Avaricious heritage tourism officials in states with second-tier ACW attractions had better ponder this headline before they start banking future visitor dollars:Some hope Civil War tour will boost Gettysburg tourism
* Some ... not all. Not all are that optimistic.
* Hope ... not plan.
* Gettysburg ... the premier attraction of the 150th anniversary.
Sorry to say, this headline is the best part of that report. The story is about a guidebook that anticipates the anniversary: Journey Through Hallowed Ground. The thing about the book that excited news reporters was the journey among hallowed cash registers: "They take hot dogs very seriously in Gettysburg, you can really get good dogs,' said travel writer David Lillard."
Note also, business owners have a lot to gain from Journey if it works the way organizers hope. "This will benefit the wineries, the historic downtowns. It offers a richer palette of choices (to the visitor)," said Journey vice president Kat Imhoff. "It is not single-themed and can really offer you everything from Native American history to 20th century history and do it in a cohesive manner."
This is what passes for anniversary prep, folks. And heaven forbid the anniversary of the Civil War should be single-themed. It's all hallowed now ...
