Liberty Ross #04

America has a history rich with heroes so the possibilities are endless for an American Hero party. History books contain stories of individuals who did heroic things that were pivotal in American History. Individuals like Miles Standish who was one of the community leaders of the Pilgrims who came over on the Mayflower to land at Plymouth Rock. Then, of course, there are some of the colonists like Paul Revere and his midnight ride, Betsy Ross and her American Flag design, Benjamin Franklin and his discovery of Electricity, Lewis and Clark who explored the Pacific Northwest, Neil Armstrong the first astronaut to walk on the moon, and so many thousands of others. All are heroes in their own right. However, it is important to remember the modern day American Heroes too. The current day American Heroes are those people who are serving in the military, policemen, and firemen. Each of these occupations risk their life every single day to ensure that the American dream of liberty for all people is safe. That is a pretty important job!

For a great party idea, guests can be invited to dress in the uniform of their favorite American Hero. Paper tablecloths, napkins, paper plates and cups that have the insignias for the all of the military branches or flags printed on them are perfect for decorations.

For a group of young heroes, the guests can be divided into "companies" and can compete against each other in events that are modified version of a military obstacle course. For example, instead of running a real relay race, the heroes can do a chimp race, which requires the relay racer to spread their feet apart to shoulder width, bend over and grab their ankles. Then, without letting go of the ankle they must walk 10-12 feet to the turn around point and back to his next team member. Knees will remain stiff while walking so this is a bit harder than it sounds! The next relay walker then grabs his ankles and begins his chimp walk and so on. The team whose members all complete the chimp walk first wins this event. Other events could include balloon blow up games (who can make the biggest balloon without popping it), bean bag toss or water pistol accuracy tests.

Cakes and treats can have flags, fighter planes, emergency vehicles or military insignias as well. Be sure to give out medals of honor for winning games, having the best costume, and for being a great American hero!

During a recent business trip to Philadelphia, we took a couple of personal days to see historic sites in the area. We found Philadelphia an easy city to navigate without a car. After our plane landed we picked up our luggage and took the SEPTA train into City Center. The conversations between clueless travelers and a patient train conductor were entertainment itself.

We started our afternoon with a bowl of pho (Vietnamese soup) for lunch at a small restaurant on Race Street in Chinatown. Huge bowls of extremely hot soups were served very within minutes of our order. Bring cash, as several restaurants in town require a minimum charge for credit cards.

Your first stop in the historic district should be the Independence Visitor Center. Stop to see the National Park Service Rangers at the desk to pick up a map of the National Park area. They also distribute tickets to Independence Hall. There is no free for these time stamped tickets but they are usually gone early in the day. This is the only area of the Independence National Historic Park which requires a ticket.

At many sites in this district, you must enter though a security line. You can reduce your time in line by leaving all packages in your hotel room or car.

Once you have your ticket to Independence Hall, take a walk across the street to view the Liberty Bell. The building has exhibits on the history of the bell including how it was made, the fateful crack and repair attempts. There are photos of the bell as it traveled around the county.

Make your way across the street allowing plenty of time to get through security before your tour of Independence Hall. If you are early for your timed tour, check out Congress Hall while you wait. You can also tour the East and West Wings before the tour of Independence Hall.

We ended our day with a variety of options from vendors at Reading Terminal Markets. Product, cheese, wine, candy and prepared meals are a treat for the eyes and tummy. Stop at multiple vendors and snack your way through the aisles. We had Philly steak and falafel sandwiches topped off with a piece of chocolate cake.