Travels with Kelli

RJ and I had an adventure today. For his birthday we went to Philly.  He slept the entire way down to the city.   First stop the Eastern state Penitentiary. Some facts about this prison: it was the first true penitentiary, was the most famous (thanks to Al Capone & Slick Willie Sutton), most expensive prison, designed to look like a wagon wheel, and was in operation from 1829 to 1971.  Today it is both a haunting experience of cold chilly corridors and crumbling cell walls.  You can take a self guided tour, if you can keep yourself concentrated on the narration from Steve Buscemi (the actor). My ADHD couldn't keep the brain concentrating on what Steve had to say. So with that said, I would like to go back and have the Guided Tour instead of the self guided tour. *typical boy needing to take a picture of the most important thing in a cell, the toilet. Have a budding photographer.  Completed the tour and off we went in search...

It was a beautiful day to get some history. RJ and I went to Hyde Park to visit three national park sites: FDR home, Eleanor's Val Kill, and the Vanderbilt home. It was a long day but we had fun. First stop was to FDR, purchased my NPS park pass, and off we went on the tour.  First off did you know that he didn't own it until after his mother died? Yup lived with mom for most  of his life.     RJ becoming the future president of the USA. Got to get these candidates working at goals at a young age. He's got my vote..... Riley for President 2030! (is that even an election year?)  A  portion of the Berlin Wall. Not sure the barbed wire is original but the wall is pretty cool. Pictures never do things like this justice, They are tall and thick with giraffe only on one side.     A quick tour of the house inside. Interesting to see that FDR never let his handicap interfere with his life. He used an elevator ...

    It was a beautiful day to go exploring Jim Thorpe. What a picturesque town, from the history of the town (formerly known as Mauch Chunk) to its architecture. There really is only one parking lot for anyone visiting for the day. Also alot of these museums take cash only. So I started out at the Asa Packer Mansion. There is at least 150 steps from the street to the house. Well they definitely overlooked the town. (and not in a bad way) Asa was the founder of Lehigh University (Bet Uncle Leonard knew that) and he also was the founder of the Lehigh Valley Railroad. Also a little trivia the house next door that became his son's home was the inspiration for Walt Disney's haunted Mansion. Now the house is a hotel and even more fun it has Murder Mystery weekends.                                        Then I walked the 1 mile (uphill even though you didn't notice it) to the...