Longwood Gardens: Part 2

Yesterday I shared about my time at Longwood Gardens a few weeks ago.  I really wanted to make it one post but it's such a large area and I have so many photos that it just wasn't going to happen.  So, yesterday I shared photos from inside the conservatory and today I'm sharing photos from the outdoor gardens.  To learn more about the gardens check out yesterdays post.

Longwood Gardens - Kennet Square, PA

A few weeks ago Josh and I had some time off together and wanted to do something.  We chose to go to Longwood Gardens because we had been wanting to go the whole summer.  Longwood Gardens is a huge collection of gardens started by Pierre S. du Pont in 1907.  There are approximately 50 gardens both indoor and outdoor throughout the property.  I would love to go back and see this place at all different seasons.  I was told that it is incredible at Christmastime with all of the light, so Josh and I definitely plan to go then. 

It was beautiful when we left the house and the forecast was looking good but unfortunately, halfway through our hour drive there the forecast on my phone changed and it started raining.  I had read that there was a huge indoor conservatory, so we decided to keep on going.   I'm so glad we did!  The rain never got so bad that we couldn't stand being in it and it did clear up later in the afternoon.  Also, there was a huge conservatory and we spent a few hours in that alone.  There is no way to fully enjoy this place in one day, but we had a great time walking around and seeing all of the beautiful flowers and fountains.  My favorite garden was the waterlily display which is outdoors in a courtyard of the conservatory.  I would highly recommend a visit to anyone who loves nature.

(I can not do this in one post like I thought I could, so today I am sharing the conservatory and tomorrow I will share the outdoors).

Philadelphia, PA

After Josh and I toured the Franklin Institute and the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit, we decided to walk around Philly for a bit.  We didn't really have any plans but we figured why waste the day?  We just walked around and saw Independence Hall and Washington Square.  We also cheated and saw the Liberty Bell from outside of the building.  I was so not about to stand in that line.

The Dead Sea Scrolls: Philadephia, PA

When I heard that the Dead Sea Scrolls were at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, not seeing them was not even an option for me.  I bought tickets in advance and Josh and I made a day trip to Philly to see the Dead Sea Scrolls.

The exhibit was much more than just the scrolls.  They had pottery from the times they were written and other artifacts from that time period.   If you know anything about Archaeology, you know that because of the material, ceramics are one thing that usually stays in tact through the years.  Any thing made of wood usually disappears and finding clothing and metal depends on the climate of the area.  Sometimes clothing is fully in tact and sometimes it's completely gone.  As such, there was a lot of pottery on display along with some arrowheads.

A lot of my pictures from that day are blurry because flash photography was not allowed.  We also were not allowed to take photos in the room where the Sea Scrolls were kept.

In case you don't know, the Dead Sea Scrolls are a collection of 972 texts which were found in a cave northwest of the shore of the Dead Sea.   What makes them special is that they are the oldest surviving texts of works included in the Hebrew Bible.  These texts are estimated to have been written between 385 BCE to 82 CE.   If you are interested in the history and significance of the Dead Sea Scrolls, check out the Digital Library.   There is so much information and the history is so interesting.

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It was so neat to see them in person and I am definitely glad we went!  If they are ever displayed in your area, I highly recommend a visit!

The Franklin Institute: Philadelphia, PA

In 2012, the Franklin Institute housed the Dead Sea Scrolls (which will have it's own post).  As a lover of all things Anthropology, I refused to miss it!  I had never been to the Franklin Institute, so Josh and I made a day of exploring.  We arrived a few hours before our time to see the Sea Scrolls, so we checked out the other exhibits.

The Sports Challenge Exhibit
This exhibit is obviously based around sports and physical activity.  There is a small climbing wall, a surfing simulation, a figure skating simulation and more.  Josh and I spent a good deal of time in here - it was definitely entertaining.

Above is Chase Utley's uniform.  The Phillies are Josh's favorite baseball team.

Sir Issac's Loft
This exhibit basically has all things physics.   There were a lot of lifting things and the bowling ball of doom which will come within inches of your face.  This was the coolest exhibit, in my opinion.

We also had time after seeing the Sea Scrolls, so we visited a few other exhibits such as Electricity, Changing Earth, Space Command, and the Train Factory.

All in all, we enjoyed the Franklin Institute but I don't think we'd ever go back unless their was a traveling exhibit that we want to see.  The museum is definitely more geared towards kids.  If you have kids, I highly recommend taking them here, they'd definitely enjoy it, especially if they like science.