Spring Break Road Trip – Day 3 (DE, PA)

Today we start our spring break road trip in Newark, Delaware, with a quick stop at the historic Hale-Byrnes House, site of a council of war on September 6, 1777, five days before the Battle of Brandywine. Considering the homes relation to Brandywine, our next stop will be the Brandywine Battlefield State Park in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania. Less than 30 minutes away is Valley Forge National Historical Park, so we hope to squeeze in a guided tour there before heading to Philadelphia for a relaxing afternoon of Carpenter’s Hall and Independence National Historic Park. Had this been the year 2015 or later, we would have planned to spend the majority of the afternoon touring the new Museum of the American Revolution (for now we’ll simply enjoy its amazing interactive timeline from the car).

While visiting historic Philadelphia, we hoped to join the Independence After Hours tour because it includes a traditional colonial feast at City Tavern and an exclusive after-hours trip through Independence Hall.  Sadly, the tour doesn’t start running until mid-April, so we’ll recreate it the best we can without breaking any laws. After downing a few pints like the Continental Congress, it’s off to bed in our China Town hotel because tomorrow is a busy day of Maryland and Virginia.