City of Brotherly Love

It's hard to believe that we have been in five states in the last 48 hours: Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.  We really blew by Philadelphia yesterday on our way to Gettysburg but believe it or not we packed it all in. Our first stop was Christ Church where five of our forefathers gathered weekly for church. We sat in George Washington's favorite pew.  It was the first Episcopal church of our nation.  Benjamin Franklin is buried on the grounds.  Benjamin Franklin and William Penn are icons in this state.  It was amazing to be in the same room where the Declaration of Independence was created and signed, as well as the Articles of Confederation and our Constitution. We viewed one of the few original signings of the Declaration of Independence as well as the original silver ink well that was used by the signers.  The most inspirational part of the day was Constitution Center where we viewed a "We The People" presentation.  It took hours for the goosebumps to leave.

I actually made it all the way to the top of the stairs of the Philadelphia Museum of Art...just like Rocky. The top of the steps provides one of the best views of Philadelphia.

"Yo Adrian"

Then, of course, a Philly Cheese Steak sandwich for lunch at the Bourse.  By 3:00 we were back on a bus and then headed to Lancaster, PA.  I loved the Amish buggies, and clothes on the clothesline, vegetable gardens and farmland galore. We were not allowed to take pictures of them because it is considered a graven image.  We had dinner Pennsylvania Dutch style on long tables in one room of the Good and Plenty Restaurant.  I've never tasted corn like that before.  The meal included roast beef, fried chicken, mashed potatoes (not out of a box), gravy (not out of a jar), homemade applesauce, buttered noodles, homemade bread with apple butter, homemade ice cream, chocolate pudding and Shoe Fly pie.


At dusk we arrived in Gettysburg for a Ghost Tour. We saw no paranormal activity, but witnessed bullet holes on the side of brick buildings. I loved the lightening bugs until they started dive bombing us.   After a two hour walking tour my feet gave out for the day.  This morning we are off for a guided tour of the Gettysburg Battlefield where 51,000 Union and Confederate troops lost their lives, then off to Washington DC for the our last three days of our trip...tear, tear 8-(   I'm not ready for this trip to end.  I'd love to continue on to Jamestown and Williamsburg but I'll save that trip hopefully for another time.