Route: Philadelphia → Valley Forge → Brandywine Battlefield → Lancaster. Total mileage: 100. Nonstop driving time: About 2½ hours.
Rather shorter but no less consequential, this route has several of the most celebrated revolutionary sites of all, starting with Independence Hall (pictured here) in Philadelphia where the Declaration of Independence was adopted and the Constitution later drafted, placing the city at the very center of this country´s political birth. Right across the street is the Liberty Bell; both are part of the Independence National Historical Park; other sites of interest include the Ben Franklin National Memorial at the Franklin Institute. A 22-mile drive westward leads to Valley Forge National Historical Park, where Washington’s army endured the winter of 1777–78 and emerged as a disciplined fighting force. The nearby Brandywine Battlefield recalls a major British victory that temporarily secured Philadelphia. Continuing into Lancaster County, the terrain softens into rolling farmland, stone barns, and winding creeks — a landscape that has changed little since the 18th century and with revolutionary sites including Historic Rock Ford, the estate of a Washington adjutant general; while here, visitors often add Amish countryside tours, blending Revolutionary heritage with broader cultural experience.
Read more in my post 5 Revolutionary Road Trips to Mark the USA´s 250th Anniversary.
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