Day 14 (Carlisle Pennsylvania)

Corvettes at Carlisle has become a summer tradition for my father, grandfather, and me. Each August we go to Carlisle Pennsylvania to see the collectable corvettes, get new information on corvettes and sometimes we even bring our own corvettes and show them off. The largest and most fun-filled Corvette event in the world features more than 5,000 Corvettes representing all generations of America’s classic sports car. Corvette enthusiasm is contagious with participation in autocross, dyno testing, burnouts, and the parade through historic downtown Carlisle. In addition to the Corvette giveaway, the excitement continues with an incredible shopping experience, including a huge swap meet with a wide variety of vendors, an all-Corvette car corral, Manufacturers Midway and Installation Alley. Everything that a corvette car owner may need; from car care kits to missing parts for barn finds. Everything can be found at corvettes at Carlisle.

Before I went to Corvettes at Carlisle my dad and his dad went. This is where they found out about the 50th anniversary edition vehicle and where they first ordered it. Each year we go together and experience corvettes and the other people in the corvette family. This is where corvette truly earns the nickname Americas Sports Car.

Day 13 (Philidelphia Pennsylvania)

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is called the city of brotherly love but if you listen to the news you may choose not to go for a visit. My family enters the city for 2 main reasons, one is to get to the airport to get out of the city and the other is to attend events at the Wells Fargo Center. My father and I frequent the the Center to attend the Philadelphia Flyers Hockey Games. Playing sports is not my thing, but I do enjoy attending them live. Hockey is my sport of choice, which works out great because my family has had season tickets to the flyers for over 30 years now. My father attended them with his father for many years. Then my father started taking his girlfriend (my mom). They would go to almost all the home games when they were dating. In fact, going to a flyers game was their first date when they were 17. Now my father takes me to almost all the games. My dad has a hectic work schedule, like most fathers I’m sure, so this is our time together. I’ve been going for many years now and have learned the game by seeing it live.

So, I enjoy going into Philadelphia when I’m headed to the airport or to spend time with my dad at the Philadelphia Flyers Hockey games. Go Flyers!

Day 12 (Baltimore Maryland)

Baltimore is located in Maryland. The city is named after Lord Baltimore, a member of the Irish House of Lords and the founding proprietor of the Maryland Colony. Baltimore, founded in 1729, it is the largest seaport in the Mid-Atlantic United States and is situated closer to Midwestern markets than any other major seaport on the East Coast. Baltimore's Inner Harbor was once the second leading port of entry for immigrants to the United States and a major manufacturing center. At 620,961 residents in 2010, Baltimore's population has decreased by one-third since its peak in 1950. Baltimore is in north-central Maryland on the Patapsco River close to where it empties into the Chesapeake Bay. The city is also located on the fall line between the Piedmont Plateau and the Atlantic Coastal Plain, which divides Baltimore into "lower city" and "upper city". The city's elevation ranges from sea level at the harbor to 480 feet in the northwest corner near Pimlico. According to the 2010 Census, the city has a total area of 92.052 square miles, of which 80.944 square miles is land and 11.108 square miles is water. The total area is 12.07 percent water.

Baltimore has been a day trip spot for my family and me since I was little. We enjoy all they have to offer at the Inner Harbor, shopping, sea life and good sea food restaurants. Our most favorite thing to do is to go to the Baltimore aquarium. Everyone enjoys the Baltimore aquarium and Baltimore in general. In fact, when my parents were dating as teenagers, they went to Baltimore and the Baltimore aquarium together many times. Before the Adventure Aquarium in Camden, the Baltimore Aquarium was the most enjoyable aquarium and the closest to us. I guess that was one of the day adventures they chose to continue to enjoy with their family.

To visit the Baltimore Aquarium virtually go to http://www.aqua.org/virtual-tour-baltimore/

Day 11 (Newport Rhode Island)

Newport Rhode Island was founded in 1639. It is the largest city on Aquidneck Island in Narragansett Bay. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 11.5 square miles, of which, 7.9 square miles of it is land and 3.5 square miles of it is water. The Newport Bridge, the longest suspension bridge in New England, connects Newport to neighboring Connecticut Island across the East Passage of the Narragansett. Aquidneck Island is home to many beaches, public and private. In Newport, the largest public beach, Easton's beach, or First Beach, has a view of the famed Cliff Walk. Along cliff walk is the famous Newport Mansions. Newport has one of the highest concentrations of colonial homes in the nation, in the downtown Newport Historic District, one of three National Historic Landmark Districts in the city. Many of these homes were restored in the late 20th century. As a result, Newport's colonial heritage is well-preserved and documented at the Newport Historical Society. In addition to the colonial architecture, the city is known for its Gilded Age mansions, which have also received extensive restoration from both private owners and non-profits such as the Preservation Society of Newport County. The most famous mansion is the Breakers. The house was built as a summer residence for Cornelius Vanderbilt II. The building of the home began in 1893 and was completed in just over two years. The house contains 70 rooms and covers nearly an acre of the 11 acre estate. A luxury of the Breakers was in the bathroom. In all bathrooms the tap dispensed a choice of freshwater or saltwater and also allowed the option of having cold or hot water for both choices. The great hall rises 45 feet and is lined with Caen stone and provides a grand fitting entrance into the home. Another mansion is the Elms. The mansion was commissioned in 1899 by Edward Julius Berwind. Completed in 1901 the reported cost was $1.4 million. The mansion was modeled after the mid-18th century French chateau d’ Asieres. The third most popular home is the Marble House. The Marble House is not the largest of the mansions, but it is most ornate. The house was built of 500,000 cubic feet of white marble. It took nearly four years to complete and cost $11 million. These are just some of the Mansions in Newport Rhode Island

As another birthday trip from my grandparents, I got to visit Newport Rhode Island. When we first got to Newport it was late and we were all tired. Our hotel was the Viking hotel. Let me tell you it was very strange. Our air conditioning did not work and when we told the management, they said to open the window. Being with my grandmother, she said absolutely not because one we had no idea where we were and the area was not a pleasant or safe place to be. So the next morning we packed up and moved to a Hyatt hotel which was much better. The rest of our four to five day vacation consisted of going and visiting the Mansions and homes of Newport. I was astonished to see the size and scale of these homes. In the breakers Mansion there was 24 karat gold on all the walls in every room. The amount of money these people must have had was astonishing. If given the chance I would define tely go back to Newport.

Day 10 (Bowling Green Kentucky)

Bowling Green Kentucky is the home of one of many Americans favorite car. In the corvette family there has been 6 generations. The first generation Corvette was introduced late in the 1953 model year and ended in 1962. 300 hand-built polo white Corvette convertibles were produced for the 1953 model year. The 1955 model offered the 265 cu in V8 engine as an option; however, the first seven off the production line featured the standard "Blue Flame" Inline-6. The first original 1953 corvette is located in the FC Kerbeck, a General motors dealer outside Atlantic City and the number one. To give a proper price range, a 1954 corvette white with red interior sold in a Barrett-Jackson Action for $65,000.

The second Generation production started for the 1963 model year and ended in 1967. Introducing a new name, "Sting Ray", the 1963 model was the first year for a Corvette coupe and it featured a distinctive tapering rear deck with, for 1963 only, a split rear window. The Sting Ray featured hidden headlamps, non-functional hood vents, and an independent rear suspension. Maximum power for 1963 was 360 bhp and was raised to 375 bhp in 1964.

The third generation Corvette, patterned after the Mako Shark II concept car, was introduced for the 1968 model year and lasted until 1982. C3 coupes featured the first use of T-top removable roof panels. It introduced monikers that were later revived, such as LT-1, ZR-1, and Collector Edition. The Corvette's 25th anniversary was celebrated in 1978 with a two-tone Silver Anniversary Edition and an Indy Pace Car replica edition. It was the first time that a Corvette was used as a Pace Car for the Indianapolis 500. Engines and chassis components were mostly carried over from the C2, but the body and interior were new. The 350 cu in engine replaced the 327 cu in as the base engine in 1969, but power remained at 300 bhp. 1969 was the only year for a C3 to optionally offer either a factory installed side exhaust, or normal rear exit with chrome tips. The all-aluminum ZL1 engine was new for 1969.The special big-block engine was listed at 430-hp, but was reported to produce 560 hp and propelled a ZL1 through the 1/4 mile in 10.89 seconds.

The fourth generation Corvette was the first all-new Corvette since 1963. The first c4 vette production year started in 1984 and lasted till 1996. Production was to begin for the 1983 model year but quality issues and part delays resulted in only 44 1983 model prototypes being produced that were never sold. All of the 1983 prototypes were destroyed except one with a white exterior, medium blue interior, L83 350ci, 205HP V8, and 4-speed automatic transmission. After extensive testing and modifications were completed, it was initially retired as a display sitting in an external wall over the Bowling Green Assembly Plant's employee entrance. Later this only surviving 1983 prototype was removed, restored and is now on public display at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky. It is still owned by GM. Regular fourth generation production began on January 3, 1983 as the 1984 model year and delivery to customers began in March 1983. The 1984 model carried over the 350 cu in L83 "Crossfire" V8 engine from the final 1982 third generation model. New chassis features were aluminum brake calipers and an all-aluminum suspension for weight savings and rigidity. The new one piece target top had no center reinforcement. A new electronic dashboard with digital liquid crystal displays for the speedometer and tachometer was standard. Beginning in 1985, the 230 bhp L98 engine with tuned port fuel injection was the standard engine.

The fifth generation Corvette production began in 1997 and ended with the 2004 model year. Chevrolet used cars like the Nissan 300ZX and Mazda RX-7 as benchmarks for quality and styling due to criticisms the C4 Corvette received when compared to Japanese rivals. The C5 had a top speed of 181 mph and was judged by the automotive press as improved in nearly every area over the previous Corvette design thanks to its much improved structural rigidity and much more curvaceous design. General Motors/ corvette celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2003. As a celebration their anniversary GM used the C5 corvette as the Anniversary vehicle. The anniversary car was the last car to be painted with a special type of paint. Also introduced with the C5 was GM's new LS1 small block. This third-generation small block V8 was completely redesigned for this car.

The sixth generation Corvette retained the front engine – rear transmission design of the C5, but was all new, including new bodywork with exposed headlamps (for the first time since 1962), a larger passenger compartment, a new 6.0 liter engine and a reworked suspension geometry. It has a longer wheelbase than the C5, but overall vehicle length and width are less to gain wider appeal to the European market. The 6.0L LS2 V8 produced 400 bhp at 6000 rpm and 424 lb•ft at 4400 rpm, giving the vehicle a 0–60 time of under 4.2 seconds. There are four models in the sixth generation corvette. The most common is the normal c6. The model above the normal c6 is the grand sport. 2nd to best model is the zo6. The top of the line c6 model is the zr1.

In my family we have three models of the six generations. The first corvette my family bought was a 1988 white c4 with a white convertible top and red interior. My father and grandfather went together to buy this car and it has been in my family ever since. The second car we acquired was the 50th anniversary c5 or as we call it the 50th. I remember when we first went to see the car at the Chevy dealership in Newtown pa. The first thing I said to my grandfather when I first saw the car was what all the white glue stuff was on the car. Little did I know that the car had not been fully unpackaged. The last and most resent corvette in our collection was a 2010 silver c6 zr1 with black and gray interior. My grandfather, father, and I went to the corvette factory in Bowling Green Kentucky. The trip and the car were for my grandfather’s birthday. It was a great time and we all enjoyed it. The way these cars come together is amazing and it really is an assembly line. While there I learned many things about the making of cars and the corvette. The secrets of making a corvette are strictly withheld and protected, but the way they are put together are much like other car factories. When we saw the car finally come off the line it was amazing. My dad was able to start the car for the first time.

The c7 corvette is on the drawing board for GM I am sure without a drought that my family will continue its tradition and will get this car as well. Also to probably bring the may boys even closer together then before we will probably go to the factory again.

To see the history of the corvette go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLosN8h9yKI

Day 9 (New York City)

New York traces its roots to its 1624 founding as a trading post by colonists of the Dutch Republic, and was named New Amsterdam in 1626. The city and its surrounds came under English control in 1664 and were renamed New York after King Charles II of England granted the lands to his brother, the Duke of York. New York served as the capital of the United States from 1785 until 1790. It has been the country's largest city since 1790. Many districts and landmarks in New York City have become well known to its approximately 50 million annual visitors, from Times Square to the brightly illuminated streets of the Broadway theater district. Another well-known landmark in NYC is one of the most widely known signs around the world, The Statue of Liberty. The statue greeted millions of immigrants as they came to America by ship in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and is a globally recognized symbol of the United States and its democracy.

Since New York City is so close to where we live, we can easily travel to the big apple by train and/or car. The first time I went to New York was to see the Rockettes at the Christmas show. It was also my first train ride. Stopping and letting people off and picking up new ones at each stop. The funny thing was when at one stop someone I knew got on. I couldn’t believe it, Katie my music teacher and her husband were also going to New York to see a show. What a small world. Our reason for riding the train to New York was to see the show, but we also wanted to see the big tree at Rockefeller Center. It’s true, the trees put in the center are huge and beautiful full of lights. I remember when we saw the Christmas special at Radio City Music Hall; the most interesting part of the show was when a live camel pooped right on the stage in front of these two people. In less than 5 minutes afterwards the people got up and left complaining.

Throughout my 14 years I have visited New York Many times. Our main reason for going to New York City is to see live performances on Broadway. My little sister Molly took her first trip to New York when she was only 1 ½, we went on Easter Sunday to see Mary Poppins. Molly was no problem during the show. As long as her snack bag was full she was quite. The scary part was when we watched the news that night at home and saw that there was a shooting in front of the theater we were in not 4 hours earlier. You never know what is going to happen so always be aware of your surroundings. Stay alert but mind your business.

Like I said, I’ve gone to New York to see a couple of Broadway shows. My most favorite show was Chitty Chitty Bang Bang the Musical. It was based off of one of my favorite classic movies. The ending of the show blew me away when chitty takes off from the stage and flies over the crowd. The car was actually above my head. It was amazing.

New York City is known as the Big Apple; the city that never sleeps by people around the world. Great talent, great architecture and great shopping. I’ve come to find out it also has great history in its role in forming the United States. That’s interesting to me. I enjoy learning about History of any kind.

Day 8 (Washington D.C.)

Washington D.C. is the home of the most powerful people, including the president of the United States. The white house is a heavily guarded fortress that allows the president at the time to have a workspace in the wings of the home and a family area on the second floor of the main building. This allows a most safe and secure location for whoever the president may be. The White House was built between 1792 and 1800. In 1814, during the War of 1812, the mansion was set on fire and left to burn by the British Army in the Burning of Washington, destroying the interior and much of the exterior. Reconstruction began almost immediately, and President James Monroe moved into the partially reconstructed house in October 1817. Construction continued with the addition of the South Portico in 1824 and the North in 1829. By 1948, the house's load-bearing exterior walls and internal wood beams were found to be close to failure. Under Harry S. Truman, the interior rooms were completely dismantled and a new internal load-bearing steel frame constructed inside the walls. Once this work was completed, the interior rooms were rebuilt. (To see a layout of the White house grounds go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktqgtlFjWRwh?v=ktqgtlFjWRw)

My first visit to Washington D.C. was when I was 10. The first birthday trip my grandparents took me on. Washington D.C. for a long weekend along with other surprises, one was that we were going to go into the White House. Never having even been outside the White House, I was so looking forward to seeing the inside. The wait was long. Minutes felt like hours as we waited to go through security and to enter. Once we got in, I was in Ah. It was Beautiful; the famous staircase was just as I had pictured. The East room, Green room, Blue room, Yellow room, and the Red room were all the colors the names promised. When we got to the end of the tour, we walked out onto the south lawn and proceeded through the Iron Gate that was locked behind us. The tour showed me everything that was meant for the public eye, but behind closed doors and up stairwells was the true White House.

Along with The White house there is another important building located atop Capitol Hill. At the eastern end of the National Mall is The United States Capitol, the meeting place of the United States Congress. A groundbreaking ceremony for the Capitol took place on September 18, 1793 officially starting its construction.(Go to this link to see the history of the US Capital Building: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmo-A_8HoOM)

Along with my visit to the White House, the other surprise was a tour of the US Capital Building. Before going to the capital, we needed to go to our states Representative, who at the time was Patrick Murphy. The capital was amazing. The history behind it was phenomenal. The capital played such a large role in the founding and building of the United States and its history is clearly displayed in its original beams and timbers. With British ammunition bullet holes and scorch marks plentiful, it was clear that this place had stood up to numerous attacks. The number of attacks is probably unimaginable. During another visit to Washington, Ih got to visit the capital building and Supreme Court with my 7th grade class. Both times were amazing and fun.

Both my visits to Washington D.C. were great. Finding all that history in one place and getting to visit one of the most renowned places of all time is something that I will never forget. I can’t wait to see were my school and Grandparents take me next.