Today is our last day on the east coast with stops other than those sleep overs needed to continue traveling during the day.  We have had a great time on this trip and have seen and discovered a lot about the history of the nation.  I have always been interested in history and I am generally reading a history or biographical book of one kind or another.

Currently, I am reading "American Lion" by Jon Meacham which is a comprehensive look at Andrew Jackson during his two terms in the White House.  Jackson was struggling against Southerners and the Nullifiers out of South Carolina regarding the preservation of the Union.  The Southerners rebelled against what Jackson called an equal distribution of the benefits and burden of the Union between all the states.  The Federal Union, as Jackson called it, was not seen as something the Southern Delegation wanted.  Concerned over South Carolina's sovereignty some Southerners predicted civil war "if something is not done to conciliate the discontents which prevail at this time".

Enter Edward Livingston from Louisiana who rose to speak to the to the Senate in 1830.  His speech went on for hours and hours.  While speaking on tariff, internal improvement, disposition of public lands and the powers of the Senate in relation to the appointments process.  He believed in debate and the interchange of opinion without personality or partisanship.  During his speech he stated, "The cost of partisanship for partisanship's sake-of seeing politics as blood sport, where the kill is the only object of the exercise-was, Livingston said, too high for a free society to pay.  Differences of opinion and doctrine and personality were one thing, and such distinctions formed the natural bases of what Livingston called "the necessary and ...the legitimate parties existing in all free Governments."

It seems that it is true.  If you want to see where you are going, look at where you have been.  The more I read and learn about the inner workings of the early government it becomes apparent that nothing has really changed through the decades.

We are relaxing today and with the possible exception of meeting up with our son and his family later this afternoon, we will be doing little or nothing.  The weather is extremely hot with 90+ degrees and 100% humidity.  Last night the skies opened up, lit up with lightning followed by loud, booming thunder and hard rain fall.  It was very interesting between midnight and four in the morning.

We have had a nice stay here at the Cherry Hill RV Park.  There are lots of amenities.  There is a lady who lives close to the park and comes in and will walk your dog while you are off for the day seeing the sites.  This is a nice option to have when you leave on the bus and don't return for eleven hours.  Two pools, a ballroom, large office and store, waterfall pond area, miniature golf, the Star Cafe and a staff that seems to be interested in making your stay as monumental as possible.  I highly recommend the park and it is pretty close to everything you might want to see around the D.C. area.

Hope all is well and thanks for stopping by.