Independence, Wit Wiz, Rocky, & Night Monuments!

We found ourselves waking up in New Jersey. No Sopranos knocked on our doors in the middle of the night so we were okay! It was a quick ten minute drive into Philadelphia and we were soon standing at Ben Franklin's grave.

Unfortunately they are repairing his tombstone and was concealed so we didn't see it but we were there and our guide Murray told us more about Ben.

We lucked out big time with the lines to the Liberty Bell. There were none! For the first time we had a sorta relaxing photo shoot at the bell. Usually we have to hijack the front, then take pictures at a rapid pace. Not this time! When we left and walked by the entrance the line was already way longer so yeah for us!

We then got to do an East Coast Trip first. We went to the first Supreme Court of the United States. We learned some interesting facts from this visit. It's called standing trial because the defendant was standing the whole time. Passing the bar for the lawyer comes from being able to be on the other side of the bar railing as you can see below. And the witness stand also comes from the witness standing. Great stuff.

It was then time to go into Independence Hall. In 1776 the Second Continental Congress gathered here is what is officially known as the Pennsylvania State House. They gathered to draft and sign the Declaration of Independence.

 Here we are inside the signing room. Inside this room in 1776 men like George Washington, Ben Franklin, John Adams, John Hancock, and many more put their names to the Declaration of Independence. By doing this they said the United States was free from British control. It also meant they had committed treason and could be hanged if they were caught. As we know they weren't and free we were! The chair in the back is the original chair that George Washington sat in. 

Why we use the word Cop.

Here we are at Ben Franklin Court. You can see the outlines of houses in the background. That was Ben Franklin's home. It no longer stands but you can look down and see the original foundation of his house. 

 Inside Christ Church. This is the church in Philadelphia that people like George Washington and Ben Franklin went too. We even got to sit in the pew of George Washington. 

We then went to the longest, consecutively lived on street in the United States, Elfreth's Alley. 

 Moving along in Philadelphia we got to meet Ms. Betsy Ross. Betsy is said to have sewn the first flag. She also showed us how to make a star by folding paper and making only one cut. 

 Betsy gave her star to Chalyce and then posed for a "portrait" as she called it. 

 Betsy Ross House

 This Ben Franklin bust, if you look really closely, has a bunch of keys all over him. Can you guess why? Yes, you are correct, it is a symbol of his kite and key experiment. Funny story, we learned today that he didn't hold the kite. He made his son hole it during the experience!

 We said goodbye to our guide Murray after a great tour of historic Philadelphia. Here we are in front of the US Mint building. Here, they make money. If you look at our coins and see a little P, it was made right here behind us. 

 Time for our lunch. Many people had been looking forward to this special lunch. We were going to do our own taste test and decide what Philly Cheese Steak was the best, Pat's or Geno's. In the end, everybody liked what they got and there still was no clear consensus. They are both really good. Although I say Pat's is better.

Photo Bombing!

 More Photo Bombing

One last thing to do in Philadelphia and that was go find our boxing friend, Rocky Balboa. Got our pictures with the statue then of course, we ran up the steps like Rocky!

Then it was time to drive to Washington, D.C. Finally got in and had dinner at a Chinese place. Not bad. 

After dinner we did a nice night tour of three monuments. We started with the Martin Luther King Jr. monument. If you get the chance to come to Washington, D.C. I highly recommend it. You learn so much about the architecture and thought process that goes into making these. 

Martin Luther King Jr's. monument is based off a few lines from his "I Have a Dream" speech. "Out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope." You see the mountain has been broken and on the opposite side of the broken mountain is MLK Jr. He is the stone of hope. Our tour guide Kathy brought up how his lower legs aren't done and the different meanings behind that. One being he never got to finish his work as he was assassinated before he could do all he wanted. Phenomenal monument. 

 George Washington Monument

We then went to the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Monument. He was the only President elected four times and his monument has four chambers. Each chamber shows a different aspect of his Presidency. From the Great Depression to World War II. Another well designed monument.

Eleanor Rosevelt is the only First Lady in Washington, D.C. to have a statue of her. 

 We finished our evening with the Thomas Jefferson Memorial. Wonderful views all around and even can see the White House from here. 

 Thomas Jefferson and Kualapu'u School!

Good night from Washington, D.C. We'll see you again tomorrow!