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Valley Forge

King of Prussia Travel Blog › entry 7 of 11 › view all entries

Our son took a job in Philadelphia for the summer, so naturally, mom wants to visit and see that he is eating healthy, getting his sleep, the whole maternal thing. I convinced her we needed to stop at the various historic sites along the way since I teach American History. I had not had the opportunity to visit some of these places till this past summer. Here are my observations....

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Valley Forge

June 19, 2008

Valley Forge was the scene of a long and brutal winter back in 1777-78. While the British enjoyed the warmth and luxury of some fine Philadelphia and New York homes, the Continental Army was just north of Philly to death. One-fourth of them died that winter from disease, exposure, and malnutrition. I was thankful for warm June day.

The park is huge. After a quick trip to the welcome center/museum, we opted for the driving tour. The loop was between 15 - 20 miles. We drove most of it and I was astonished at how enormous it was. There are numerous monuments and memorials, but the arch dedicated to those who served in the Continental Army was the most impressive. It is larger than the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, and both are a grim reminder of those who have fallen in battle.

Covered bridge leaving the park.

Wildlife was abundant. Besides the usual squirrels and chipmonks, we saw deer, groundhogs, and a fox. The monuments were widely spaced apart ..... it would not do to walk the park to see everything, but if you had a couple of hours, a bicycle would be perfect! A map is definitely a must. The roads were marked somewhat, but locating specific points of interest might be difficult. The museum provided a recording for the driving tour, but for some reason we passed on it.

The covered bridge was something new. I had never seen one before. I guess they are fairly common up north, but being a southerner I had not experienced one yet. Could be rather spooky late at night, especially when encountering another vehicle, since this one was only one lane wide.

Front of the church.

On the crest of a rise, overlooking a large, sweeping field, was the church General Washington and his officers attended during their stay. It was closed and we were unable to see the inside, but we spent some time wandering the grounds. It was large, ornate, and seemed out of place away from a population center of any size. Would liked to have had more information about the church!

The sun was was setting and we left the Valley and a beautiful sunset behind us.