Flat Stanley visits Newtown, PA - Aunt Marci's House

Flat Stanley learned that Aunt Marci lives in a very historic area that was very important to when our country was started.

Before we could explore the town, Loki, Aunt Marci’s German Shepherd, wanted to take a walk.  We loaded up the car and drove to Tyler State Park (which was only a few minutes from Aunt Marci’s House).  I wanted to ride in the back of the car with Loki, but Aunt Marci said that would be dangerous.  She let me take a quick photo with Loki before we left.

We stopped by the office at Tyler State Park.  We took some photos of some of the animals that live in the park.  The deer was okay, but I thought the owl was very cool – did you see how big his wings are??

The office told Aunt Marci and me about the covered bridge inside the park.  Aunt Marci, who walks a lot in the park with Loki, said that she had never seen the bridge, so the office showed her on the map how to find it.

Finally, we arrived at the parking lot.  Loki immediately started to bark – he really likes to walk at the park!  Aunt Marci had us walk on the path, and we snapped a photo of Loki, who is very happy (see how his ears stand straight up – he wants to hear everything that goes on in the park).

  

Next, we stopped by the Neshaminy Creek, which runs through the park.  There was A LOT of geese in the creek.  We spent some time by the creek cause it was so much fun.  Loki must have gotten pretty hot, because he laid down in the creek.  Aunt Marci said that he was trying to cool off.  I asked if I could swim in the creek to cool off, but Aunt Marci said that I might get sick, so no (boo!).

While playing in the water, Aunt Marci spotted a girl doing homework in a tree!  The girl happily took a picture with me.  She was really nice and said to say hello to everyone in Hailee’s class.

I am in the photo - I am just really small!

   

Next, we drove to the covered bridge inside Tyler State Park.  The park is so big that we would have been too tired to walk to the covered bridge.  In order to get to the bridge, we had to walk down a very steep hill…..Aunt Marci was scared, but I held her hand.

Finally, we found the Schofield Ford Covered Bridge.  It was originally built in 1874 and it is the longest covered bridge in Bucks County.  The bridge burned down once, but some really nice people rebuilt it just like it used to be.  The stone pillars holding up the bridge are original, which means that they are 137 years old. 

Loki and I were very good and posed for a photo next to the sign for the bridge!  Then Aunt Marci took some photos of the bridge.  Do you notice those little diamond shaped holes in the bridge?  I took a photo of me in front of one of the those holes while inside the bridge.  It was a very cool view of the river!  Inside, the bridge is big enough for a car to go through it! 

Aunt Marci got one last photo of me on the other side of the bridge, but I am so small in comparison to the bridge that you can barely see me!

I am in the photo - I am just really small!

After the bridge, we had to go home for lunch.  Loki and I were hungry.

After lunch, Aunt Marci and I went into her town to see all the historic landmarks.  First, we stopped by the Newtown Theatre, the oldest movie theatre in the United States!  The movie theatre dates back to 1831 (so it is much older than the bridge!).  The first movie was shown there in 1906, over 100 years ago!

I took one photo inside with the ticket sales guy.  He was very nice.  I hope to go back someday and see a play there!

Walking down the street, Aunt Marci and I stopped for some more photos at the Newtown Borough Hall (this is Aunt Marci’s favorite building – she thinks that it is really pretty).  The building was opened in 1858 to serve as the meeting place for the people who govern Newtown Borough.  It is said to be the oldest building in the state still in use for its original purpose as borough chambers.

Next, we stopped by Temperance House, which is now a restaurant.  They were not open for dining, but they let Aunt Marci and I take some photos.  Temperance House was opened as early as 1772.  It served as a school and a tavern, where people could eat and drink.  I liked their Christmas tree, so I took a photo with it.

 

Next, we went to the Zebra Striped Whale.  There is nothing historic about this place, but Aunt Marci says that their ice cream is the BEST!!  Aunt Marci and I ate our ice cream outside on the bench, but I couldn’t hold my ice cream cone while posing for the photo.  I ate vanilla ice cream with Reece Cups as a topping – it was really good!!!

Before leaving Newtown, we took a photo of the Brick Hotel.  George Washington’s staff and their prisoners stayed at the hotel in 1776.  Their prisoners were from a battle in Trenton, NJ on Christmas Day in 1776.  This was an important battle that led to America being a free and independent country.  Two short years later, George Washington presided over the writing of our Constitution and became our country’s first President.

Aunt Marci and I then took a short ride of about 15 minutes to Washington Crossing, Pennsylvania.  Washington Crossing is located on the Delaware River.  When you cross the river, you are in the state of New Jersey.   There is a bridge there now that many cars use, but Aunt Marci said she hates driving that bridge because it is very narrow.  However, she agreed to walk me out onto the bridge, because there is a sidewalk across the bridge so that you can cross the river and be in another state!

It was at this site that George Washington and his troops crossed the Delaware River on Christmas Day in 1776.  They battled in Trenton, NJ and won.  After this battle, George Washington’s staff and the prisoners from the battle stayed at the Brick Hotel in Newtown, PA.

On Christmas Day, actors and actresses do a re-enactment of George Washington and his troops crossing the Delaware River.  Aunt Marci and Uncle Kevin plan to attend this year.

I took several photos of me on the bridge and one of me sitting on an old cannon (it is like a big gun that they used back in the 1700s during battles).

In the canon photo, do you notice the building behind it?  That building served as an inn next to the river.  It is said that George Washington ate his dinner there on before crossing the Delaware River to go into battle.

After our visit to Washington Crossing, it was time to go home and cook dinner.  I helped Aunt Marci decorate her family room mantle with Christmas decorations (she has A LOT of Hallmark ornaments that light up!).  I also spent some time with Rocco, Aunt Marci’s other German Shepherd.  Last, Aunt Marci showed me her crown display case because she said that Hailee likes crowns!

Both Rocco and Loki were a lot of fun.  We played in the house a lot while Aunt Marci worked.  Rocco and Loki are really well trained because Uncle Kevin spends a lot of time with them, so they were very gentle with me.

I hope to visit Aunt Marci and Uncle Kevin again really soon!  They miss their niece Hailee and told me to give Hailee (and her sister, Marissa), a big hug from them and the dogs.