We timed our return flight for the afternoon so we could get in a little more sightseeing before we left. Obviously, we had a couple important places to see, a requisite for all history nerds. Thanks to the rental car, we did not have to find a place to store our bags while we toured.
That morning it took hardly any time for me to pack everything up. Dad took a little longer but then again I had several weeks experience on him. Finding a parking spot on the other hand took far longer. Obviously, we know that finding a spot on the street would be out of the question. So, we used Google to find a parking garage. We thought we found one but could not figure out how to get in so we went on to the next garage on the list. Dad firmly believed that Independence Hall had parking available but we could not figure out where or how to get there so we ended up using a garage that cost us an arm and a leg.
Upon emerging from the garage we headed straight towards Independence Hall. When we turned a corner and could see the historic building across a grassy green field. I became positively giddy. We still had to go get free but timed tickets but before we did that we paused to do the typical tourist thing and take plenty of pictures. My stomach growled since we hadn’t yet eaten breakfast but we needed to get in line to get tickets first.
By the time we got up to the ticket counter, tickets for the earliest tours had already been purchased. We ended up with tickets for the 10 am tour, plenty of time to find the nearest Starbucks to get some breakfast and coffee. Well, I drank coffee, Dad still denies himself the pleasure.
Eating breakfast didn’t take long so we arrived early for the tour. We waited just behind a few other people who happened to strike up a conversation with the park ranger manning the line. We overheard him direct the couple to a room that housed some significant documents that they could peruse while they waited.
We decided to follow after them thereby discovering by serendipity that we chose to visit on the 241st anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence just a few steps away in Independence Hall. I could barely contain myself and yes, Dad definitely laughed at me but I didn’t mind.
By the time we finished looking around the small nondescript room holding copies of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and one other document which in my excitement over the Declaration I have forgotten the identity of, a line had formed by the tour entrance. We joined the line, tickets in hand, and entered a small room filling up all the seats as we waited for a brief set of instructions from the tour guide.
The tour consisted of a mere two stops, the Assembly room, where the signing actually occurred, and the Supreme Court room. The tour guide, a park ranger, provided basic information which Dad and I already knew. That did not matter to me. I paid more attention to the fact that I stood in the room where it happened. Yes, Dad and I both made frequent reference to that particular Hamilton piece while we gazed around the reconstructed room and the chair where Washington once sat and on which Benjamin Franklin famously remarked. We both stood off to the side, primarily so that my ridiculous excited fits of laughter would disturb less people.
Once the short tour finished, Dad and I headed over to the Liberty Bell Center, home of the eponymous Liberty Bell. Just like when we entered the Independence Park area we had to go through airport style security. This time the process took longer because unlike the tickets for the Independence Hall tour which spaced everyone out according to specific tour times, the Liberty Bell Center just had one long queue. Once inside the rectangular hall, you follow a path around partition type displays telling the history of the bell. I soaked in every word, trying to prolong the experience as long as possible. It also helped that the line of people also moved at approximately a snail’s pace. Finally, we could see it, the Liberty Bell. I wanted to reach out and touch it despite all the warnings, to physically connect with history. Don’t worry. I followed the rules and settled for a selfie instead even though the light streaming in via the glass wall behind us diminished the picture quality.
When we emerged, we headed back towards the ticket center area to visit the gift shop but stopped just prior to entering. Just next to the Liberty Bell Center stands an exhibit titled “The President’s House: Freedom and Slavery in the Making of a New Nation.” This open air display with walls and fireplaces but not more more, echoes the house that once stood there, the house that served as the Executive Mansion for George Washington and John Adams during the building of Washington, D.C. This particular site does not pay homage to the nation’s first president, rather, it provides a fitting tribute to the men and women who built this country as that spot once served as the living quarters for Washington’s slaves. I did not know anything about this, the history or the exhibit. I love these serendipitous stumbles.
Before we made our way back to the rental car, we purchased some souvenirs in the gift shop. Our purchase came with coupons to the Hershey’s snack stand, also a part of the building so we stopped and got some way too sweet treats to finish off our visit. While there, Dad discovered the existence of the parking garage he thought he knew existed, a parking garage that would have saved us a lot of money. We both cringed internally when it came time for us to pay so that we could get the car out of the garage.
Our site-seeing adventure may have ended but the day’s adventures continued. First, we had to find a gas station near the airport so we could return the car with a full tank. I mistakenly assumed that we would pass a station as we got close to the airport. Nope. We found ourselves at the airport a little too soon. So, Dad searched on his phone and we circled around. When we arrived at the location which had no other signs of life around we could not figure out how this qualified as a gas station and also wondered if we should even be there at all. Back to the phone and even more backtracking. This time we found an actual station. Phew.
We had plenty of time to wait once we got in so we found a spot near our gate and an outlet to plug in while we waited. Around five we headed to the food court to get some supper before our flight. While there I got the first text about a flight delay. Oh great. About half an hour later when Dad got up for a bathroom break, I got another text. Delayed. Again. I started to laugh. When the third text came notifying of another delay I started to joke that GSP had put me on some sort of no-fly list. How else can I explain the coincidences of twice, perhaps, not being able to get home. Thankfully, the third (or perhaps four … I have fuzzy memory of the total number) text was the last. After way too much Wizards Unite (I deleted the app before getting on the plane) we boarded the plane and made it home. After over a month away from home, it felt good to climb into my own bed if only for a few hours before repacking and heading to the beach for my vacation to recover from vacation.