MRand

Didn't Faulkner say that the past is never dead, it's not even past? I didn't read that quote until college or maybe even later, but when I did, I knew immediately what he was talking about. I grew up with grandparents on both sides of my family who talked often about the Civil War. My maternal grandmother told me stories of a great3 grandfather who left his wife, seven children, and small farm and went with his brother to join Lee's army in Virginia. He never returned. My paternal grandfather spoke of his grandfather, a German immigrant who drove wagons for the Union Army shortly after his arrival in America. So when I visited Civil War battlefields as a young boy, they had a personal dimension for me as I wondered if either ancestor had walked those fields or driven those roads.

Those stories gave me an abiding interest in history. Needless to say I've been elated that my children have shared some of that interest, and was particularly pleased that my youngest son had been badgering me for some years now to take him to see Gettysburg and famous Revolutionary Era sites on one of my frequent business trips to Philadelphia. A school holiday several weeks ago afforded us that opportunity. His other passion is sports, but since the Phillies, Flyers, and 76ers weren’t in town, we decided to focus on history and food. I hope other parents will be able to take a similar trip with their children.

FRI., APRIL 10

Hotel: Windsor Suites

Arrived mid-afternoon at Philadelphia International Airport and took a $35 cab ride to our hotel in downtown Philadelphia, the Windsor Suites (1700 Benjamin Franklin Parkway - 877-784-8379 - www.windsorhotel.com ). I had reserved our room on Expedia for what I thought was a very reasonable $99 per night. We thought the room was large, even though it turned out to be one of the smaller rooms in the hotel. The room had older furnishings, but was clean with modern bathroom tile and fixtures. Add in the full-sized refrigerator and microwave in the small kitchenette and it suited us just fine.

Afternoon & Evening: Continental Midtown and Capogiro

We decided to walk Center City in the late afternoon sunlight to whet our appetites for both sightseeing and food, touching on three of the four squares William Penn had originally laid out when he planned the city in the late 1600s. We started at Logan Square, admiring the beautiful fountain in Logan Circle and the dramatic view up the Ben Franklin Parkway to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, hiked south to beautiful Rittenhouse Square, then turned eastward to Washington Square where the statue of George Washington and tomb of the unknown (Revolutionary War) soldiers are located. We then walked several short blocks for my son’s first view of Independence Square, the Liberty Bell, and Independence Hall. He didn’ say much, but was clearly impressed. We circled back to the hotel, washed up for dinner, and rewarded ourselves with a super delicious, teen-friendly meal at Continental Midtown (1801 Chestnut St. - 215-567-1800 – www.continentalmidtown.com ) — sharing udon noodle soup, a pile of Szechuan shoestring fries with really spicy Chinese mustard, a spectacular cheesesteak eggroll, and a BBQ chicken quesadilla. We spurned dessert, because youngest son is a gelato fanatic. We headed to Capogiro, 119 S 13th St. - 215-351-0900‎ - www.capogirogelato.com ), in his never ending quest for the best stracciatella (well, dad settled for sorbet). Fortified, we returned to the hotel in the cold evening air. Since all reservations for the Independence Hall tour were already booked at the National Park Service-affiliated website: http://www.recreation.gov/tourSearch...tractCode=NRSO ,
we were psyched to get up early on Saturday to try to get walk up tickets.

Amy

Looking forward to reading the rest! It's such a wonderful advantage for children to be able to "live" history.

artstuff

MRand - I've enjoyed reading what you have so far. Looking forward to the rest of your trip report.

Robyn

sarge56

MRand, looking forward to the rest of your report. You didn't say how old your son is. (I got "teen", but that could be 13 or 19- big difference!)

thx for posting!

AnnMarie_C

Yes, off to a great start--look forward to reading more.

MRand

Thanks Amy, artstuff, sarge56, and AnnMarie_C. Sarge, he's barely 15 years old.

Sat. April 16

MORNING & EARLY AFTERNOON: Independence National Park (Liberty Bell, Independece Hall, and other Revolutionary Era sites)

This morning was cold and wet, but we donned our rain gear and arrived at the Visitor Center about 8:15 to obtain free walk up tickets for the Independence Hall tour. (Timed tickets are required for the tour.) There were about 20 people in line in front of us, but as we neared the front of the line a park ranger appeared an announced that about 15 tickets had been returned for the 9:15 tour. We jumped at that opportunity, and that still gave us time to get in line for the opening of the Liberty Bell Center at 9:00 a.m. I tend to think of the Liberty Bell as an American icon, but most of those in line in front and behind us appeared to be foreigners. When the park rangers opened the pavilion, my son and I skipped the preliminary exhibits and headed straight for the the Liberty Bell itself. We had The Bell to ourselves for about four or five minutes, walking around it to inspect it from all angles. It’s much more massive up close than it looks in pictures or from a distance. I’ve seen it on several previous trips to Philadelphia, but find its symbolism equally moving each time. My son and I didn’t say much for those few minutes. He summed it up appropriately: “Wow.”

Next stop was Independence Hall to get in line for the 9:15 tour. Our group was led into a side building where our National Park Service guide Tom gave an excellent 10 minute orientation talk about the background of Independence Hall, originally built as the Pennsylvania state capitol building. We then went into the first of the two large rooms on the lower floor of the Hall, where the Pennsylvania Supreme Court met, for a brief talk. Then across to the Assembly Room — The Room Where It All Happened: the appointment of Washington as general of the Continental Army (1775), the deliberations on the Declaration of Independence (1776), and later the debates over The Constitution (1787). Tom continued his riveting presentation there. (Proof? a 15 year old boy’s highest praise: “He’s pretty good.”) My son was most impressed by the story of the large chair on the other side of the Assembly Room, where George Washington sat during the constitutional debates. A half-sun is engraved on the head of the chair. Benjamin Franklin said that during the debates, he didn’t know whether that sun was a rising sun or a setting sun, but with the agreement on the Constitution, he was now confident that it was indeed rising.

MomDDTravel

Enjoying your report. I spent a few days with my daughter in Philly in the fall.

MRand

Sat. April 16 (cont'd)

The rain continued to pour as we left Independence Hall, so we took refuge again in the Independence Visitor Center. We watched a somewhat cheesy 20-minute ‘70s era film on the events surrounding independence and The Constitution, got a snack, and then headed out into the rain again. We walked east a couple of blocks to Christ Church Burial Ground to see Benjamin Franklin’s Grave, then to the Market Street Houses — three-story red brick colonial row houses built by Benjamin Franklin — and then to the Franklin “Ghost House” (white metal outline of Franklin’s home at its original site) in Franklin Court. We spent an hour or so drying out inside the Franklin Museum underneath Franklin Court, which has a small but interesting collection of Franklin-era memorabilia, and viewing a better ‘70s era movie on Franklin, narrated by a nice guy actor/television personality whom I’d forgotten about — David Hartman.

We continued south to Carpenter’s Hall, which I had not seen on several previous trips to the park, where the First Continental Congress met in 1774 and well worth a 20 or 30 minute visit. We then walked around the beautiful white stone Merchants’ Exchange Building built in the 1830s in Greek Revival Style, over to City Tavern, where the founders drank and dined and which still operates as a period restaurant, and then west on Walnut Street in the unremitting rain past the colonial era Bishop White and Todd Houses. My son particularly liked the red brick colonial architecture and asked “why don’t they build buildings like that anymore?” He also enjoyed the innovative Independence National Historical Park Cell Phone Audio Tour, where at each of these sites he could dial a main number, enter another two or three digit number, and receive a brief orientation.

LUNCH: Reading Terminal Market

Hungry and getting colder by the minute, we finally capitulated to the elements and hailed a cab to Reading Terminal Market for lunch. Unfortunately, hundreds of others had the same idea, so the lines at the myriad food stalls were long. We were nevertheless highly entertained walking the aisles and admiring the huge diversity of cuisines offered there. At son’s request, we settled for a quick cheeseburger at Down Home Diner inside the Terminal, and focused our efforts on getting dessert. He went for a delicious chocolate cupcake at the Flying Monkey Patisserie on the 11th Street (east) side of the market, while I sought out a slice of Amish shoo-fly pie at Beiler’s Bakery in the northwest corner of the building. My son, who’s not a big pie fan, enjoyed a bite of the molasses-based filling and crust almost as much as his father enjoyed the rest of it. (It tastes a little like pecan pie, but less sugary-sweet and without the pecans.) Contented, we braved the rain again back to our hotel to catch a little of The Masters golf tournament on TV (son) and brief nap (dad).

MRand

DINNER: Four Rivers (Chinatown), Capogiro & Naked Chocolate

Refreshed, we headed out in the bracing early evening air. The rain had stopped and the sky was clearing, so we decided to try Philadelphia's Chinatown. Liking spicy food, we settled on Four Rivers, a Szechuan diner at 936 Race St., (215) 629-8385. We were not disappointed. Every other customer in the small restaurant was Chinese and the gracious hostess seated us and oriented us to the menu. We had sweet and sour soup to warm up, and then tried an unusual cold chicken dish (served on the bone) with a delicious brown sauce and kung pao chicken. Other than having to negotiate the bones, the meal was tasty and as hot as advertised. Son must have consumed eight or nine glasses of water, so we skipped dessert for a trip back to Capogiro on S. 13th for gelato and sorbet to adequately quench the fires. The night was chilly enough that on the way home we were forced to stop by Naked Chocolate Café at 1317 Walnut ( www.nakedchocolatecafe.com ) to split some super sinful hot chocolate (only slightly runnier than chocolate pudding, and just as flavorful). Then back to the hotel to watch some baseball on TV and sleep.

Amy

Wow, what a trip! Naked Chocolate and Capogiro in ONE NIGHT! Duuuuuuuude, that's awesome. (I, too, hang around 15 year olds on occasion.) How did Capogiro fare in your son's gelato quest?

Thanks for the great report; it's a shame you had such lousy weather, but that's pretty much all we've been having. Sigh.

yk

REally enjoying your trip report!

MRand

Thanks Amy and yk. Son thought Capogiro was some of the best gelato he has tasted.

Sun. April 17

AFTERNOON & EARLY EVENING: Rodin Museum, Philadelphia Museum of Art & Valley Forge

I like art museums, but sculpture is not one of my favorite art forms. Nevertheless, on previous trips to Philadelphia I’ve enjoyed the Rodin Museum on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, probably because its small but interesting collection can be viewed easily within an hour or so. I suggested this to my son, being skeptical that he’d be interested, but he was game. The rain of the previous day had given way to bright sunshine, so despite the gusty winds it was a good day for a walk up the Parkway. I was pleasantly surprised at how much he liked the museum — not surprisingly, his favorites were The Thinker that guards the front walkway, The Gates of Hell doors at the front entrance, and The Burghers of Calais that dominate the large front room. He was also interested that Rodin first discovered his talent for sculpting at my son’s age of 15.

We then walked up the Parkway to examine the massive equestrian statute of George Washington in Eakins Oval at the foot of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The statute also has interesting life-sized figures of Native Americans and wildlife surrounding its base. We trotted up the wide stone stairway to the Museum popularized in the film “Rocky.” I had some interest in seeing the “Cezanne and Beyond” exhibit that has received highly favorable reviews, but young son confessed he was “museum-ed out.” Since it was turning out to be a nice day, we viewed the Rocky statue hidden on the northeast corner of the museum’s grounds and then decided to walk to Philadelphia’s famed 30th Street Train Station to pick up our National rental car for excursions to Valley Forge and Gettysburg.

After wandering a few minutes through the station, admiring its interior and scarfing Subway sandwiches, we drove up the Schuykill Expressway (Interstate 76) to Valley Forge National Historical Park, about 20 miles northwest of downtown Philadelphia. The park is in a beautiful suburban pastoral setting. We watched the entertaining and informative 20 minute film at the Visitor’s Center, then drove up North Outer Line Drive to see a Park Service-sponsored presentation on camp life in Washington’s Army during the famous winter of 1777-78. The drive runs along a ridge that commands a great view of the surrounding area. One can easily see why Washington chose this spot as a refuge to protect and retool his tattered army then.

Along the North Outer Line, the Park Service has reconstructed several log cabins according to descriptions provided by some of Washington’s soldiers. My son was fascinated by the construction of the log cabins, and announced that he and his best buddy at home would have to build one. A young woman dressed in a period costume delivered the talk on camp life and did an excellent job. She emphasized that although Valley Forge has been mythologized as Washington’s most famous winter encampment during the Revolution, it was not the most harsh winter his army experienced. (That was the next winter at Morristown, New Jesey.) I thought, however, that I recalled reading in a Washington biography that the army went for a solid week without food at Valley Forge. Regardless of the temperature, that sounds pretty harsh to me.

There were lots of runners and cyclists in the park, and as the wind had died down my son - a Pony Leaguer - wished we had brought our gloves and a ball along to play catch for a while. Nevertheless, he was duly impressed by the remnants of the trenches and fortifications as well as the grand National Memorial Arch and the General Mad Anthony Wayne statute that are located at two high vantage points in the park. We drove through the park at a leisurely pace, stopping at the Washington Memorial Chapel and National Patriots’ Bell Tower (http://209.200.101.38/frontpage.cfm ) shortly before they closed at 5:00 p.m. The Chapel has exquisite stained glass windows that illustrating scenes from Washington’s life and commemorating other founding fathers.

Rather than heading back to the city at twilight, we decided we wanted a change of pace. We went to a movie at the nearby United Artists’ Stadium 16 & IMAX theater that is adjacent to massive King of Prussia Mall (allegedly one of the largest in the world). This was one of the nicer movie theaters we’ve been in,with cushy rocking seats, big screens, and great sound. We then drove back down the Schuykilll to the Windsor Suites in Center City to hit the sack for an early start the next morning to Gettysburg.

schmerl

I'm loving your report. I grew up in Philadelphia and now live ooutside of King of Prussia. I went with a class on a field trip to Valley Forge a couple years ago. They were rebuilding one of the log cabins. They do all the building the way the original soldiers did it. No front end loaders or cranes. It was so interesting to watch them use logs and ropes and brut strength to lift each log to its proper place.

MRand

Mon. April 18

MORNING: Drive to Gettysburg, Battle of Gettysburg – 1st Day Sites, Gettysburg College

We got a little later start than I wanted for the 140 mile drive from downtown Philadelphia to Gettysburg, anticipating a full day there, but were still on the road by 8:00 a.m. or so. We drove westward on the Pennsylvania Turnpike (Interstate 76) to Harrisburg, then south on U.S. 15 to Gettysburg. The toll on the turnpike should have been about $6 or $7, but we had to pay the full $15 charge from the eastern border of Pennsylvania to the exit at Harrisburg because, aggravatingly, I misplaced (probably at our brief breakfast stop) and was never able to find our toll ticket. Wolfe’s Diner on U.S. 15 in Dillsburg looked like an interesting road food stop, but since we had eaten and were in a hurry, we pressed on.

I had been to Gettysburg before, about 15 years ago, and knowing the battle was complex and stretched over three days in July 1863, I wanted to present it to my son in some logical way. We approached the town from the northeast on intensively developed U.S 30, drove past the old town square, then up Seminary Ridge west of town to view where most of the fighting on the first day of the battle occurred. Gettysburg, as well as Antietam in Maryland, are both well-preserved and unlike the forested battlefields of Virginia, the topographies of these two battlefields provide sweeping views of how each battle developed.

Our first stop was west of town on a low ridge near the woods were the brilliant Union general John Reynolds was killed in the early moments of the fight on July 1, and we then drove along the battle lines north to the graceful Eternal Light Peace Memorial that was dedicated by FDR in 1938 (as clouds of war were gathering in Europe). Amazingly, 1500 elderly battle survivors of both sides attended that dedication. Unfortunately, vandals with spray paint had recently defaced the base of the monument. Just inconceivable.

We continued in an slow arc eastward along gently rolling farmland, stopping occasionally to read the inscriptions on some of the dozens of monuments that dot the countryside, and tracing the progression of the first day’s battle where the two armies more or less accidentally stumbled into each other on the outskirts of town. We, like others, found it remarkable to contemplate that through sheer chance on that day this sleepy little village became the most famous battlefield in American history. Even today, however, nine or ten major roads converge likes spokes on a wheel on the town, so we could easily see on the how Gettysburg became the focus of armies that were dispersed across the Pennsylvania countryside.

We then drove back into town for a brief stop at the Gettysburg College bookstore, where my son added to his growing collection of college and university t-shirts. We were hungry so we first tried Dobbin House Tavern ( www.dobbinhouse.com ), allegedly the oldest building in town and predating the Civil War by almost 100 years. Even though it was after 1 p.m., the 45 minute wait there deterred us and we drove on down the street to the packed parking lot at Tommy’s Pizza, at 105 Steinwehr, ( www.tommyspizzainc.com ).

AnnMarie_C

Your report is a wonderful read, review. Growing up I went on school field trips, family outings to Gettysburg, etc., but did not fully appreciate or understand the significance at the time. Now that we're once again living within arms reach I look forward to returning one day soon with my history loving husband who has yet to explore this area. Thank you for your report...waiting for the next installment...

surfmom

sounds like a neat trip that you were able to enjoy together.... keep it coming!

MRand

Mon. April 18 (cont'd)

LUNCH: Tommy’s Pizza

Clearly, eating healthy was not a major goal on this trip. Like most teenagers, my son considers himself a pizza expert. Despite the crammed parking lot, Tommy’s looked pretty ordinary on the outside, but we were in for a real treat. We ordered salads and split a large stromboli (ham, salami, sausage, and our choice toppings + sauce and cheese folded into a pizza crust. It was thick, hot, and cheesy, and the crust was particularly good. Adequately fortified, we were ready to tackle the rest of the battlefield.

AFTERNOON & EARLY EVENING: Battle of Gettysburg – 2nd and 3rd Day Sites

Our original intention had been to hike the second and third day battle sites. Thus, we hesitated to go into the new National Park Service Visitor Center where period exhibits, the standard NPS movie, and the Cyclorama (the giant circular painting of the battle that was created in the 1880s) were located. However, my son was intrigued by the idea of a "cyclorama," so we took the time to see it.

On my previous visit to Gettysburg 15 years before, the old visitor center seemed outdated and deteriorating, and the Cyclorama painting desperately needed a new venue. Obviously, the Park Service has devoted significant resources to making the new Visitor Center and home for the painting a state-of-the-art facility. We were told at the Visitor Center that in order to see the Cyclorama, we had to buy a dual ticket for the movie and the painting and watch the film first. Compared to the more dated NPS movies we’d seen at the Independence-related sites in Philadelphia, we were surprised to be — in my son’s terminology — “blown away” both by the moving film and Cyclorama. Their impacts were maximized with the most sophisticated production techniques. Gettysburg veterans who saw the Cyclorama when it was first painted were reportedly moved to tears by its realism. The short 10 minute multimedia “presentation” of the painting more than does this legacy justice. We highly recommend to anyone visiting Gettysburg that they should absolutely take time to see these.

tdmort

Great trip report. So nice that you and your teenage son shared this together!

HunyBadger

bookmarking

LaurenKahn1

You obviously did a lot of research before your trip--which enhanced what you saw.

It has been fun reading your trip reports.