A Taste of Philly
On the History Highway, Day 35PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania— After spending a couple of days in the outskirts of the city, we finally made our way into Philadelphia today. Sadly, as we drove in on Germantown Avenue, we were greeted by block after block of urban decay. One of Philadelphia's oldest areas, Germantown was originally settled by German-speaking Mennonite and Quaker immigrants from Holland, Germany and Switzerland who were attracted to Philadelphia by William Penn's promises of religious tolerance.
By the 1930s, the fortunes of this once prospering area had begun to decline. Today, metal door gates and window bars are the norm. Streets are littered with debris, and hundreds of commercial buildings and row houses sit empty with windows boarded up or broken out.
Entering the Center City, we found conditions significantly better. Streets and sidewalks were free of trash and the police presence was evident. This area is home to most of Philly's tallest buildings, including its famed City Hall, the world's second tallest masonry building.
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City Hall (center) |
Visiting Independence National Historical Park this afternoon, we were introduced to the Philadelphia pride in the city's place in history. As we waited in line for a tour of Independence Hall, the park ranger on duty told us proudly that the copy of the Declaration of Independence on display in the nearby Congress Hall was the oldest one in existence, since the copy at the Library of Congress was executed weeks later after delegates decided it required signatures.
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Independence Hall |
Arriving at our hotel well after lunchtime, we were eager to find a place to eat on our way to Independence Hall. Thanks to our old buddy Yelp, just two blocks from our Convention Center area hotel, we found ourselves in foodly paradise.
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Reading Terminal Market |
Once we realized this afternoon how many places we want to visit in Philly, we decided to extend our stay to three nights, so we're looking forward to seeing more of what this historical city has to offer in the next couple of days. Most of the historically significant sites are within walking distance of our hotel. And there's also a special Van Gogh exhibit at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
(when the light bulb finally clicked on after some fruitless searching for a letterbox at Ivy Hill Cemetery)
Ken: "Oh, this is a no brainer."
Dianne: "Great! We should be qualified to find it."
More Photos from Today
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Limb from fallen tree had grown into new "tree" with no roots |
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Excellent Independence Visitor Center |
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Dude who drove his friend to Starbucks for a puppuccino |
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As opposed to what? Go on red? Floor it on yellow? |