Not Just for Kids

Summer vacations: real and imagined

Junior Reporter Ariel Brumbaugh, fresh from summer vacation, gives us a peek at the possibilities

 

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania A city of history, modern art, fun and excitement. This old city is the home town of Ben Franklin and home of the Liberty Bell. On my trip there, I kept a diary.

 

Dear Diary,

I'm in my grandparents' car on the way to Philadelphia. There isn't much to see but street signs and passing cars. I am squished in the back seat with my mom and sister. However, we're about to stop at a doughnut shop, and then I can ride up front with my grandfather. I can't wait to get to Philadelphia.

 

Dear Diary,

No news, except I am sitting up front! We're almost there and the chocolate doughnut I had was delicious! We played Twenty Questions, the topic being Philadelphia. So far we've learned that in Philadelphia there are raccoons, the Liberty Bell and that Betsy Ross and Ben Franklin lived there.

 

Dear Diary,

It's tonight and I've had a great day. We had a bit of trouble finding the hotel, but we finally got here. We unloaded and just took off and walked somewhere. First we saw the Liberty Bell. It was very large and it looked aged. There was a crack in it that had been best repaired by the makers of the bell. We learned the two people who made it were not very well known and did not do an excellent job. The bell also has Bible verses on it.

Then we went to Independence Hall. It was not as exciting as the Liberty Bell, mainly because there were only two rooms with hardly anything from 1732. The two rooms were the Congress Hall and the Assembly Room. Outside in the ground are metal plaques that tell who stood where when giving speeches to the people of Philadelphia. That was pretty cool.

Then we decided it was time to go to lunch. We went to a restaurant called Bookbinders. The food was great.

Then we went to see Ben Franklin's grave. My sister begged Mom to let us go on a tour of the city in a horse-drawn carriage. On this tour we heard about a museum, so we decided to go and see it. When you first walk in, there's a huge mosaic of a waterfall and mountains and trees. It was awesome. I have never seen anything like it!

 

Dear Diary,

Last night my family and I went to see My Favorite Martian. It was okay. The whole time I could hear my mom talking about the old My Favorite Martian. This morning we went to see the Betsy Ross House. Betsy Ross was born in 1752, which is a very long time ago. She hasn't yet been proven to be the first maker of the American Flag; however, she is still an American hero. Then we went to Ben Franklin Square. We saw an actual size model of Ben's house and workshop along with an underground museum. I've had a lot of fun here and hope to come back to Philadelphia soon.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

Print it out!

 Across

4. It floats, you don't

7. Horseshoe ____

8. "_____ Growth"

11. Person who makes a living catching seafood

14. Bird that only eats live fish

15. ____ bass: Maryland's state fish

17. Soggy land

18. Patuxent is one

 Down

1. Type of boat powered by wind

2. _____________ ___ Retriever

3. Martinak State ______

5. What a farmer drives when plowing a field

6. Ocean _____, Maryland

9. Type of boat Native Americans used

10. More than one goose

12. Bay animal that filters 50 gallons of water a day

13. "Snag" is a standing dead ______

16. White perch is one

No family vacation coming up?

Use your imagination! Here are some fantasy trips that these kids are longing to take!

 

"I would go on a trip around the world!"

-Kirby Ahlstrom, 8
Lothian Elementary

 

"I would go back in time with dragons, wizards and mystical stuff!"

-Emelia Brumbaugh, 9
Lothian Elementary

 

"If I could go anywhere I would go to Paris!"

-Allison Russel, 11
'99 Lothian Elementary graduate

 

"I have always wanted to go to Australia!"

-Catherine Kirk, 13
St. Bernadette's

Bad Jokes Recycled Here

How do you stop an elephant from charging?

Kids' Calendar

Fun Friday Fri. July 23 (noon-2pm)-Take a stroll thru a park, munch on lunch and dive into a pool on a Friday afternoon. Bring your family, picnic basket and swimsuit to Kings Landing Park, Huntingtown. rsvp: 410/535-5327.

Go Batty Fri. July 23 (7-8pm)-Learn the battiest myths about these flying creatures. Discover why bats are important to the environment. Patuxent Research Refuge North, off Rt.198 Between BW Parkway and Rt. 32 in Laurel: 410/674-3304.

Get Wet Sat. July 24 (9am-1pm)-Bring a blanket and lunch to join in the wet and wild three-legged race, baton relay, crab walk or water balloon toss. Prizes for winners, most spirited team and wackiest-named team. Ages 6+. Hallowing Point Park, Prince Frederick: 410/257-6770.

Meet a Mistress Sat. July 24 (1-4pm)-Talk w/the mistress of a Civil War era plantation. Make a commemorative envelope. Enjoy this Star-Spangled Saturday @ Maryland Historical Society, 201 W. Monument St., Baltimore. $4 w/discount: 410/685-3750.

Run, Raptors! Sun. July 25 (1-2pm)-Wonder how these preying birds catch their dinner? Find out. Learn how raptors soar, dive, hover and pounce. Patuxent Research Refuge North, off Rt.198 Between BW Parkway and Rt. 32 in Laurel: 410/674-3304.

Create a Collage Mon. July 26 (10:30am)-Improve fine and gross motor skills thru craft activities. Work with shapes, colors and textures. Kids learn about waterlife by making a fish collage. Ages 3-5. Zany Brainy, Annapolis: 410/266-1447.

Sing a Story July 27 & 28 (10:30am & 2pm)-Storyteller and musician Bill Wood delights children with tickling and tearful tales. Listen to guitar, harmonica and drum beats echo with his words. Even cook up a story soup. July 27 10:30am @ Prince Frederick Rescue Squad; July 27 2pm @ Dunkirk Fire Department; July 28 10:30am @ Northeast Community Center, Chesapeake Beach; July 28 2pm @ Southern Community Center, Lusby: 410/535-0291.

Answers Across: 4. Lifejacket 7. Crab 8. Smart 11. Waterman 14. Osprey 15. Striped 17. Wetland 18. River Down: 1. Sailboat 2. Chesapeake Bay 3. Park 5. Tractor 6. City 9. Canoe 10. Geese 12. Oyster 13. Tree 16. Fish

Answer: Take away his credit card.

| Issue 29 |

Volume VII Number 29
July 22-28, 1999
New Bay Times

| Homepage |
| Back to Archives |