The past few years, I have had the privilege of being able to visit a
variety of historic sites.  I also have been researching my family
history, using the resources available through Ancestry.com (which I
also use for other historical research).  Sometimes, the two interests
collide.  This blog will look at two particular historic sites where my
ancestors actively participated in American history–two historic sites
that in many ways shaped the outcome of the War for Independence.

The first, Washington Crossing Historical Park in Bucks County,
Pennsylvania, is the site where General George Washington planned the
invasion of Trenton, New Jersey, on Christmas evening in 1776.  The
Continental Congress had already moved west from Philadelphia in
anticipation of a potential British attack on the capital city. 
Washington’s army had fled New York and marched across New Jersey
following the defeat at the Battle of Long Island and set up winter camp
on the western side of the Delaware River in Bucks County,
Pennsylvania.  Enlistments were due to expire at the end of the year,
and Washington new that he needed a quick jolt to boost morale in the
Continental Army and encourage soldiers to reenlist for another year
(or, hopefully, for the duration of the conflict).

View of the Delaware River from Washington Crossing Historic Park, facing New Jersey.

Using Durham boats piloted by members of
Colonel John Glover’s Marblehead regiment from Massachusetts,
Washington’s troops were ferried across the icy Delaware to the New
Jersey shore, and then they marched several hours before attacking
Trenton after dawn.  Catching the Hessian troops by surprise,
Washington’s troops won the Battle of Trenton, continued to harass the
British troops in the region, and restored troop morale sufficiently
that kept the army fighting.

Replica
of Durham boats used in crossing. Troops sat on boat; horses and cannon
were transported on flat boats. Durham boats were primarily used to
ship iron from the Durham Iron Works to Philadelphia.

Each year, Washington’s Crossing of the Delaware is reenacted. 
Unlike when my ancestor Jacob Griesemer participated, today an icy river
prevents an accurate recreation of the crossing, and instead the troops
walk across the bridge to New Jersey.

Bridge
connecting Washington’s Crossing to New Jersey. This bridge is
occasionally used during reenactments if the weather prevents crossing
the river in boats.

By the way, I can now say that I have walked from Pennsylvania to New Jersey.

The second historic site of the Revolution where one of my ancestors
fought was at Saratoga National Historical Park.  This time, however,
instead of serving with Washington (who was busy with the Battles of
Brandywine and Germantown at the time), my ancestor was on the other
side.  Kaspar Spahn (aka Casper Spohn) was a wagoner in the Princely
Hesse Hanau Artillery Regiment, and as such he worked with the caissons
in the Battles of Saratoga.  His regiment was stationed at the Breymann
Redoubt, unsuccessfully defending against the American assault and
ultimately surrendering to the Continental Army.  This location is also
significant because troops from Spohn’s regiment shot General Benedict
Arnold in the leg, and it was during his recuperation and military
governorship in Philadelphia in which he became acquainted with Major
John Andre through his wife Peggy Shippen, daughter of a Loyalist judge.

Boot Monument at Saratoga

Reverse
side of boot monument. The monument honors the hero of Saratoga, whose
name is not mentioned on the monument. For some reason, they didn’t want
to mention Benedict Arnold.

The neatest part about visiting Saratoga, however, was finding out
from the Park Historian that the cannon and caisson in the Visitor
Center was from Spohn’s regiment and that in all likelihood he worked on
that cannon during the battle.

What I’d like to call Caspar’s cannon in the Visitor Center

After Burgoyne surrendered his army, Spohn was taken prisoner,
ultimately spending the remainder of the war at the Hessian Camp in
Reading, Pennsylvania, and remaining in the United States following the
war.  Several of the guards at Hessian camp were ancestors from another
family line.

To me–an historian of early American history–it has been quite
exciting to visit historic places where my ancestors walked, fought, and
camped during the American Revolution.  I might not be descended from
anyone famous (well, at least not famous because of their service during
the Revolutionary War), but it definitely was a memorable experience to
be where my ancestors had lived during this extraordinary time.

My husband calls me a serial cruiser.  With eleven ocean cruises under my belt, three more planned within the next year, and at least 30 more on my bucket list ‚¬Â¦ I love to cruise!   Now that I’ve returned from my first river cruise, I have some clear thoughts on which of my ocean cruising clients would enjoy a river cruise, and which of my non-cruise clients would find a river cruise a wonderful vacation choice.   

Here are some things to consider:

Age:  Are you in an older demographic; or appreciate this well-traveled, experienced segment of the population?   If you answered yes to either, consider a river cruise!   With no youth activities onboard, and no staterooms that would accommodate a family, the average age of river cruisers is between 55 and 65 years old.  In my experience, my fellow travelers were friendly individuals who enjoyed participating in the onboard social activities, and were quick to share stories of their past trips.  All in all, an interesting group to spend days with.

Tour style: Do you enjoy touring with a group of passengers and a knowledgeable guide?  If you answered yes, consider a river cruise!    Organized tours are a part of the package.   There is also free time built into the schedule.   Our tour guides were very knowledgeable, which added much value to the overall experience.   When visiting churches, monuments, historical sights or event for a quick city overview, there is truly no comparison between having a guide and going it alone.

Getting from here to there: Do you enjoy traveling to new cities without packing/unpacking and changing hotels?  If you answered yes, consider a river cruise!  Not only does traveling along the rivers save you the time and hassle of moving to a new location, there is always something to see along the way as you pass small towns, other river-going vessels and beautiful scenic landscapes.  

Motion: Do you avoid ocean cruising because you are concerned about the motion of the water?  If you answered yes, consider a river cruise!   With no waves, no large swells, and land close by on both sides, there is no need to be concerned about the water’s motion.   I speak as someone whose motion sickness is easily set in motion (pun intended).

Organization/Logistics: Do you like your travel days to be very organized?  If you answered yes, consider a river cruise!    The river cruise staff has everything figured out to a T.  Both embarkation and disembarkation were a breeze, and daily schedules are set in place to the wire (when we arrived onboard literally two minutes past due, we found they had already made an announcement to locate us – and I believe a search party was just about to set out).  Even the passengers onboard took their responsibility seriously ‚¬Â¦. everyone was punctual, tours set off on time, and no stragglers.

Yes, river cruising is one of the hottest new trends in travel; and yes, river cruising is a fabulous experience for many; however it is not right for everyone!  

Perhaps Not:  Do you prefer dining with only your own travel companions?  Do you prefer complete travel independence?   Do you enjoy only private tours?  Do you value a daily schedule that allows the greatest amount of personal freedom?  Do you enjoy a city-center hotel experience throughout your vacation?   Do you dislike riding on a large motor coach, if even only for a short while?  If you answered yes to most of these questions, or if any one is a deal-breaker, than a river cruise should not be a consideration for you.   

Personally, I enjoyed the mix of having pre/post-cruise independent stays along with our river cruise experience.  Will I cruise by river again?  Definitely!   With so many great rivers and regions to sail, choosing which river to cruise next will be a fun decision!  

Check out my website for a detailed account of my recent Danube River Cruise at www.luxetraveldesign.com/blog

Six states.  Fifteen historic sites and museums. 
Two interactive factory tours.  One visit with family.  All were part of
a wild first two weeks of July.

My brother and sister-in-law visited earlier this
month, my brother for the first week and my sister-in-law for both weeks
(the last week was part of a requested “history tour” where we visited
most of those fifteen sites and museums).  They arrived on Saturday,
June 29 and spent a few days visiting with members of my father’s family
who live in the Harrisburg area before trekking north to Mansfield. 
Their first stop on Tuesday was at the Peter J. McGovern Little League
Museum in South Williamsport, PA, which has been remodeled since I
visited it last August during the Peanuts exhibit.  That afternoon, we
traveled to Leonard Harrison State Park, home of the Pennsylvania Grand
Canyon (it’s smaller and a lot greener right now than the one in
Arizona).  On Wednesday, we went to the National Baseball Hall of Fame
and Museum in Cooperstown, New York, exploring baseball history (it,
too, has changed since my last visit in June 2000—also during a Peanuts
exhibit).

The reason why I wore #8 when playing softball.

The travels from Mansfield commenced on July 4,
which was spent at Knoebels Amusement Resort, home to the best amusement
park food in the world.  That day, Knoebels celebrated the 100^th
“birthday” of the Grand Carousel with free carousel rides (which they
enjoyed, and she grabbed several brass rings).  We missed the parade
(which passed on the other side of the park), they rode the roller
coasters (enjoyed Phoenix more than Twister), and visited the three
museums in the park (Carousel Museum, Miners Museum, and Knoebels
History Museum).  We also saw live bald eagles at the park.

Two bald eagles behind the fence

On Friday, we visited the Julius Sturgis original
factory in Lititz, learning how to make pretzels the old-fashioned
way…by hand.  The plan was to go to Dorney Park, but another 95 degree
day changed those plans.

My attempt to make a pretzel by hand

Saturday was the “visit family” day, as we visited
with my uncle Wayne’s family (our World War II sailor boy), including my
cousin Terry (who is Wayne’s primary caregiver), cousin Scott, and
Terry’s family.  Sunday we rode the Strasburg Railroad and explored the
Turkey Hill Experience (highly recommended for children—and you get free
ice cream and iced tea/lemonade) before heading to Baltimore, where my
brother would fly back to Houston.

Corn maze along route of Strasburg Railroad…the train to Paradise.

The “history tour” began in earnest on Monday
morning with a stop at Mount Vernon on the way to Williamsburg.  I had
previously visited Mount Vernon (back in June 1975 on the way back from a
family trip to Pennsylvania), but the interpretive focus had changed
considerably since then.  The house was pretty much unchanged (here is
where Washington died, here is the piano Sally played, etc.), but the
outbuildings had a much stronger interpretive focus.  Exhibits now
acknowledge the existence of slavery on the plantation.  In the
education center, Washington comes to life through interactive exhibits
(oooh, look at the brightly colored and lighted map that shows how the
French & Indian War was the first truly global war).

Battles of the French & Indian War light up on the map

Not
only wouldn’t they let me take pictures inside Mount Vernon, but I also
couldn’t take a photo of Washington’s false teeth. Bummer.

The next two days were spent at Colonial
Williamsburg, which I had visited last summer.  This time, I was able to
go on the house tours this time, as my physically limited mother either
stayed at the hotel (first day) or people-watched at the visitor center
(second day).  The inside tours were quite interesting, as the costumed
interpreters and guides provided a semi-first person account of the
family who lived there during the 18^th century or allowed the
visitors to participate in activities (the first day, my sister-in-law
and I were part of the action in a civil court, and the second day we
helped “storm the palace” in response to Royal Governor Lord Dunmore
removing gunpowder from the magazine to ships along James River).

Drummer summoning the mob to get ready to storm the Governor’s Palace. First time I’ve been a part of an aborted rebellion.

Following Colonial Williamsburg, we journeyed to
Historic Jamestowne, part of Colonial National Historical Park.  It had
changed since I visited last year; they were now doing archaeological
excavations outside the church (and the church where the House of
Burgesses first met in 1619 was closed for restoration).  This time, I
ventured to the Archaearium, which has exhibits on some of the
discoveries made, including the original foundation of the State House
and Jane, who became a meal during the starving time after her demise.

Horse uncovered during excavation outside church. Probably a casualty during Starving Time.

The next stop on the history tour was Monticello,
Thomas Jefferson’s home.  Photos were not permitted on the first floor,
so I can’t show you how Jefferson fit his bed into an alcove in order to
save space (nor Jefferson’s polygraph, an 18^th century Xerox
machine).  The tour guide was definitely old school, as he asserted
that Jefferson’s relationship with Sally Hemings were mere speculation,
yet the basement/cellar area of the home included some interesting
exhibits on slave life on Jefferson’s plantation.

Jefferson
was a smart man, but fortunately he miscalculated for his 7 day
clock–otherwise, I would not have been able to take a picture.

Back in Pennsylvania, we spent a rainy day at
Gettysburg National Military Park and Eisenhower National Historic
Site.  It definitely is worth the price to take the shuttle bus to the
Eisenhower Farm, the only home owned by the 34^th President of
the United States.  From the outside, it looks like a typical
farmhouse, but the interior definitely represents the life of someone
who held great influence on world events.  Without a doubt, it’s also
the only farm in Adams County that includes its own putting green.

The presidential putting green

Back at Gettysburg, the visitor center is celebrating the 150^th
anniversary of the battle with a new exhibit (“Treasures of the Civil
War”) that focuses on the leaders of both Union (Army of the Potomac)
and Confederate (Army of Northern Virginia) forces.  Because of the
weather, we didn’t do the entire auto tour, but we did locate the Texas
monument at the battlefield (which is considerably smaller than the
Pennsylvania monument).

Texas Monument. Ca. 7 feet tall.

Me at the Pennsylvania Monument (I’m 5’8″).

The final day of my sister-in-law’s history tour
took us to two places I have visited several times:  Daniel Boone
Homestead (where I worked as a “Government Service Intern” during the
summer of 1986, long before that title took on other connotations during
the Clinton administration) and Valley Forge National Historical Park. 
At Daniel Boone Homestead, we arrived early enough to get a personal
tour conducted by one of my students who is working there as an intern
this summer, and they even opened up one of the buildings for me to take
pictures.

Nothing like going down a staircase sideways because the steps are narrow and winding.

By the time we got to Valley Forge, it was
extremely hot, so my sister-in-law opted to watch the orientation video
(which apparently has not changed since when I saw it in 1978, based on
her description of it), then we took the auto tour of the park.  After
all, it is hard to envision Washington’s army suffering in the cold and
damp weather when it’s 98 degrees outside.

So, back to the title of this blog.  Books—bought
lots of them, including a New Testament that has parallel text in
Pennsylvania German and English at the Lancaster Mennonite Historical
Society.  Boats—one of the purchases made at the gift shop at Monticello
was a cloth version of Lewis and Clark’s boat from their expedition
(including a dog and Sacajawea).  Busts—my office will soon include a
lovely bust of Benjamin Franklin, which was purchased at Valley Forge. 
I’d move him there now, but I’m afraid he would start sweating in the
90+ degree temperatures there (the heat has already led to bobble head
of one of the Founding Fathers becoming unglued from the base).  And the
cell phone that bounced its way across Main Street in Mansfield on July
4 and was rescued by a good Samaritan (who then called my home to alert
me of its location) is still working.  The case is a bit scuffed, but I
don’t need an Otter box to protect my Windows phone.