A Race into the Past

Our goal in this adventure is not only to set foot in 48 states, but to actually do something meaninful in each one. Therein lies the challenge. Ollie and I both view America's history and special, natural places as revealing the true landscape of this country.

After leaving New York we headed straight for the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia, PA, one of the most iconic of American symbols. The bell has a crack in it, which, to me, symbolizes that America is great, but doesn't pretend to be perfect. To love America means to love her flaws as well.

From here we made our way to Atlantic City, NJ for the night. We made it to our hotel about 8:30 pm., just before the restaurants were about to close. We splurged again on steaks, and I told Oliver I would try to win the money back at the craps table. As luck would have it, I won $640 in about an hour, which more than covered our dinner and our room. Oliver was pretty impressed that the old man pulled it off.

The following day we visited ocean neighborhood Cape May, NJ and then Newcastle, DE. Newcastle is a beautifully preserved Colonial town, right down to the green used for public executions. Most people would agree that American history is violent. Peace and liberty come at a great cost. Events such as the American Revolution and the Civil War continue to define who we are as a nation.

And here we are, just two humble, ordinary travelers seeking to discover (or rediscover) America. Hopefully the answers can be found wherever the road takes us. After leaving Newcastle, we arrived at Gettysburg, PA and thought about all the young men who gave their lives fighting as "a house divided against itself". We don't all agree on what it means to be American or what America should be. That is part of America too. We remain free to disagree. So long as our democracy endures, the nation will survive.

When we left Gettysburg there was such a torrential rain as we drove to our campsite, and of course we couldn't ignore the symbolism. I was overwhelmed. It also occurred to me that as difficult as was our first night settling up our tent and camping gear, we might now have to repeat that exercise in the rain and in the dark. Still, on balance, I remain hopeful that things will work out one way or the other when we arrive at our campground in Maryland.