Diary/Photo Journal

Week of August 24, 2003

In keeping with our History tour, we spent time in Philadelphia walking the streets where uttering the word "Independence" was once treasonous and where 56 men (and one woman**) had the strength of conviction to sign their name to their belief in that one word.

** That one woman was Mrs. John Adams who wrote several letters to her husband inspiring him to keep the faith that independence would come and to remember to include that large population long quieted under British rule - women.  Had her letters been found by the wrong person(s), she would have hanged alongside her husband.  Fortunately, the letters were secreted away and John Adams became our 2nd President (and the first President to be elected by the people - George Washington was elected through the Congress).

Independence Hall - where the Declaration of Independence was accepted on July 4th, 1776

The actual room where the Declaration of Independence was signed by 56 delegates.  The big three:  Declaration of Independence Articles of Confederation Constitution

A bit of trivia we learned during our visit.  We have legal terms that we use and hear frequently in our daily lives.  The term "standing trial" actually derived from the fact that the defendant had to literally "stand" during the entire  trial.  Also, the term "witness stand" came from, you guessed it, from the witness having to "stand" during his or her testimony. 

We visited the Carpenter's Hall where the Carpenter's Guild was founded in the 1720's and built many of the Historic buildings in Philadelphia.  While we were there, a woman was playing a Glass Harp instrument (reminiscent of the 1700's) that resonated throughout the building.  The glass harp is played by turning the glass tube and running your fingers over the various grooves in the glass.  (No, it is not the same as wetting your finger and running it over the rim of a beer bottle :-)). 

West Wing Courtroom. See the defendant cage and the witness box where each had to stand

Carpenter's Hall (builders) of Independence Hall and Franklin House

Glass Harp and Gerson at the City Tavern, a popular place for the "Independent" thinking men

Of course, we stopped at the Liberty Bell and admired the fact that the bell rang for 93 years until its crack worsened and the bell was retired.  The crack we see today is actually the repair to a hairline crack.  There are 40 individual drill points with two plugs to keep the sides of the crack from rubbing against each other and to keep the sound true.  Unfortunately, within a few years, the crack ventured onward on the bell and it could no longer be rung.

Liberty Bell and individual drill points

Typical Philadelphia street

We had to laugh: my dad's name is Bill or "Willie" and his dog is named "Duffy"

We left Philly to make a pass through Atlantic City.  Atlantic City is certainly no Las Vegas but it had its own charm somewhat. 

Atlantic City  boardwalk  and the casinos

Next stop: Baltimore and the Inner Harbor.  We just stopped in for lunch and unfortunately for the restaurant, Gerson found an "all-you-can-eat" seafood buffet.  Well, we did just that.  We saw the food and ate all we could eat. 

Gerson in front of the Constellation

We saw this very impressive renovated building with copper domes and gorgeous masonry and then realized it is a sewage treatment plant - they take their sewage very seriously apparently

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