- Miles today: 0
- Miles total: 4154
- Weather: Partly cloudy to overcast. High 84F
- Theme: "Liberty Bell" by John Philip Sousa
- Lesson: Stick to self-guided tours.
What do you get when you cross a Bavarian and a Portuguese? The theme song to Monty Python's Flying Circus (and today's blog) from America's best-known Victorian-era composer, and the spitting image of my high-school music director (also a composer and trombonist) Norm Wallen.
We chose this campground because it offered a "guided" tour of Philadelphia, so we wouldn't have to find RV parking downtown. Most of today's photos were taken from a moving van (if I was on the viewable side), and the few stops were meticulously timed, limiting opportunity for deeper exploration of historic artifacts and places or conversations with the docents and rangers. It was quite frustrating and reminded me why I prefer to tour un-guided. Our guide was very knowledgeable and made efforts to find answers to questions, but I think the major problem was trying to cram way too many sites into a one-day tour in an attempt to accommodate the interests of the broadest audience. The entire tour from pick-up to drop-off lasted ten hours. By mid-afternoon the kids were begging for it to be over. We still enjoyed it.
First stop, the Liberty Bell.
It seems like most of the exhibits in the President's House complex (which includes the Liberty Bell) focus on contrasting this icon of American liberty with inconsistencies of libertine principles during the founding, such as presidents keeping slaves, the campaign for women's rights and such. The rest of the displays dispelled Liberty Bell myth and legend, but there was a small display that detailed the preservation and restoration efforts, and one about the history of the bell's travels.
The tour of Independence Hall was brief (it's a small place) but very enjoyable, as the ranger engaged the audience and photos were allowed.
It will be interesting to see if the kids remember my point that the two rooms in the building housed the entire judicial and legislative branches of the first government, when we visit Washington DC in a few days.
The Liberty Bell and Independence Hall were all we had time for as we had to get lunch before getting back on the van.
Cheese steaks at Campo's.
Teresa's hoagie was a little too spicey.
Our guide started rounding everyone up for the van (literally picking up everyone's trash) so we snuck over (one block away) for a quick photo of Franklin Square and the first US Post Office. No time for a tour of the print-shop or museum. It was a huge disappointment for me, as Franklin is my favorite founder, for many reasons. (We also "viewed" his grave from the van).Here's an interesting bit. There were horse-and-buggie rides available in the city, and one of them bore the sign "Benj. Franklin Carriage Rides" and a smaller sign behind the driver, "Tips are the reward for a job well done." Times have changed in Philadelphia, because I seem to recall that Poor Richard once wrote, "A job well done is it's own reward."
I wish we had more time to explore the grounds and architecture of Christ's Church, but Rodger at least got the opportunity to ring their bell, which is 50 years older than the Liberty Bell.
Teresa got some quilting lessons at the Betsy Ross house, which probably would not have been a stop on a self-guided tour (her involvement with the original US flag is at best family legend) so it was nice to see the inside of an 18th century house in downtown Philadelphia.
By the time we reached Valley Forge, everyone was exhausted and the kids (total of four on the van) were getting restless. Once again, it is great to experience history in panorama (even from a moving van) to better understand the scope of an event. The hill-tops at Valley Forge were an ideal place for an encampment, with sweeping views of the broad surrounding valleys.
This may look like just another ubiquitous statue of George Washington (at Valley Forge) but it is actually the latest excursion into amateur entomology we call "Name That Bug."
Back at the campground, we ordered pizza. We can't get it delivered to our house, but we brought ours along this time.