The Philadelphia Tour

Sunday morning we arrived in Philadelphia.

Please bear with me as it is difficult to maintain

one's bearings when on a bus.

We arrived via I-76.

Ooh, look.



Newspapers/magazines stands.



This is something we don't have back in Indiana.











Philadelphia has worked with local artists to create

these murals.

The thought is that it will help

cut down on graffiti.

A diner car - restaurant.

Do any film buffs remember these stairs?

Does this statue give a clue?

Give yourself a pat on the back if you answered

"Rocky."

This Master Gardener loves gardens.

Especially as we are in the middle of a draught.

Remember,

Philadelphia is the City of Brotherly Love.

City Hall,

which is topped by a 37 foot bronze statue

of William Penn.

This is the largest city hall in the country

and the tallest masonry-bearing building in the world.

This innocuous empty lot is actually important on two fronts.

The Tun Tavern once stood on this lot.

The Masonic Lodge got its start in America on this very spot.

In addition, the United States Marine Corps

also was recorded as starting at Tun Tavern.

It is thought that the Tun Tavern looked very much like

like this one that is just one block down.

A typical old Philadelphia street.

We arrived at Liberty Hall, et al.

Work is being done.

But not on this day, I guess.
Oh, I think this was a Sunday.

My bad.

Do you remember this from the movie

"National Treasure"?

Do you also remember our tour guide, David,

from Valley Forge?

He. Is. Not. Amused. By The

Movie National Treasure.

David hates the historical inaccuracies in the movie.

Don't mess with history majors' minds.

I love the juxtaposition of the old with the new.

We are inside, waiting to take the tour of

Independence Hall.

Note:

Be ready to have your bags examined

when you enter this area.

We bypassed this national security measure

by leaving our bags on the bus.

This first room was based upon an English court room.

This was our nice tour guide.

Here he is demonstrating the term

"standing trial"

as those accused actually stood in a cage during the trial.

And now we reach the most historically important

room in Independence Hall.

In this room,

some very brave men signed away their

lives, fortunes and futures.

In short, they signed

the Declaration of Independence,

labeling them traitors against the Crown.

Still later,

some men created a most important

and significant document.

Those men created one of the most

powerful documents

that this world has has ever seen.

The Constitution of the United Stated

is a Living Document,

able to grow and adapt as needs may be.

Though the United States of America

is a younger country of the world,

the Constitution is the oldest

governing document in the world.

Sweet, isn't it?

When it came time to decide who would lead the

Continental Army,

the men began to talk about George Washington.

Now, George Washington was there,

but he was a modest man,

and didn't care to be talked about,

so he left the room.

Too bad George forgot that old axiom:

Those who aren't there are appointed.

Thus he became the Commander

of the Contintental Army.

Sadly, we had to abandon our tour here.

It seems that attending Vespers was more important.

As the Foodie Daughter later told me,

"the Liberty Bell is just a big, old cracked bell, anyway."

I love the art deco styling here.

I was intrigued by the fact that Philly had

a good-sized China Town.

Philly also has many statues.

I would love to hear the story behind

the giant clothes clip.

I really liked this statue holding the parking sign.

My husband commented on the fact that

the towers seemed to lean in towards one

another.

Looking down Market Street to the Square.

Outside our hotel on Market Street.

Independence Hall.

An old cemetery.

Sunset over downtown Philly.

Man, I love these old houses.

Independence Hall from the north.