After Cape Cod we shot up the coast for just a moment to check out Plymouth Rock and the Mayflower. After all, we had seen Pilgrims Point at Provincetown where they had first set foot and now we wanted to see where they came ashore after crossing Cape Cod Bay. It has actually never been proven that this is the actual, authentic, genuine boulder that they stepped on but, hey, every nation needs its historical places and this is a very nice boulder and, look, it came with a date on it!!! It was fun to learn that the boulder was actually moved from the middle of an old street in Plymouth where it had been chipped and hammered at for many, many years by souvenir hunters. It has been protected by various cages, fences or buildings over the years but this latest seems grand enough and sturdy enough to protect it from nature and man’s erosion.
The replica of the Mayflower was lovely, but very crowded. We opted to enjoy it from a bit of a distance but we were still struck by how small it was! I couldn’t even imagine how those pilgrims could manage to sail for months in such crowded conditions! If we had not been anxious to get to Philadelphia to see Cokie’s old school buddy, Linda, we probably would have stayed in the area for a few days to more fully explore everything. Oh well!
We pretty much shot straight westward across Massachusetts, a bit of New York and then to Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area on the New Jersey/Pennsylvania border. The Poconos' famous resorts of the 1800’s with lavish hotels and spas are pretty much gone now but the scenery and views are breath-taking as nature rules here, not man. The Delaware River twists in a tight “S” curve through the ridges at Kittatinny Mountain slowing the current of the river and the flow of the road traffic. We were delighted to find that fall foliage was still in evidence.
We stopped at Dingmans Falls for some waterfall photo opts and were charmed by the hike and the area. This is a well designed boardwalk that passes Silver Thread Falls and winds gently through the forest for ½ mile round trip to Dingmans Falls. This was just the panacea we needed after driving on freeways and in windstorms for a few days.
Silver Thread Falls
Dingmans Falls
After restoring our nature batteries, so to speak, we found our way to Linda and Dave Timber’s condo in northeast Philly. Linda and Cokie were grade school and high school buddies back in Nevada City. They had a good time reminiscing and giggling about their school adventures. Linda and Dave live in a large condo development just a couple of blocks from the Delaware River with a lovely park area. We met Linda’s daughter, Debbie and had lovely fun meals with them. Their cat, Tiki, was by far the coolest guy of all and very entertaining as only a self-assured, ruler of the roost, cat can be!
Linda took some time off from work and we hopped the commuter train into the city for a day of memorable adventures. We spent hours in Independence National Historical Park visiting the icons of our country. We began with Independence Hall and a tour with an extremely knowledgeable volunteer guide. Stepping into the very building where our Declaration of Independence and our Constitution were created and formed into a working reality was a humbling experience. The design and beauty of the building is sufficient cause for awe in and of itself.
“The Liberty Bell cracked long ago, but as an icon of freedom its voice has never been stilled. To Americans who demanded independence on this site and to those who even now seek self-determination, it still declares ‘Proclaim Liberty throughout All the land unto All the inhabitants Thereof’. Its crack is a reminder that liberty is imperfect, hopefully evolving to include those who have been denied full participation in a democratic society.” (Quote from the NPS Independence National Historical Park brochure) The Liberty Bell Center was created to house the Bell and to tell not only its history but the story of its effect on generations and social movements around the world. This is a very informative center built when the Bell was moved from its place near Independence Hall. By the way, the Bell was hung in the State House in 1753 and used to summon the Pennsylvania Assembly. It first cracked sometime between 1817 and 1846, exactly when remains a mystery. It was actually physically smaller than we expected but that did not stop us from weeping when we saw it!
Next we walked down to the Independence Visitors Center but soon realized that it would be half a day’s visit all by itself and we were working toward a luncheon date with Debbie over near her workplace at the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia. Off we dashed to meet her and fill ourselves with Philly’s phamous cheese steak sandwich. Filet mignon and good cheese on a great roll! Oh yeah!
"Money In Motion" exhibit sign seemed appropriate for these times!
Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia
We walked our stuffed little bodies over to the National Constitution Center just to get a feel for the place knowing that we would not have enough time to really see it but putting it on our ‘return to’ list. As we rushed over to the train station to catch our train back to Linda’s we passed more interesting buildings, including the U.S. Mint. (No samples were available, however)
We learned about the William Penn curse from Linda. It goes something like this: Of course, Pennsylvania is named after dear old William and to honor ‘his Honor’ a grand sculpture was put atop City Hall and it was declared that no building would ever be built higher than his statue. Of course that didn’t last as the age of skyscrapers began. Ironically, the age of non-championship sports titles for the city began too. Thus it was determined that old Penn had put a curse on the city because they had not upheld their own ordinance. It also seems that a company who built one of those ‘topping his Honor’ buildings was scared enough of the curse that they placed a small statue way up top. I guess this year’s series proves he must have forgiven the Phillies, huh?
Views from the train were a mix of the good, the bad and the really interesting – like the genius of the graffiti! These people could be really good graphic artists if life would give them an opportunity.
Linda and Dave were generous and gracious hosts and it was a busy and fun visit despite the World Series fever and the snow trying to scare us. We were determined to get to Washington, DC and the possibility of better weather while we could. So off we went to find Greenbelt Park campground and a new set of urban adventures.
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