From Los Angeles to Idaho to Iowa to Pennsylvania, I finally traced the Young family back to Cecil County, Maryland. But here the trail went cold.
I found myself in Elkton, Maryland. The town had originally been named Head of Elk as it was at the head of the Elk River. Spent a few hours at the Cecil County Historical Society, but wasn’t able to disentangle the overlapping Young families. The volunteer researcher I talked to also said that the Presbyterians were “poor record keepers” and that most of the church records from the colonial period had been lost in a fire.
I crossed paths with a family of tourists as we walked past this real estate ad. The youngest boy whined, “I’m SO TIRED OF BENJAMIN FRANKLIN!” His older brother quickly corrected him, “That’s not Benjamin Franklin, dummy. That’s GEORGE WASHINGTON.”
As a fan of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, I had to check out Paddy’s Pub. Wait, no Guinness? Fuck this shit, I’m out.
Finally, some colonial era history to sink my teeth into.
And this is the place where Thomas Jefferson sat down and wrote the Declaration of Independence.
Visited the 
I found this room of life-sized Constitutional Convention attendee statues slightly disturbing.
I expressed my concerns to George Washington, privately.
Visited the 
Saw the grave of 
Visitors had decorate it with pennies in his honor, presumably because of his advice in 
Either way, it makes no sense to waste one’s hard-earned pennies this way.
Visited Philadelphia’s 
There was a distinct emphasis in eroticism that I had never noticed until seeing multiple Rodin pieces side by side.
Even this etude of Balzac’s musculature was unsparing in it’s nudity.
Most striking for me was an assemblage (or pile, really) of discarded, experimental heads from his work
Directly across the street from the Philadelphia Museum of Art is a grand monument to George Washington.
Like the four great rivers represented in Rome’s 
…elk…
…bear and cattle…
…and moose.
One of the things that always strikes me about these old, 19th century American cities is how much they have nooks and crannies that look like Gotham City. This stonework, rock outcropping, and street lamp beneath the 
Visited the 
This 
I was disturbed, as intended, by this 
I found it much more provocative than his famed 
Looking out from the museum, down the museum steps, to the Washington Monument and the Philadelphia skyline beyond.
Cathedral archways and entire chapel courtyards had been reconstructed indoors.
As well as Japanese homes.
And Buddhist temples.
The museum’s grand staircase.
Saw one of my favorite Van Gogh’s.
Peering up at the museum from outisde through the branches and bramble.
A statue of 
Philadelphia has a world class 
Already slightly 
A copy.
Nice statue of Washington. I guess.
When 
I was profoundly disappointed by the 
Philadelphia at dawn.