Boo wished we could ride in a horse-drawn carriage.
We had our photo taken in front of Independence Hall (by another nice woman), and also toured the interior.
Simon informed the guide that he was English, so he was put in the prisoner's dock when we were in the Pennsylvania Supreme Court Chamber. I don't recall what we decided he was guilty of, but you can see him chuckling about it in the photo.
This photo was taken in the Assembly Room where the Second Continental Congress met. In the background is the chair used by George Washington during the Constitutional Convention, and the silver inkstand used for the signing of both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.
Here Norman reads the facts about the artifacts that I just mentioned.
We also wandered through the Liberty Bell Center. The kids weren't really interested in learning about the bell, so we only read a little and skipped most of the displays. Perhaps it's simply due to sheer size, but our visit to "Lady Liberty" two summers ago captivated them far more than our visit to the Liberty Bell.
In fact, Boo was peeved that we made her pose in front of it. This is the best of several photo attempts. At least she's looking at the camera here.
This is Franklin Court, where Benjamin Franklin's home once stood. The house was demolished long ago, I think by his grandson. It was 3 stories high and had 10 rooms. Since there are no records of how the exterior looked, a steel "ghost structure" was created to represent the original house.
There is an underground museum at Franklin Court which we visited briefly. The kids heard about the phones there and wanted to try them. There is a big sign with names and phone numbers; you dial the phone to hear what various historical figures had to say about Franklin. Norman listened to JFK ("his" president from a class project).
After lunch, we got back on the van and visited more local sites. We stopped at the Betsy Ross House and Elfreth's Alley, but I don't have any pictures. Here we are at Christ Church. You can't read the plaque, but Boo and I are sitting in the (large) pew George Washington used when he was president. Yes, she's bored.
We ended the day at Valley Forge. First we watched a movie at the Welcome Center, where I purchased three-cornered hats and wooden guns for the kids. Here's Boo in the van, and Norman by some replica cabins.
The Isaac Potts House, which George Washington used as his headquarters. The kitchen is in the annex on the left, with a rather nifty oven.
"Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes." (Okay, so that's from the Battle of Bunker Hill, but at least it's still part of the American Revolution.)
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