got really rough, and drivers all around us started trying to get our attention.

Duh. Our rental had a flat.

What to do if this happens to you, when I return. In transit back to East Coast.

 A low-key, elegant oasis in a town once overrun by warring soldiers; and now visitors.

If you haven’t heard, Gettysburg is marking the 150th anniversary of the epic Civil War battle that put it on the map.

Something else that makes this a must-do road trip:  the Lincoln Highway (also known as U.S. Route 30 in many places) slices through the battlefields.

Mural of town near Gettysburg about a century ago, along the Lincoln Highway.

The roadway  — the first highway to cross the nation  — is celebrating its 100th birthday this year. So that’s two anniversaries in one trip.

If you haven’t been to Gettysburg, brush away all the tourist fluff, and it really is a time trip. If you have, how about something admittedly schmaltzy but a little more tantalizing — meeting up with the place’s resident “ghosts”?

Scads of them supposedly hang out at the Farnsworth House Inn, said to have been in the thick of the fighting, with the original bullet holes to prove it.

It was also used as a hospital; and guess where some of the war dead ended up? That’s right, near the creepy cellar complete with decorative coffins, where I find myself regaled with soft-spoken stories of lurking spooks. Long-gone soldiers and townsfolk, who just might try to mess with you at any moment.

Who ya gonna call?

“Ghost Mistress” Patti O’Day, a fun and adept teller of such tales, outfits me with metal rods that jump around like those old Slinky toys. They’re meant to point to anything supernatural. Dang, I’m now an official Ghostbuster.

They’re in constant movement the moment I wrap my fingers around them. Guess it’s my magnetic personality.

For some local — if bland — flavor,  check out the Lincoln Diner, where they serve French toast a la Lincoln. Trust me, it doesn’t live up to the intriguing name.

Not far from town is a much-more interesting tie to another president, Dwight Eisenhower.

Secret Service office at Eisenhower farm near Gettysburg.

One of the legendary World War II general’s presidential retreats was a farm near the Gettysburg battlefield. He later retired there, and though he’s no longer with us, the farm is still operating.

“Ike” was just another local farmer who happened to have a helipad in his back yard. He liked taking world leaders to the farm to break the ice before getting down to business.

He steered clear of the formal living room, thinking it too stuffy.

 Opting for the sun porch (where he liked to paint), to show he was just a regular guy.

Basically, the Eisenhowers lived like most folks in the 1960s. First lady Mamie apparently loved the soap As The World Turns. If she had to miss it,  a Secret Service agent was assigned to watch and report back.

And a little secret about Ike: Word was, he was a terrible driver. In fairness, he’d been chauffeured around most of his life, so he never had to learn.

Continuing west on the Lincoln Highway, I stop at  a farmer’s market with a round barn — never saw one before. But then, what do I know from barns, other than dressbarn?

On this absurdly hot and sticky spring day, I try my first ever sarsaparilla, in a bottle commemorating Gettysburg’s 150th.  It’s supposed to taste like root beer, and it does.

Back on the highway, only to slam the brakes for Mr. Ed’s Elephant Museum and Candy Emporium. Yup.

The biggest collection of fake pachyderms and sugar (homemade fudge, Sky Bars and Valomilks) you’ll probably ever see. A diabetic’s dream.

I clear out before I can do more damage to my waistline and drive off. As it turns out, the Appalachian Trail, which I’d always heard of and am determined to experience, is just down the road.

It’s part of a state park that also has Civil War ties. That famous abolitionist and lawmaker Tommy Lee Jones — er, Thaddeus Stevens, owned a village with an ironworks, and the area was a stop on the Underground Railway.

The Confederate Army, no fans of Stevens, burned the place to the ground, though some of the original blacksmith shop is still there.

It’s a cool place to hike during the heat wave, with nothing around but the sounds of birds, bullfrogs and the faint traffic noise from the Lincoln Highway.

Almost perfect, except for the natural carnage: too many hemlocks — the Pennsylvania state tree — felled by vicious invader insects.

Still, a memorable trip. And a great end to my Lincoln Highway odyssey.

]]> http://planetlippstone.com/2013/06/10/gettysburg-land-of-dogs-ghosts-and-u-s-presidents/feed/ 0 http://planetlippstone.com/2013/05/21/yet-another-reason-why-i-love-nyc/ http://planetlippstone.com/2013/05/21/yet-another-reason-why-i-love-nyc/#comments Tue, 21 May 2013 14:38:22 +0000 planetlippstone http://planetlippstone.com/?p=8379 Continue reading →]]> You just never know what you’re gonna run into on the NYC subway.

Wikimedia Commons

(BTW, if you’ve never been, that relic on the right is what you used to need to get on board until fairly recently.

Yeah, it was outdated and needed to be scrapped. But unlike today’s Metro Card with no soul, it was a constant; an old, welcoming friend in a sea of strangers.)

Anyhoo, take a look. Lotsa fun.

And what do I know from Country kulcha? Tim McGraw (though as a Mets’ fan I knew more about his late dad Tug) and Stuckey’s pecan logs. And oh yeah, visiting a very ex-boyfriend’s granny who lived in a tin-roof house in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. I think she may have killed the chicken we had for dinner, but didn’t ask because I really didn’t want to know.

That’s about it for this Jewish gal from the big city.

So what was said Jewish gal who gets hives from theme parks doing in Branson, Missouri? That Bible Belt Las Vegas in the Ozarks –a backdrop for the Beverly Hillbillies?

Having fun.

Branson is everything you may have heard: As country as Dolly Parton – who has a dinner theater there. Live Music Show Capital of the World! More theater seats than Broadway! Religious theatrical extravaganzas, both Old and New Testaments! Gospel aplenty!

Trying to keep up with a fast-moving camel behind the scenes at a Christian theater company.

Let’s be honest: It’s not for everyone and doesn’t try to be. Its big draw is its W (for wholesome) rating and Christian vibe. But it’s also a campy international showcase, plunked down in the middle of some nice natural scenery.

I had a good time for the same reasons I secretly adore Cracker Barrel (one of my road-trip weaknesses; chicken and dumplings and Valomilks, oh my!) and singing in my car.

Branson’s like Cracker Barrel where you can stay over. Heaping spoonfuls of camp. Like padding around in pajamas with feet everywhere as an adult – and getting away with it.

Here’s some of its charms.

Respectable Titanic Museum

Titanic Museum Attraction

When I first saw a copy of the doomed ship parked along a Branson highway in landlocked Missouri, ready to “board,” I thought, uh, nope.

But since I’m such a sucker for the Cameron movie (I have the soundtrack on my iPhone), I got into it.

Titanic Museum Attraction

There was the replica of the grand staircase. And a pretty impressive collection of some of the real stuff from the ship and the wreck. Including kosher utensils used by the Astors for some of their last suppers.

Then there was the rough touch of a iceberg; trying to walk the deck as the ship was sinking; and the shock of the freezing ocean.

Titanic Museum Attraction

Not to mention two real Cavalier King Charles Spaniel dogs (the same breed as “Elizabeth Taylor” on Sex and the City) – a tribute to the dogs on the voyage. Unlike those dogs, these lucky girls were plied with nonstop treats and belly rubs.

When I boarded, I was given a boarding pass for a supposed actual passenger: a woman traveling in Third Class. So I couldn’t be Molly Brown?

I found out my passenger didn’t make it. I consoled myself with some vintage-looking earrings at the gift shop that sort of looked like what Kate Winslet would have worn in the movie. If they had been real gold. And  resisted the urge to go for the bling that capitalized on the ficticious Heart of the Sea pendant from the movie. A bit much.

Entertainment 24/7

The hills are alive with all kinds of fare. Real celebrities like Tim McGraw, Jerry Springer and Charley Pride show up on tour. Continuous cover acts are dedicated to the Four Seasons, Abba and everyone in between.

Among the firsts for this Broadway maven: a showboat on a lake. The entertainment was a comedian and magician who apparently did time at Hollywood’s famed Magic Castle and was now in Wal-Mart country, trying out jokes about Wal-Mart shoppers. Well, I thought he was funny.

Silver Dollar City Attractions

And a violinist who can sing and play a mean violin up in the air, no less. This America’s Got Talent performer is a Julliard grad and Army vet to boot. Show-off …

Also tried my first country music show on for size. Have to say I was totally taken with the family act known as the Presleys (no relation to Elvis), who’ve been at it since the 1960s.

Standing by my man, country cutup Eric Presley.

I was charmed by the different generations, the tunes (really got into Stand By Your Man, the only song I knew — natch ) the homespun humor (updated with a Twitter reference), and the revelation that the cute, low-key drummer was married to Branson’s mayor.

Branson’s hard rock

A limestone cave that goes on forever was a welcome respite from the above-ground frenzy.

On a raw, rainy spring day, I white-knuckled it on the handrails as I navigated hundreds of slick steps carved from the limestone, ducking menacing fingers of rock jutting out everywhere. A nice high.

Rock ‘n’ Roll

I confess I didn’t try out what’s billed as one of the world’s scariest roller coasters because I’ve had an aversion to amusement parks since growing up at the Jersey Shore. Reason: I like being right-side up. Maybe you don’t. Got for it.

Good food, and plenty of it

I’m a victim, really, when it comes to starch-and-sugar fests. Homemade cinnamon rolls that put Cinnabon to shame. Double-breaded fried chicken, endless mashed potatoes and biscuits. Oh, and homemade Kahlua Ding Dongs. Yep. A waste of perfectly good Ding Dongs, if you ask me.

Seriously, one of the best meals I’ve ever had was at the restaurant school at the College of the Ozarks, where the students work in the dairy and mill for their education. The food and the presentation were almost too beautiful to consume. Almost.

Shopping

In addition to the usual outlets is a faux Ozarks village. Some of the stuff is really nice, like glassware, jewelry and pottery made by hand. Also plenty of chachkas. And fudge. Lots of fudge.

I was quite happy to find yet another Life is Good T-shirt, this one with a stick figure doing yoga and the words Total Poser on it. I needed the reminder to get back into it.

Got this trendy T in Branson. Whodda thunk?

Actually, having lots of fun.

BTW, that’s not some jacket I got at TJMaxx. It’s belong to this guy.  He’s Eric Presley, part of one of the first performing families of Branson.  Charming guy. Lent me the jacket off his back.

I’m here all week. Tell your friends.

Back home. Will return with all the fun details as soon as I get some pressing work out of the way.

Manhattan’s Columbus Circle, as seen from the second floor of the Time Warner Center on an early spring day.

Gotta say I’d never been to this mall before, and you’re looking at the best part right here: the view.

When all’s said and done, it’s just a mall, with not much more than  your average.

I went in search of a case for my new laptop. Figured some neat shop — or at least the Microsoft store — would have what I needed. If not, I could at least have the satisfaction of telling the Microsoft folk in person what I thought of their gawdawful software.

But they were too busy to listen to a rant that would have gone nowhere anyway. And there was nothing special anywhere. I left empty-handed, with advice to try Best Buy or Radio Shack ringing in my ears. How’s that for the ultimate shopping experience?

Frankly, I’ve seen better selection at some airports. (Bangkok, for instance.)

I will give a thumbs-up to the Whole Foods in the basement, just because it’s a Whole Foods. Again, not much different than any other. Just a lot more crowded, if you’re into fellow noshers practically sitting in your lap.

The truth about the Time Warner Center, as far as I’m concerned? It’s redundantly dull in a place like The Apple, which gets its sheen from all kinds of neighborhoods with all kinds of storefronts.

I’ll admit I was a little sour at the end of the first season of Homeland. I didn’t completely buy what drove Nicholas Brody.

But by the end of season two I was reeled in again, but good. I can’t wait for the return of Claire Danes and the band of merry Brits playing Yanks minus studly David Harewood, whom I’ll greatly miss.

The point of all this is that when I was in Charlotte this past week dog sitting for my sister’s brood, I started looking up all the filming locations for Homeland. (That when I wasn’t walking a golden retriever-chow who, in truth, was walking me.)

Rabid fans like me know Homeland’s shot in Charlotte, which I’ll admit sometimes doesn’t cut it as a stand-in for DC. But it was smart to film there for the North Carolina tax credits. Besides, fans, we’re not there for the scenery, are we?

Most of the locations aren’t that interesting. But there was one I’d always wondered about.

“Homeland”/Showtime

The scene where Brody takes the family to Gettysburg, Pa., and makes a little detour to pick up attire for his planned suicide bombing. Gotta have an explosive vest that works.

Since I’d been to Gettysburg and knew that part of the world, I was curious about that location and the production aspects. So I took a little excursion, but didn’t have to go all the way back to Pennsylvania.

Because here’s where Gettysburg was really filmed:

Mooresville, NC, an easy drive from Charlotte, in the middle of horse and lake country.

I’d read it’s used anytime the Homeland crew needs  an all-purpose small town.

The tailor shop where Brody was outfitted is really this mild-mannered men’s clothing store that’s been around for decades.

No Brody lurking in the back …

… Just folks picking up prom tuxes on a busy spring afternoon.

“Homeland”/Showtime

Next stop, the “Heritage Diner”, where the Brody family had lunch. A resident was absolutely mystified when I first asked her where the diner might be located.

That’s because no such place existed; an eatery called J.J. Wasabi’s was the stand-in.

The menu ranges from Pad Thai to French fries. Had an all-American burger, and gotta say it wasn’t all that great.

Just had to top it off with some peachy keen, homemade Carolina peach ice cream at the Mooresville Ice Cream Co., where they make it on the premises. I’m told the show also took over this building during the Gettysburg episode.

I wouldn’t have minded a tour of Richard’s Coffee Shop and military museum, but it was closed.

Or if you don’t feel like going to all that trouble, just go out and buy some. Either way, enjoy.

Take a lesson from a wise old woman. No, not me. I still have a long way to go in the wisdom department.

When in doubt, spread out, like my girl Ginger.

She just had breakfast. At the top of her to-do list now: back to bed. Nose-deep in dad’s T-shirt. With plenty of extra security blankets and stuffed toys.

Try it for a couple minutes. Maybe even the whole weekend …

He’s the person behind the street that’s the coolest block in America, according to GQ magazine.

This L.A. street was a favorite hangout of mine when I lived there. I don’t anymore — and miss this primo place to people-watch.

There’s always supposed to be lots of celebrities milling around. The closest I ever got to seeing any was when a movie crew took over my favorite place to get chocolate cake and I wasn’t allowed in. The movie was The Truth About Cats & Dogs with Uma Thurman and Janeane Garofalo.

There’s a whole lot that’s new. Take a walk with me in the latest issue of Going Places, Malaysia Airlines’ inflight mag.