The Washington DC Mall Monuments {Wordless Wednesday Summer Travels}

Best,

Krysten
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Penny Smashers {Geeky Fun}

We do a good amount of traveling with the kids, whether it's a day-trip or some short overnights, and my boys always want to take something to remember it by.  This can get a bit pricey for two kids over time. Solution?  A Smashed Penny collection!

You can find Penny Smashers in just about every tourist attraction (including rest areas).  For between 51 cents and a $1.01 you have an instant souvenir.

The Philadelphia Visitor's Center

We have also found these great Penny Passport books to keep all their pennies safe and sound.

I suppose that as the designs retire, they may have a few collectors items on their hands, but really it's just for the fun of having a collection, and an easy and inexpensive souvenir.

And of course, you can find the Penny Smasher Waymarking Group is actively indexing the locations of these machines, if you want to find a penny smasher, log your visit or index one yourself!

Best,

Krysten

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Philadelphia Visitor Center and Liberty Bell {Summer Travels}

While we were in DC, we took a couple of days to visit Philadelphia, PA with my mom.  We have been to Philly once before, but it was just for the day and directly after a really bad snow storm, so we just did one museum and then left.  I was really looking forward to having my kids take in the history.  Living so close to Boston, a lot of the American history is right here in our own backyard {Plymouth plantation, the Freedom Trail, etc.} but Pennsylvania and DC have a whole other component that we don't usually get to explore.

We started by taking a trolley to the Independence National Historic Park and went to the visitor center.

waiting...

Hooray!

On the trolley

Once at the visitor center, there was lots of stuff to see and do.  This gentleman below told my sons a lovely story about how the Liberty Bell got it's crack.  He tied the story of the bell into how if the bell had remained perfect, it would never have become the inspiration that it has become, and how people with their imperfections are useful, valid and necessary.  Of course, I loved this!

The sign reads "Questions cheerfully answered"

 They had lots of exhibits and a couple of short movies you could watch (we watched both).  Below is a snapshot of the Constitution.

My oldest thought it was hilarious that the "s" letters are shown as "f's" in this document.  We walked around with "f lisps" for while and had a good laugh.

This exhibit was on the history of American money.

Posing with the Philly Phanatic.  (Is he related to Boston's Big Green Monster?)

We crossed the street to the Liberty Bell building.  That was another really neat experience.  There are exhibits with the history of the Liberty Bell all the way up to where the Liberty Bell sits, and then a video summarizing right before the artifact.  My kids had little patience for the static exhibits, so I was glad to see the TV showing the video at the end!  

An overall great experience.  The Liberty Bell has been taken up as a symbol of freedom for so many causes over the years, it was great to finally see it in person.  Something I will never forget!

Best,

Krysten

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