Summer Vacation Recap
We would have loved to head back to Clearwater, Florida, again this year, but it just wasn’t in the cards for a handful of reasons. So, while we didn’t have any formal travel this summer, we made the most of a staycation while sticking to the theme of the “year of saving.”
We took an overnight trip to Philadelphia to see Beetlejuice the musical at the Ensemble Arts Theater (Academy of Music), which they tout as the oldest opera house in the U.S. still used for its original purpose. Opened in 1857, it’s a stunning historic theater to experience a show in. As you may know, we’re big Halloween fans in our house, and Beetlejuice (along with its newer sequel) gets watched multiple times each year. Though we weren’t familiar with the Broadway version, the show was fantastic. Having seen a few plays now, I’m always amazed by the talent of the singers and actors, they put on quite a performance!
We also visited the Museum of the American Revolution, which was fascinating! Hamilton (the Broadway musical) is a big hit in our house, so it gave the kids some background on the Revolution and sparked their curiosity to learn more. Plus, with Ava being a history major, we basically had our own personal tour guide. 😊 The main attraction was George Washington’s War Tent. I must be getting old because I found it genuinely captivating to hear the stories and see the original canvas tent that Washington used as his office, sleeping quarters, and mobile command center for the Continental Army. The tent is kept in a darkened room most of the time, with dim lighting allowed for only about 90 seconds at the end of a video presentation to preserve the 250+-year-old canvas and materials. It’s incredible to think about how young the revolutionaries and Founding Fathers were while grappling with such monumental issues.
On a lighter note, despite my many trips to Philadelphia for events and shows, I’d never visited the Reading Terminal Market. This time, we made a point to check it out, and while the variety of vendors was impressive, it was packed for a Wednesday afternoon at 2:30 p.m., so we cut our visit short to avoid the hectic crowds. We’ll definitely return to explore more thoroughly next time.
If you have any fun or interesting travel or event stories from this summer, I’d love to hear them. Maybe I can live vicariously through your adventures, too! 😄
Ticket #T009715
