Let Freedom Ring! Our Day Trip to Philadelphia



Today we took the children to Philadelphia for a day trip. Our main destination was the United States Mint. Our oldest son has become quite the coin collector and was very anxious to visit the place in Philadelphia where most of his coins came from. So this trip was inspired by him. When creating our schedule for the summer we made sure that each child could pick one place that we would absolutely get to. 

The Supreme Court Room



The first place that we wanted to visit was Independence Hall. We needed tickets to take the tour there so we got those first at the Visitor's Center. The best thing we did was decide to go on the trip on a Monday because there were no lines for tickets and only a 30 minute wait for the tour! Normally, the tickets sell out by 10am for the whole day! 



Assembly Hall

My husband and I had been on the tour while we were in college but we really wanted to show this place to our children. Its where our great country was born! Where Americans started their pursuit of freedom and independence. Within these walls is where the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States were signed. I believe all Americans should visit this most interesting of places. 

 

Our tour guide for Independence Hall was spectacular. He really brought history alive. One thing that we learned early on is that the Declaration of Independence was NOT signed on July 4, 1776! Congress agreed to the Declaration on that day and so that is when we celebrate the birth of our nation; however, it wasn't signed until August when it had been officially handwritten.

Our next stop was the United States Mint. This is where the coins we use everyday are made! Son #1 was in his glory! Watching coins being produced through his eyes was amazing. He knew every detail imaginable! He proudly discussed what was happening and why coins had the markings they had as we moved from window to window. He could have clearly been a tour guide at the Mint! We unfortunately learned that you can no longer take pictures inside of the Mint. The United States found pictures of the inside of the building in caves in Afganistan. What a shame as there were so many interesting things there that I would have loved to capture in a picture. 

Georgia...
"The Butt State?"



Which leads me to this... There is a long hallway at the end of the tour that features enlarged pictures of the state quarters. Our delightfully smart and adorable daughter was reading the names of each quarter aloud but softly to herself. Commenting on each picture, she stepped along. "Delaware, horse...Connecticut, oak tree...Vermont, tree sap...Georgia, Ewww a butt!... Maine, lighthouse..." My husband and I both cracked up laughing as we heard her description of the poor Georgia coin. But honestly, how many 6 year olds would associate the state of Georgia with peaches? Now, butts... yes, thats a girl with three older brothers talking!



On 7/11 you can get free
Slurpees from 7-11 stores!

With four children we don't usually splurge on junk foods while we are out too often. We had packed waterbottles and cereal to snack on. So the children were so excited to get free Slurpees courtesy of 7-11 stores today! They were the small size but its just what we needed after walking around in the July heat for a few hours. Plus the sugar rush was a nice added bonus to get us moving again!

Betsy Ross House,
not Millbrook Village!
(a re-created town
by our home)

 We next went to take our youngest son to the Firemans Museum. Unfortunately, it was closed on Monday. No one bothered to put that on the map... Thank you for making an eight year old cry Philadelphia! Anyway, on the way back we came upon the Besty Ross house. We went into the gift shop and took a look and then we went back outside and saw where she and her husband were buried. We had seen the pictures of the inside of her house on my Blackberry while trying to decide if we should pay to go in. However, after my daughter said it looked like the houses in Millbrook Villiage I decided it wasn't worth $20 for our family to enter.



Thankfully God with his amazing grace led us down the street to this firehouse where the doors were left open. Not exactly what he wanted, but our little guy was somewhat placated by getting his picture taken in front of this Philadelphia Fire Department truck!  From there we headed to see Elfreth's Alley (The oldest national residential street) and Bengimin Franklin's Gravesite. We didn't actually see the exact gravesite because they charge you to get into the cemetary! Imagine that. We also visited the Federal Reserve Bank, again, no pitcures were allowed in there. The kids really wanted to see the huge 25-foot tower of shredded bills totaling $100 million and the "Money in Motion" exhibit. It was all very interesting and I was glad they liked it because I had to go through one of those new controversial full body scan machines just to get in! The interesting thing is that I didn't mind the scan at all. If that is what it takes to keep me safe from terrorists...scan away. I wouldn't be lying though if I admitted that I was relieved that I wore cute underwear just in case that showed up on their screen!

We next started back to visit Liberty Bell Center. Not many things are as instantly recognized as the Liberty Bell. It is a stunning piece of history as well as an international symbol of freedom. I am sure its physical beauty as well as its symbolic beauty does not escape the hundreds of visitors each day. We stopped to wonder what it sounded like on July 8, 1776 when it rang to gather the citizens for the reading of the Declaration of Independence and what Benjamin Franklin would say and do if he was magically transported into today. 



Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
in Washington Square



Our last stop was at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Yes, the eternal frame was fascinating to the younger children but I made sure everyone understood the significance of where we were. The memorial  honors the thousands of soldiers who died during the Revolutionary War. Many of whom were buried in mass graves in Washington Square. The inscription on the tomb reads, "Beneath this stone rests a soldier of Washington's army who died to give you liberty." It was the perfect time to point out that the soldiers of today are still putting their lives in danger to protect our country's liberties.



By the time we were ready to leave everyone was thoroughly exhausted. Our littlest one was lucky enough to get a ride from our oldest as he showed her the true meaning of Philadelphia being the "City of  Brotherly Love!"


Poor guy...he didn't stand a
chance once
the car started moving!

Everyone had their own favorite parts of the trip and we promised we'd come back yet again one day to visit the places that time just couldn't allow.

I hope this post has inspired you to take a drive to Philadelphia to see its amazing sights for yourself. You won't be disappointed and who knows what memories you will make along your journey! If you do go, I would love to hear about your adventure.