Day Seventeen of Our Historical East Coast Tour

Wednesday October 1:
Today was a Annapolis Motorcoach tour. We boarded the bus at 8:30 and arrived back at 5:00pm. Long day but it was worth it. We first had a guided tour of the Annapolis Naval Academy, 4,000 students there and it started in 1845. The guide took us through the atheletic center, stadium, the Bancroft Hall where the students stay. The Buchanan House where special events occur. We had lunch in the officers quarters. Below is pictures of the US Naval Chapel.

The top picture is the entrance to the Chapel this picture is from the entrance it is vary large.

We walked to the front and took many pictures of the beautiful stain glass windows and again Tiffiny is the company that designed them.
This is a picture of the students coming to their rooms to prepare for lunch. They are fed three meals a day and must eat at the hall. The whole 4000 are fed in 45 minutes because that is all the time they have to eat. They usually are done in 15 minutes.

After we had lunch we walked off the campus to a trolly car where we traveled around the town of Annapolis and the government buildings and learned about more history. After a hour we were dropped off at the bay to go on a harbour cruise.

We boarded a tour boat and headed out into the Chesapeake bay for a narrated boat cruise.
After about 45 minutes we arrived back to land and boarded the motorcoach and headed back to the RV park.

Day Sixteen of Our Historical East Coast Tour

Tuesday Sept 30:

Today was a travel day and we hooked up and headed for Maryland 139 miles. We traveled from Pennsylvannia through Delaware it was 35 miles accross Delaware. We crossed into Maryland and before we got to our campground we had to travel accross the Chesapeake Bay bridge. The bridge is 5 miles long. Way to long when you see signs that say no emergency stopping. The couple who are our tailgunners live here in MD. They told us of a happening where at 4:30 am a young girl cut off a tractor/trailer and in order from him hitting her which he knew he would kill her he went over the side of the bridge and lost his own life. That was way to long for Barb to be traveling over a big bay of water like that. The mind is thinking what if we have a flat tire and what if ...................... well we got across and Barbs first question was do we have to travel over that bridge that to get out of Maryland. I was assured no we don't have to travel on it again.

We now are in a nice RV park and will be here a few days.

Day Fifteen of Our Historical East Coast Tour

Monday Sept 29th:

Today was a Philadelphia Motorcoach tour we were picked up at 9:30 we seen Ben Franklins court which is where his house stood but when the grandchildren removed the house they made it into a special court with some viewing of the original foundation by looking down a viewing hole that is covered over with glass we got to walk on the area and look at the original foundation. Benjamin Franklin did a great deal in the development of Philadelphia.



We visited Christ Church which was erected in 1696. The new church was restructed in 1727 to 1744. The tower & Steeple constructed in 1753 to 1754 and 8 bells cast in England was installed.

This is one picture of the inside but we have a book with all the beautiful things in it. Tiffiny did stain glass windows in this church also. Tiffiny has done most all the stain glass windows in all the buildings we have been in.

We drove by Betsey Ross's House. It is a two story and it is closed on Mondays so we did not get to tour it.

This picture is The Betsey Ross house and the flags on the fence is the first flags made with 13 stars. George Washington asked her to design and make the first US Flag.

We walked the National Constitution Center which contains all the buildings that was where our first government held office before they moved it to Washington DC.

This is a picture called Congress Hall where the congress met we sat in benches on the side of this room and listened to a speech from a National Park Ranger. Also there was a area where the senate met.

We went into Carpenters Hall and this building was where delegates from 13 states met and put together the Declaration of Independence in 1776. The document was not actually signed tell 8/2/1800. We sat in the actual buildings and a different National Park Ranger gave a documentary of the details on this history.

This is the Liberty Bell that is also located in this area. We walked this whole area when we toured all these historical areas. This is located in Independence Hall.

After we left this historical area we walked to the United States Mint and watched them make money it was all coins. We were able to walk through and see all the coins made since the beginning of time. Also we got to purchase the Alaska coin that has just come out. The Hawaii coin will not be out tell November.

Our bus picked us up and the wagonmasters took us all out for pizza. We got back to camp at 6PM.

Day Fourteen Of Our Historic East Coast Tour

Sunday September 28th:

Today we had a Motorcoach tour of Valley Forge Battlefield & General George Washingtons house & head quarters at this army encampment. Unfortunately we have another rain storm coming from Florida's hurricane but it cleared up enough so most of our tour it did not rain but it down poured all the way back to the RV camp and for a couple hours after we got home.

Valley Forge was a part of the 8 year revolutionary war. George Washington choose this are becaue it encircled area where you could watch for the British. Also it was farming community and he hoped they would share with the soldiers which did not happen. A lot of the soldiers lost their lives here from small pox, tiphoid fever, diptheria, and other illness. The almost starved to death and had no clothing so it was very devistating time.

This statue is of General Anthony Wayne where he commanded the troops in this area he faces general Washingtons home where he kept guard to alert him of the British Solders if they come to this area.

This is a picture of General George Washingtons home and headquarters here. We got to look in all the rooms and walk up the stairs that George actually walked up and touch the banaster that he touched. At the left of this house is where the kitchen was.

We also got to go in to the Washington Memorial Chapel where George attended and sit in the pews for a overview of the Church. It is a Episcopal parish and 300 members worship there every Sunday.

Our day today was only about a 4 hour day.

Day Thirteen of our Historic East Coast Tour

Saturday Sept 27:

Today was a travel day and we all had to be out of the RV park by noon. That was good it was later because of our later Friday night. We traveled from Jersey City, NJ to Philadelphia, PA. Which was a 135 mile trip. We are now all settled in a KOA camp ground.

Barb thinks with all the tolls that we paid since we come through the Chicago area tell the end of the trip they should have a lot of new roads in a very short time. There was two tolls today.

Barb thinks there will need to be some RR when we get to AZ. We have been on the go since we started Sept 15th. But it has been great and we have enjoyed every bit of what we have toured.

Day Twelve of Our HIstoric East Coast Tour

Friday Sept 26th: Another big day in down town NY. Well we woke up to pouring rain at 3:30 am guess the storm in Florida was heading our way. Well this was a big day for touring we were to go to NBC studios, Radio City Music Hall, Rockefeller center and go to the Top of The Rock and then to a dinner cruise. The bus picked us up at 8:30 and we headed into NY. Now traffic on a normal day is total grid lock and now we have pouring rain on top of that. We also have to be dressed up for the dinner cruise. We arrived back to the RV park at 11:00 pm.


We were dropped off at NBC studios and had a tour through the areas of where the shows are filmed. Totally shocking to see that it is not as fancy as it looks when we are watching it on tv. We toured where the news is done and where Brian Williams reports from. It was about 2 hours long very interesting. We also seen a video back in time when tv first began.


The Radio City Music Hall is accross the street so we wondered through the traffic accross the street and had a two hour tour of where they do musical concerts that we see on tv. Very large and Jerry and many other men had their picture taken with one of the Rocketts which is the dancers that perform in this building.


Next we wondered back over accross the street and next to NBC studios in the Rockefella center. No filming was being done outside because of the rain. At the top of this building it is called the Top Of The Rock. It is 850 feet above sea level. It is over 70 years ago. We went up 76 stories to the observation deck but of course could not see anything but fog. So we had to settle for the post cards of what we were suppose to be able to see.



Then we at 6:30 we got on board this beutiful dinner vessel and had a 4 hour tour of the hudson bay around NY. The weather had cleared a little bit but one can only imagine what it would have been like if it was clear night.






The dinner vessel took us by the Statue of Liberty and this is what it looks like at night. The most awsome sight day or night.

We were all pretty exhausted betime we got home because we had been on our feet most of the day walking around but get to sit during our dinner cruise.

We have a lot of pictures, postcards, and material to read on all the sights we toured.

Day Eleven of Our Historic East Coast Tour

Thursday Sept 25: At 7:30 we were car pooling to the ferry dock to go to the Statue of Liberty and to Ellis Island.




This is the building that we got the ferry at. Security is very tight we had to go through security before we got on. Anyone with a pocket knife had to take it back to their car.


This is a view from the ferry of all the boats out in the Hudson bay waiting to come into NY to be off loaded. We were told most of the product coming is comes in by water.

This is picture is from the ferry and it is of Ellis Island and then the Manhattan NY city in the back ground. Ellis Island opened January 1, 1892. This was where all immigration began. We learned that if anyone had any incurrable health condition they were sent back and also if they were mentally handicapped they were sent back. There were several school field trips so was very crowed.

This sky line is the Brooklin NY area

This picture is taken from the ferry as we are going into board. Security is really tight here. Since nine eleven you can only go one observation deck. the ridge above what looks like windows is the observation deck. We went through two securities the first asked if we had any food or water . They handed us a card like a credit card we walked through a long line and then some guy took these cards and ran then through a machine. They were checking our finger prints. Next we went through like airport security. They give you bins and you put everything out of your pockets, watches, coats and on and on. They then have you walk into small area they
did like air puffs all over us guess they were xraying our bodies. You had to stand in this are tell the light turned green then you could walk on and start getting your stuff out of the bins.
We finally got inside the first floor.

This picture is of the orginal torch. The statue was put together in 1886.
This is a mold of the foot of the statue it is in the museum part that you walk through and learn the history. Then they direct us to the observation deck. You can wait in line for the elevator or walk 156 steps so we decided to do the steps. Must say it was easier coming down. Think Barb needs to get on that tread mill as soon as she gets to AZ. Don't take long to get out of shape. It was awsome view from the top.

We spent 5 hours and it was a full day especially after being in NY for 12 hours yesterday.