Thursday: The kids bonded quickly over a game of Risk!

And the common language of video games

But in the end, after about 32 hours awake (more or less), Laurel crashed hard for the next 16 hours

Friday: But she was up first the next morning to find ... three inches of snow!

Our address, in case we got lost.

The front of our room/apartment. Very nice housing on the Maguire AFB thanks to Judy and Jim!

Turns out snow in New Jersey looks a great deal like snow in the pacific northwest.

It was sort of slushy and melted pretty fast

By noon it was more or less gone

The boys bonded some more ...

While the Rebekah and Katie introduced Laurel to the addiction known as: American Girl Dolls

Saturday: Philadelphia Day - The Independence Visitor Center in Philadelphia

Brian crashed on the sill of the Independence Visitor Center. Laurel looks on.

Independence Hall surrounded by large buildings...

Another view of the Hall.

Horses and carriages look much like what we have in the northwest as well

Brian and Laurel mug for the camera.

Some guy wanted to get his picture taken.

Historical building across from the Hall.

The Father of the American Navy, Commodore John Barry. Barry's fame has been overshadowed by his contemporary John Paul Jones. The accomplishments of Barry are numerous, including the capture of over 20 British war vessels, quelling three mutinies, and participating in the last battle of the war aboard the frigate Alliance in 1783.

More historical buildings whose name I failed to note

It looks old, it must be important...

The bell tower of Independence Hall. Did you know that it was in such disrepair that when they signed the Declaration of Independence, they rang most of the bells in town *except* this one! That's right, the Liberty Bell was one of the few bells in the city *not* rung on that historic day.

The court room in the Hall.

The seal of Pennsylvania, I think. It replaced a picture of the king when we threw him out.

The room where the delegates spent a long summer. Benjamin Frankly spent a long time staring at the sun shaped decoration at the top of the chair in the middle of the picture. When it was all over, he worked it in to his closing speech, pondering whether it was a rising or setting sun. But after the Constitution was drafted, he declared that it was indeed a rising sun.

Laurel liked the chandalier. It was not there originally but was a period piece from somewhere nearby.

Another view of the meeting room used by the delegates. The sun-backed chair sits center stage.

Time keeps ticking away...

Brian and Laurel in Philadelphia

Some guy got in to a picture of the kids

Another view of the Hall

That same historic building from earlier

Top center over the door is a statue of Ben Franklin. Wearing a toga. I'm going to go out on a limb and guess this was someone exercising artistic freedom. I'm guessing Ben wasn't a big toga guy.

*The* Liberty Bell. Or a pretty good facsimile thereof.

It was cast by two people who had never done a bell before.

The crack was which showed up was drilled out and a bolt put at the top, the thinking being that it would keep the two drilled surfaces from making contact.

Unfortunately, when they tried to ring it again, *another* crack shot up and to the right and the bell was to never ring again.

The Hall from where they keep the Liberty Bell (or a reasonable facsimile thereof)

Sunday: Off to NYC. We parked in New Jersey and took the Staten Island Ferry

Nice view of the Statue of Liberty.

Skyscrapers! I think that's the top of the Empire State Building in the top middle.

Ground Zero, former home former home of the World Trade Center. Fenced off with just a few reminders inside of what used to be there. Flowers on the fences outside.

Mounted on the fences were the names of all those lost that day.

Tall fences, tall boys, little girls who did not like being in such a big city.

China town! Great souvenirs cheap!

My brother in law Jim purchased a Rolex for just $20! Talked the guy down from $125. Fake?!? I saw it, it said Rolex right on it!

Some beefy guy holding up some metal hoops.

St. Patricks Cathedral

Front of the cathedral

Nice view of the front

Incredible stonework.

I can't believe I'm in a place in my life where I can say this, but it actually reminded me inside of the cathedral at Notre Dame. How cool is that?!

Beautiful stained glass

Ornate architecture

Incredible scale

And a kick-butt organ!

Brian and (reluctantly) Joel in front of the American Doll store

Laurel, Brian, Rebekah, Joel (in front), Christopher, Judy, Mom and Katie

My Mom. And some guy.

Rockefeller Center skating rink. Looks smaller in person than I imagined.

Brian, Laurel and Grandma at Rockefeller Center

Some large naked gold guy at the skating rink

Some guy, Laurel and Brian in NYC!

Looking up I could see skyscrapers towering over me, coming in to frame from all directions.

Radio City Music Hall

Statue of Liberty after a very long day, not enough light and a *very* bumpy ferry ride.

Monday: Back to NYC with Christopher and Brian

The Museum of Natural History. Very cool.

Best dinosaur displays in the country

Stupendymus the turtle. I kid you not.

More extinct ccreatures

Some horny critter. And a baby mastadon

The full-sized mastadon

Tuesday: Feeling a bit under the weather for another trip in to NYC, instead Mom and I headed to Atlantic City to check that out!

The road we took leads you right in to Caesars Palace on the left

and Trump Plaza on the right. The Taj was further down boardwalk.

More Trump Plaza

And that would be Caesar of Caesar's Palace fame.

The famous Atlantic City Boardwalk!

The buildings were painted in very eye-catchingly bright colors!

More boardwalk. Installed out of materials provided by ... Mr. Boardwalk. Now there's a niche for you.

Wednesday: Battery Park at the southern tip of Manhattan

Laurel and Brian on Liberty Island. Later Brian had to take off his sweater and wear mine when birds flew over him and deposited waste products down the length of his arm. I admit I laughed at him. You would have too!

Brian and some guy on Liberty Island

All by herself

And with admiring copycats. Yes, I made her do this one.

The Ellis Island facility that admitted thousands and thousands of people in it's day.

The inside of the facility

Lady Liberty is still nearby but on her own island

Ferry full of more tourists, every 15 minutes...

How better to end our trip than to see a wonderful Broadway show! It was great!