I do remote trial setups for a law firm ... and every once in a while I will have time to take in the sites of the location we are in. I happened to have a Saturday free and the only duty to perform was to be in Wilmington, DE by 10AM Sunday morning to meet a freight truck....so I grabbed Garmina (our trusty GPS...) and my other two faithful companions (Canon camera and National Parks Passport book!) and took off for historical sites on a stamp collection mission. Starting off the day in New Jersey, I made my way to the New Jersey State House. After spending a few moments at the New Jersey War Memorial, I shot a pics of the area and State House then made my way west. (Too bad State Capitals don't have a stamp program -- I would have 34 of those babies!)
First stop was the Independence National Historic Park - home to Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell. As luck would have it, Independence Hall is undergoing renovation so there is scaffolding around a portion of it - the most picturesque part! I took a few pics then made my way to the Liberty Bell. I took a picture with my BlackBerry and sent it to my kids with the subject line "guess what Mommy saw this morning?" It was barely 9 AM in Houston when I was trekking around so I knew they were home - awake was a different story! But they were and were excited that I sent them a picture.
I had visited Valley Forge once before when I was in the area for another trial a few years ago, and made a return trip today. Being a southerner who has limited experience in snow, it is still difficult for me to comprehend how soldiers, young soldiers, fought in the dead of winter in this area. There is an "encampment tour" that you can walk or drive and I drove it again today. There are "log cabins" in small groupings in which General Washington and his men camped during December 1777 through June 1778. There are volunteers who man "stations" and provide good photo ops for those of us wanting them, and they provide good information as well. I enjoyed having the windows down in the rental car -- it was a breezy 64 degrees most of the day but overcast skies. There are trees here that as you can imagine, are well over a hundred years old. There are hickory trees, several types of oaks, several types of cedar and pines, and lots of native grasses and wildflowers. Dense stands of trees and the native grasses make for perfect cover for wildlife - today I saw squirrels and about 7 deer just munching in a meadow -- they heard the click of my camera and looked up but were not bothered by me and I let them munch.
One of the things that I frequently see on my trips is a fire truck -- not that I always look for one - but I typically manage to see one and today was no different. Although, having wildfires in Texas this summer, I wondered if there was a reason this one was making its way through the encampment tour! The driver must have just wanted to take a scenic drive.
The Washington Memorial Chapel & Tower in Valley Forge is a masterful piece of workmanship. It was built honoring General George Washington and the men that fought with the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War. There is a bell located in the tower named "The Justice Bell". It is a replica of the Liberty Bell and was used in the woman's Suffrage movement. Also inside the tower is a mosaic of General Washington high up on the wall, as well as a stained glass window depicting the General praying. As you look directly overhead, there is a mobile of what appears to be a cannon and I think (based on text on the ring around it) that it was put up by the Daughters of the America Revolution. The artistry and craftsmanship in the tower just can't be conveyed through pictures. In the chapel, there are carvings of infantry men in an area that is cordoned off from visitors - but still within view. The flags of the states are depicted on the front of the front row of pews. The chapel is home to an active Episcopalian congregation.
After Valley Forge it was back to Philly to the Edgar Allen Poe Historical Site. He lived in this house with his wife and mother-in-law and it was a rather small house - but as he and his family had lived as simply as they could prior to this home, it was said to be the largest home they occupied. He lived in the house between 1843 and 1844. I believe and wrote short stories The Gold Bug, The Tell Tale Heart, Murders in the Rue Morgue and The Black Cat while living here. (My 8th grade literature teacher Mrs. McKay would be so proud of me!!)
From the Poe house I went to the Benjamin Franklin Memorial at the Franklin Science Museum. They were setting up for a dinner of some sort so I couldn't get much more than a picture of the huge seated statue of Mr. Franklin. I would love to bring the family here to spend a day going through this place! There is an exhibit about mummies and it looks like a real "touchy-feely" kinds of places that kids love....
A day of picture taking ended with dinner then on to the hotel I will be at for our stay in Wilmington -- stay tuned for more frolicking - next time with the entire family hopefully!
Enjoy the pictures of the day....click here !
