To celebrate the 250th year of our country, Jeff’s organization hosted a historical tour of Philadelphia and Boston over the 4th of July. It was a whirlwind trip with only two full days in each city, but it was fun to be in the birthplaces of our nation on its 250th birthday!
We started in Philadelphia, with a dinner at the Union League. The Union League was formed in 1862 by a group of businessmen concerned that, because so many in Philly did business with Southern cotton merchants, they would support the Confederacy over the Union. These men also revered Abraham Lincoln and his fight to maintain the union of states. Over 150 years later, the club remains fervent in its support for the United States. The building, completed in 1865, was magnificent! I wish we could have done more than a quick walk-through before our meal.
Over the next two days, we toured historic sites in the Philadelphia area, led by a historian who talked without notes on everything from George Washington to George Whitefield, from Benjamin Franklin to the minutes we have from the 2nd Continental Congress, which approved the Declaration of Independence. And we did it all in 100 degree heat that even the Texans among us found oppressive. And oh, how my broken pinky toe protested sneakers! I had to switch to flip-flops on day two.
We traveled from Philadelphia to Boston on a chartered bus, stopping at New Haven for lunch. We saw Yale and heard a bit of its history and toured a graveyard where Noah Webster (education, dictionary), Eli Whitney (inventor of the cotton gin), and Lyman Beecher (a preacher of the 2nd Great Awakening) are buried next to each other.
On to Boston—which was still hot, but at least it was low 90s hot and not 100s! Our first full day was July 4th! I had to bow out of part of the Freedom Trail due to my toe/shoe issue, but I’ve experienced that tour many times before. I joined again for Bunker Hill and the USS Constitution (not as much walking). That evening, after a brief but vigorous downpour—which dropped the temperatures significantly!—we boarded a boat for a dinner cruise in the Boston Harbor, from which we watched fireworks. A lovely evening in every way!
Our final day in Boston was sunny and 80 degrees! Glorious! We worshiped at Park Street Church, ate yummy Italian food in the North End, toured the Old North Church, and finally got our usual cannoli at Mike’s Pastry.
It was a great trip with a great group of people, but oh, how glad I am to be home again!
Have you been to Philadelphia or Boston? What is your favorite historical site or activity there?