Independence hall was great, as our tour guide was very loud and lively. She definitely felt very passionate about the history she was sharing with us. We toured the various rooms seeing where the first Congress met, where meetings, editing, and signings took place, and where they held court. Unfortunately the outside of the building was under renovation, typical, but the park in the back was gorgeous. The heat and humidity was beginning to die down and with a breeze the benches covered in shade welcomed us with open arms. We sat for a few minutes just enjoying the surrounding area, before heading into the Hall of Congress. Here is where they held an expanded congress as the city and sate of Pennsylvania grew after the revolution. We became honorary senators and representatives, repping it big Cali-way. The guide led us through the various rooms where congress met, and showed us important artifacts, like the ink well they signed the declaration with. One of the tour guides was actually from California, (even if it was LA) and we were able to talk with her about our trip and she gave us a few tips on what to see and do while in town.
Leaving independence Hall we would walk to the adjacent building and get in line for the Liberty Bell. This line was filled with many tourists from all over the world, all excited to see this bell. I hadn't realized that this bell was a symbol of hope not just for Americans but other cultures too. We took our snapshots and left the area, walking towards Washington Park. This open place of leisure has a statue dedicated to General Washington. It stands over an unmarked grave of the few lost and unidentified men of the Revolutionary War.
From here we would drive deeper into Philly to a restaurant recommended by a tour guide. The place in question was Bobby Flay's Burger Palace. Now I personally don't like Bobby Flay, can't stand him on Food Network, but I was open to trying a high class restaurant that served burgers. Before I get any further let's just say we were both highly disappointed in just about everything; service, décor, and most of all the food. Ver lame. (Yeah I meant to use the word “ver”)
Afterwards we headed to the outskirts of the inner city to the only remaining Philadelphia home of Edgar Allen Poe. The adjoining area was a bad part of Philadelphia surrounded by projects and people hooting and hollering out on their porches. This small national monument stood out with statues, information, and pictures depicting this strangely misunderstood man. We were given a tour of the house, exploring deeply into the life of Poe, and even watched a video of the man.
With time to kill before the 7 o'clock baseball game we headed to Reading Terminal Market. This semi-underground market place, was bustling! Tons of people moving left and right, selling produce, meals, meats, candy, ice cream, and tourist things. This crowded market was a lot of fun as we made rounds a few times taking a look at all things we wanted to try.
The day was cooling off when we arrived at Citizens Bank Park, located right in front of Lincoln Park where the Eagles play. Quick to park, we made our way to the ticket booth and asked for best available extra cheap seat. For 20 bucks we got the front row of the top deck. MLB was still in the process of inter-league games so we got see the Philadelphia Phillies play the Oakland Athletics. Go Giants, but hey close enough, I can root for the A's. Actually interesting tid-bit, before the A's moved to Oakland they were the Philadelphia Athletics. So this may not have been a rivalry but it had some history to it. We got their early enough to see batting practice by the A's. The feel of this park was much different than Ted Turner Field in Atlanta. This was classier, more well respected. You could tell this was America's pastime, as everyone was a die hard fan involved with the game, and not the cheap gimmicks.
It was a much better game all-around compared to the Braves game we saw. Both Trevor Cahill of the A's and Cole Hamels of the Phillies are great pitchers, but even then offensively and defensively there was enough to keep it exciting pitch after pitch. The A's would win it even when Philadelphia staged a late comeback. Phuck the Phillies! Exiting the park there weer some familiar and comforting names on shirts, like Burrell, and Rowand. Before leaving Philly though there was one last thing we had to do...Philly Cheesesteaks!!! Down the block a ways there was the two original cheese steak kings. Pats, and Geno's. Geno's line was a bit longer so we went to Pat's. Parking was crazy and i'm not sure how or where Michael got a spot but it worked out. We got 2 cheesesteaks “wit” onions, and “wit” peppers. They were great, and I think I can still feel myself digesting it. I wouldn't say it was life changing, but it was sure something I had to authentically try. And if any of you are asking about the other place, don't worry, the big secret out there is that both places serve almost identical cheesesteaks, so no worries.
Next stop New York, New York! Catching a little traffic while trying to get out of Philly we flew into the dead of night. What we thought would take only an hour two would end up taking closer to 4. Not only was traffic bad heading out, but also getting in. It really is the city that never sleeps, because at 2 in the morning there was still gridlock. What made matters worse was the highway leading into New York was under repair, so there were various detours set up that the gps could not handle, and the signs were not good at explaining.
The Holland tunnel was a great experience as we waited to pay toll. There was something like 15 toll booths but only 3 of them were cash. Expectantly everyone piled up trying to fit into these 3 lanes spread out. This was great classic new york driving as everyone was honking and yelling. No one was willing to let anyone in. It was something I had never seen before. These people were cutthroat, i'm talking about inches away from hitting the next car, simply so you don't let the next guy in. It's one of those moments that if you just cooperated the whole thing would sort itself out. But sadly no, this was a dog eat dog kinda place where you had to be aggressive and fend for yourself. Oh I loved it, such a great experience.
Well we popped out the other side of the Holland Tunnel and headed for Soho where we would be staying with Michae;'s family for the next few nights. We are so sorry for getting in so late, thanks for staying awake for us Uncle Bobby. We chatted a bit before bed, and finally got down around 3 o'clock. New York would be waiting for us in the morning. We were excited, but for now we had to sleep.
-Pearl the Landlord.
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