Edition:
December 5, 2008
Public Notices - DBA Info • CONTACT
US: News Department • Display
Advertising • Classified
Advertising
|
||
Travels into history
American history – past and not-so-distant past – gave cause for John and Helen Sullivan to be grateful for their freedom and their country after a recent three-week vacation in which they traveled throughout the East Coast, touring America’s many historical locations and parts of Canada.
Their trip began in Philadelphia with a guided tour of historic locations by a guide in period costume. On their way to Milford, Connecticut they toured New York City, including Ground Zero. “Construction of the memorial to victims of 9-11 was taking place,” says Helen. “It was very soul moving to see such a sight and realize so many people had been sacrificed.”
Their group continued to Boston, Massachusetts, where they toured historic locations. On the way to Boston, they traveled through Rhode Island and Connecticut. They also rented a car to drive to John’s hometown of Quincy, where he lived until the age of 13. It was his first trip back to the town since leaving and he says he was delighted to find his old home and speak with a neighbor that remembered his family.
On a stroll to the beach where he spent a lot of time as a child, John found that it had been transformed into a marina and restaurant. “It was exciting for both of us to go back in time,” says John.
Their tour took them across the Canadian border to Quebec City, giving them views of the fall colors. They toured St. Anne De Beaupre Shrine, where they say they were privileged to attend mass. In Montreal, John and Helen learned how maple syrup was made and enjoyed its flavoring with a maple ham luncheon. A winery tour and tasting of rare Ice Wine preceded the trip back to the U.S. via the Niagara Falls, according to Helen.
On their return to Pennsylvania, they found the state capitol’s fountains flowing with pink water in honor of breast cancer awareness. After stops at Gettysburg National Military Park, Amish Country, Valley Forge and the Civil War battlefields, they said goodbye to their tour group and headed for Washington D.C., where they visited all the major memorials, museums and monuments.
“On our last day in the Washington D.C. area, we went to the Pentagon Memorial. It was very humbling to see all the monuments to the victims of 9-11. The Pentagon had changed quite a lot since Helen worked there 50-odd years ago, but it was very interesting to actually see it again,” says John. “Our trip to Washington was very inspiring and made us grateful to be free Americans, realizing freedom isn’t cheap but is earned for us by the sacrifices of our forefathers and the blood of our deceased and fighting military.”
|
|
