Doughnuts and Valley Forge

Our plans for Spring Break 2016 kept changing and at one point it didn't look as if we were going to be doing anything more exciting than staying at home and working in the yard this year, but we finally nailed things down and spent a few fun days in Philadelphia. After our three days there, I can now say that the City of Brotherly Love is a new favorite of mine. Beautiful buildings, tons to see and do, and delicious food almost make me want to trade in our quiet rural life for the city.

For me, the best part about driving to a vacation destination is stopping anywhere that looks interesting along the way. The only trouble with that philosophy is that what should be a three hour drive takes over six hours. On this particular drive we mostly stopped for food, first we backtracked to find the Krispy Kreme we didn't see soon enough to stop when we drove by it initially then we visited a Swiss Chocolate Factory in the Pennsylvania countryside. The chocolate factory was a let down, but Krispy Kreme didn't disappoint.  There may be no more perfect food than a warm freshly glazed doughnut.

As soon as we walked into the restaurant we could see the entire donut assembly line through a glass wall. Before we ordered we spent at least five minutes watching the donuts, in their perfect rows of three, as they dropped into the oil, were magically flipped over, and then traveled under a glossy curtain of sugary glaze. It was mesmerizing.

A dozen doughnuts disappears surprisingly quickly when they are this delicious. It was the perfect second breakfast/early lunch and kept everyone happy for the rest of our journey north. Doughnuts need to be a part of our life much more than they currently are!

After our culinary detours we arrived at our first destination, Valley Forge National Historical Park. We started our visit by watching a video that gave an overview of the winter encampment of the Continental Army from 1777-78. The girls were a little grumbly about having to watch the video, but it really did help make everything else we saw and did that day fit into the history of the park. After the video presentation we spent some time in the visitor's center learning more about the people who were at Valley Forge, what life was like for them, and how the six months the Army spent there transformed America's soldiers.

Samantha and Natalie getting Revolutionary

Jared and Abigail with the man, the myth, the legend, General von Steuben

There are thirty miles of trails that connect both the historical and natural sites in the park. Since we didn't have time to walk thirty miles that day, we opted to drive the circular encampment route and stop at the sites along the way. I really want to come back another time, bring our bicycles, and spend a day biking through this beautiful place.

Our first stop was a reconstructed redoubt and several reconstructed huts where brigades camped in 1777. The redoubt may once have been an military defensive fortification, but it was a perfect spot for a game of tag. Once we got all our wiggles out we headed across the street to explore the huts. They were small, they were dark, and it was hard to imagine what life must have been like with twelve men in every 14 by 16 structure.

Every parent of teenagers feels this is true sometimes, right?

The National Memorial Arch was a quick stop on our tour but was one of my favorite sites at Valley Forge. Besides being beautiful, the setting was peaceful, and the inscriptions on the arch were touching. I wish I had taken a picture of the main inscription so I had a record of the entire thing. The main message was a hope that our country and our freedoms will be as important to future generations as they were to the men who served at Valley Forge.

Our final stop during our time at Valley Forge was the building Washington used as his headquarters during the encampment. Up to twenty-five people lived and worked in this building at one time so while it looks much more comfortable than the huts the soldiers lived in, it was probably pretty cramped and crowded and not as cushy as it may seem.

Visiting our National Parks is awesome! They're a great combination of history, nature, and fun and there's always something new to learn or do. Like earning a Junior Ranger badge; just don't be like Natalie and think that any old badge makes you an officer of the law! If you haven't been to a National Park lately, I'd encourage you to get out there and Find Your Park. It's the 100th birthday of the National Park Service this year, and what better way to celebrate than to visit a Park or three!