Category: Pennsylvania

Our 2021 Travels

Our 2021 Travels

Hey Guys! It’s December 31…the last day of 2021…and I thought it would be fun to do a review of our travels for this year!

With everything that was going on this year, not only in our country, but worldwide…we weren’t sure how much traveling we would be able to get in. But, you know I had a plan and had us reserved just incase we could travel. Well, not only did things workout…we ended up spending time in sixteen states this year! We added twenty-nine new National Park Units to our overall NP count and managed to visit a new-to-us unit of the Manhattan Project National Historical Park in Oak Ridge…so 30 NPs all together for us this year. That puts our total National Park count at 189 of the official 423 National Park Units. So…we still have plenty to get to!!

While we spent most of the year traveling, we still got in several weeks of mooch-docking with family in Missouri so we could spend time with some of our favorite humans and get some projects done on our home-on-wheels. It’s always good to go home and see family. It’s always hard to say goodbye when we leave. Some goodbyes are harder than others…

We also had some celebrations during 2021! The boys are now 21, 18 and 17…and we had two high school graduations this year! Two! That means that we are officially done with homeschooling. I’m not sure how I feel about it…it is bittersweet.

We went through all of our 2021 travels and picked out our top ten favorite places we explored this year…so let’s get into it.

The first place we’re going to revisit on our top ten is Wall Drugs in South Dakota. Wall Drugs is in our number 10 spot. I know what you’re thinking…Jennie, Wall Drugs? Really?

Guys…Really. This place was unreal. We’ve explored quite a few places and have been to many many stores during our almost seven years of this crazy #nomadlife and we’ve never seen a store like Wall Drugs. We stayed about a block from it while we were in the area…so we got to see the crowds that came every…single…day. All Day. People would start lining up before they even opened, just to get their famous maple donuts or pecan sticky buns. Because we were staying so close for two weeks, we spent quite a lot of time in Wall Drugs perusing all it has to offer. If you ever need or want a souvenir for South Dakota…this is definitely your place. If you need a break from driving and some foodies…this is definitely your place. If you’re into quirky roadside attractions that have interesting history…this is definitely your place. If you’re anywhere near Wall, SD at all…Wall Drugs is SO worth a stop.

In the number 9 spot is Pipestone National Monument in Minnesota.

When we started this nomad life way back in 2015, we wanted to show our boys the Country they live in. We didn’t want to show them just the shiny pretty places, we also wanted to teach/show them our Nation’s history. Places like Pipestone National Monument, which preserves over 3,000 years of history, is a prime example of why we chose to live a nomad life in order to travel. We’ve learned so much history that we would have never even known about over the last almost seven years. There’s so much out there they don’t teach us in public schools. The historical National Parks like Pipestone NM are some of our absolute favorite National Park Units.

Keeping with our love of history lessons…it won’t surprise you that Scotts Bluff National Monument in Nebraska made it to the number 8 spot on our top ten for 2021.

Scotts Bluff NM has both amazing views and a rich history. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Scotts Bluff NM. It was late Spring/early Summer when we went so the flowers were still in full bloom and the heat was ramping up. The day we went, we saw temps in the 90s so we didn’t spend as much time hiking as we’d’ve liked, but we hiked some and spent time in the visitor center museum learning. I never thought of this kind of landscape when I thought of Nebraska…we were pleasantly surprised not only with this park, but with this area.

Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site in Pennsylvania sits in the number 7 spot on our 2021 list.

When I asked the boys to name their favorite places we explored this year…it surprised me when more than one of them mentioned Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site. This is one of the smaller parks we visited but it’s absolutely crammed with not only history…but also engineering. So, it probably shouldn’t have surprised me that my little nerds liked this NP unit so much. We learned about railroad engineering and the way railroads changed life along their routes.

Sitting in the number 6 spot is Devils Tower National Monument in Wyoming.

Devils Tower NM is steeped in local Native American history and lore. We loved learning not only about the science of it, but also the lore woven around it. We visited this park on two separate days and it was insanely busy both days. If you go, make sure to pack your patience and since there’s not a lot of educational info available (no museum), which really surprised us, make sure to grab a Ranger and ask about the science and lore of the “tower”.

With our love of battlefields and history…it won’t surprise you to see Stones River National Battlefield in Tennessee sitting at the number 5 spot of our 2021 list.

If you’ve been following along at all, you’ll know battlefields are our jam. So much so, that earlier this year we did a battlefield tour of Tennessee. And while all battlefields have certain things in common…the cannons…the war…the death… there are also the stories of life and perseverance and love…and those are what draw us in. You can learn so much from the stories that surround the battlefields. Stones River was one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War. The stories we read…especially one about two brothers…really touched the boys and made a lasting impact on their views of life. This is what National Parks will do…they’ll change you for the better.

There are only three places that made it to our top ten that aren’t National Park units. The number 4 spot is one of those with James Island County Park in South Carolina.

Guys…this park is awesome! It’s not only on our top ten of 2021 list…it’s on our top places to stay list. I would go back to this area just to stay at this park. When I booked this place…it was a last resort. There aren’t a ton of places to stay in the Charleston area and when the place we usually stay wasn’t taking reservations because of the whole CV thing…and then the other places I tried were either closed or refusing to take reservations that far out…I ended up taking a chance on James Island County Park. It was the best decision. We love everything about this park. From the walking trails to the fishing pier (sunset pics) to the paddle boats (watch out for the gators) this park is the best one we’ve found in a long time.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee has the number 3 spot on our 2021 list.

There are 423 National Park Units. Great Smoky Mountains is the most visited National Park unit in the United States. While the park was crowded every single time we went, we were still able to find a few quiet places. There is an underrated beauty to this park that is refreshing. We’ve found that while the “old man mountains” of the Smokies aren’t big and flashy…you won’t find the dramatic views like you’ll find in the Rocky Mountains or the Sierra Nevadas…there is a quiet calm and a beauty to the Smokies. Tranquil is the word that comes to mind…even with the crowds.

Custer State Park in South Dakota is firmly in the number 2 spot of our 2021 list.

Custer SP should definitely be a National Park. We stayed just outside it for two weeks and good grief…the whole area is amazingly gorgeous. This park has it all! Views, hikes, wildlife… We look forward to going back someday. Hopefully, without the tornado that went through while we were there.

As soon as we started making a list of our favorite places of 2021, Badlands National Park was the first place we thought of. And, while we might have disagreed about which numbers the other places on the list fell…we all agreed that the number 1 slot definitely belongs to Badlands National Park in South Dakota.

Guys, this park blew us away! Badlands NP isn’t just on our favorites list for this year, it’s made its way onto our overall favorite list as well. We saw so much wildlife at this park…and the colors were just…amazing. We went in the Spring while everything was still green and the bison were starting to shed their winter coats and all of the baby animals were bouncing around. Badlands NP has got to be one of the most underrated NPs in the NPS system. We spent two weeks going in and out of Badlands and completely loved it.

And….with a year of travel comes a year of foodies. We started listing the places that were fabulous…the places we wanted to include…and well, you can imagine that the list kept growing. So, I’ll leave this collection of foodie pictures here and tell you that we had a very very good foodie year. So good, we all gained a few extra pounds. Ha!!

We’ve been living this crazy nomad life while we’ve been on our #grandadventure for almost seven years now. In those seven years we’ve seen so so many amazing places and made countless memories. We’ve learned more than I ever thought we would, traveled farther than I ever thought we would and did things I never thought we would have the chance to do together as a family. We’ve grown… in more than one way…some of us are quite a bit taller now than when we started this amazing journey all those years ago…and with that growth, comes a need for a change. We’ve decided that 2021 will be the last year we live the nomad life. It’s time we get a more permanent basecamp where the boys can learn how to adult “normally” and go to college and get jobs and start planning adventures of their own.

So…this is the end of our Grand Adventure as a #digitalnomadfamily and as fulltime RVers. When we started planning this whole crazy thing way back in 2014, we never thought it would become our life for almost seven years, take us to 49 states and shape us in the way that only traveling can. And, as with every end, there is the magic and promise of a new beginning. As 2021 ends and 2022 begins we look forward to the promise of adventures…of a new kind.

We hope y’all have a wonderful New Year filled with all of the amazing adventures your heart desires.

Thank you for coming along on this crazy nomadic ride with us…we’ve loved having you be apart of the journey!

Much Love,

Jerl, Jennie, Charles, Alex and Nicholas

#theend

Basecamp Uniontown

Basecamp Uniontown

Hey Guys! We made it to Pennsylvania! This was a hard place to get to for a few different reasons. There aren’t too many RV parks in this area…they’re all pretty darn expensive…and even the KOA we ended up staying at was mostly seasonal. But, I found us a spot and even with some changing plans and pandemic stuff, we made it.

You’re probably wondering why we made such an effort to get to Uniontown, Pennsylvania. There are five National Park Units that are reachable from Uniontown. All of them are within an hour or so drive which made Uniontown a good basecamp to see all five parks. We gave ourselves two weeks and Guys…it rained almost every day. *palm slap* We made it work and got them all in though…so lets get this post started.

Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site preserves a few important locations along the Allegheny Railroad. With the completion of the Erie Canal in 1825, the merchants in Pennsylvania found themselves being left behind as everyone started to take advantage of the easier route through the canal with new markets and new cities. The Allegheny Railroad was Pennsylvania’s answer to keeping commerce coming through their state.

Before the Allegheny Portage Railroad, Pennsylvania merchants and travelers wanting to reach Pittsburgh utilized a railroad then a series of canals to get to Hollidaysburg where they then had to slog their way through the Allegheny Mountains until they got to the next set of canals. The terrain was hard, often muddy, very steep and not very cost effective for merchants. When the Erie Canal offered merchants a faster, easier…and more cost effective route, Pennsylvania had to come up with a better solution to get goods and travelers over the Allegheny Mountains.

What they came up with was a daring engineering marvel when railroads were still considered experimental in the United States. The inclined plane railroad carried entire boats along a series of ten incline planes (five on one side and five on the other) up , over and through the Allegheny Mountains. In each of the engine houses along the incline, there were two steam powered stationary engines that utilized ropes to pull the railcars along the railroad. With the completion of the Allegheny Portage Railroad, a trip across Pennsylvania that used to take three weeks, only took a few days.

Railroads, steam engines and incline planes were all groundbreakingly new when Pennsylvania was figuring out how to make the Allegheny Portage Railroad…in fact, this would be the first time they were all used together. And…if that’s not impressive…how about the first railroad tunnel in the US? Staple Bend Tunnel took workers eighteen months to cut through 901 feet of sandstone. Keep in mind…dynamite sticks didn’t exist yet.

One of the most important innovations created during this whole endeavor is the wire rope, created by John Roebling to fix the problem with the hemp ropes previously used that were notorious for breaking within one season of use. Roebling would later go on to design the Brooklyn Bridge.

The Lemon House was owned and operated by Samuel & Jean Lemon and served as a tavern during the time the Allegheny Portage Railroad was used. As you can see from the photo above, it was located right off the tracks of engine house number 6 where passengers had to wait until the train started its decent. You can go in and explore a few of the rooms of Lemon House and get a feel for what life was like for people at that time.

As high tech as it was, the Allegheny Portage Railroad didn’t last that long…opening in 1834 and closing in 1854…for a variety of reasons, but mainly due to further advancements in the locomotive. In the early 1850s, Pennsylvania started work on the new and improved Portage Railroad effectively ending the usefulness of the old system. While short lived, no one can dispute the critical role it had in continuing the westward expansion and opening up the interior of the US.

Johnstown Flood National Memorial preserves the story of one of the worst disasters in American history which resulted in over 2,000 people dying.

Johnstown, Pennsylvania was a steel and railroad town. Most of the 30,000 people who called it home were German or Welsh…a hard working, family oriented community. For whatever reason, the people who founded Johnstown did it in the middle of a floodplain so the town was used to some seasonal flooding.

Picture found in the visitor center and is not mine.

Lake Conemaugh was originally built as part of a canal system from 1838 to 1853. It was abandoned and sold to the Pennsylvania Railroad and then sold again to the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club sometime after 1881. The Club was an exclusive and a very secretive retreat for fifty Pittsburg steel and coal magnates and their families. The Cub built cottages and a club house along the shore and stocked the lake for fishing. Unfortunately, they didn’t put much time or effort into the lake or dam maintenance. On May 31, 1889, after several hours of hard rain the South Fork Dam failed and somewhere around 20 million tons of water tore through several towns and destroyed Johnstown.

The Johnstown flood is the worst natural disaster of the 19th century and brought not only our nation but the world together to help the survivors of the Johnstown flood. This was also the first disaster relief effort led by Clara Barton through the American Red Cross.

Flight 93 National Memorial was the whole reason we came to this area. We often take the opportunity to teach the boys things based on the NP unit we’re visiting and the lesson of Flight 93 is one they’ll never forget. September 11, 2001 is a date we, as Americans, should never forget. Only one of our boys was alive at the time and he was only one so everything they know about what happened that day is from watching documentaries and hearing us (their mom and dad) talk about it. Y’all know it’s different to see something on television or read about it in a book… but to stand in the place where people gave their lives to protect so many others will make it more real. These were regular people…not soldiers…who made the ultimate sacrifice to save others.

I’m not going to go through all the details here of what transpired on that day…y’all should already know. I’m just going to talk about the memorial in this post.

Flight 93 National Memorial preserves and honors the memory of the forty passengers and crew of United Airlines Flight 93. Everything about this memorial was thought out and has meaning starting with the flight path you walk to get to the visitor center and viewing deck. Along the flight path, you’ll see the time stamp of when each of the other three planes crashed.

While you’re in the visitor center, they ask that you not take any photos. Some of what’s being displayed is still under copyright law. I found these photos outside and asked a Ranger if I could photo them. I think they really put some of the pieces of the overall puzzle together.

When you’re done going through the mountain of information in the visitor center, head down to Memorial Plaza where you can see the Wall of Names. The Wall of Names is made of forty individual marble panels. Each panel has the name of a passenger or a crew member engraved into the marble. Out in the field sits a seventeen ton piece of sandstone that indicates the location of impact.

The Tower of Voices is 93 feet tall and holds 40 windchimes. One chime for each voice lost on Flight 93. The chimes are big so it takes a big wind to make them sing. We didn’t get to hear them while we were there, but you can go to the NPS website for Flight 93 National Memorial and hear it there.

We visited Flight 93 National Memorial in August 2021. I honestly expected there to be more people there since 2021 is the twenty year anniversary of 9/11, but there weren’t too many people there. We didn’t mind. We spent quite a bit of time at this little NP unit talking about what happened…remembering.

Once again, the NPS has done an excellent job of commemorating, honoring and preserving a pivotal event in American history that should never be forgotten. On a day when it’s easy to find so many stories of fear, destruction and death…if you listen, you’ll also find just as many stories of hope, unity, courage and heroes.

Friendship Hill National Historic Site is at the country estate of Albert Gallatin. The house is beautiful…but really, the NHS is about Albert’s life and his many accomplishments. We’d never heard of Albert Gallatin before we visited this NP Unit, but Guys…he had a hand in some of the biggest historical events for the US. Albert Gallatin spent thirteen years as Secretary of the Treasury under Presidents Jefferson and Madison…and while he was doing it…he actually reduced our National debt. He also had a part in the purchase of the Louisiana Territory and funded the Lewis & Clark expedition! Later in his life, he helped to negotiate an end to the War of 1812 and then moved his family to France where he served our Country one more time…this time as Minister to France.

We spent a few hours going through the house and learning all about Albert and his family. We also met a great Ranger and spent quite a bit of time chatting with him. We’ve said it before…but I’ll say it again… meeting people that we would never have had the chance to meet has been one of the best parts of living this crazy Nomad life that we live!

Fort Necessity National Battlefield was the last park we explored during our two weeks in the Uniontown area. This is another park that people always ask us if we’ve been to so we were expecting good things from this park.

The museum at this park was a good one. It laid out all of the information and included some great pics/artifacts. For some reason, I didn’t get very many pics at this park. Sometimes it happens…sometimes I’m too busy being a nerd to remember the big camera in my hands. If you can (and we highly recommend it) you should do the Ranger talk/walk here. The Rangers do a fantastic job of presenting the information and highlighting the major points.

So, what’s so important about Fort Necessity?

Fort Necessity is where a young (22yrs old) Colonel George Washington suffered his first military defeat in the summer of 1754 at the hands of the French. It’s this battle that leads to the beginning of the French and Indian War where Great Britain and France spent seven years fighting over who would control North America. I’ll be honest…I was really expecting…you know, a fort. But, Fort Necessity is really a stockade meant to keep the gun powder and the rum safe.

George Washington was in the area to build a road…the road that would come to be National Pike and was the first federally funded highway.

Most believe the battle that took place at Fort Necessity along with the resulting French and Indian War set the stage for the American Revolution. So yeah, the events that took place at this little NP Unit were…world changing.

We found some pretty good foodies! One of the regional foodies we found was the Burger Club where the “buns” were actually grilled cheese sandwiches. And we found some pretty darn good smoked meat at a place called Stone House that’s right down the road from Fort Necessity.

Well Guys, that’s what we got done during our two weeks in Uniontown. We smashed quite a bit even with the shoddy weather. The RV park we stayed at had almost zero cell service. We couldn’t even make a phone call. Fortunately, they had decent wifi and we were able to make it work…it was a struggle…somedays were pretty frustrating as we tried to do work/school stuff. It makes us appreciate those blazing fast speeds when we find them! Ha!

And for those keeping track…we’re now up to 24 National Park Units for the 2021 adventure year…so far!

See y’all down the road!

#NationalParkTour

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania

We spent several weeks in Pennsylvania near Jerl’s office. It was weird staying in one spot for so long.

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We finally saw some amazing weather! I took full advantage of the sun and spent some mornings reading outside.

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Yup, that’s a horse! The place next to the RV park had several horses that they rode every day. Watching the horses was one of my favorite things about this park.

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We found a great farm that sold raw milk!

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They had several different animals that we could walk around and see. Look how big those dairy cows are!!

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They sold milk, eggs, yogurt, cheese,

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sweets (we bought a couple) …and ice cream!

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We also found a great meat market. The raise everything they sell.

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You could get pretty much anything pickled.

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Our favorite thing there was the bacon!

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 We got to spend time with some of our friends and their families at an office get together! It was so great seeing everyone!

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Over the past year we’ve learned that different states have their foodie thing. In Alaska it was coffee…there were coffee shops everywhere! In New Mexico it was chilies…they even put them in their desserts. Well, in Pennsylvania it’s pizza! Guys…we ate soooo much pizza!!! And it was all from mom and pop places! I’ll leave it up to Littlest to give you all of the tasty details!

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We were only about an hour away from Trenton, NJ so we stopped by the New Jersey State Capitol Building on our way to Philly one morning.

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Check out that dome!

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We didn’t get to look around the inside of the building. You have to be on a guided tour in order to gain access to any of the State Capitol Building rooms, but there were a couple of super nice security guards that walked us to the dome so I could get a picture of it. That was seriously nice of them.

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Flowers,

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flowers,

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and more flowers! How gorgeous is the white vine?!

We get it Pennsylvania…you’re kind of awesome…we’ll be back!

#easternloop2016

Pizza Roundup Potsy Pizza

Pizza Roundup Potsy Pizza

For my fellow pizza lovers, I bring to you a review of Potsy Pizza.

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Steak sandwich with jalapenos

Potsy Pizza is a really, really good pizza place in Allentown, PA with more than just tasty pizza.

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At Potsy Pizza you can get a half and half pizza and spilt it or a full pizza and split or whatever’s good for you.

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While we were at Potsy’s we got garlic knots, very garlicy, very tasty, and comes with warm marinara, yum!

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Poty’s Special pizza

Potsy’s has sandwiches, wraps, pizza, calzones, and Strombolis.

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When they found out it was my birthday, they gave me a slice of cheesecake!

The staff at Potsy’s are super nice, the bathrooms are clean, and the decor is nice.

I think Potsy’s deserves a 5 star review.

See you next time on…

Pizza Street!!

The City Of Brotherly Love

The City Of Brotherly Love

Happy Independence Day!

We spent a day roaming around Philadelphia and learning some history.

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Independence Hall is called “the birthplace of America”.

  We did a walking tour of historic Philly. Of the thirty three places on the tour, we only made it to seventeen. One of the best things about it…it was all free!

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Independence Hall

 If you ever make it to Independence Hall make sure you grab a ticket at the visitor center first thing or you might not get to see the room where the Declaration of Independence was created and signed. We snuck in on the second to last tour of the day. Most of what you see in the photo above isn’t original…it’s been a long time…but the chair at the top was there when our country was born.

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It’s not a LOVE statute…but it’ll do.

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The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is in Washington Park. The tomb honors both George Washington and an unknown soldier from the Revolutionary War.

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The Merchants’ Exchange is the oldest stock exchange building in the United States. The road in front of it is cobblestone and there are lion statues on each side protecting the stairs.

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We all know the story of The Liberty Bell, but did you know it weighs about 2,ooo pounds?

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Carpenters’ Hall was built in 1770 and is where the First Continental Congress met to draw up a Declaration of Rights and Grievances and an appeal to King George III after the British Parliament punished Massachusetts for the Boston Tea Party.

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Benjamin Franklin was appointed Postmaster General in 1775.

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The Christ Church Burial Ground is the final resting place for some of America’s most prominent leaders…including Benjamin Franklin. When we got there the gate was already closed but we caught a glimpse of Franklin’s grave through the fence.

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Did you know that the National Park Service has trading cards? You have to ask the Ranger’s for them and they won’t always just give them to you…the boys were quizzed for each card.

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A LOVE statue! We looked all over for the LOVE statue, but the park it was supposed to be in was under construction. We were surprised to find an AMOR statue at the Art Museum!

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Do you recognize them? The stairs… They’re the Rocky stairs! The boys ran up them and did a little victory dance at the top.

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We even made it to the Mint! Unfortunately, photos aren’t permitted. *sad face* So, I can’t show you any of it. The Mint was such a cool experience for all of us. There’s a free self-guided tour that shows how coins are made. If you have a chance to visit the Mint, we highly recommend it! We learned a lot and scored some pretty cool souvenirs.

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Yup. It’s a Philly Cheesesteak! We had to do it. I know…how touristy…but look at that sandwich!! It was sooo stinkin’ good!!! There are several places to go to try the famed Philly sandwich. The two you’ve probably heard about are Pat and Gino’s but, when we looked up reviews…they both had horrible ones! Terrible! We found Sonny’s Famous! If you’re ever in Philly, you have got to try Sonny’s. And make sure you get the loaded fries!

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It’s spring here…There are flowers everywhere! I love these white flowering vines we found outside the Independence Hall Visitor Center!

See y’all down the road!

#easternloop2016

Hopewell Furnace

Hopewell Furnace

Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site

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Hopewell Furnace Big House

Mark Bird built Hopewell Furnace in 1771.

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At the beginning of the Revolutionary War, American furnaces, forges, and mills were making around one-seventh of the world’s iron works.

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During the Revolutionary War, Hopewell played a critical role in supplying the new nation’s army with weapons. George Washington chose the Valley Forge location in part because of its location to Hopewell.

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Charcoal cooling shed

It took an acre of woodlands to make enough charcoal to run an iron furnace for just one day. At Hopewell, they made their own charcoal.

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Dining room in the big house

There are several buildings on the property that are open for viewing to show what life was like at Hopewell while it was running.

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Grain storage

The barn held up to 36 horses along with a year’s worth of feed.

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Wood fired stove

Saturdays were baking days in rural America. They used wood fired ovens like the one above. They would test the heat by sticking their arm in and count the seconds they could leave it in. The number they get to told them if it was too hot or not hot enough for certain breads and pies.

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One of the neat things about Hopewell, is that the animals that would have been at Hopewell while it was running are still running around today.

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One of the buildings you can wander through is the wash building. I’m so glad we don’t have to do laundry that way anymore!

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Furnace in the cast shop

And, of course, there’s the furnace! I couldn’t get a great shot of it, but it’s huge. The temperature inside the furnace would reach temps of 2,600°- 3,000° F and it would run 24 hours a day. Workers would constantly feed it, watched it’s flame, and listened to the sound of the its blast to make sure it was staying hot enough.

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Kids room in one of the worker’s houses

Hopewell was ahead of its time. People worked the same jobs for the same wages no matter what gender or color they were.  Some workers with families rented company tenant houses.

We had a great time walking around Hopewell and learning about early American iron working communities!

See y’all down the road!

#easternloop2016

E Pluribus Unum…Out of Many, One

E Pluribus Unum…Out of Many, One

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Valley Forge Visitor Center

We took a day to explore Valley Forge National Historic Park in Pennsylvania.

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Historical Interpreter

We have mixed feelings about historical interpreters. We’ve seen some that are disturbingly creepy, but the Ranger’s at Valley Forge were top notch and a wealth of information.

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Log Hut

The new country didn’t have an army when the revolution began. General George Washington had to organize and train an army while fighting the war itself. When Washington and his men arrived at Valley Forge they didn’t have lodging. The soldiers had to build their own log huts. There was a competition to see who could get done first. The log huts you can see today are all reconstructions of what would have been there during the 1177-1778 winter.

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Inside a log hut.

They’ve got some of the huts open so you can see what they might have looked like.

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National Memorial Arch dedicated in 1917

Trying to build and train an army all while fighting the war was just one of Washington’s challenges. Remember…at this time, the United States of America was a newly formed family. It was more like 13 families all trying to learn how to live in the same house. So, the first thing Washington had to do was unite the men into one army. He needed to ensure that the men’s allegiance was to the newly forming United States and not to their home state.

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Statue of George Washington

French sculptor Jean-Antoine Houdon had a life mask made of Washington when he was studying Washington to do a sculpture so when you look at this statue, you’re looking at a very realistic depiction of George Washington.

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Washington’s Headquarters and office

The house above served as both residence and office for Washington and his staff during his stay at Valley Forge. Unlike the log huts, this is the original building.

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Washington’s Office

The National Park Service has tried to get period pieces to show what Washington’s office would have looked like.

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Bedroom in the Washington Headquarters

The house went through a few different owners who made some changes during the 100 years after Washington resided there.

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Kitchen in the Headquarters

When the Park Service got control of the house, they tried their best to restore it to what it was while Washington was there.

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Staircase at the Headquarters

Through all of the changes the banister was never changed. So…we all had to touch the same banister that George Washington touched as we walked up the stairs.

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Valley Forge

In December of 1777, 12,000 soldiers and 400 women and children made their way into Valley Forge. Six months, 1,500 log huts, and two miles of fortifications later Valley Forge was the fourth largest city in America.

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Badge Ceremony

The boys got their 42nd badge at Valley Forge. They don’t do it for the swag…we don’t force them to do it…they do it because they love to learn and it gives them something to do while we’re at a National Park. It’s fun for the whole family.

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flowers

I couldn’t leave out the flowers. I’ve just got this one picture, but I thought these pale pink flowers were so pretty!

See y’all down the road!

#easternloop2016

Harrisburg, PA

Harrisburg, PA

While we were staying in Gettysburg we made it to Harrisburg to see the State Capitol Building.

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Pennsylvania State Capitol Building

We went on a Sunday to try and avoid all of the end of the school year tours. I think there were seven other people in our group…it was great!

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The Dome

The Pennsylvania State Capitol Building is definitely the most opulent one we’ve seen so far. I mean…look at that dome. See all of that gold? It’s real. Impressive, right? The dome is 272 feet, weighs 52 million pounds, and was inspired by Michelangelo’s design for St.Peter’s Basilica in Rome.

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Bronze Door

At the entrance is a set of 17 foot bronze doors weighing in at a full ton each.

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The Capitol Rotunda

Several of the Rotunda’s features were borrowed from the Paris Opera House.

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Moravian Tiles

One of my favorite things about the Penn State Capitol Building is the first floor. There are close to 400 tile mosaics portraying different aspects of the state.

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Art Mural

I love all of the rich colors.

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The Senate Chamber

We were told that the Capitol Building has been called a “Palace of Art.” It’s definitely filled with beauty.

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Senate Chamber Stained Glass

There are 24 stained glass windows in the Senate and House Chambers. Each window represents a theme and are framed in 24-karat gold leaf embellishments.

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Pennsylvania House Chambers

The six crystal chandeliers in the House Chamber require over 1,000 light bulbs and weigh from two to over four tons each.  When our tour guide learned that this was our seventeenth Capitol Building, she kept asking us what we thought. I got the impression she was a little competitive. We were asked by more than one person at the Capitol Building what our favorite one is so far only to be told that the Pennsylvania State Capitol Building is rated number two in the country. I can safely say Pennsylvanians are very proud of their Capitol Building! And it is gorgeous!

While we were in the Harrisburg area, we took the opportunity to visit Hershey.

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Hershey’s Entrance

Yup. That Hershey.

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Bean Sorter

There’s a free tour ride where they explain the whole process starting with where they get their beans and how they clean them

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Roaster

 to roasting them (it was warm on this part of the ride)

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Melting

to the melting process (it smelled heavenly during this portion of the ride).

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Littlest

And, of course, you can buy candy there.

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Candy

This was my favorite section.

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Sweets

They even had some baked goods available. It was kind of like dying and going to sugar heaven! I think I got a sugar rush just from the smell!

Hershey’s Ride Photo

We had to buy it. But, it was fun and we got a free candy bar!

See y’all down the road!

#easternloop2016

Gettysburg, PA

Gettysburg, PA

We spent a week in Gettysburg. Most of the time the weather was cold and rainy which makes it hard to explore a battlefield. We did have a few hours here and there with decent weather. We crammed in as much as we could during those times.

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The boys in front of the Visitor Center sign.

There are a few ways you can see the battlefield of Gettysburg. We opted to buy the auto tour on disc that came with a nice booklet. The set was really well thought out and very informative without being dry or boring.

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One of the many memorials.

The first thing that struck us was how many memorials there are. Every army, corp, division, brigade, regiment, company, and state that took part in the battle has a memorial, monument, or marker.

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Barn on the auto tour.

On the second day of the battle the Trostle Farm was stuck in the middle of a battle. If you look closely you can see the cannonball hole still there.

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Pennsylvania Monument

Some of the monuments are so elaborate! You can actually go into the Pennsylvania Monument. There are stairs that lead to the top where you can look out over the battlefield.

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View from the top of the Pennsylvania Monument.

You know, you can read about these things in books, watch documentaries about them…but when you’re out on the ground where it took place while hearing about the personal struggles of the soldiers and the citizens…it really gives you a new understanding of what took place here. Three days in July two armies met by chance…and the country changed forever.

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Soldier’s National Cemetery

When the battle was over on that third day and the armies left Gettysburg, they left behind a community in ruins and over 51,000 soldiers who were dead, missing, or wounded. More men fell during the Battle of Gettysburg than in any other battle on American soil.

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Monument with the Gettysburg Address on it.

The Soldier’s National Cemetery was dedicated on November 19, 1863. President Abraham Lincoln gave the Gettysburg Address here. The speech was 272 words, lasted around two minutes, and transformed Gettysburg from a scene of utter destruction and death into a symbol of inspiration to those still living. Lincoln stated that the war would lead to a “new birth of freedom” for our young nation.

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Soldiers’ National Monument

You can’t stand in the spot where Lincoln gave the Gettysburg Address. The Soldiers’ National Monument was erected in that spot. Unfortunately, when we were visiting the monument was undergoing some restoration work so we got to see it covered in scaffolding.

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Gettysburg Address Memorial

The Gettysburg Address Memorial isn’t too far from the spot Lincoln gave the speech.

There’s so much to see and do in Gettysburg. You could spend an entire day touring the battlefield alone. It took us two days to finish the battlefield auto tour, but you could do it in one really long day.

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Eisenhower National Historic Site

Part of the Gettysburg experience is the Eisenhower National Historic Site. You have to take a bus from the Visitor Center to get there because there’s no public parking at the farm.

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Eisenhower Home

When Dwight and Mamie Eisenhower bought this farm in 1950 the house was in bad condition. When they started remodeling it, they found a decaying 200 year old log cabin under the brick veneer. They saved what they could of the original house and used bits and pieces of it around the new house.

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The master bedroom

Mamie Eisenhower’s favorite color was pink. If you didn’t know that about her before you visited her home, you would figure it out pretty quickly. The main color scheme throughout the house is pink.

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Black Angus

Eisenhower used the farm to breed Black Angus for shows.

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Award Ribbons

 Eisenhower Farms show cattle gained recognition in the Angus raising community by winning ribbons at major competitions across the U.S.

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Secret Service training

The boys took the opportunity to earn a Secret Service badge.

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Secret Service Swag

This booklet was challenging physically and mentally. They definitely earned that badge!

The tour of the Eisenhower Farm is a self-guided tour which is kind of a bummer. When we visited the Lyndon B. Johnson Ranch it was a guided tour and the tour guide told us little stories and details about each room we saw. We were talking to one of the Ranger’s outside of the Eisenhower home and he told us this great story of when the Eisenhower’s first moved onto the farm. Not far from the farm is a watchtower for the Gettysburg Battlefield and the Secret Service wanted to close it down for safety reasons. Ike didn’t feel like it was necessary so one of the Secret Service agents gave him a copy of a book about assassins. After reading the book Ike had the tower closed. I feel like it’s stories like that that help us understand and maybe even relate to the person and not the public persona.

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Lilacs

There were several lilac bushes in bloom while we were at the Eisenhower Farm. I took the time to smell them all…

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flowers

I’m not sure what kind of flower this is, but it’s pink! These were also at the Eisenhower Farm.

See y’all down the road!

#easternloop2016