Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Valley Forge

A year or two ago I toured Valley Forge National Park, taking in the historical significance and scenic beauty of the place. For this trip to Philadelphia, I'm staying closer to the park and am enjoying it by foot. Although I'd had an idea of the general direction, yesterday's winding run through interesting old neighborhoods turned out to be the most direct 2+ mile route to the park. Whereas yesterday I only ran a bit inside the park, today I had more time to explore.

At 44F or so, it was cooler than yesterday's record of 66. But it was still breezy, and there were a couple raindrops here and there. All-in-all, it wasn't a bad day to run (is it ever?). The park was erie in the early morning gloom. It was easier to see the sights as it became lighter.

It's a wonderful park, whether explored by foot or by car. The rolling scenery is great, and to be in the area of such history gives me goosebumps. I'll have to take Debbie here sometime.

I ran as far as I could on the hike/bike paths that wind all over the place. The paths do link up, but not always as expected. As a result, I had to backtrack a couple of times. But that was ok. And did I mention the hills? They're not insurmountable, but there are plenty of them.

This all added up to another really enjoyable slow run. I'm calling it 16 miles at 9 or so minute pace.

That very evening I drove to the city center to explore the historical area there, including the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. There is a separate post about this in the horvaths travel blog.

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