The Amtrak train pulled out of the Clemson station, and we were off to my grandad's annual air force reunion. Every summer, he and his buddies get together in a different location. In 2010, the destination was Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. We decided to take the train. Including stops at what seemed like a hundred places between Clemson and Philadelphia, the ride took about twelve hours, most of which was at night. I slept with my hair up, which resulted in the following being a necessity the next morning:
(And yes, my family made fun of me for this. Even the at-the-time 6-year-old next to me.)
As soon as we got to the hotel, we went to meet up with all of the veterans and their families. One of the greatest things about these reunions is that every year, we see old friends…
(The one in the red shirt taught me how to knit!)
…and meet a few new friends, too. (I'd never met the woman in yellow before that day.)
But we didn't just stay in the hotel the entire time. Of course not. Philadelphia is full of our country's history, as well as a few other cool things.
We went and saw the Liberty Bell, but there were far too many people around for all eight of us to get a proper picture together. But I thought that this was pretty amazing:
We went and visited Benjamin Franklin's grave. People throw money onto it, much like a wishing well. (Benjamin Franklin is ALL OVER that city.)
One of the coolest things was getting to stand exactly where Abraham Lincoln once stood.
One morning, my dad, my little brother, and I got up early and went to the stairs featured in Rocky (and also posed with the statue).
Edgar Allan Poe's house was fun, but the staircases were so narrow that it made us all feel really claustrophobic.
Out of everything we did, my absolute favorite was the Franklin Institute. That museum had so many different exhibits, including weather, the human body, electricity (my brother screamed when he shocked himself), and a show about black holes.
This was one of my favorite vacations, out of all of the ones I've been on, and I'd love to go back someday.
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