Our RV park was just 85 miles from Philadelphia. We decided to go see the historical sites in Philly, so we packed an overnight bag, made a motel reservation, loaded up the dogs, and headed east early one morning.
There is SO much to see and do in Philadelphia, so I had to prioritize our list of things to do. Where should I even start? Since we only had two days, I had to choose very carefully.
After crossing off many items to see, here is the list of my MUST SEES I ended up with: The Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, Carpenter’s Hall, Elfreths Alley, Betsy Ross House, Philadelphia Museum of Art (you know – the stairs Sylvester Stallone ran up in the movie “Rocky”), eat a Philly Cheesesteak sandwich at a famous eatery, and Valley Forge National Historic Park. That is quite a list for two short days!
So, here we go with picture overload. I’ll caption some of the photos to help identify some places, and forego my lengthy, babbling narrative on this post (I would have too much to say and you can Google all the historical information if you want to know more).
The Liberty Bell from outside the building. Please read sign.Independence HallIndependence HallBack of Independence HallPlease zoom in to read the sign for Carpenters Hall.Carpenters’ HallCarpenters’ HallCarpenters’ Hall – a piece of the refurbished wall is removed to expose some of the original beams.Carpenters’ HallCarpenters’ Hall – zoom in to read info on this flag. Carpenters’ Hall – This is one of the original chairs used during the First Continental Congress! These chairs were originally green during that time period. Elfreths AlleyElfreths AlleyElfreths Alley – Please read the sign! Elfreths AlleyElfreths AlleyI had gotten here too late in the afternoon and could not go inside the house. 😢 So, I had to settle for photos from outside. Betsy Ross HouseBetsy Ross House – Entrance for the tour. Betsy Ross House – Side and back where the tour entrance goes into the house. Interesting – Betsy Ross is actually buried in the yard area to the side of the house between two trees.Philadelphia Museum of ArtPhiladelphia Museum of Art – The stairs made famous from the movie “Rocky” and Sylvester Stallone. No, I did not run up the stairs (I did walk to the top), but many other people did. Philadelphia Museum of Art – The view from the top was stunning (the picture does not do it justice).George Washington Monument in the circle (see photo from the top of the stairs) in front of Philadelphia Museum of Art. Bronze statue of Sylvester Stallone on the side of Philadelphia Museum of Art. Well, you know, I just had to have my picture taken with him! Geno’s Steaks The Best …..….. and Pat’s King of Steaks are in competition with each other. Not only that, they are on the same street where two streets intersect as an “X” and they are on opposite corners of the intersection! I almost forgot to take a pic of my Philly Cheese Steak sandwich from GENO’S. It was great! I wish I had another one right now.Valley Forge National Historic Park – I took a lot of photos here. There are MANY monuments that mark where which regiments from which colonies were located. There are MANY signs to read about the winter the American militia spent at Valley Forge training to defeat the British army. There was really TOO much to see in one afternoon. Enjoy the pics and read as much of the signs as you want. There won’t be a lot of captions. George Washington’s HeadquartersInformation at the George Washington Statue. Major General Friedrick Wilhelm Baron von Stuben, who had a lot of experience training armies, came from Europe to assist George Washington in getting the Americans trained in order to defeat the British. We owe a lot of gratitude to this man and all the troops that stayed at Valley Forge that winter. Many died from exposure to the elements of a very harsh winter.
Just being at Valley Forge filled me with awe and gratitude for the many lives involved in fighting for our independence. I was also filled with a somber feeling seeing each field and reading about whichtroops from which colonies were in that field. Just knowing that many died here, not from battle, but from training for the battles to come filled my heart with grief and at the same time with pride because they knew beyond a shadow of doubt what they believed in (FREEDOM) and what they wanted to accomplish.For their determination and sacrifice, I am eternally grateful!!
