Let Freedom Ring

"If we ever forget that we are one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under." - Ronald Reagan

We forgot to include the picture of the Palmyra LDS temple in yesterday's blog, so we're including it today.

We left Palmyra Sunday morning and returned to Callie and Scott's in Buffalo to spend the day with them and their dogs, Jessie and Harley, before heading to Philadelphia early Monday morning. Our last meal with Callie and Scott was our favorite, again from Bozzanna's. We had never heard of chicken finger pizza, but is it ever good! All four of our thumbs up to Bozzanna's. We said our goodbyes and headed to our new and improved motel room at the Hampton Inn in East Aurora, New York. What a difference from the Red Roof Inn! It was more than clean, it was luxurious.

We had to get up early and head to Philadelphia so we could tour Indepen-dence Hall. We were just able to get there in time to catch the 3:45 tour and then go across the street to see the Liberty Bell. A picture of Independence Hall is above. Philadelphia is a lot like Toronto--people all over, narrow roads, no where to turn. The only difference is that we actually got out of the car this time. We were proud to be in the same room (picture below) where both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were signed. We couldn't help but think of the hundreds of years of history that surrounded us, and ponder on the feet that had walked those halls before us--Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, etc. We were glad for the opportunity to see these historic sites, but we probably won't be back. It was crowded, hot, muggy, and parking is expensive. It cost us $18 for approximately three hours. However, we must say that the Philadelphians were very friendly. When we pulled into the expensive parking garage, we were lost and confused. Edie rolled down the car window to seek assistance from a gentleman and he very nicely said, "Whatsa mattah?" and helped us. Driving in Philadelphia was also a pleasant surprise. Unlike the Canadians, the Philadelphians were courteous drivers, and we really had no slow downs on the freeways even though we were traveling them in 5:00 rush hour traffic.

Picture of the Liberty Bell.

Bridge alert: There was one hideous bridge incident in which Sandy was driving. We made it across with minimal swear words and no casualties. However, there was definitely white-knuckled driving and terror etched in both of our faces. Then we saw in the distance a bridge that made us both sick to our stomachs. We were trying to figure out how we were going to get a tow truck to take the car across the bridge, and then we would figure out how to get ourselves across. Fortunately, that bridge was not on our route. Phew! It's a massive bridge that spans the Delaware river from Philadelphia to New Jersey.

The drive through Pennsylvania was absolutely beautiful--green mountains and thick woods. It was very picturesque, and by the way, Pennsylvanians grow corn.

Now we're in our hotel room in Aberdeen, Maryland, and it's right next door to Ripken Stadium, home of the Baltimore Orioles. When we say right next door, we mean right next door. We're exhausted from a long day of driving and from being in the heat and humidity, but we're glad for the experiences of today and now we're looking forward to a good night's sleep.

Callie - Hugs kisses - miss you already. He'ey to Scott.

Isaiah - Today we left New York and went to Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Maryland.

Bill & Karen - We talked to Savannah yesterday while you were at the movies. Can't wait to see her.

Paul & Ines - It's almost over. We'll be home in less than a week.

"If a woman has to choose between catching a fly ball and saving an infant's life, she will choose to save the infant's life without even considering if there are men on base." ~Dave Barry