Philadelphia
Americana
Philadelphia was a great time. There is a lot to do there. And not a destination people think of first. It took a bit of thinking on my part to even think of it as a destination for a vacation. My current wife and I went here. Our flight there had issues. Our flight from Boston to Philadelphia was cancelled and we had to take a later flight. Being from the Midwest, the accent in Boston was different. There was a flight near our terminal that was going to Charlotte and, for whatever weird reason, I always found it amusing when they were making announcements for the flight to “Shaw lit”. We of course visited the Liberty Bell and walked by Independence Hall. We did not make it by the Betsy Ross house even though it is close to there. We did, however, take a horse carriage ride around the area of the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. They pointed out churches, buildings, and houses of famous people in American history, This was one of the highlights of the trip, especially when there was a guy along the street playing his saxophone.
Old City Hall and One Liberty Observation Deck
One of the big sights I liked in Philadelphia was the old city hall. There is a few brief scenes of this building in “Law Abiding Citizen”, and it was amazing to see in person. The Hop On Hop Off bus tour guide said that apparently at one point they wanted to tear it down, but it was going to be too cost prohibitive. It was cheaper to keep it standing than remove it. I’m OK with this – once again, the old buildings give a sense of being “always there”. It was also said that William Penn being on the top was ironic because he was a Quaker, and they don’t do statues of people. The third picture I have is a view of the top of the old city hall from One Liberty Observation Deck.
The Observation Deck is fun, because you enter from the bottom and you see the feet of Benjamin Franklin. Then when you get to the top, where you can actually see the skyline, the head of Benjamin Franklin is present.
Eastern State Penitentiary
Another place to visit is Eastern State Penitentiary. Al Capone was imprisoned here. Now, the place is in shambles. Even with it in bad condition, you can see how bad conditions were in comparison to what we would expect today. Here are a few pictures I took.
Reading Terminal Market
Reading Terminal Market was an amazing sight. Tons of food vendors of all different kinds. The place is massive and has a busy but pleasant atmosphere.
Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Along Benjamin Franklin Parkway, you can see the Love and Amor monuments.
Also along Benjamin Franklin Parkway is Logan Square, which has a pond that’s pretty cool. I remember there was story behind us that they told us on the Hop On Hop Off bus, but I honestly don’t remember.
Other places we checked out in that area included The Franklin Institute. This is more kid geared in my opinion – and nerd geared I suppose. I would have loved to spend more time there – filled with all sorts of scientific shenanigans to amuse. They also have an IMAX theater in the building. We ended up watching a documentary on Engineers. They of course have the Benjamin Franklin statue as you come in. One of the cool things we saw there was the pendulum on display – it’s a few floors tall and cool to look at from a few floors up from the bottom.
Close by The Franklin Institute is The Academy of Natural Sciences and further up the Parkway is the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Apparently the Museum of Art is famous for a dude named Rocky – they have his statue off to the side. Also close by was a station for the Pennsylvania Railroad. I had no idea the railroads in Monopoly were so linked with the area.
If you head south of The Franklin Institute you can visit the Mütter Museum. They have all sorts of human stuff to see, from skeletons to brains to everything else that you might or might not find gross or interesting about the human body.
Lodging and Food
Of all the odd things to not do in Philadelphia, I did not have a Philly sandwich. Just doesn’t appeal to me. A lot of the time we ate cheap or ordered DoorDash when we got back from traveling during the day. The Prime Rib is an amazing place to eat and probably my personal highlight for food. It is attached to the place we stayed at, The Warwick Hotel at Rittenhouse Square.
Conclusion
This vacation was different. It was my first time in a city where skyscrapers housed normal stores and living quarters for blocks. It is a much different look and atmosphere than the flat area I’m used to where everything is built horizontal and vertical. Having Old Navy and CVS pharmacy with two floors was only something I had seen at gigantic malls where the store itself is huge. The stores in the area we stayed at were no bigger than a normal size store from back home, maybe smaller, and had to have two floors. The attractions were very nice to visit. There were many things I had never seen ever and others that I had seen in pictures but finally got to be around. Definitely a change from home. It was a great adventure, and one I will not forget.