Not to say we didn't start in the visitor center and nearly lose daylight snoozing in the theatre, but then we headed outside and started touring. Valley Forge is a big place so we opted for the car tour with lots of stops. (Sorry, but I reserve walking in 80F heat for stunning mountain slopes with snow I can use to cool off.)

We paid a couple of bucks to get the audio tour and it was definitely worth it. What struck me was how spaced out it all was. History books led me to believe the entire army was shoulder to shoulder in a little valley full of mud. In fact, the camp was set up on a hill with sweeping views.

The defenses and lodging for the average soldier were all recreations, but there were some signs of original construction when the audio tour told you where to look. The monuments reminded me of touring through Gettysburg. Seemingly far away was Washington's headquarters. It must have taken quite a while to get from one end of the camp to the other.

Of course, I annoyed the rangers with my standard question, "What is the coolest thing we won't see if you don't tell us?" This time it was the Pawling Sycamore. It's a massive tree that was likely actually alive during the winter of 1777-1778. The tree is so big its branches drop down to the ground and then grow back up. It's been reinforced and suspended so hopefully it will still be there when you visit so check it out.

On our way out, we stopped at the Washington Memorial Chapel. We couldn't go inside, but the architecture outside was great. We did get a peek at a few of the stained glass windows and were surprised to see they weren't religious, but rather patriotic.

All done, we headed back to Philadelphia for the night to regroup. We'd managed to stay awake all day and hopefully it would be easier the next day. I mean, it's not like we had planned any relaxation on this trip.