10/29/21

“Valley Forge must have been a cold, dark place,” I thought to myself while overlooking the old Revolutionary War barracks at Valley Forge, the freezing wind and rain whipping about my person, its howl creating the only sound I could hear in the near empty National Park. It was surreal. But before I get to that, let’s go over how my day started and how I ended up here in blustery, stormy Pennsylvania!

I woke up early in my hotel in Meredith, New Hampshire and immediately got a fire going (my room had a fireplace in it!) and the Keurig machine running. For some reason the hotel gave me a free upgrade to a suite, so my room was pretty lavish. I was slow-walking things a bit though, as I had ended up getting really introspective the night before and as a result did not sleep well. But, I also knew that I needed to hit the road by 8 am. I had a full day of driving ahead of me. My goal was to get down here to Pennsylvania by the late afternoon, to tour Valley Forge and to then meet up with a former Red Bluff doctor who recently moved out here to Villanova (Dr. Timothy Frantz). In fact, I am supposed to meet up with Dr. Frantz in an hour to grab some drinks. It is my first hint that as more-and-more people move out of the North State, a nationwide network of former North State natives is being formed. And that network still looks out for one another, just as we looked out for one another back home. That sense of camaraderie is one of the greatest things that I will bring with me from my time in Red Bluff.

After a few minutes of coffee and fire, I was feeling warmed up and started wondering how things were looking outside. So, I stepped out onto my balcony to look at the lake and WOW! It was cold outside, below freezing, about 30 degrees. But the sky was blue and the sun sparkled over the water. A gentle fog haunted the lake, moving to-and-fro like ghostly waves and rising into the fall-covered leaves. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything so hauntingly beautiful in my entire life. This was the view I saw:

I watched the lake for a few minutes and then got dressed, packed up my room, and checked out of my hotel. My Jeep was fully frosted over, a gentle reminder that winter is on its way and that I need to start making my way back to Omaha. After defrosting my Jeep, I hit the road.

Like I said, I had a hard drive ahead of me: an approximate 7.5 hour trek skirting around Boston, going through New York, down the Jersey turnpike, and then through the Philadelphia suburbs. Worse, I’ve started to notice that I’m turning into my father when I travel. What do I mean by that? Well, when I was a kid going on road trips with my parents, my dad always had to stop like every hour-or-two to pee. It used to drive me crazy because I could go most of the day without needing to use the restroom! But now, in my mid 30’s and after a cup of coffee, I’m starting to find that I’m no different. There would be frequent stops on this 7.5 hour journey.

Being the East Coast, I got through States pretty quickly. Within an hour-and-a-half I was out of New Hampshire and into Massachusetts. I then got to find out first hand why Massachusetts drivers are called Massholes. Seriously, if you want to talk privilege, Massachusetts drivers had to be some of the most selfish, reckless, inconsiderate drivers that I have ever witnessed. I got out of Massachusetts in short order and found myself in Connecticut, where drivers were actually quite kind and reasonable. Luckily, most of the drive through those States proved pretty straightforward: a fast-moving, busy trek down a country highway.

But then…I found myself in New York.

At first, it wasn’t so bad. In fact, outside of the main cityscape, driving through New York looked and felt like driving a version of downtown Omaha on steroids. The buildings and interstates were bigger, but the aesthetic of the neighborhoods and the move of the traffic was about the same. But then, the interstate reached a point to where I had to merge onto the New Jersey turnpike, and at that point New York’s traffic became unlike anything I had ever experienced. It was just…a marvel that that many people could fit on a road. Sometimes it would get so intense that there would be 2 vehicles sharing a single lane, each jockeying to push the other out. Meanwhile, in the distance, I could see the New York skyline. I’ve never seen buildings that big before, they didn’t look real! Giant fingers reaching for the sky, looking like they should topple over in a second, but there they are just existing. I was not heading into the city, in fact didn’t even get close to it, but during the very brief few moments where traffic wasn’t insane, I snapped some very quick shots of the skyline.

The rest of my drive was busy, urban, fast-moving, and full of about $20 worth of tolls, but otherwise not-so-bad. Finally, I got to Valley Forge, which today is not a rebel hideout located 20 miles outside of Philadelphia, but a cheesy tourist destination full of casinos (seriously, this was located almost right across the street from the historic Valley Forge site)!

Of course, Valley Forge proper was the historic testing ground of the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. In the fall of 1777, the British captured Philadelphia. General George Washington fled with his 12,000-man army and hid at Valley Forge. They remained there through the winter, with around 2,000 of the troops dying from cold, disease, and malnutrition. Many others abandoned the cause. However, those who remained trained and prepared for the next stage of the War. When France became a military ally of America’s in February 1778, British Commander-in-Chief Henry Clinton feared that his Philadelphia stronghold was going to be surrounded – with the Valley Forge forces moving in from the west, and a French blockade moving in from the Atlantic Ocean. As a result, in June Clinton chose to abandon Philadelphia for New York City. Washington and his remaining troops marched into Philadelphia the next day, on June 18, signaling a victory and change in the tone of the War.

Anyways, due to the storm, I could really feel the cold and hardship that these soldiers went through. I was also largely alone in the Park. Valley Forge is not some hidden place (which makes it kind of bizarre that the Continental Army was able to remain hidden there and unharmed by the British for nearly 6 months). Instead, the site is largely located on an open field, about 3000 acres in size, high up on a hill. The wind whips there like crazy, and you are completely exposed to the elements. There are only a few forests in the vicinity to seek refuge from the weather. Here are some pictures:

I took refuge under the overhang at Washington’s headquarters, located a few miles away from where his troops were stationed. Unlike the barracks, Washington’s Valley Forge home was located down in a valley, protected from the elements, and was pretty cozy. Of course, as I was alone at the park I had the place to myself and just had this crazy, charged, surreal feeling of being able to enjoy in complete peace and solitude, a place that was George Washington’s live-in home for six months, and a place that served such an important, pivotal role in the history of our country. After the rain died a bit, I followed some nearby railroad tracks back to my Jeep. Altogether, Valley Forge was an excellent experience.

Okay, I really need to get going to meet Dr. Frantz. The storm is really picking up again too, so this could be interesting. Until next time, readers!

Cheers,

Rob