Part I of the Girls' Trip - Women's Rights National Historical Park, Seneca Falls, New York

Ready for Part I of the Girls' Getaway? Nine of us from three generations just returned from a wonderful two night escape. I am forever amazed by what can be found within a few hours of Conneaut Lake. I discovered so much more than I expected during our girls' getaway to Cayuga Lake. And, I feel like we barely scratched the surface of what was to be seen. Our Bed and Breakfast was in the small town of Seneca Falls. Seneca Falls, it turns out, was the birthplace of the Women's Rights movement and is home to The Women's Rights National Historical Park.

Four women, including Elizabeth Cady Stanton, held the first Women's Rights Convention in the very small town of Seneca Falls in 1848. Above, we're all sitting on the porch of the Stanton home. You can see the home's entry and stairwell below.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton had more energy than anyone I know. While raising her seven children (without help for the most part), she oversaw the renovation of her home (at a time when women weren't even allowed to own property), and organized the first Women's Rights Convention.

The Women's Rights Convention was held in the Wesleyan Chapel (below). On the first day of the convention, only women were invited so that women could speak freely without the influence of men. Prior to the convention, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, among others, drafted the Declaration of Sentiments, which was very similar to the Declaration of Independence, but gave women equal status to men.

I loved the chapel renovation, which left as much of the original structure exposed as possible. You can see the original ceiling beams and brick structure below. Three hundred people, including Frederick Douglass and Lucretia Mott, attended the convention. By the end of the convention, 68 women and 32 men signed the Declaration.