The Valley Forge encampment is a hugely important part in the story of the foundation of the United States. After retreating from the Battle of Brandywine, General Washington moved his army to the high ground at Valley Forge in December of 1777. Over the next 6 months, battling the cold, disease, desertion, and famine, the army amazingly grew in numbers and strength and, with the help of Baron von Steuben, was transformed into a well-trained fighting force that ultimately went on to win the war against the British. The drive out from the city takes about 30 minutes depending on traffic. The tour includes a drive around the Valley Forge National Historic Park, which today is a beautifully kept and landscaped, natural setting filled with deer and birds. Regimental monuments dot the drive as well as recreations of the huts used by the men (and women) who camped here. You’ll have many chances to get out and wander among the huts, take photos across the park, and visit the site of George Washington’s headquarters and the Washington Memorial Chapel built in the early 1900s to commemorate this unique part of history. Your tour guide will regale you with many stories and then take you to the Visitor Center, where you can see a short movie about the encampment, browse in the store, and visit the museum area.