Independence National Historical Park

We drove north on I 295 about 15 miles to the Woodcrest PATCO station at about 10 this morning. PATCO is the Pennsylvania Area Transportation Corporation, a part of the Delaware River Authority I understand. Eighteen minutes later, we and about 30 of our closest friends were in downtown Philly. Specifically the station at 8th and Market, within two blocks of Independence Park.

The station at Woodcrest was outdoors, and it was raining hard, but we waited it out and boarded on time.

We went to the Visitor Center first to get timed tickets to visit Independence Hall later in the day. As we exited, we noticed the Philadelphia Mint on our right, so decided to visit and take the tour. The Mint  is responsible for making metal coinage, as opposed to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing in DC, where paper money is made. The two facilities are similar in that no photos are allowed. We did get some pix of the exhibits as we walked through, including a necklace in the gift shop.

And a set of used dies, where some 210 tons of force is applied to the coin blank to create actual coinage.

And a section of the metal that the blanks are stamped out of.

From the third floor windows of the Mint, we got a great view of the old Christ Church Cemetery.

We marveled at the dates on the headstones.

Many markers are simply eroded slabs of stone, victims of acid rain and soft stone.

Benjamin Franklin lies under a rather unassuming slab of marble.

After a bit of time wandering the beautiful old cemetery, we headed to Independence Hall.

We started our tour in the courtroom where British justice was meted out prior to the Revolution. 90% of the room is authentic, including the metal cage in the lower center where the defendant stood throughout the trial. Hence the term "standing trial".

The highlight of the ranger-led tour was the room where the Declaration of Independence was debated and signed, as well as the Constitution some years later.

This is the actual chair that George Washington used during the Constitutional Convention. At the upper center of the chair back is a carving of a half of a sun. Much debate centered on whether it was the setting sun of the British Empire or the rising sun of the United States. President Washington decreed it was a rising sun!

The building is ornate, with an impressive set of stairs leading to the upper floors.

What a great old building! It was chosen for the debates creating the new country because it was the largest building in the country at the time.

The birthplace of our country:

Leaving Independence Hall, we went into the Liberty Bell Center to view one of the most recognizable symbols of our country"s revolution. It is hanging from an original American Elm beam, with original hardware.

We had a little time before we needed to take the train home, so we elected to take a circuitous route into Old Town and came across Christ Church.

And Betsy Ross's tiny house.

Our FitBit told us that we had walked five and one half miles, so we decided to end the day and brave the commuter traffic on the train. Boarding the train with about 100 (that's in our car. There were 15 cars) of our best standing-room-only friends, we rocked and rolled across the Deleware River into New Jersey. A quick exit and a slow commuter zip south on I 295 got us home in time to take Sasha on a long walk before dark.

A Good Day!