Summer Vacation–Days 1 and 2

I don’t think it’s a surprise to anyone when I say that Shawn and I love American History.
With all our hearts.
I cannot emphasis this enough!
And my poor children bear the brunt of this obsession. 

There are worse things than being named after great American leaders and Heroes I suppose.

It was only a matter of time before we took a vacation to see American History sites. (I am going to dub it, ‘the vacation of a lifetime’). The idea crossed Shawn’s mind when he signed up for CE credits in Philadelphia. If he was going to go all the way up there, why not take the family?
And while you’re there, why not travel the extra 1 1/2 hrs to see New York?
And on the way home, why not stop in DC?
Why not? sounds easy enough

It turned into a 9 day Historical sites, American facts, restaurant eating, road trip, hotel staying overload.
I’m confident my children can redeem college credit for everything they were forced to do did.

I have to be honest, I am overwhelmed with how to go about blogging this trip. I want to include everything (which others might call ‘bore you to death’). But I know it will take forever. So bear with me. I’m going to have to break it up into days. Oh, and I took over 1,000 pictures. I will probably have a mental fit trying to decide which to show.

I’ll start with Day 1 (clever me)
Shawn spent the entire day in classes. I was woken by my mom at the hotel room door around 7am. Oh, I didn’t mention she was coming? Well, who could resist a trip like this? She flew in to Philadelphia and met us at our hotel.
We spent the entire day at the pool…. we had to relax and conserve our energy for the rollercoaster we were about to embark on.

  

We spent 1 hour in traffic traveling only 5 miles to pick Shawn up in the city.
Then we went to the Reading Terminal Market to find the best Philly Cheesesteak sandwich. The market has a rich history back to the 1700’s. It is bustling with people and unique vendors. If we were going to find a Cheesesteak sandwich, it was going to be here.
And it seemed everyone else had the same idea, because all of the shops were sold out of steak… it was 5pm.
We frowned, then made due with cheesesteak sandwiches from an old diner. They weren’t the best… heck, they weren’t even good.
But we ate them in Philadelphia… which is all that really mattered anyways.

Day 2
We woke up at the butt-crack of dawn (we actually did this every day), and headed to Independence Hall
Where it all began
It… as in, the United States of America
As in, every freedom we enjoy and our entire quality of life is a result of what happened in this building. 
 


This was the exact spot where the Declaration of Independence was adopted, and the Constitution was signed.
Everything in the room was a period piece, except the “Rising Sun” chair, where  George Washington sat.
Benjamin Franklin said about the chair, “I have often looked at that behind the president without being able to tell whether it was rising or setting. But now I... know that it is a rising...sun.”

You can’t enter this room without yell-singing, “Sit down John, sit down John, for God’s sake John SIT DOWN” (but without the profanity) 
It’s an unwritten rule.
 

We lingered until the other tour group had left and the room was empty. I could almost hear the echoing voices of those great men debating.
I think I’m holding my hand to my heart so I don’t faint

 

Next door was Congress Hall

Many things happened in this room during the first years of the Nation’s history. But I think what makes it an important landmark is that this is where John Adams was inaugurated as the 2nd President. George Washington sat in one seat, John Adams the other. This was the first time in the history of the World when a leader gave his power to another by choice, and not as a result death or war.
 

Taking a rest in shade. It was a hot day! Grant might be bored.
 

Then we stood in line for close to an hour to see the Liberty Bell
Yes, it was worth it. I would have stood in line 10 hours to see it!


Proclaim LIBERTY throughout all the Land unto all the Inhabitants thereof Lev. XXV X



The kids were asked, “What does liberty mean to you”:
Jefferson – “Freedom from taxation”
Grant – “That we can do whatever we want. Lets ROCK this party!”
Reagan – “That I get to stay up past my bedtime”

Next we went to the US Mint. I had my heart set on going to the main one in DC, but this one would have to do.
The Philadelphia mint produces coins. We learned more about coins then I ever imagined. I have truly underestimated the change in my pocket.
Fact: it took coiners at the First US Mint three years to produce our nation's first 1 million coins.  Today, in Philadelphia, they can produce 1 million coins in 30 minutes
Fact: Coiners in colonial Philadelphia worked 11 hours each day, 6 days per week.  Employees earned about a dollar a day.

Fact: They have specialty coins you can purchase each featuring a US President. They have every President EXCEPT Jefferson, Grant, Kennedy, and Reagan. What are the chances of that poor luck? Really, it seemed like a cruel joke, like I was on Candid Camera. I’m still trying to get over the disappointment. I don’t think I ever will.

This is the only picture we took. There is no photography inside.

To top off this amazing day, it also happened to be my mom’s birthday.
Happy Birthday Mommy!
Her only birthday wish (besides dancing along the streets of Philadelphia to “Happy”, which she did), was to get ice cream at the famous Bassetts. It is America’s first ice cream company… and one of the top 10 ice creams in the country.
For an ice cream conesuir, there was no better place to spend her birthday. So, we headed back to the Reading Terminal Market, searching through all the shops and crowds, until we found this little parlor.  
 

If your face is covered in a mess of ice cream it can only mean 1 thing… it is the best ice cream you’ve ever had!
And it was pretty darn good

The day was done, and so was our short time in Philadelphia.
We went back to the hotel, packed up our things, and stayed up WAY TOO late watching the Disney Chanel.