In Which I Ramble About My Fav Vacation EVER

You may know how much I love history. Indeed, if you’ve ever talked to me, you do know how much I love history. Yet, somehow, I have rarely had the opportunity to see the monuments of the history I study. I’ve never seen the pyramids of Egypt, tasted true Greek food in the heart of Greece, smelled a real Moroccan bazaar, heard the cacophony of voices and tongues inside the UN, or knelt in the grasses of Africa as I knelt to take a picture of a wild elephant. These are all things I would love to do. Yet I have had some opportunity to walk the paths of history.
For spring break 2008 I refused to attend the typical drunken Florida party of some of my peers. Instead my friend Andrea and I went on a whirlwind tour of some of America’s greatest history. We had five days to travel in, but since we were driving the first day was taken up in driving from Chicago to Chambersburg, PA (just outside of Gettysburg). Since I had never seen the mountains, Andrea kept laughing at me as we were driving, I would point and say “Is that a mountain?” “My dear Padawan,” she would laugh “That is a hill.”

It was a whirlwind trip, and I will try to convey that in the following pictures.


(Not much time for sightseeig is not the same as not seeing anything AWESOME)

Day 3- Washington DC





For real, that protestor is protesting nuclear war. And the guy on the roof? Yeah, that's a sniper on the roof of the White House!
The National Archives house our Constitution (which I think would be better off posted where every congressperson has to see it at the beginning of every day, but that’s beside the point). I did not take pictures there, in that most revered of rooms, but someone else did take a flash photo, and was promptly escorted out of the room by one of the FIVE guards in the small room.

After that Andrea was exhausted, but I was determined to see the Supreme Court which is located just on the other side of the Capitol Building. When I was there I saw a small group protesting Roe V. Wade on the court steps, which was pretty much on of the biggest highlights of my trip. I asked if I could take a picture.


Day four- Philadelphia, the city Andrea had been raised in. Yet, she had never seen the Liberty Bell. First thing in the morning, we rectified that oversight.

Next up was Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence was signed.


Our trip ended with some antiquing (wow the East coast has way better antiques than the Midwest!) and a thirteen hour drive home, but it left me with a mind set on returning.

All that was to say, the time has come to plan this year’s vacation. Kristin and I are headed to DC in September!! Her brother Eric is going with, and we have nine days this time. Five for DC, one for Gettysburg, and one for Philadelphia (and two for driving). I can’t wait!!