Thank You

Thank You!
We had a great 5 days exploring Historic Pennsylvania.  And we certainly hope the students not only learned a lot but also had a great time together too.
There are lots of folks to thank for making this tour so successful.  But without doubt the most important are the faculty chaperones who lead the tour every year:  Ms. Duffy, Ms. Premo, & Mr. Duffy.

Why Not Join Us Again...?
Global Explorers operates tours both in the US & overseas.  Many of our tours are 'private' tours that are only available to students or families of a certain school.  But we do have tours that are open to everyone, both for families or only for adults.
We receive many questions about our other tours.  If you would like to know more please email us on:  info@globalexplorersonline.com or call 434-665-2622.
This year (2015) the following 'open' tours still have availability.  Why not join us?

• Highlands & Islands of Scotland
• May 1st-12th
• Staying in Edinburgh, Inverness, on the Isles of Raasay & Skye, & the Gleneagles area
• Small group, adults only
• 3 opportunities for golfing (Edinburgh/St. Andrews, Inverness, Gleneagles/Stirling)
• Optional Extension to London
• May 12th-15th

• Treasures of Italy
• June 23rd-July 3rd
• Staying in Venice, Florence, & Rome, & also visiting Pisa, Lucca, Sienna & San Gimignano, & Assisi 
• Small group, open to families or adults

• Spanish Explorer
• September 4th-14th
• Staying in Barcelona, Madrid, Granada, & Seville
• Small group, adults only
• Optional Extension to Portugal
• September 14th-19th

Our Final Day on the East Coast

On our last morning in Philadelphia we had just one visit left to make, to the United States Mint, where much of the nation's money is made!
After breakfast we moved all our bags to one room, then walked from our hotel to the Mint.  We were almost the first in line so we were able to enter as soon as the doors opened at 9:00am.  We then learned how the money is 'minted', what else they make here besides coins (such as Congressional Medals of Honor), & then had time in the gift shop.
Back at our hotel we collected our bags & boarded our bus for the short ride to Philadelphia's 30th Street Station.  There was time to buy lunch or snacks for the train ride, then we boarded the Amtrak train for the return journey to Newark.
After a quick check-in it was time to say goodbye to the East Coast & goodbye to our tour leader Declan.

Philadelphia in Depth

Today was predicted to be warmer but very wet, with rain all day...
Thankfully the rain wasn't too bad as this was scheduled to be our one day without a tour bus.  Instead we were spending the whole day exploring Philadelphia by foot & using public transport.
After a busy breakfast (with at least 2 other student groups staying at our hotel) we departed our hotel to find wet streets but no actual rain.  We walked to a nearby bus stop & a few minutes later boarded the city bus to our first stop.
Eastern State Penitentiary is a former prison, one of the most important prisons in history due to its revolutionary design & (intended) rehabilitation of prisoners.  We split into 2 smaller groups to tour the crumbling ruins of the prison, learning about the building of the prison, life inside, some of the former inmates (such as Al Capone), escape attempts, etc.  It was very cold as we toured the hallways & cells but a very interesting & fun visit nevertheless.
As we exited the prison it was began during with rain, but thankfully lasted just a few minutes before stopping.  So we walked to our next stop, the Philadelphia Museum of Art.  Although we didn't go inside we stopped here because it is one of the most recognizable locations in the city - the location of the steps that Rocky ran up in the original movie.  So we all ran up the steps & jumped, arms aloft at the top!
Next stop, after a long walk along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, was colorful Reading Terminal Market, where the students could purchase lunch from one of dozens of different stalls offering al kinds of different foods.
After passing by Chinatown we arrived at our last 2 sightseeing stops, the Liberty Bell & the National Constitution Center.  Both these sights celebrate the founding of the United States, the focus of much of our sightseeing in Philadelphia already.
Our final group stop today was for dinner.
No visit to Philadelphia would be complete without sampling a cheesesteak, so we ate tonight at Campo's Deli, renowned as having one of the best cheesesteaks in the city.  Mot of the students certainly seemed to enjoy theirs!

Goodbye Lancaster County, Hello Philadelphia

We bade farewell to Lancaster County this morning, passing many Amish horses & buggies on the road as we made our way to our first stop.

The Eicher Indian Museum is a very small private museum, supported by a local community group.  They opened specially for us, with two of their members giving short talks about the diversity of Native American people's & their lifestyles, & highlighting how the local environment influenced them.  They even provided Indian snacks for us - cornbread, popcorn, & sassafras tea!

Our next visit was to a colonial era 'iron plantation', Hopewelll Tavern.

After a short introduction by a Park Ranger, a movie, & a visit to the museum, we explored the historical site with student question sheets in hand.  Whilst visiting the iron master's home, the store, the furnace, & the spring house, we sought answers to the park questionnaire, helping the students to understand how this industrial community lived.

Now it was time to continue into Philadelphia.

On arrival we deposited our bags at our hotel then transferred into the historic center where we had time for a quick lunch before beginning our Philadelphia walking tour.

Our costumed guide, in 18th century dress, was Nonnie.  She showed us many historic sites, including Benjamin Franklin's grave, the Quaker Meeting House, Christ Church, the Free Post Office, & finally Independence Hall.

At Independence Hall we took a ranger-led tour, learning why, when, how & by whom the Declaration of Independence was signed here.

We ended our day with dinner at Philly's Hard Rock Cafe, then walked back to our hotel via Chinatown & historic Elfreth's Alley.