The Events of Thursday, November 11, 2010

          Our Veteran’s Day was celebrated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania this year. We left our New Jersey campground and headed to the city around nine. We miraculously found a free parking spot on a fairly calm street and upon entering Independence National Historic Park’s Visitor’s Center jumped back about 234 years, to the time of the Revolutionary War. After using the facilities, we watched two information films about the historical occurrences happening around that time. We toured the museum and then headed out of the Visitor Center to begin our exploration of Philadelphia.

          We ate a quick lunch, feeding a large flock of chickadees that spent lunch in our company. After refreshing ourselves, we walked to our first historical stop, the Free Quaker meetinghouse. Here, Free Quakers, Quakers who believed that the violence of the Revolutionary War was a necessary evil to secure freedom, worshipped and meditated together. We walked down the street to Ben Franklin’s grave. There was a fee to go into the graveyard, but we could see his grave through the iron gates. There were coins scattered on top of the grave that Dr. Benjamin Franklin shared with his wife, Deborah Franklin. So, I tossed a quarter through the gates. This sent a gasp through my family. You don’t realize the worth of a quarter until you go on a trip for a year in an RV with your family and simply getting hot water for a shower for 6 minutes costs you a quarter. Well, we walked on to the President’s house site, where both George Washington and John Adams lived when they were President, because at that time, the nation’s capital was Philadelphia. There wasn’t much to see here, only the framework of the house and some artistically placed doorframes, windows, and fireplaces. However, there was information on placards and from these we learned that as President, Washington had slaves while Adams did not.

          Around the block was the entrance for the Liberty Bell hall. There was a long line waiting to go through security. We waited for about 15 minutes before reaching the security stand. They made us lift up our shirts, so they could see our waistline, spin in a circle, open our jackets, open our backpacks, take out our jackets, open all pockets, then they had to feel inside them, and you were on your way. Abby, who didn’t have a backpack, was at the front of our group and had been watching the routine being done by the people in front of us and when her turn came she knew just what to do.  She stepped, spun, lifted and zipped right through the routine without any instructions and got a high five and a “Way to go, honey!” from the security guard. Once we were all checked and ready, we walked into the hall that contained some exhibits on the symbolism and role of the Liberty Bell in our nation’s history. We watched a movie on the “International Icon of Liberty”, and then walked in to view the bell. There was a huge crowd of people that were all trying to get that amazing picture of the bell, so when our chance came, we stepped up, snapped the camera and skedaddled right out of there.

          Next was another long line in front of Independence Hall and we waited there for another 15 minutes. Then, a ranger addressed the entire crowd and brought us into Independence Hall. We viewed the Pennsylvania Supreme Court Chamber and then the room where the Second Continental Congress met. This was also the room where George Washington was appointed commander in chief of the Continental Army in 1775 and the Declaration of Independence was adopted. However, we found out that the Declaration wasn’t actually signed on July 4, 1776. That was when it was sent to the printers and read to the people. It actually wasn’t signed until August 2, 1776. Also in this room, the design of the American flag was agreed upon in 1777, the Articles of Confederation were adopted in 1781, and the U. S. Constitution was drafted in 1787. There are only a few remaining details that are original to the room. One of these is the "rising sun" chair used by George Washington as he presided over the Constitutional Convention. The rest of Independence Hall was closed off due to budget cuts and restoration work, so the ranger sent us on our way as another large group arrived.

          We walked down a few more blocks until reaching a ramp leading to the entry way of Carpenter’s Hall. On the ramp, we saw a lady taking pictures of something with her phone. We looked up and saw a hawk on a tree eating its lunch. We think it was a squirrel, but aren’t entirely sure. We watched it devour its meal and even watched and heard the hawk reach in, grab a beak full of guts and snap some tendons; it was absolutely fascinating and disgusting. So, we walked into Carpenter’s Hall. There we found that most of the hall had been transformed into a gift shop, but we read the few signs there were to read and then toured the gift shop. We bought some postcards and Abby and Caitlin bought some miniature Liberty Bells. We walked out of Carpenter’s Hall and through Washington Square. In the center of the square, we saw the Tomb of Unknown Revolutionary War Soldier.

          On that solemn note, we walked back through Philadelphia to where our RV was still standing. Climbing in, we watched another hour or so of the movie, 1776, and then shoved food in our faces in order to not be late to the symphony. We hurriedly dressed and then walked a mile to the Symphony Hall of the Philadelphia Orchestra. The Kimmel Center for the Arts was simply huge. It occupies and entire city block and boasts a 150 foot vaulted glass roof. It is comprised of several performance venues – the Commonwealth Plaza, the Perelman Theatre and Verizon Hall.  The Philadelphia Orchestra performs in Verizon Hall. Verizon Hall is shaped like the body of a cello, built of mahogany and seats 2,500 people. There were bathrooms for every floor at every entrance to the main hall. In a side room we listened to a pre-concert talk delivered by a cellist and then walked into the main hall to find our balcony seats on the third level. Daddy had gotten us box seats, but these box seats were free moving chairs along the upper rail. It was hard to see the complete stage from our seats without leaning over the rail.

          The conductor, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos entertained us with Carl Maria von Weber’s Overture to Oberon, Max Reger’s Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Mozart, Richard Strauss’ Horn Concerto No. 2, and Suite from Der Rosenkavalier. The horn concerto was performed by Principal Horn, Jennifer Montone and we all enjoyed her performance as well as the entire concert, immensely. The concert was finished around eleven and we were all very tired by the time we walked back to the RV. All of us kids got ready for bed and were asleep before our heads hit the pillows, but our parents drove for many hours afterwards searching for a place to boondock. On the web, Daddy had found a Stop and Shop nearby, but it turned out to be a Mom and Pop Stop and Shop and parking was not available. So they drove on, now searching for a Walmart. They found the complex where Walmart was supposed to be located, but couldn’t find Walmart (they actually drove by it twice in the dark). Finally they stumbled upon Path Mark, a 24 hour grocery store whose manager was willing to let us spend the night in the parking lot. They eventually collapsed in exhaustion after midnight. Happy Veteran’s Day, Mom and Dad!