Philadelphia

I have been asking and asking David since we moved here 4 years ago to take us all up to Philadelphia for a fun day trip. Finally, the Saturday before Labor Day, it happened! Philadelphia is only an hour and a half away so by mid-morning we were there. We parked a few blocks from Independence Hall and started walking the streets to get there. However, on our walk we heard a fife and drum so we had to stop to see what the music was all about. A man came running up to us as we came over and asked the kids if they would like to join up with the Continental Army. Of course being the good patriots we are, Savannah and Noah headed right over. Xander remained a Loyalist, though, and would have nothing to do with the festivities.
David with our two Continental Army recruits.

Once the recruits were assembled, they met the General. He gave them instructions on military life and what was expected of them.

Each of the recruits received muskets and they were taught how to fire them.

Check out Savannah's mean face!

When the drilling was complete, each of the recruits received a certificate recognizing their completion of training and that they were now true members of the Continental Army. It was a lot of fun for Savannah and Noah.

Unfortunately by the time we made it to the Visitor's Center, all the tickets to tour Independence Hall were gone. But we still got to walk around it and take some pictures. I just could not get over the fact that I was walking where some of our country's greatest heroes had walked...Franklin, Jefferson, Hancock, Adams...it was truly an amazing feeling to look at this building and know the great events that had taken place inside it.

We visited the Liberty Bell...

and Benjamin Franklin's grave.

We also ran into this colonial and had a fun conversation with him.

We were only there for a few hours but had such a great time...well, at least some of us. Xander couldn't quite grasp the importance of the city and the buildings and kept saying he wanted to go home. David and I agreed that we would have to take just Savannah another day because she truly loves history and wanted to spend more time there. Me too!