Valley Forge, PA

      Saturday, August 7, 2021: After about a year and a half, I have finally visited some place outside of New Jersey: Valley Forge National Park, 1400 North Outer Line Drive, King of Prussia (Montgomery County), Pennsylvania (610-783-1000). I have been to Valley Forge many times: my parents took me there as a child, a fifth-grade school trip, and about 20 years ago. Therefore, I thought that this place made for a relaxing trip on my first trip out of state in a long time. Because of covid-19, only a few of the buildings were opened to the public. The visitors’ center was one of those places. Inside, it was a work-in-progress because the video presentation would not be ready until the autumn. Thus, the visitors’ center was a shop selling books and souvenirs, and there was an information desk. They also had a smaller-screen video about the attractions in the area. Then, we drove over to the Washington Memorial Chapel and the nearby Cabin Shop. This area of the park was not officially part of Valley Forge National Park. Instead, it was run by the nearby church. Washington Memorial Chapel has been an Episcopal Church that dated back to the 1920s, and in the bell tower, the Carillion bells play chimes often. We arrived in time for lunch, and we ate it near this church as we listened to the tunes from this tower. It was a nice way to have lunch! The Cabin Shop has been the only place in Valley Forge to buy food and snacks in this park. They also had a gift, book, and souvenir shop; plus, I found many of the merchandise here to be a bit better than at the Visitors’ Center. Finally we drove through other parts of the park with its buildings: Washington’s Headquarters at Isaac Potts’ House & other historic buildings—all from the outside, and there were recreated log cabins similar to what the troops stayed in 1777/’78, as well as displays of memorials, cannons, and the lovely countryside.