The Brickhouse Inn

Where • 452 Baltimore Street

More info • 1-800-864-3464; brickhouseinn.com

Gettysburg is a bed-and-breakfast hotbed, with dozens of these types of accommodations available near the battlefield. Many are designated as "Civil War buildings," meaning they were built before 1861.

We stayed at The Brickhouse Inn, a perfectly appointed three-story Victorian home built in 1898. The folks who run this also run the Welty House next door. That was built around 1830 and actually has a bullet hole in one of the balconies.

Trust me, if there is a bullet, shot or shell mark on a building, the proprietors will certainly tell you about it. They are proud of the battle scars.

The setup • The Brickhouse gets high marks for its breakfasts, served at 8:30 and 9:30 a.m. Both of our meals were well-prepared and delicious, and included fresh fruit, strong coffee and tasty lemon tarts and shoo-fly pie to provide energy for the day's walking.

(Even better, one morning a platter stacked with bacon was placed on our table and I discovered half the table was vegetarian. More bacon for Joe. Winning!)

Our room • The rooms are tastefully appointed and large enough for two to move about easily. I especially enjoyed the porch full of rocking chairs and the 24-hour access to boiling water and a wide selection of teas. The town of Gettysburg pretty much rolls up the sidewalks after 10 p.m., and a relaxing rock and a cup of tea was a perfect way to end the day.

How much • From $100 to $190.

Other options • For families, the town has a number of chain motels and hotels. They offer rates in the $90-to-$120 range and usually have swimming pools, which, as any parent can tell you, work wonders on cranky, bored kids.