Our time at the Conwell Inn has been great. The room is very nice and they have had some sort of breakfast downstairs every morning. When I took the dog out this morning, I was pleased to see a hot waffle iron and cups of batter. I surprised Mary and the kids with fresh waffles to get the day off on the right foot. Unfortunately, Mary hasn't felt good the past couple of days, so we took it easy this morning.
While she rested, I attempted to plan out the rest of our day, making reservations on the phone at three different locations. It turned out to be a very good move, which we discovered as we head downtown to lunch and our first historical stop of the day. As an aside, we took a cab to Independence Square and I got to converse with a nice man from the Ukraine.
Once we reached the Independence Hall tour, I was extremely glad that I had phoned ahead for tickets. They are free, but they only hand out 2400 each day. We arrived at 1 pm to pick up our tickets for the 2:45 pm tour and no more tickets were available. SCORE!
I found the tour of Independence Hall to be very moving. There we were, standing in the very room where our Founding Fathers met, discussed and argued as they hammered out our most important documents, The Declaration of Independence and The Constitution. I felt a great sense of American pride as I stood in the room where the Founders took turns signing the documents. I meditated on the reality of viewing the actual chair that was occupied by the Father of our Nation, George Washington. We have really tried to get the kids to appreciate all they are seeing and hoping it "takes". I'm not sure it is, but I guess only time will tell.
Next stop was the National Constitution Center. We spotted the building when we walked through town yesterday. We weren't sure what it was, but we knew it must have been special when we spotted the huge preamble to the Constitution engraved in the wall.
Anyhow, the museum was INCREDIBLE! Starting with a dramatic presentation and ending with a series of interactive exhibits, this may have been the absolute coolest history museum I have ever seen. The presentation was very moving and I can't explain it beyond that. It tugged at the very real emotional patriotic heartstrings deep within every American. However, unlike a fictional sentimental film that may bring tears to your eyes, I did not feel manipulated by the presentation. I felt pride.
The exhibits were diverse and interesting, even for the kids. Zach tried on a Supreme Court Justice robe. I gave my State of the Union address from behind the Presidential Podium. Mary researched famous women in American history on the National Tree. Jenna explored whether or not she would have the right to vote in North Carolina. Throughout the museum, questions were posted, such as "Is there too much government, or not enough?" Visitors were encouraged to write out their answers on post-it notes and stick them to the wall. This made the exhibit current and constantly changing. We all entered a voting booth to select who we thought was the best President of all time (I voted for Lincoln), and we all had the opportunity to sign our names to the Constitution. Finally, Signer's Hall was filled with bronze statues of the men who signed the Constitution. It was a very fun and educational visit!
Lastly, we got a bite to eat for dinner and made our way to Lights of Liberty, a night time multimedia tour of the historical sites that led up to the Declaration of Independence. Everyone wore headphones that played sights and sounds of the American Revolution. The drama played in synchronization with our walk through the sites. At each site, images were projected on these historical buildings, bringing history to life. Using 3D audio, you truly feel as though you are in the 18th century. When the Sons of Liberty hear of the Stamp Act, you feel the outrage at King George of Britian. When the colonists are forced to take up arms against the Redcoats, you are placed in the center of the battle. And when Ben Franklin returns from Englad to declare that he is now on the side of the Seperatists, you cheer, knowing the outcome is the freedom and liberty that we enjoy today. All of us enjoyed the Lights of Liberty and I highly recommend it.
We hopped a cab back to the hotel, enjoying the company of a very friendly Vietnamese man. I had a harder time understanding his english, but it didn't matter. The cabbies here are great!
Tomorrow is supposed to be our "down" day, but I would really like to make it to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, if possible. We'll see...
It's Del.icio.us!
Furl It!
October 27, 2003 01:09 AM
HAHA!! I love the picture of you behind the podium!
May 7, 2005 06:19 PM
thius is a very informationial page