My 2001 Summer Vacation: Philadelphia, etc.

My 2001 summer vacation was spent in Philadelphia, which was site of the 59th World Science Fiction Convention, "The Millennium Philcon."
 

	The Philadelphia Museum of Art. It's really big.
	A statue of Ben Franklin in the entrance to the Franklin Institute Science Museum.
	A nifty fountain at Logan Cirle. The Swann Fountain was designed by Alexander Calder and dates from 1920.
	One day I took the bus to Valley Forge. Here is a picture of the residence the George Washington used as a headquarters during the Revolutionary War.
	The headquarters was shared by about a couple of dozen people, but George and Martha had a their own bedroom.
	Two retired Navy vessels: The ship USS Olympia and the submarine USS Becuna.
	The commanding officer's quarters on the Olympia. Accommodations include a mortar :)
	The picture shows a sight-seeing boat pasing by this hatch in the Olympia.
	The crew's mess room.
	The officer's mess/conference room.
	A corridor between the officers quarters.
	A picture from the submarine USS Becuna. This engine's mate on the opposite side (not shown) is nicknamed "Puff."
	A picture from the Independence Seaport Museum located near the ships pictured above.
	The Benjamin Franklin Bridge spans the Delaware River connecting Philadelphia with Camden, New Jersey. The picture is from the Camden side.
	A picture of downtown Philadelphia from Camden.
	I think this 18th-century building is the home of the Philadelphia Contributionship (est. 1836).
	This building built in 1775 houses the Kosciuszko National Memorial. Kosciuszko was a Polish engineer and soldier that fought for America in the Revolutionary War.
	This is a picture of Head House Square built in 1803. Probably the oldest building at which I have ever bought something.
	In Washington Square is location of a fountain and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from the Revolutionary War.
	A close-up of the memorial. The inscription reads "Freedom is a light/for which many men have died in darkness."
	The Liberty Bell. It has been temporarily been removed from Independence Hall during repairs to the bell tower. Interestingly, the Liberty Bell did not become famous until it was used as a symbol by Abolitionists.
	A picture from inside Independance Hall. This was where representatives met during the time around the approval of the Articles of Confederation.
	This is where the Second Continental Congress met and the Declaration of Independence was signed. Although most of the furniture is not authentic (used as firewood by the British during their occupation in December 1777), Philip Syng's silver inkstand used by most of the Declaration's signtories is still in the room.
	Independence Hall from the outside. This park, Independence Square, was where the Declaration of Independence was first read to the public.
	This is the site of Ben Franklin's house. The white beams in the middle represent Ben's house (in the front) and his printing shop (in the back). To the left is an entertaining museum about Franklin run by the National Park Service. In the far back is an original 18th-century building which houses the first Post Office. Ben was also the first Postmaster General. Ben was a busy guy.
	This is building where the First Continental Congress met.