Philadelphia - Day 1

If ever there is term for exhaustion it would be Day 1, Philadelphia. A group of twenty four hearty souls drove east at 6:45 this morning for the Annual TAH adventure. Teaching American History has been a three year journey of college classes in history, field trips to each end of Pennsylvania and a bond that is stronger than many might imagine. We left Edinboro this morning and gathered our reading materials, pillows and casual conversation for our four day trip.

At eleven a.m. our Big Kids Tour Host announced over the bus P.A.system that we would be taking a slight detour. Our first stop was at the Jean Bonnet Tavern (supposedly haunted and very Revolutionary War and believe it or not, Whiskey Rebellion Era establishment). We agreed easily when we discovered that the National Park for Flight 93 was only a few miles away.

An unexpected side trip turned into a humbling experience for us all. For those that have never been to Shanksville, PA, a rural quiet area, so many of us recognize as home in our own incarnations as residents of PA, this serene area was the victim of a disaster and heroic endeavor beyond imagination in 2001.

Our volunteer tour guide gave us a step by step visual of what happened, but perhaps the most poignant part of our visit was the simplicity of this pristine countryside that will soon break ground to become a national park. A flag, far off in the distance marks the spot where the flight fell, nose down into the Pennsylvania countryside. The tiny visitor center is recognized by memorials for the victims. Especially touching is memoriabilia left by the visitors that will one day be added to the National Museum exhibits.

When I found our tour itinerary was diverted, I felt a sense of uncomfortable inevitablility. The entire 2001 episode had hit home for me in a number of ways and I had held off the visit to the site, the viewing of films, etc. Today, I had no choice. I was humbled. I was choked up. It was an amazing life experience to be there in its simplicity, before the National Park Service built the big plan. I will never forget it.

A silent bus rode Route 30 east for our lunch date at the Jean Bonnet Tavern, just the other side of a treacherous down hill excursion on Bald Eagle Mountain (remind me to never sit on that side of the bus as we circle and curve the guardrail to infinity on roads that I can only imagine the pioneers must have been plagued by) This tavern, built in 1762, has ties to the earliest days of Pennsylvania History and history it has! A savvy hostess told us the tales of the history and the ghosts that were knows to traverse the halls of this enchanting place. We didn't see any ghosts, but we thoroughly enjoyed the good food and the revolutionary atmosphere of this time w0rn place.

Onward toward Philadelphia and the day already felt full! We arrived at 4:30 at the Holiday Inn at Arch and 4th, settled in for what seemed like moments and hiked the five or so blocks to the City Tavern, just arriving before a wicked Thunderstorm and what seemed like gallons of rain per second. We dined on Revolutionary type fare in the very room that George Washington considered his favorite in a recently restored version of that very tavern that all our founding and framing fathers found as their haven in those early days of Philadelphia and the fledgling colonies. Our tavern host treated us to a quick but efficient version of history in our visit and once again, told of the ghost stories that tended to linger in the rafters. We felt no spiritual visitors as we were there and headed out, full and not quite done!

Our tour continued with a brief walk to the Mercantile Building, just behind the tavern that represented the first stock market in our country. A group photo seemed to take forever, but the walk continued to the Second National Bank with narrative by Dr. Laythe. Our walk continued past the Living History Center and culminated on the corner where the group moved back to the hotel or onto further discovery.

While several went down to the riverfront, the other half moved to the nearby establishments, deciding on where to further study the history of Philadelphia in a casual manner. A good time was had by all, while some members, eventually returned to the hotel to write a blog! Day two, coming up tomorrow night.