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Published: August 26th 2019
Each year, I usually outline a general path of travel and then select one or two major events that could be “massaged” into my itinerary by adding a week here and deleting a week there. This year found only one event making the final cut – the celebration of Independence Day in Philadelphia PA. A brief glance showed that all the Pennsylvania RV parks were a minimum one-hour drive from city center, and my attempts to find an RV park relatively close to a mass transit station were futile as well. After spending several hours in vain scouring the Pennsylvania options, I decided to look outside the box and examine New Jersey – just across the Delaware River from the target in my crosshairs, the City of Brotherly Love. I learned that the Port Authority Transit Corporation (
PATCO) Woodcrest Station in Cherry Hill NJ is 15 miles from the Philadelphia South/Clarksboro KOA in Clarksboro NJ. I also learned that round-trip fare is only $6.00 to the Eighth and Market Station, which is only three city blocks from the
Independence Visitor Center, the pulse of historic Philadelphia. I also learned that parking is free 24/7 in PATCO’s remote parking lots and in the closer
lots after 10 AM. Since the toll over the Ben Franklin Bridge is $10.00 round trip, the parking lot fees in downtown Philadelphia would be substantial and the aggravation would be incalculable; boys and girls, this exercise quickly became a no-brainer. If someone had told me fifty years ago that my first experience with a New Jersey commuter train/subway would be when I was 70, I’d have declared them insane.
The trip from Ramblin' Pines Family Campground & RV Park in Woodbine MD to Philadelphia South/Clarksboro KOA was just under 2 hours and 126 miles according to GoogleMaps. The drive went without a glitch; found me negotiating metropolitan free and toll interstates, tunnels and bridges; and found me arriving at my destination unscathed. The northbound exit from I-295 (and the northbound entrance ramp to I-295) is on the same road as the KOA, and the northbound exit for Woodcrest Station leads directly to the Woodcrest Station parking lots. The return trip on both ends is less straightforward but nothing the GPS couldn’t handle. The area adjacent to I-295 is replete with trucking centers, repair shops and other support services, but the KOA is about 1 ½ miles from the
And I Thought Sinkholes Were Only in Florida
Miscellany Encountered in Philadelphia’s “Old City”Interstate (a mile from the truck terminals) so there is no truck or Interstate traffic noise.
Over the winter, I had scrutinized the Philadelphia visitor packet I had ordered and had a pretty good recall for the “plan of attack.” I want y’all on the same page as me, sooo – Philadelphia is comprised of a couple dozen neighborhoods or areas, and the kind folks at the
Philadelphia Convention and Visitor Bureau have included a nice map of “Philadelphia City Center” in the Official Visitors Guide. From here on, I’ll refer to the greater downtown area as City Center and the historic core, which the map identifies as the “Old City Cultural District” as Old City. I recalled that Philadelphia makes a big deal out of Independence Day – exactly what Uncle Larry had hoped for when he set Philly in his crosshairs. The sanctioned activities kicked off on Saturday, June 29, 2019 and ended on Thursday, July 4, 2019. That’s five days and nights of “Party Hardy” (I’ll call it the Birthday Bash) leading up to the Independence Day activities themselves. Now, keep this in mind. My experience was over the Independence Day holiday, and I doubt I was not the only
Walking Around INHP Held Many Pleasant Surprises
Miscellany Encountered in Philadelphia’s “Old City” country bumpkin with the same “Eureka moment.” Things might be very different, even during peak vacationers’ season, away from the holiday week, and probably are very different in the off season. (Probable) pluses and minuses – fewer people but fewer really, really cool activities.
I wanted to review my notes, double check attraction details and incorporate the week-long Birthday Bash festivities into my itinerary, so Thursday, June 27, 2019 was spent at the Bighorn. A marginal weather forecast helped make my decision to remain a homebody a little easier. On Friday, I found the drive to PATCO’s Woodcrest Station much easier than I had envisioned. As I walked into the station, I realized I hadn’t ridden a subway since I was in Washington DC in April 2012 to attend the Cherry Blossom Festival amongst other things. I made my way to the correct platform, but, you know, it took me forever to get used to catching the westbound train to reach Philadelphia! Philadelphia has always been in an easterly direction. I hit one proverbial “bump in the road” (it didn’t even qualify as a pothole) while getting from the RV park to downtown Philadelphia – I failed to ask
Nice but Not Spectacular by Day …
Miscellany Encountered in Philadelphia’s “Old City” for directions after exiting the train at the 8th and Market Streets Station, in the Old City area. That found me walking through a very interesting subterranean shopping mall and emerging a block or so from where I had expected. I told you it didn’t even qualify as a pothole. Once I got my bearings, I walked to
Independence Visitor Center and got my handful of questions answered.
One of those questions related to a public transportation tool labeled PHLASH®. The
Philly PHLASH® Downtown Loop is a visitor-friendly public transit service that provides access to 20 stops located near many of the “must-see” attractions, from
Penn's Landing (on the Delaware Riverfront in Old City ) to
Fairmount Park. At $2 per ride, $5 for a One-Day Pass and $8 for a Two-Day Pass (available for two consecutive days as an online-exclusive deal), it is the most affordable way, next to walking, to get around Center City. According to GoogleMaps, the walk from Penn’s Landing on the Delaware River to the most distant PHLASH® destination, the
Philadelphia Museum of Art (home to the “Rocky Steps” and the “Rocky Statue”) is three miles +/- 1/10th (depending upon your chosen path) and is a 1.6-mile walk from the Philadelphia Museum of Art
to PATCO’s 15/16th & Locust Streets Station – the western “end-of-the-line” PATCO station and the closest to the museum. Don’t worry, you’ll be doing plenty of walking. There’s just no other way to cut it, but PHLASH® can reduce the wear and tear on your soles.
Now, here’s the fly in the ointment. PHLASH® operates from 10 AM until 6 PM daily. Walking was no problem (I never felt in danger during my two-week stay and all the streets are well-marked), but the service termination is something to keep in mind if you plan to watch the sunset from the Observation Deck of
One Liberty Place or plan to wine and dine at the multitude of fine eateries removed from the Old City neighborhood or plan to ascend the “Rocky Steps” after the heat of the day. One of the Birthday Bash “extras” on tap was the showing of the 1976 movie Rocky where the celebrated steps would serve as the seating for the audience. (That was just one of three movie offerings presented at different locations during the Birthday Bash.) Of course, the movie wouldn’t start until after darkness had prevailed and wouldn’t finish until two hours later. Then a
1 ½ -mile walk to the subway, a wait for the subway, a subway ride, a walk to the truck and a drive to the RV park was yet to come. Quick math got me home sometime after 1 AM so I opted out of the movie. Of course, an Uber or a taxi would have been an option, but even those would be thwarted by the sheer volume of pedestrian traffic leaving the movie such that walking probably would have been just as fast! Several activities kept me busy until well after dark, but all of those were in the Old City.
After getting my questions answered on that first day, I went to the National Park Service desk to check on ticket availability for
Independence Hall. Independence Hall is a very unique animal wherein a timed ticket is required for entry. The tickets are free but are issued on a first come, first served basis, and a midmorning arrival might find the visitor lucky enough to get a late afternoon tour time. Another option for those of us who need a couple of cups of morning joe (not capitalized) to get going is to secure a ticket online
Staying for the Fireworks Has Perks
Miscellany Encountered in Philadelphia’s “Old City” for a $1.00 surcharge, but many of the next day tours during the prime arrival hours (9 AM-1 PM) are full. A day or two in advance is more promising, which is exactly what Uncle Larry did, but weather then becomes an issue. The day of my ticketed tour, I awoke to “raining snakes and scorpions.” Yes, it was nastier that cats and dogs outside. Weather caused several “kept me on my toes” modifications throughout my stay. The long story made short is that even with three attempts, I failed to see the interior of Independence Hall. Sorry, folks. This fair-weather tourist won’t stand in line in the rain for a free Reba concert. Weather caused several modifications and cancellations, but, “It is what it is!”
Independence National Historical Park is not a single plot of real estate like most parks (national or otherwise) but, rather, a group of small neighboring parcels falling under one administrative umbrella, the National Park Service. The core of Independence National Historical Park is four contiguous blocks containing (north to south) the National Constitution Center, Independence Visitor Center, Liberty Bell Center and Independence Hall. Little else is on those four blocks so there is lots of green
space and an unobstructed view from the National Constitution Center to Independence Hall. Upon leaving the Q & A session at the Independence Visitor Center on Friday, I crossed the street and almost, literally, stumbled on
The President's House Site, located just steps from the Liberty Bell Center. The 24-hour site allows visitors to view through a large glass vitrine (their word, not mine, but I learned something new) the archaeological fragments of the nation’s first executive mansion that were unearthed in 2007. Adjacent to the vitrine (I love it!), is an open-air exhibit, “The President’s House: Freedom and Slavery in the Making of a New Nation.” The placards, timelines and video snippets explore the paradox of slavery and freedom at the site where Presidents George Washington and John Adams lived during their terms and where nine enslaved people served the leaders of a new “free” nation. Thought provoking, convenient and worth 10-15 minutes of your time.
While wandering around looking for a late breakfast/early lunch, I happened on
Old City Hall, the location where the Supreme Court of the United States met from 1791-1800. A Park Service Ranger was on duty to provide a quick narrative and answer questions, and the free attraction
is worth a ten-minute stop. After lunch (breakfast wasn’t an option), I began what I thought would be a good familiarization tool – the
Self-Guided Walking Tour of Independence National Historical Park. The tour covers an area of about six blocks by seven blocks with minimal backtracking. Having a two-week visit, I considered myself an intermediate-length visitor and opted to use this time as a familiarization day to develop a foundation for further exploration, to complete the tour without visiting any of the venues and to return to my chosen attractions at a different time. The short-term visitor might want to select their “most appealing” attractions beforehand and pursue a methodical Point A to Point B to Point C approach.
Rather than providing a litany of this day and that, I’ll just provide a list of the “everyday” attractions I visited and then a listing of the Birthday Bash special events I managed to squeeze into my weather-abbreviated schedule. The aforementioned
Liberty Bell Center is another “must see” attraction that merely requires a wait in line. Once through the security checkpoint, placards speak of the history of the bell, provide quotes by famous folks about the bell at various points in its history and outline how the bell
has been utilized (or used as the case might be) to inspire and/or sanction various agendas over time. When the placards have run their course, “Thar she blows!” – or would that be clangs? Pretty cool.
The visitor begins the
National Constitution Center experience with a stirring 17-minute journey from 1787 to the present.
Freedom Rising is a multimedia theatrical production with 360-degree projection, state-of-the-art sound and lighting and a live actor who narrates the American quest for freedom. After the presentation, the visitor exits at the upper level of the theater and proceeds to a timeline on the second floor, “Building to Crisis.” The timeline opens after the Constitutional Convention in 1787 wherein compromises about the issue of slavery (the Slave Trade Clause, the Fugitive Slave Clause and the Three-Fifths Clause) garnered sufficient Southern support to gain ratification of the Constitution. The timeline continues through the election of Abraham Lincoln, the Emancipation Proclamation and the Civil War. Then it examines post-war reconstruction efforts, the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments and the interpretation of those Amendments by the courts from 1873 to 1967. Next, we are reminded that “the ground below your feet once supported a bustling neighborhood” where numerous archaeological
artifacts found during the demolition/construction of the National Constitution Center are on display. The exhibit continues with Signers’ Hall which brings to life the final day of the Constitutional Convention in the Assembly Room of the Pennsylvania State House, now known as Independence Hall, on September 17, 1787. The visitor can walk among life-size sculptures of the Founding Fathers who added their name to the Constitution (as well as those who dissented) – George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, James Madison and Alexander Hamilton – and can pose with a Founding Father or two. Okay, I suppose you youngsters can take a selfie. Watching folks take a selfie is amazing. Watch their feet and legs get positioned just so perfectly for a photo that captures from mid-torso up. What’s up with that! National Constitution Center culminates with a display of the state flags. Very impressive and worthwhile.
One of the more impressive attractions I visited is the lesser-known
National Liberty Museum. From the web site, “The NLM brings liberty to life through stories of people whose character and courage have expanded liberty for all. The Museum’s exhibits, educational experiences and public programs inspire visitors to think about liberty as an ongoing human quest
that we all share.” The literature states the facility has eight galleries focusing on heroism, freedom, diversity and faith and includes “over 100 works in glass illustrating the beauty and fragility of freedom.” The exhibits open with the awardees of the Congressional Medal of Honor and emphasize that all creeds and all branches of the military service are represented. Next, the exhibits explore how the concept of freedom of religion is infused with the notion of liberty and offers quotes from Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity, Judaism and Native American teachings. Another section honors those who have faced physical or cognitive challenges such as Charles Schwab, Christopher Reeve, Carrie Fisher, Mike Wallace, James Earl Jones and, of course, Helen Keller while yet another section honors “Heroes of Liberty from Around the World,” including Winston Churchill, Lech Walesa, Anne Frank and Nelson Mandela. Near the end of the museum is a poignant quote by Arthur Ashe, an American professional tennis player who won three Grand Slam titles. Ashe was the first black player selected to the United States Davis Cup team and the only black man ever to win the singles title at Wimbledon, the US Open and the Australian Open, “True
heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost.”
Perhaps liberty and heroes don’t belong in the same sentence, but they do belong in the same paragraph. Soon after the museum opened in January 2000, there was a whole new battalion of “liberators” to incorporate into its fold – those of 9/11. Scattered throughout the staircases of the facility are pictures of the fallen, whether public servant or private citizen. There were 464 firefighters, police officers and military personnel killed that day as well as 2550 civilians on land and in the air, including folks from 151 other nations. Even though the major losses were at The
World Trade Center, the number of other nations affected by the attack amazed me. Of the dozens of heroes on 9/11, four stand out in my mind. Mark Bingham, Todd Beamer, Tom Burnett and Jeremy Glick formed a plan to take Flight 93 back from the hijackers. The phone line from Flight 93 was still open when a GTE operator heard Todd Beamer say, “Are you guys ready? Let's roll!” The White House was
the Flight 93 target according to a high-ranking al Qaeda detainee now in U.S. custody. It is probable that the passengers aboard Flights 11 (North Tower at 8:46), Flight 175 (South Tower at 9:30) and Flight 77 (Pentagon at 9:37) had no knowledge of the other aircraft hijackings and crashes or, if they did, hadn’t the time to connect the dots, to realize they were about to die anyway and to develop a plan. Bingham, Beamer, Burnett and Glick had that time, had the information to enable them to understand their fate and had the courage to be proactive. They chose to attempt to overpower the terrorists and regain control of the aircraft or to die trying. They weren’t “doing their job” but were doing what they felt was “the right thing to do” under the circumstances. They chose to die on their own terms in a field in Pennsylvania rather that at a location of the terrorists choosing. Those men are true heroes in the purest sense of the word! Fifteen years after the attacks on the World Trade Center, the remains of 1,113 victims – 40 percent of the 2,753 who died there – still have not been
identified. In researching this blog, I found a thought-provoking September 2016 article some may find of interest, “
Still Missing: Unidentified Remains Leave a Lingering Void for 9/11 Families.”
Another major attraction is the
Museum of the American Revolution which offers a “two consecutive days at no extras charge” pass. The exhibits open with “A New Constellation: A Collection of Historic 13-Star Flags” which was on display for only one month, June 14-July 14. That’s one of those extras found during the Birthday Bash festivities. The collection was incredible. I’ll include several photos. Another exhibit demonstrated the international influence of the Declaration of Independence with passages from similar documents from Flanders, Haiti, Venezuela, Argentina, Mexico and Liberia. One hundred fifty years of British rule is examined followed by the Colonial resistance to taxes levied by the King to pay for England’s wars. Discord continues until “the shot heard round the world” is fired in Massachusetts on April 19, 1775 and the Battle of Bunker Hill is waged on June 17 following. The exhibits continue through the victories and the defeats of the Continental Army interjecting ancillary topics such as “The King in American Life,” “Propaganda on Both Sides,” “Save Your Money, Save Your Country” and “Unity by Design: Designing the Great Seal.”
The
cornerstone of the museum’s collection is General George Washington’s Revolutionary War Tent, the office and sleeping quarters that he used as his command center of the Continental Army. Created as a mobile field headquarters, the tent was likely made in Reading PA in early 1778 while Washington’s army was wintering at Valley Forge. Between 1778 and 1783, this rare surviving tent was the scene of many dramatic moments and was present at the 1781 Siege of Yorktown, the last major battle of the Revolutionary War. The tent remained with descendants of Martha Washington's family until Miss Mary Custis Lee, its last private owner, sold the tent to Reverend W. Herbert Burk, the originator of the museum’s collection, in 1909. Washington’s War Tent is not on permanent exhibition but is offered for viewing hourly in a dedicated theater setting. I finished the museum at twenty minutes past the hour and had forty minutes to kill before the next showing of the War Tent. That allowed me to use the rest room, stretch my legs and get in the first come, first serve line plenty early. It is a cool experience to see the real deal, but seeing it from afar falls
short of being inside the tent and saying, “George Washington slept here.” That having been said, I fully understand why it cannot be subjected to public irresponsibility and carelessness. The museum is definitely worthy but, for those on a tighter schedule, the War Tent might become a victim of “timing is everything.” Photography is not allowed in the war tent theater.
The
Betsy Ross House is another popular attraction, but her story was never heard by the general public until 1870 when her grandson, William Canby, related it to the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. Several more of Betsy’s descendants related that they, too, had heard her tell the story of America’s first flag. In 1898, the Betsy Ross Memorial Association purchased the house and opened it as a museum dedicated to her and her contributions to America. Elizabeth “Betsy“ Griscom was born on January 1, 1752, to Samuel Griscom and Rebecca James Griscom in Philadelphia. She was the eighth of seventeen children although only nine survived childhood. Ross grew up in a household where the plain dress and strict discipline of the Quakers dominated. She learned to sew from a great aunt, Sarah Elizabeth Ann Griscom. After her schooling at a
Quaker-run state school, Ross' father apprenticed her to an upholsterer named William Webster. Betsy Griscom met John Ross, nephew of George Ross Jr. (signer of the Declaration of Independence) and son of the Rev. Aeneas Ross, a Church of England priest and assistant rector at Christ Church, while she was apprenticed to upholsterer Webster.
The mixed belief Quaker/Church of England couple had no real option but to elope. They did so in 1773. The marriage caused a split from her Griscom family and meant her expulsion from the Quaker congregation. The young couple soon started their own upholstery business and later joined Christ Church, where Colony of Virginia militia regimental commander, Colonel George Washington worshiped when in Philadelphia. The American Revolutionary War broke out when the Rosses had been married for only two years. As a member of the local Pennsylvania Provincial Militia, John Ross was assigned to guard munitions and died in 1775, according to one legend, from a gunpowder explosion. Betsy and John Ross had no children. She married her second husband, mariner Joseph Ashburn, on June 15, 1777. In 1780, Ashburn's ship was captured by a Royal Navy frigate, and he was charged with treason. Ashburn
died in a British jail. John Claypoole, who had been imprisoned with Ashburn, came to Philadelphia to inform Ross of her husband's circumstances and death. In May 1783, they married. The couple had five daughters; Clarissa, Susanna, Jane, Rachel and Harriet (who died in infancy). With the birth of their second daughter Susanna in 1786, they moved to a larger house on Philadelphia's Second Street, settling down to a peaceful post-war existence. None of this is extremely important except that Betsy, or is it Elizabeth, Griscom Ross Ashburn Claypoole can get pretty confusing unless one knows there is a litany of names that can follow Betsy, depending on the year in question – or is it Elizabeth? Numerous nicely done placards tell the Ross story while the cramped dwelling and the period furnishings provide a feel for the Ross era. A costumed artisan was busy sewing a flag which delighted the children. The Betsy Ross House is home to numerous activities and special events on a regular basis. I can say nothing other than, “I’m glad I stopped,” for fear of being subpoenaed before Joseph McCarthy’s House Un-American Activities Committee!
The
B. Free Franklin Post Office & Museum has intrigued me since I first heard
of the institution. B. Franklin, I get it. B. Free Franklin, not so much. In Franklin’s day, there were no stamps. The sender wrote his/her name in the top corners of the envelope. Those receiving mail – not the sender – paid the postage. Franklin signed his envelopes B. Free Franklin as his silent protest against British rule. Pretty cool. This facility, founded in 1975 (just in time for the nation’s bicentennial), commemorates Franklin’s contribution to the postal service during the Colonial years. Franklin was Philadelphia’s postmaster from 1737 to 1753, then became deputy postmaster in charge of the Northern colonies and became the first Postmaster General appointed by the Continental Congress in 1775. The B. Free Franklin Post Office is the only Colonial-themed post office in the nation, is the only active post office that does not fly an American flag (there was no American flag in 1775), the only one that does not have a ZIP code, is the only one named after a signature and the only one with clerks who wear Colonial-style clothing. No ballpoint pens are allowed. You get to use a quill in an inkwell. Philatelists from around the globe come to Philadelphia to
have envelopes hand-canceled with the “B. Free Franklin” postmark. A museum on the second-floor features displays of postal history and memorabilia. Definitely worth a ten-minute stop.
Congress Hall was originally built as the Philadelphia County Courthouse but was home to the U.S. Congress from 1790 to 1800, during the time when Philadelphia served as the temporary capital of the United States. Notable historic achievements made within Congress Hall include the establishment of the First Bank of the United States, the Federal Mint and the Department of the Navy, as well as the ratification of Jay’s Treaty with England, a 1795 treaty that averted another war and resolved issues remaining since the Treaty of Paris of 1783 (which had ended the Revolutionary War). It facilitated ten years of peaceful trade between the United States and Britain in the midst of the French Revolutionary Wars, which had begun in 1792. The Treaty, designed by Alexander Hamilton and supported by President George Washington, angered France and bitterly divided Americans. It spurred the growth of two opposing parties in every state – the pro-Treaty Federalists and the anti-Treaty Democratic Republicans. So that’s when all this back and forth bickering began. Hmmm! Worthwhile if there
Some of the Tools Used to “Map a Nation” Were on Display
American Philosophical Society (APS) Museum - Philadelphia PA is time.
The
American Philosophical Society (APS) Museum, the oldest learned society in the United States, was founded in 1743 by Benjamin Franklin for the purpose of “promoting useful knowledge.” Early members included George Washington, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. Most of the building is off limits to visitors but one room houses temporary exhibits making the value of the attraction totally dependent on the value of the current exhibit. During my stay, “Mapping a Nation: Shaping the Early American Republic” (which had opened April 12, 2019) showcased historical maps, surveying instruments, books, manuscripts, and other objects to show how maps were used to create and extend the physical, political and ideological boundaries of the new nation. That exhibition was interesting to me and worth a short stop. During your stay remains to be seen.
In August 2013, I saw the
Nashville Pedal Tavern in Nashville TN and decided that I would join the party if given the opportunity. While the Nashville operation allows, and even serves, alcohol on board, jurisdictional differences disallow public consumption on the tours offered by
Big Red Pedal Tours. It’s not as pricy as I had envisioned (varies by tour but in the $25-$30 range for a couple of hours) and is
a total hoot. I arrived at and was standing outside the prearranged location well in advance. When the “party bike” arrived, several 25-40-year-old black ladies emerged from the designated business. I immediately, knew this was going to be a hoot. The group worked together and were out to celebrate the birthdays of two of the women, not the same day but the same week. After all the ya-da, ya-da, the tour guide/driver hooked the music from someone’s phone into the speakers, and off we went. The first song was a remake of an old Motown hit so I knew the words and wailed along with the group. We all were waving at the pedestrians and conversing with the motorists while stopped at a traffic light. By the second or third song, I was stripped of my Larry moniker and renamed “Big Lar.” After pedaling for 15 minutes or so, we stopped at a pub for a refreshment. Back on the bike, we pedaled some more and then made another refreshment stop. At this stop, one of the ladies said, “Hey, Larry.” I looked around cluelessly for 15-20 seconds; ceiling, back door, restrooms; and then asked her, “Do you mean Big
Lar?” It was a total blast, and I’m really glad I hopped on board the attraction. I’ll do it again in any city if I have the time, the weather and the opportunity.
I made stops both at the
Money in Motion Exhibit in the lobby of the Federal Reserve Bank and at
The United States Mint. Both are free self-guided affairs, require security screening, would probably be of mild interest to the average tourist and are worthy if there is plenty of extra time. Neither facility allows photography. I made a short stop to see Ben and his wife at
Christ Church Burial Grounds. Franklin’s grave can be easily seen through the iron fence, but I paid the couple of dollars to walk around the landmark for 5-10 minutes and look at the historic headstones. The Portrait Gallery at the former
Second Bank of the United States is interesting and worth a visit for whatever length of time your schedule allows or for the duration of your art appreciation class. Most have heard of the
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington DC, but few, including myself, know of the
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier of the Revolution. This worthwhile memorial was first conceived in 1954, was completed in 1957 and is worth a 5-10-minute stop. I walked through
Elfreth's Alley Historic District, our nation's oldest residential street, where thirty-two Federal and Georgian residences stand as reminders of the early days of Philadelphia. Today, those houses host a wide array of tourist traps. I took a stroll down
Signers' Walk which pays tribute to the Founding Fathers, members of the Second Continental Congress, who risked their lives, reputations and fortunes by signing The Declaration of Independence. Unfortunately, thieves have pilfered the plaques and stolen the likenesses of Benjamin Franklin and John Hancock.
City Tavern is a tavern in the Colonial sense without the upstairs sleeping accommodations. I ordered the featured libation, an ale sampler which includes General Washington's Tavern Porter, Thomas Jefferson's 1774 Tavern Ale, Poor Richard's Tavern Spruce (Benjamin Franklin's recipe) and Alexander Hamilton's Federalist Ale. Lunch and dinner menus are available, and, although I didn’t dine there, I did return for a full pint of General Washington's Tavern Porter.
Carpenters' Hall, the official birthplace of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and a key meeting place in the early history of the United States, and
New Hall Military Museum, home to the War Department in the 1790s, were both closed when I attempted to visit. I particularly wanted to see New Hall Military Museum where exhibits highlight
the history of the Continental Army, Navy and Marines. The first floor also houses a memorial that pays tribute to the members of the U.S. Marine Corps who lost their lives during World War II as well as the Korean and Vietnam conflicts. There is a diorama of Tun Tavern, birthplace of the Marine Corps, 10 November 1775. In 1781, near the end of the American Revolution, Tun Tavern burned down. The parcel is now occupied by Interstate 95, where it passes Penn's Landing. Visiting a commemorative marker on the east side of Front Street that indicates the historical location was on the agenda but never materialized. Utopian plans were to take the one-mile walk from the visitor center to
Pat’s King of Steaks or
Geno’s Steaks to sample (or perhaps two walks and two samples) what is arguably the two best cheesesteaks Philly has to offer and then to visit the
Mummers Museum, the
Philadelphia Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the
Korean War Memorial Park and the Tun Tavern historical marker on the walk back to Old City. Instead of Pat’s or Gino’s, I had a closer establishment recommended and had an excellent (in the taste buds of the uninitiated) sandwich at
Sonny's Famous Steaks strategically located between the visitor center and Penn’s Landing.
The sandwich was good enough for a return visit.
Heretofore, you can visit any of the attractions I have discussed regardless of the month of your visit. The litany of festivities on July 4th was long and intriguing, but let’s start with the Birthday Bash – the pre-Independence Day activities. Sixteen “Free Museum Days” were offered by some 16 different institutions. I hadn’t been paying attention to which day was a free day and where. It just happened that I scheduled my visit on this particular institution’s “free day.” There was a table outside that was issuing colored wrist bands which indicated the hour in which that visitor could gain entrance. Nobody would be evicted, but the wrist bands controlled the entrance volume. I moved into Plan B and saved that institution for a different day. On yet another day, free cupcakes were being offered at the visitor center. A quick count (10, 20, 30, 40, 50 – 50, 100, 150, 200, 250, 300, etc.) led me to believe that between 300 and 400 people were standing in line for a free cupcake on July 4th. Hell, I thought there was a free Reba Concert!
I had several
A Carousel – Count Me In!
Penn’s Landing, U.S. Army Band “Pershing’s Own” & Fireworks - Philadelphia PA Birthday Bash festivities earmarked for my enjoyment. The U.S. Army Band, “Pershing’s Own,” was slated to offer concerts at Penn’s Landing on the Saturday and the Monday preceding Independence Day. Each concert was to be followed by a fireworks show. Daytime Saturday was a rainout, and I wasn’t sure what the evening would hold so I stayed in the Bighorn all day. The Monday forecast (part of my Saturday decision-making process) looked excellent for the entire day. The forecast was spot on. I wasn’t even sure which side of the river would host the viewing area so, after lunching on my cheesesteak at Sonny’s, I walked to Penn’s Landing to learn the layout. While returning to Old City, I sorta stumbled onto the
Irish Memorial Sculpture. The memorial commemorates Ireland’s Great Hunger of 1845-1850 wherein more than a million Irish starved to death and another million-plus emigrated to escape starvation. Later that day, I returned to Penn’s Landing. The concert and the fireworks were both excellent.
One event I was very interest in seeing was the
Chinese Lantern Festival. The festival started May 1 and, during my post-arrival research, I learned the festival end date had been moved back two weeks to July
As Dusk Waned, The Splendor Grew
Chinese Lantern Festival - Philadelphia PA 14 which really worked out well for me. The festival ran from 6-11 PM but was, logically, more impressive in darkness than in twilight. The all-new to Philadelphia lantern displays were composed of 2000 individual lanterns, 20,000 LED lights and 30,000 square feet of silk. Five of the 29 lanterns, Worship the Door, Dinosaur New Year, Fish Leaping Over Dragon Gate Tunnel, Spirit of the Dancing Birds and Octopus, have never been seen before in the United States. The centerpiece of the festival this year was a 200-foot-long Phoenix that stood 21 feet tall and weighed 6,000 pounds. Another interesting lantern display depicted mythological creatures called kylin and was made of more than 30,000 clear jars filled with colored water and lights. Most of the materials used to make the displays were shipped to the United States directly from China and assembled in Franklin Square by a team of 30 Chinese artisans over the course of one month. There were three 30-minute performances by Chinese contortionists, acrobats, martial arts specialists, folk dancers and a face changer, whose lightning-fast ability to change masks made him appear to be changing faces. The Philadelphia Chinese Lantern Festival welcomed more than 130,000 people from
A Little Fife and Drum, Maestro
Independence Day Parade - Philadelphia PA all 50 states and 20 countries to Franklin Square in 2018, and the festival has attracted more than 280,000 visitors since it debuted in 2016. This was a truly unique display, and the performances were awesome. It might not be worth a special trip to Philadelphia, but it definitely merits a consideration when planning your Philadelphia tourism calendar.
Independence Day proper began (for me) with, what else, the
Independence Day Parade. Fortunately for we late sleeper/commuters, the procession didn’t begin until 11 AM. I was expecting fife and drum corps and, indeed, would have been disappointed had there been none; however, I was expecting more marching bands playing the likes of John Phillips Souza. Perhaps the International Association of High School Drum Majors AFL/CIO doesn’t work on holidays! I must say that the parade was an international mix greater than I expected. Units – bands, floats, animated animals and processionals – from several countries were represented. An impressive montage of joined flags from about 125-150 countries was unexpected as were the World War I doughboys. Of course, there were the requisite armed forces honor guards (no bands), classic cars, beauty queens, fire trucks and, OF COURSE, politicians. The coolest float was
probably unique to Philadelphia’s parade and sported the “signers” of the Declaration of Independence in full costume. Overall, it was a nice parade, but minus the participation of those international coalitions, I have seen bigger and more impressive Independence Day Parades in much smaller cities. I was neither disappointed nor awestruck but very indifferent about the parade – that is NOT an emotion I was expecting!
After the parade, I needed some brunch before heading to the Betsy Ross House for the Children’s Naturalization Ceremony at 2:30. Every eatery for blocks had a line that extended outside. I decided to head for a cheesesteak joint “off the beaten path” that had been recommended to me by a fellow RVer at the KOA –
Jim’s South St. – about ¾ mile south of the visitor center. After the 15-minute walk, I arrived to find the line extended from the door, to the corner, around the corner and ¾ of the way down the next block. Back at Sonny’s, the line extended outside for about 12-15 people so I got in line. On my previous visits, the line had moved quickly, and I expected the same on Independence Day. The locals know how
to deal with big crowds – call in the order and go to the front of the line for pick-up. That work-around never occurred to me until well after July 4th, but I’ll keep it in mind for future cities! By 2:15, I had to decide whether my stomach or my desire to see the Children’s Naturalization Ceremony would prevail. Realizing that there was probably a few hundred people in attendance already, that I would not be able to get any decent pictures and might not be able to hear any of the ceremony, my stomach prevailed and I held my place in line.
After lunch, I went to the visitor center for the restroom, to take a break and to plan my next course of action. I had noticed a few “unpublicized” snippets or programs as I walked the area and had stopped to grab a picture or two. As I was resting and developing Plan B, I struck up a conversation with a crafter in period dress who was doing demonstrations in the visitor center. Suddenly, she began to gather her materials and informed me that she would be involved in a reading of the Declaration f
For Many, It Was Starvation
The Irish Memorial Sculpture – Penn's Landing – Philadelphia PA Independence and told me the location. Now, what better event could I find to attend on Independence Day? I made my way to the park and kept an eye out for a gathering of folks in period dress. Soon, success. Four readers took turns reciting the words from the document. Shame on me, but I realized during the reading that it had been several years since I had read it or the Constitution. I suppose those things happen when one is having too much fun!
While planning for the “Party on the Parkway” along Benjamin Franklin Parkway from noon until 7 PM, I wanted to get a good fireworks viewing location that was as close to PATCO’s 15/16th & Locust Streets Station as possible. Not knowing the zip code and, thus, not knowing the location of the “bombs busting in air” made that decision problematic. As I was researching the day after my arrival at the KOA, I learned there would be another fireworks spectacular to be held at Penn’s Landing – the same venue as the U.S. Army performance. Although “Party on the Parkway” sounded like a lot of fun and had a couple of “big name” musical
For Others, It Was Emigration
The Irish Memorial Sculpture – Penn's Landing – Philadelphia PA performances (by folks unknown to me – what, no Lawrence Welk or Jimmy Dorsey!). My desire to see the parade and the Children’s Naturalization Ceremony, both in Old City, coupled with my uncertainty about a good fireworks viewing location along the parkway and the long walk to the PATCO station after the fireworks, made my decision easy. I wandered the historical park looking for street performers, artisans or unpublicized patriotic programs until dusk and made my way to Penn’s Landing for the fireworks.
As I was awaiting darkness and the crowd was thickening, I experience the only untoward moment of my two-week stay. People suddenly began running from the front row seats to my right up through the seats towards the area behind me. I had heard nothing, nor had anyone else in my neighborhood, so I stayed put. My first though was a shooter, but I had heard nothing, not even a firecracker. For me, running held more lethality than a shooter anyway. My second thought was it’s been a great life, please just make it quick. Event security was there in 20-30 seconds. My third thought was, “I’ll just stay here, dust off the cobwebs and treat
The Ben Franklin Bridge
Penn’s Landing, U.S. Army Band “Pershing’s Own” & Fireworks - Philadelphia PA them where they fall!” Philadelphia’s finest were there on their bicycles in 2-3 minutes. Soon the panic subsided although many of those who fled never returned. After the fireworks as I was exiting the park, I asked an officer what had happened. Apparently, someone had hollered, “Gun!” Whether they had seen a gun or not is unknown, but all purses, backpacks, belly pouches, etc. were searched at entry so I don’t believe the alert was real. It’s too bad one person can put a damper on a great celebration for so many.
In spite of this isolated incident and the marginal weather on a few days, I had a phenomenal two weeks in The City of Brotherly Love. I had fantastic weather for the six weeks I visited Virginia and have had very good weather for the rest of my stops, so I was due for a raindrop or two. PATCO made my journey to Old City as simple as anyone could hope for, and Old City is about as tourist friendly as I have ever seen. It definitely ranks high along with Boston and Washington DC. The portions of this blog addressing getting from an outlying area of
A Pretty Nice Display for July 1st
Penn’s Landing, U.S. Army Band “Pershing’s Own” & Fireworks - Philadelphia PA New Jersey to Philadelphia’s City Center is of no value to those staying on the Pennsylvania side of the Delaware River and is totally irrelevant to those who can afford a downtown hotel. I don’t know anything about the mass transit schedules and routes in Pennsylvania, but, for those on a budget, I would consider investigating motels in the outlying area, like Cherry Hill NJ, home to PATCO’s Woodcrest Station. If I return to Philadelphia after my RVing days are over (and I would love to do just that), it’s an option I will definitely explore.
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