The Last March of the Ents

I am sorry to report my epic adventure is almost at an end. I write to you tonight from my bed in the guestroom of Susan's house in Cresskill, NJ. According to Google Maps, that puts me less than 40 miles from my final destination.

It's a scary realization knowing where we started, but like I said, I'll save reflection for the final trip post. Expect it tomorrow night, or most likely, Friday.

Today we explored the Old City district of Philadelphia for the better part of the afternoon. We saw the Liberty Bell, toured Independence Hall, stood next to the final resting place of Benjamin Franklin, and took a self guided tour of the U.S. Coin Mint.

It was a pretty busy, exhausting afternoon with a lot of walking. By the end we were pretty tired. I think the mileage and lack of sleep are finally catching up to us. But it was cool to walk around the place where it could be argued this country was born. Before visiting, I can't say I was fully aware of the city's extensive history or role it played in the first years of the United States. It was inside Independence Hall the Declaration of Independence was first conceived and brought to fruition, as well as the creation of the Constitution of the United States of America as a replacement for the Articles of Confederation.

I will admit it made me feel quite patriotic, stepping through the same building which played host to Ban Franklin, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and John Adams among others. Susan described it as powerful history and awe-inspiring that we were even standing in the same place as the founding fathers of this country. On the tour we saw a chair, which the tour guide informed us they are sure is an original and there since the 1770s and had been sat in by George Washington himself. That's a pretty incredible thing, to stand before a simple piece of furniture, yet know it has been there over since America was born.

I knew the Liberty Bell was in Philly, but I never really understood what the big deal about it was or why people really cared about it. I can't say seeing it in person has changed my perspective completely, but I do believe I have a new take on it. We walked through a building dedicated to it, full of history on the bell and how the crack running through it came to be. It was basically because the bell was made of a metal mixture and was rather fragile, like other bells of the time. There was a small crack in it which the city tried to repair several times over the years. In the early 1900s, one of these attempts actually made it worse, thus creating the fissure running through it today.

There were videos and texts discussing the powerful symbol of liberty in the bell, the American spirit, and how the bell has been adopted world wide for the same purpose. After getting a chance to look at it, I thing I may finally begin to see where this fascination and iconic status comes from. The break is huge, running the entire length, yet the bell still stands as one, together. I see it more as a testament to the resiliency and toughness of America than anything else.

It would have been a sin to be in Philly and not get some authentic cheese steaks for a meal, so we decided to grab a couple as dinner after our walk around before packing into Lucille. I will admit, they were much better than any ones I've had at home or anywhere else. The bread was soft, and the sandwich was hearty. The steak was almost like real steak, it wasn't chopped into a million little pieces like the ones you get on the island and the cheese was in good balance, not lazily laid over the top of it. It was delicious and writing about it kind of makes me want another one.

I think that's a pretty good summary of our final stop on the long road home and my thoughts on a pretty historic place.

Don't worry though, I still have more thoughts and photos to come.