Philadelphia - Day 2

Up at 6 a.m., breakfast and out the door to Independence Hall. Shall we talk about security checks for all and then stand around and wait for the allotted time to go inside along with about five hundred of your closest strangers? Luckily, the weather was cool and cloudy and there was plenty of time to take pictures in the courtyard, park and around the buildings. It is quite a feeling to be surrounded by so much history. The actual places where the government was formed back in the days when the patriots were in truth traitors to the British government give the aura of chance, dare and danger all becoming a good thing, rather than a failed revolution. I kept reliving moments all day of the movie, National Treasure. All those same places and tidbits of info.

We eventually got inside and sat through an interesting intro to politics in the 1760s and the ensuing drama of the Continental Congress' infighting, uncertainty and then poignant agreement to actually declare independence. We saw the Declaration of Independence and some original drafts of the Articles of the Confederation and were whisked through buildings efficiently and with just enough history information to keep us all happy. Next step was off to the Congress Hall and then the Liberty Bell. All of the docents and programs were informative, organized and very amiable. As I waited to cross the street a while later a National Park Employee tried to give me a free ticket for an upcoming trek through it all again. Once was enough for this trip.

Next stop was the National Liberty Museum a few blocks away. We all glimpsed Ben Franklin sitting in the nearby Franklin Square as we waited. Didn't look too bad for his age really. The National Liberty Museum is a museum dedicated to freedom and heroism. The exhibits covered four floors and is a wealth of information about people who have inspired and been heroic. The stairwells are covered in pictures of all the firefighters and police who died in 9/11. A worthy tribute indeed. Well worth the visit if you are coming to Philadelphia. We had a guided tour that lasted an hour and a half or so and we were so toured out, hungry and sick of standing that we nearly raced for lunch when we were done.

Lunch at a sidewalk cafe with the group was a lovely treat where the food was delicious and relatively reasonable in price for the big city. We barely had time to rest our feet before we headed off to Betsy Ross' house, Christ Church and finally Elfreth's Alley. A small note here about each:
Betsy Ross lived in a tiny, place with a huge family. A reenacter seemed very much like you would imagine her to be, but all those kids in that tiny house just haunted me the whole time. She had nine and seven survived to adulthood. It's a great place to take kids with an enchanting courtyard and a handful of reenactors who were kind and in character to each and every person they encountered.

Christ Church was a beautiful and inspiring place in both architecture and history. The church where most of the founding fathers held court on Sunday mornings, we were able to sit in the Franklin or Washington pews, view the amazing and beautiful architecture decorating every corner and even walk on the gravestones which make up the floors of the church interior (that felt a bit strange I'll admit). We viewed the 600 plus year old baptismal font that was sent here from Europe that William Penn had been baptised in (before he became a Quaker) It is still in frequent use today.

Elfreth's Alley is an alley of private homes with the exception of the one we toured that was the 'worker' housing back in the 1700s. It was quaint, tiny and gave us all the true flavor of what life was like for the average person back in those Declaration Days.

On the way back to the hotel we took a short sidetrip to Benjamin Franklin's grave. The cemetary was closed, but his grave is right next to the wrought iron fence and we got the chance to throw a penny on his tombstone. We ruminated that he might be turning over in his grave or laughing hysterically at this fate since one of his famous quotes was, 'A penny saved is a penny earned.'

Back on the bus for the Southside of Philly and Geno's or Pat's competition. The two prima Philly cheese steak establishments, across the square from one another gave the bus driver a nervous stomach enroute on the narrow streets but once there, we broke into two groups to figure out which was better. I have my own opinion....Sue's Mill at Canadohta Lake, PA. Enough said!

As we got off the bus and came inside our nearly twelve hour day was over our feet were sore, our minds were overcrowded and they had Sam Adams on tap in the hotel bar. Our group sat around ruminating about our day, our TAH experiences and what tomorrow will bring. Not quite as hectic, but full to the brim with more of Philadelphia. My feet are up now, sneakers off and it feels like heaven....