Today would have been George Washington’s 279th Birthday. With only one natural tooth left the day he was inaugurated as President (it’s true!), I can only imagine what he would have looked like today at 279. Growing up outside of Philadelphia, the seat of the Continental Congress and where the Declaration of Independence was signed, there’s a lot of history. One of the original colonies, there’s a lot of old (for America) history here. The area is dotted with homes, barns and farm buildings dating back to before the Revolution.
With so many buildings hanging “George Washington slept/drank/ate here” signs, being so close to history is something I’ve always taken for granted. In fact, my favorite place to run in the area is Valley Forge National Park, a short drive from my parents. For those of you who don’t remember, Valley Forge is where the Revolutionary Army spent the winter of 1777-1778 and became an army instead of ragtag group of settlers. Although no battles were fought over 2,000 soldiers died of cold, malnutrition and disease.
A few weeks ago, with too much snow on the ground for a run, we slowed down a bit and took a walk around the park. Taking time to enjoy the natural beauty and appreciate it as a historical site, not just a nice place to run, here’s a walking tour of the park through some photos we took along the way.
I used to live in Maryland, which I knew about Valley Forge National Park when I lived there, it looks beautiful. I did visit George Washington’s farm house though, which was interesting. Didn’t realize he only had 1 tooth left….
A visit to Philadelphia would not be complete without a trip to Valley Forge National Historical Park.
” To see the men without clothes to cover their nakedness, without blankets to lie upon, without shoes… without a house or hut to cover them until those could be built, and submitting without a murmur, is a proof of patience and obedience which in my opinion, can scarcely be paralleled.”
George Washington at Valley Forge April 21, 1778
Visit the web site located at http://www.mps.gov/vafo
@Laurel- I didn’t realize the tooth factoid either. In researching I also found out that the wooden teeth story is a myth, his false teeth were likely made of ivory.