hoosierdoc
Freed prisoner
We are currently sitting in Washington DC on the last leg of our trip. It's been awesome so far.
Started in Niagara Falls. Did the behind the falls tour, Maid of the Mist trip, hiked around a lot. We stayed on the Canadian side overlooking the falls. Was a full moon rising upstream from the falls every night.
Then we headed to Boston which was my favorite part. We stayed in the north end, little italy. I google searched "restaurants" and 20 closest were all italian. hah. We were a block away from the Old North Church and Copp's Burying hill. The tour of the Old North Church was pretty cool to be in the same bell ringing chamber as Revere was. We did the whole freedom trail but the Constitution was in drydock for repair so we didn't get to tour it. Climbed the Beacon Hill monument though. Standing in the room in the Old Statehouse overlooking the Boston Massacre site was pretty profound. It's from that balcony that the Declaration of Independence was first read in the north. There is a reproduction printing press near the Old North Church near Revere park. It's run by Edes and Gill, and they were the first ones to print the declaration in New England. They received a copy around July 17th I think and then set their type and started running copies. We watched them use a similar plate and press and make another on linen paper. They talked a LOT about printing in that period and how it changed from the Gutenberg days. I learned the "uppercase" letters were the ones less often used so they were kept in the upper case of the type setters tool chest. The "lower case" ones were more convenient on the chest. If you like history, go to this printing press just SW of the church.
We then spent a few days in NYC. I don't really like NYC and this was reinforced. Hard to get around, noisy, expensive. Kids enjoyed the statue via the Staten Island Ferry though, and we hit Times Square at night which was neat.
On the way to DC from NYC we stopped in Toms River NJ where I spent five years in elementary school. I showed the kids and wife my old house and then we went to Seaside Heights to have some fun on the boardwalk. Great memories.
Last night we got to DC and walked around the white house, washington monument, WWII memorial, Lincoln memorial. While walking away from Lincoln there was a very bright shooting star by the horizon the direction we were heading. VERY cool. Today was sleeping in, then National Archives to see constitution, declaration, and bill of rights. Then to smithsonian for a rushed visit before heading to a late lunch. Now we're avoiding the heat
and recharging for the other presidential memorials this evening when it's not so hot. Tomorrow is a Capitol tour and then back home.
Fun times! Next history trip will add Philadelphia and some of the more suburb DC stuff, and hopefully a whitehouse tour. I neded to have set that up a LONG time in advance.
Started in Niagara Falls. Did the behind the falls tour, Maid of the Mist trip, hiked around a lot. We stayed on the Canadian side overlooking the falls. Was a full moon rising upstream from the falls every night.
Then we headed to Boston which was my favorite part. We stayed in the north end, little italy. I google searched "restaurants" and 20 closest were all italian. hah. We were a block away from the Old North Church and Copp's Burying hill. The tour of the Old North Church was pretty cool to be in the same bell ringing chamber as Revere was. We did the whole freedom trail but the Constitution was in drydock for repair so we didn't get to tour it. Climbed the Beacon Hill monument though. Standing in the room in the Old Statehouse overlooking the Boston Massacre site was pretty profound. It's from that balcony that the Declaration of Independence was first read in the north. There is a reproduction printing press near the Old North Church near Revere park. It's run by Edes and Gill, and they were the first ones to print the declaration in New England. They received a copy around July 17th I think and then set their type and started running copies. We watched them use a similar plate and press and make another on linen paper. They talked a LOT about printing in that period and how it changed from the Gutenberg days. I learned the "uppercase" letters were the ones less often used so they were kept in the upper case of the type setters tool chest. The "lower case" ones were more convenient on the chest. If you like history, go to this printing press just SW of the church.
We then spent a few days in NYC. I don't really like NYC and this was reinforced. Hard to get around, noisy, expensive. Kids enjoyed the statue via the Staten Island Ferry though, and we hit Times Square at night which was neat.
On the way to DC from NYC we stopped in Toms River NJ where I spent five years in elementary school. I showed the kids and wife my old house and then we went to Seaside Heights to have some fun on the boardwalk. Great memories.
Last night we got to DC and walked around the white house, washington monument, WWII memorial, Lincoln memorial. While walking away from Lincoln there was a very bright shooting star by the horizon the direction we were heading. VERY cool. Today was sleeping in, then National Archives to see constitution, declaration, and bill of rights. Then to smithsonian for a rushed visit before heading to a late lunch. Now we're avoiding the heat
and recharging for the other presidential memorials this evening when it's not so hot. Tomorrow is a Capitol tour and then back home.
Fun times! Next history trip will add Philadelphia and some of the more suburb DC stuff, and hopefully a whitehouse tour. I neded to have set that up a LONG time in advance.
