Valley Forge and Philadelphia

This weekend I had some wonderful opportunities to visit several sites that were important to the American Revolution and for laying the foundation of the United States government. We left Washington on Friday morning and drove to Valley Forge, PA. We stayed at the Freedoms Foundation which is less than a mile from Valley Forge National Historical Park. It was a nice place and it was to be on a 'vacation'. Granted that I was about a hundred times more excited than everyone else for the weekend.
   While winter is starting to pass away here, it was a cold weekend and it was easy to imagine why the winter conditions during the Revolution and Civil War were so difficult. Valley Forge sits with the Schuylkill River to the North and East and with two 'mountains' to the west. When the tour guide said mountains many of us must have looked confused as we looked around the hills, so she had to explain that in that area they are considered mountains. Good cultural experience.

Parade Ground...and 'mountains' to the right

The visitors center is really well done and has some great exhibits. Contrary to popular to belief, the winter at Valley Forge was not worse than some of the other winter encampments. The main change to the Continental Army was the training that the army gained during the last few months that transformed the citizen army to a professional army. Some of the highlights of the visit was visiting George Washington's headquarters, the replica huts and seeing some of the remains of fortifications.

Washington's Headquarters and personal flag

The huts were made to hold twelve men and their belongings. But when twelve of us went in we quickly felt claustrophobic. It was amazing to think about sleeping, eating and trying to live through snowstorms, mud, and constant cold. It really deepened my respect for the Continental soldiers.

The next day we headed into Philadelphia. We spent the morning at the National Constitutional Center. They had an amazing exhibit about the evolution of the Constitution and how its affected our lives. One of the most interesting parts was that as the time progressed they had some exhibits that would let you see if you could vote during certain time periods. It would ask you questions based on your gender, race, age, land owning privileges, etc. What surprised me was that because I answered that I didn't own land or that I hadn't payed my taxes yet disqualified me in several states until the 20th century. 

      We went and toured Independence Hall afterwards. It was amazing to be in the same building where our country was both born by the Declaration of Independence and given real hope by the Constitution.

We had the afternoon free and so I headed down to the waterfront. The Independence Seaport Museum had an excellent exhibit on the War of 1812 and had some beautiful models. The museum also hosts the USS Becuna and cruiser USS Olympia. USS Becuna is a World War II submarine that was modified for service during the Cold War. I love submarines and being able to climb around was great. The only problem is that changing compartments reminds me that I probably wouldn't make a great submariner. 

USS Becuna

The cruiser USS Olympia is the last surviving ship from the Spanish-American War. She served as the flag ship for Admiral George Dewey at the Battle of Manila Bay in May 1898. By destroying the Spanish fleet the US Navy was able to take secure the Philippines. The Olympia was amazing not only because of the history, but because the ship was a combination of traditional and modern warships. The officers quarters were wood furnished and looked more like a picture of the inside of a ship like the Titanic than what you would imagine from a steel warship.

USS Olympia

Admiral's room

The Olympia also faces some major challenges in her future. Steel ships need to be taken out and conserved around every 20-25  years. The last time Olympia left the water was in 1945. The structure of the hull is deteriorating to the point that visitors aren't allowed in many of the below deck areas. At least $10 million dollars is needed to help preserve the Olympia enough to allow time for a new owner to provide sufficient financial help and adequate facilities. If I had the money, I would love to buy the Olympia, but I don't think that is happening anytime soon.