Seat of Liberty

In an effort to get a little caught up after three days with no internet - I am going to do "by location" instead of each day :) 

Philadelphia 

Friday Afternoon : 

Once we got into Philly and got some food, 

we headed over to the Penn Museum. This is a University of Pennsylvania sponsored museum - and one of the largest archeology museums in the country. It was beyond amazing - and there was much disappoinment when we got kicked out at closing.  

This was an impressive statement. 

The largest sphinx outside of Egypt. 

Dinner at the hotel (by default) 

- then we needed something with a high FUN factor, so we found Wonderspaces. If you have a chance to visit a Wonderspace (there is one in Phoenix and Austin) - do it! Interactive, immersive art! 

Saturday:

Up and out early to tour Independence Hall and visit the Liberty Bell. Seeing these hallowed halls and treasured relics was both awe inspiring, and also higlhighted the continued struggle for liberty that exists today for some people groups and the marginalized. 

The room where the Declaration of Indepedence was debated 

The Liberty Bell - the exhibit is really interesting, highlighting not just this bell, but how the Liberty Bell has become a symbol for liberty for African Americans and women

We then moved onto the Museum of the American Revolution - what a great museum and SO interactive. I was again struck by the honesty of the history -they did a great job of highlighting the amazing struggle for liberty of the 1770's but also balancing that with the continuing American  revolution of "all men (and women)". 

Remember the disaapointed girls when we had to leave the Penn Museum? We couldn't leave that disappointed, so back we went! 

Our final stop of the day was at the African American Museum of Philadelphia. About 1/2 the exhibits are closed - but what we saw was ipressive. They have some very interesting interactive exhibits that dig into the black perspectives in American Revolutionary times 

Thanks Philly for some great history and perspective! 

Yes, we are exhausted, and yes - the girls are SICK of me taking their picture! 

Southbound

We had a noon train to Philly, so we needed to get one more stop in - the African American Burial Ground. Located in the heart of the Bowery, this memorial was part of a 6 acre African American Cemetery. Discovered remains in the mid 1970's stopped owrk on a federal building, and eventually a .6 acre plot was preserved, with the remains of 412 people interred in these mounds in front of the memorial. 

Then - we trekked to Penn Station for our train

Next up, Philadelphia! 

We took a bite out of the Big Apple

Today was BUSY! We started the morning off with a return visit to the largest gem gllaery in the country. If you are ever in NYC - this is a COOL place - Astro Gem Gallery. We didn't buy anything, but if you arei n the market for some mastadon fossiled teeth, they have them for the mere price tag of $19,000! 

Then it was off the the Morgan Library and Museum. Piepont Morgan was a collector of books - and his library does not disappoint the bibliophile. 

This is just one corner of one room in his library - and in the case is a Guttenburg bible - one of three he owned, 2 printed on vellumn and one on paper. 

An original copy of Frederick Douglas's speech "What the Black Man Wants" 

We worked up quite and appetite looking at all those books - so it was lunch time. We don't (ever) eat this fancy - but when in New York....

(she wound up liking mine better so I got this!) 

Once fueled up by our fancy lunch, back to the museum tours! We were a bit disappointed because the Guggenheim is installing new exhibits, so we knew that there were only two floors open - and the spiral walk wasn't available, but we went anyway. 

Even though we couldnt walk the spiral, it was super cool to see

We entered the exhibit - and this was one of the first paintings we saw - it has a ton of signifcane because it was the inspiration for Cami's art class for their Covid project - and she got to see the original! 

A quick stop at Grand Central station...becasue it's awesome...then off again 

The Museum of Art and Design is a smaller museum, but has an excellent craft exhibit and a exhibit by Beth Lipman called Collective Leegy that was super interesting 

A small sample of the Beth Lipman exhibit - this picture doesn't do it justice - but this is entirely made of glass 

It was snack time back in Chinatown, then the final museum for the day was the Museum of Chinese in America. This has been on the girls bucket lists for a while - especially Becky - so we were super excited to got to see it. 

You would think they would be tired.....but they got a second wind so it was off to Time Square - for a late night snack! 

The view from our room (ok...from the street right outside our apartment door!) 

Yes...it really was as exhausting as it sounds - but SO good and rich and full!