Forging Ahead...to Pennsylvania!

Every year, our Fall season by necessity arranges itself around soccer, with two games each Saturday and two practices on Sundays from Labor Day until almost Thanksgiving. This particular September, the combination of weekend sports and seemingly-nonstop rain put a damper (literally and figuratively) on any other family activities. So, when we noticed that the league had scheduled a brief hiatus, (Yom Kippur fell on a Saturday, suspending all matches for the day) I announced that I wanted to seize the opportunity to get the heck out of Dodge (well, Maryland, but you know what I mean). I explained to Husband that I had itchy feet and needed to go somewhere, to which he incredulously replied, "Didn't you just go to Gettysburg?" Okay...that's true...but it's the whole "drive several hours and see interesting things and stay in a hotel" that makes it the mini-vacation-like experience that I crave. Besides, the forecast for this weekend--finally--included copious amounts of sunshine and temps in the 70s, perfect for spending time outdoors in nature...and stuff. So a plan was hatched, to visit Valley Forge, a huge National Park that promised to provide some of our favorite things: cannons! historical landmarks! hiking trails! On a temperate, brightly sunny Autumn day we couldn't exactly recreate General Washington's grim Winter of 1777-78 when the ragged, under-equipped, sickly and malnourished Continental Army suffered through a brutal few months of encampment outside of Philadelphia. (Because, frankly, only crazy people would want to do that, right?) But we could take a long walk around the park, enjoying the absolutely perfect weather, stopping to examine various monuments and buildings and artillery sites, and people-watching.

And I have to say, the Valley Forge experience did not disappoint. We shared the myriad trails and meadows with stroller-pushing-parents, bicyclists (some with training wheels), kite flyers, dog-walkers, frisbee-throwers, runners, and even horseback-riders. For Saturday's action, we coaxed the boys into agreeing to a 5-mile loop that meandered past most of the interesting history spots on a paved path. When they complained about their feet getting tired, I reminded them that at least they had shoes, unlike the soldiers during the Revolutionary War. And when their energy flagged due to low-blood-sugar, I advised them to be grateful for the...very authentic Fiber One bars we had brought. (Yeah, that's right, I'm sure George wished he had some tasty and nutritious oat-and-chocolate-squares during that frigid December!) Because really, if you can't subject your children to an impromptu lecture while force-marching them through hallowed ground that symbolizes our young nation's heroic fight for freedom, what's the point? (Or is that just me?)

Anyway, after successfully navigating Valley Forge, we plowed on...to the extremely exciting suburb known as King of Prussia. (Honestly, we didn't see much there, I just like saying the name. And I sort of had to explain what "Prussia" was to the inquisitive Derek. I did my best to dredge up a reasonable answer without Google at my disposal; hopefully I didn't invent too much.) I had booked us into a Marriott (naturally, since the rate included the all-important Free Breakfast). Really the only reason I'm mentioning it at all is that in exploring our immediate vicinity, we discovered that our best bet for addressing our rumbling stomachs was: the ginormous Wegman's a half-mile away. Let me explain...this "grocery store" boasted a separate entrance for its "Market Cafe" area, which turned out to offer a veritable wonderland of dining options from pizza, sandwich, and hot entree counters; to Vegetarian, Asian, and Indian cuisine sections; to a fully-stocked sushi bar; to cases and cases of prepared a la carte items. I swear we all spun in circles with our mouths open, trying to even decide which kind of food we'd like for our evening meal. Of course each of us chose something different, which made it even more of a fabulous place for our family-of-varying tastes. (And yes, only with my crew does Dinner warrant its own storyline in the Family Field Trip.)

Next we settled in for a wild-and-crazy evening...of hot showers and SportsCenter. Yep, Team WestEnders sure knows how to live it up when out on the road in the Pennsylvania Wilderness! When we awakened on Sunday, we made a group decision (okay, Husband and I quickly formulated a plan, then informed the boys) to return to the park and hike some of the shady trails that we hadn't had time to explore yet. (Of course we did serious damage to the Buffet first, but I'll spare you the shocking details of how much food Derek consumed...suffice it to say, that boy never met a breakfast item he didn't love...) Upon re-entering Valley Forge, we first stationed ourselves at Washington's Headquarters (Tour Stop 5, which somehow lies off the beaten-path, and was thus passed by on the Day-1 trek). The complex consists of a railway station, a group of log cabins, and a brick building occupied by the General himself during his stint at Valley Forge. To reach the structures, we needed to tromp through thick grass, which was still damp with the morning dew at that hour. Upon stepping onto the lawn, Derek channeled the Revolutionary War spirit by exclaiming, "Ew, it's we-eeett! That's it, I can't live under these conditions! I quit, I'm going home!" (Fortunately, this was delivered in a fake-whine, with a strong undertone of sarcasm...or I would have threatened to throw him in the stockade...or something.)

Then it was into the woods...and steeply uphill...for a few hours of cool, shady, nature-appreciation. Our rocky path wound its way through some quiet forested sections, but also over a covered bridge and parallel to a busily-bubbling stream. Although our legs were admittedly feeling a bit weary by this point (according to the Official Field Report from Private Westman-the-taller and Private Westman-the-shorter), we estimate that we managed to cover about 4 miles on our Sunday ramble. We considered that not too shabby for Day 2 of our Colonial Training Regimen. We could only assume that the Commander in Chief would have been proud of us--at least until we deserted ranks to head back to Maryland. But wait, we were just declaring our independence! Exercising our Constitutional right to...sleep in our own beds! So I respectfully raise my Trail Mix in a toast of gratitude to the Father of our Country for his sacrifices and achievements. Having done so, I can now sneak back--without guilt--to the 21st Century world of modern amenities (indoor plumbing here we come)!