After our New England trip, we traveled through the Keystone State on our way south. Pennsylvania earned its nickname by playing a significant role in the development of our nation. As we stopped in its 2 largest cities, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, we got the chance to see lots of fun sights and relearn some important history too.
Our first stop was outside of Philadelphia near the town of West Chester. Big lesson learned: just because a campground is “big rig friendly” does NOT mean that the roads to get there are! Roads that were tiny even for a car and lots of overhanging tree branches gave us a harrowing start to our stay, but once we got settled we were ready for exploring.
Valley Forge:
Valley Forge was our first stop. We enjoyed seeing where George Washington and the Continental Army spent their 3rd winter (out of 8!). This spot was picked because it was a good defendable plateau and because it allowed them to keep an eye on the British troops in nearby Philadelphia. Although conditions were very harsh and supplies were short, Washington used this time to transform his men into a capable fighting force. It was a major turning point in the Revolutionary War – a keystone in earning our independence from England.
The Valley Forge trolley tour was informative and the museum very well done. The park is large and includes numerous structures, monuments, and the beautiful Washington Memorial Chapel.
Philadelphia:
The next day we had fun taking the train into Philadelphia. As we usually do in a big city, we took the Big Red Bus Tour to get an overview of all the popular attractions and hear some history of the town. It’s also easy to get on and off at the places that you want to see.
I have always wanted to see Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell, so this was an exciting day. We had a tour of Independence Hall and saw the room where both the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution were signed (keystones in starting our new country). It was cool to see the actual Rising Sun Chair that George Washington used during the Constitutional Convention and pretty awe-inspiring to stand where our forefathers once stood.
The Liberty Bell, an iconic symbol of American Independence, has a place of honor across the street in the Liberty Bell Center. It weighs over 2,000 lbs and is made of bronze. On our nation’s 100th birthday the Centennial Bell was made and now rings every hour in the tower at Independence Hall. Much larger, it weighs 13,000 lbs –a thousand pounds for each original state.
Our bus tour gave us a great overview of the city and its beautiful architechture. We enjoyed seeing Betsy Ross’ house and hearing about our first flag. A visit to the cemetery at Christ Church showed us the final resting place of Ben Franklin and 4 other signers of the Declaration of Independence. It seems like there is a historic site or marker everywhere you turn! We also had to try a real Philly cheesesteak at Oh Brothers and see the amazing Reading Terminal Market.
The one thing I didn’t get to do was run up the stairs at the Museum of Modern Art ala Rocky Balboa. Our tour bus could not get close due to construction and a music festival setup from the previous weekend. Alas, I had to settle for posing with a statue at the Visitor’s Center.
We ended our day in Philly at Citizen’s Bank Park for my 2nd major league baseball game. The Phillys beat the Marlins 4-3 at the last minute. Even though it rained part of the day, we really enjoyed our time in the city of brotherly love.
From Philadelphia we went west and made a brief stop in Bedford. There we met Connie and Dave, longtime friends of Steve and Joan. We enjoyed their hospitality, shopping, and golf.
I never realized how many tunnels there are in Pennsylvania, but it makes sense with the Appalachian, Pocono, and Allegheny mountain ranges there. The experience is a little more intimidating in a big motorhome though!
Pittsburgh:
Our next stop was Pittsburgh where we met up with Joan’s friend Terri. She was a fabulous tour guide and taught us some of Pittsburg’s distinctive slang called Pittsburghese. As an example, we say y’all but they say yinz.
We took the bus tour of the city and visited beautiful Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens. Joan and I agreed that if we lived near Pittsburgh we would get an annual membership to see their amazing seasonal floral displays.
I was surprised to learn that Pittsburgh has over 400 bridges, likely in part due to the fact that three rivers wind their way through the city. We especially enjoyed the view from high up on Mount Washington overlooking the city.
Another cool thing we learned is that Pittsburgh has more sets of public stairways (nearly 800) than any other US city. Years ago stairways were built to help workers get from their homes in the many hilly areas to the factories and steel mills along the river. Pittsburgh was a keystone industrial center that helped coal, steel, and railroads flourish in our developing nation.
At the end of our day in Pittsburgh we saw our 3rd major league baseball game. It was a close game with the Cardinals beating the Pirates 7-5. The fireworks afterwards were spectacular—better than many displays we have seen on July 4th!
It was ineresting to see some of Pennsylvania and to learn of its keystone location in the center of the original 13 colonies. I have found that I enjoy learning about history much more now as an adult than I did in school. It is fun to actually get to visit historic places and see things in person. Next up we continue heading south with stops in Ohio and Kentucky.
Thank you for letting us join you, via your blog, on another one of your adventures!
Thanks Stuart– we are happy you are following along with us!
Love reading your notes on different places and really enjoy the pictures.
Thanks, Cindy! I love having the blog so family and friends can keep up with our travels.😊💗
Such a very historical post! I enjoyed all the pictures and the informative history lesson too. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Hey Sandi! I knew some of the history in Philadelphia, but there was so much more that I learned. The whole are is fascinating and Philadelphia is a vibrant city.