Philly!

I decided to treat myself this President's Day with some time away from the city. So, I picked the place where the American presidency began - Philadelphia! My ulterior motive for visiting was the King Tutankhamen exhibit at the Franklin Institute. The rest was an added benefit.

I've been to Philly, but I've never been to Philly, if you know what I mean. I arrived Sunday morning with surprising ease and found Bill Penn's grid system easy peasy to manage. I originally booked my room at the Crowne Plaza on Market St, but decided against it. I wanted to stay in the Old City part of town. Boy was I glad I made that change. Nothing against Crowne Plaza, but it's near the convention center in an area that becomes so-so at night. Nevertheless, I booked with Best Western-Independence Park Inn on Chestnut St. At first, I was pleased when they upgraded me to a king room. However, upon entering the room it smelled distinctly like cigarettes. I swear the previous guests lit up in that non-smoking room. Still, other than that, everything went smooth. In the US history sense, my hotel was smack dab in the center of it all. I was only a few blocks from the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, among others. A perfect choice.

On a patriotic scale of 10, I would consider myself teetering between 5 and 6. I'm proud of my country, but quick to admit its faults. However, I will stand up for her against ignorant remarks and hypocrisy from other countries. I have a sense of humor and can joke about this place with all its foibles and un canniness. But watch out, I'm like Irish brothers when she's being unfairly bashed. Let me tell you though, there is nothing like a visit to a national monument to induce waves of patriotism in oneself. By the end of the day, I was plotting to invade any country that didn't agree with us and practically ready to join some crazy Sean Hannity fan club! Kidding!

Here are some of the highlights of my trip aside from the King Tut exhibit (which I'll write about in another post).

The Liberty Bell - Free to get in, I was surprised at how small it really is. Although the line was long, it moved fairly quickly.

Independence Hall - Another freebie. This is thee place. The place where it all began. The place where our founders officially kicked King George III to the curb. Nothing can describe the feeling of being here. There are only a handful of rooms, but the architecture is stunning. There is total symmetry inside. If there are three windows, two panels and one frieze on one side of the room, it's going to be on the other side too. The balance stands out at you. Colonial Feng Shui!

Ben Franklin's Grave (Christ Church) - Not hard to find, it's covered with coins. Legend has it that if you toss a penny onto Ben's grave and it lands heads up, you'll have good luck for a year. I couldn't resist, but I wasn't able to see how my penny landed.

Elfreth's Alley - The nation's oldest residential street. I love old houses, especially the ones in those little nooks and crannies.

Free Quaker's Meeting House - These were the Quakers who supported the war for independence. Because their beliefs went against the non-violent ways of their faith, they were cast out of their churches. So, they banded together and started the Free Quakers.

Hop On, Hop Off Trolley Tour - I really recommend this tour. It takes you through all of central Philadelphia, even the bad part. Afterwards, I felt as if my visit was complete. The commentary is entertaining and insightful. For instance, did you know that the police headquarters building looks like a pair of handcuffs from the air? Now you know!

Reading Terminal Market - I stayed for so long in this place, and I'm so glad I did, because I was in total awe of it. It's a huge indoor food market that focuses on local businesses. You won't find a McDonald's here.

Bassetts Ice Cream - Excellent mint chocolate chip ice cream.
Kauffman's Lancaster County Produce - Run by Amish people (at least they looked Amish!), I purchased fresh ground peanut butter from them.
Metropolitan Bakery - Test tasted some yummy Creme Fraiche bread.
Blue Mountain Vineyards & Cellars - Bought some semi-sweet red table wine called "Victoria's Passion".
Old City Coffee - Strong and packed some punch.
Spice Terminal - Picked up some rum extract for a second go on the avocado milkshakes.
Foster's Gourmet Cookware - Bought this way cool palm peeler.
Mezze - Delicious bruschetta pizza.

I'm ashamed to admit that I didn't try a Philly cheese steak. What with almost everyone claiming to be either the first or the best in the city, I wasn't hungry enough to attempt one. Maybe next time...