Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

We set out from Red Creek today around 9am. I think we both felt a little stressed and high strung leaving because we’re not entirely certain as to what our plans are for the next couple of days. We thought we were staying with some friends, but we’re having a tough time connecting with some of them. We spent the first miles of the trip reminding ourselves that we need to learn to just go with the flow. That was kind of the goal of this trip – to slow down, relax and learn to be a bit spontaneous. So, with a slower pace mentality, we took our time making the trip south and decided we ought to stop in Philadelphia to see the Liberty Bell. I think we got to Philadelphia around 2 or 3, parked and walked around town a bit. The Liberty Bell is inside the Liberty Bell Center with a variety of reading material on its history. Surprisingly, a fair amount of its history is somewhat unknown.

The crack on the bell is due to an attempt to fix a thin crack that destroyed the bell’s tone at some point following the American Revolution. They don’t know when the crack developed, but repair work on it dates back to 1846. As the bell rang for George Washington’s birthday anniversary, the original crack reappeared and lengthened. It zig-zagged toward the top of the bell, silencing it – at least physically – forever. Historically, the bell used to summon members of the Pennsylvania Assembly, like Benjamin Franklin, to meetings. Contrary to popular belief, there is no evidence that the Bell rang on July 4, 1776, to proclaim independence. In fact, by 1776 the heavy bell, swinging and vibrating with sound, threatened to topple the rotting State House steeple (now Independence Hall). In 1777, just before the British captured Philadelphia, patriots removed public and private valuables to safety, including the Bell. And now it stands for American liberties and has been an icon for a variety of movements including Civil Rights and Women’s Suffrage. The city was really neat and very historic. Again, just like everything else on the east coast, it’s amazing to think that all of the history that you’ve learned about actually happened in these towns. People like George Washington and Benjamin Franklin walked these streets.

We probably should have taken the time to take the tour through Independence Hall and Congress Hall, but we were getting awful hungry and ready to relax. So, we drove another hour south to a campsite in Coatesville/West Chester, Pennsylvania. I have to admit that we were a little leery about the site as we drove there because it seemed so completely far out of the way. However, as we got closer, the towns seemed to descend further back in time. The village of West Chester was incredible! The buildings and homes were largely made of stone and plaster. I don’t have any idea what Tuscany looks like, but this is what I imagine. It was all very European-looking, like little mini chateaus. It’s not like the typical country-side because it’s really manicured and groomed, but quaint - and incredibly historic. We stopped at the grocery store and picked up a few items and drove to our campsite. We went down this steep hill and all of the campsites were right on this river – and not a single other person was there. We spent about an hour setting up all of our stuff. It had been almost a year since we had set up our tent, and it only took minor adjustments to figure it out again. We cut up veggies and potatoes and threw them right in the fire for dinner. It sounds delicious, I know, but we got some hint of lighter fluid flavor in there. Not so delicious. Better luck next time. We just sat and chatted and now we’re ready for bed.

It’s supposed to rain tonight. We’ll see how that goes. The reality of our trip has finally sunk in – it’s quite romantic.