Carlisle is a compact, walkable college town with historic downtown charm, Dickinson College energy, a steady calendar of community events, popular farmers markets, local breweries and an active military presence at Carlisle Barracks—making it easy to find things to do, meet people, and feel at home during multi-week contracts.
Harrisburg (about 20–25 miles) offers museums, riverfront dining and larger-city amenities, and Lancaster (≈35 miles) provides Pennsylvania Dutch markets, arts and food scenes—both are short drives for weekend variety.