We, The People....

I guess the thing Philadelphia is probably most famous for is all the history stuff... you know that big broken bell and being the centerpiece of early American history and whatnot.  So of course, any trip there absolutely wouldn't be complete without a visit to the National Constitution Center (that, and a colleague hooked us up with free tickets. Thanks Rick!)

It was actually a lot of fun.  First, you watch a 17 minute performance in a crazy little multi-media theater.  It's basically a history of the United States with a lot of preamble mixed in. An actor talks while all kinds of images of US History are projected on just about every imaginable surface.

Then you get to the actual museum, which is bright, modern and highly interactive.  At the end of the museum there is the "signing hall" which has life size statues of all of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.  What I learned from this? George Washington and Thomas Jefferson were actually quite tall (both were 6'2").  James Madison?  Only 5'4"... which is shorter than me!

The museum also has a rotating exhibit space, and we were lucky enough to be there for The Art of The American Soldier exhibit, which is a collection of artwork created by soldiers throughout history. You can view the gallery here, but it's worth the trip to see in person.

Saigon, Horatio A. Hawks, 1969

 That's it for this trip to Philly!  Whether it's food, drink, art, history or some combination of those, it's a great city to visit.  We will definitely be back.