You know how I have crazy ideas... like 'what if we cook a meal from every county in the world?' and 'what if we celebrate all the presidents birthdays', and 'what if we build a blanket fort in the living room (and leave it up for months)' and 'what if we go swim with pigs' and you know.. just my random ideas. Well, this week it was ;what if we buy one of those $38 roundtrip tickets to spend the DAY in Philadelphia?' And Asa, being the loving 'down for whatever' husband he is... went along with it.
So, ok, lets back up. One day I was checking my email and I came across one of those Frontier flight deals, where it's like $19 one way. And I immediately thought of all the blogs I see where people buy tickets like that just to spend the day at Disney. Sure, you only get one day there- but then you don't have to pay for a hotel, there's no luggage price (since you just need what you need for the day), and you barely have to worry about airport parking. So, I wondered if this would work in the opposite way- just going to some random city. First of all, this is harder to find than you would think. First, you have to find a flight that makes sense (aka leaves early enough and gets back late enough to give you enough 'daytime' in your destination city.) Second, you need two of those $19 flights in the same day - there AND back. And fourth, you need a city with good public transportation and good walkability so you aren't spending a ton in uber or other transportation. And it doesn't hurt if there are some interesting 'free' things to do during the day.
Enter: Philadelphia. Good walkability. Plus plenty of free history to take in. A train from the airport to the city center. And, the cheap flight left at 5:50 Am, and was to return about 10:30 pm. A long day, but doable (and fun)- so I asked Asa if he thought it was something he would like to do, and since we both pride ourselves on being 'down for whatever', he was game. So, we booked it. Grand total: $76 for two roundtrip tickets.
So on Thursday, September 28th, we got up at 4am to head to the airport. Nice, because at least that early there's nobody out there on the roads. We parked in short term parking, because, well at $24 (the price for 24 hours in short term) you can't beat just taking the elevator up from the Main Terminal to your car (we could have done $10 a day in economy, for the record... sort of, but I'll get to that).
Anyway, we were there early and boarded our plane. No need for a luggage check, since we just had my backpack for the day, and while we didn't pay for seating assignments, we got lucky and were able to sit together anyway.
We landed early in Philly- the tickets said it would be about 2 hours and 45 minutes, but it was closer to 2 hours. Once we arrived, we realized how cold 60 did in fact feel. Turns out, when you're used to 90 degrees, 60 is freezing. Luckily the tain station is right at the airport. We purchased our tickets to Center City for $6.75 one way and then rode the 25ish minutes to our stop. No need to change trains which was nice, I did not find this as easy to navigate as say, the metro in DC. Still, easier than the Subway in NYC.
The Center City stop made the most sense for us, because it drops you right off at Love Park, where you can take your picture with the iconic statue.
And right across from City Hall which is very old, and very impressive- with huge gates and massive peaks.
Plus you're in Philadelphia- there's statues of Founding Father's everywhere!
By now our tummies were grumbling, so we continued to make our way down to the Reading Terminal Market. I'd done my research for the day so we weren't just wandering around aimlessly, and I foudn this to be one of the stops that were highly recommended.
A couple of places are lsited as the 'Best of Reading Market', and one of those places include Beiler's Doughnuts. These are all handmade, and looked delicious. Asa opted for a pumpkin donut, which he enjoyed- but I had the best 'donut' of my life with a blueberry fritter that was so die for. This thing had a crispy glaze outside and a warm, soft fluffy inside. Spoiler alert: we came back here later for food, and I wanted to get a fritter to take home, but the place was closed- along with a lot of other storefronts. So this is a breakfast/lunch place for sure- not at all dinner.
Of course, what goes better with doughnuts than coffee? We stopped at Old City Coffee, and it was good- but we weren't terribly impressed. I actually opted for a hot apple cider, which I enjoyed. You know, fall and all- not really a thing here- but it didn't blow me away or anything.
Apparently Philly is not only famous for their cheesesteaks (we'll get to those later), but also soft pretzles. It's like a whole thing there- and Asa loves a good soft pretzel. OUr choice for that was Miller's Twist, and that did not disappoint. While I got a regualr old soft pretzel and a lemonade, Asa opted for a breakfast sausage pretzel bake. We were both very, very pleased with our choices. This is another place I wanted to go back to around dinner time, and it was closed. Still, probably the best thing I ate in Philly. Two thumbs up, highly recommend.
While not really lunch time, we did decide to split a sandwich as well. We were waiting for the cheese steak, and went with what was rated as one of the best sandwiches in American: the pork from DiNics with broccoli rabe on it. So how was it? Disappointing. Like, it was fine. But nothing special. Something Asa can, and does make at home (or at least similar), and it's better- less dry, more flavorful. This one was just a let down, especially for being named 'best sandwich in America'. But, people must like it- it was sold out when we came back to the market later.
One our tummies were full, we left the market, and walked down past the Friendship Arch in Chinatown and down to the United States Mint.
I'd been to the Denver Mint before, but Asa had never been. This one had a different kind of tour, it was all self guided, but done really well, with windows and interactive exhibits to show you what the workers were doing through the windows on the floor below. In another highlight, I got to touch the first press used to make coins- the very one that was inspected (probably used!) and approved by the likes of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Alexander Hamilton. How exactly did I get to do this? Well, it was on display and there were no signs that said NOT to touch it- so you know, I did. (you can't take pictures inside the mint, thus the lack of them)
Just across the street from the mint, you'll find a church and a graveyard- where Benjamin Franklin and others signers of the Declaration can be found. To go in the gates you do have to pay a small fee, but luckily Ben's grave is right next to the street, and has cut out the brick wall in favor of wrought iron bars, so you can see his grave, and leave a penny on it- without having to pay at all. Of course, I also brought my Benjamin Franklin finger puppet for this stop.
That area of town is very old, so you'll find a lot of little streets, courtyards and alleyways that have a whole lot of history/character to them.
One of those places,. just a couple of blocks from Ben Franklin, is the Betsy Ross house where she MAY have sewn the first flag. Again, for a fee you can go in the house, but you're welcome into the gift shop and court yard for free. The courtyard is also where Betsy Ross and her husband are buried. Of course we visited, and I brought my Betsy Ross finger puppet along for that one too.
Countinuing another block or two, and taking a left, you'll find the oldest continuous lived in residential street in America with Elfreth's Alley. We happened to be there on a Thursday, and the museum is only open on the weekends, but we did nose around, appreciate it's age and place in history, and commented on how much we felt like Alexander Hamilton- who probably walked these very brick streets. I took a lot of pictures, but none of them do the place justice, though note: I especially love the red doors. But it would have been a little cooler if there weren't a couple of service trucks parked in the middle of the street. Kind of messed with the ambiance (though I know people who live there probably actually need service trucks).
Heading back toward Bens grave, we passed this cute little pastry shop where you ordered things from the window. I was so excited, I got myself a lemon blueberry tart. And the whole thing was just blah. No lemon flavor whatsoever.
But I did also wash it down with a Starbucks coffee. Turns out the bogo 'thurs-yays' code worked in Philly too, and by now we were kind of crashing, from the early morning, so the coffee was needed (also, heads up the bathroom situation in Philly is rough-you can't just use a random bathroom, you have to buy something- and even then you need a code (for the record, half of them are an unimaginative '1776') and then sometimes you go in and buy something and the restroom is closed anyway. It's bananas trying to find a public one in certain parts of the city.
It was now mid-afternoon, and poor Asa was feeling the fact that he had been up since 4am. I did worry about this, since he's um... well, how should I put this... sleep sensitive? Though, he did do a good job rallying.
We made our way over to the Independence Visitors Center..
..and got our free tickets for at tour of Independence Hall. We actually had gotten tickets online, but then the timing of them didn't match up, so we went to get new tickets (they're all pretty much free, just a small service charge), but the system was down so they told us to head on over anyway. It was just a small walk from the visitors center over to Independence Hall, but on the way you can stop by 'the Presidents House', aka where George Washington and John Adams lived before the White House was built. Now the original thing isn't really there anymore, except for some parts of the foundation, in which you can look down and see, but they did a great job recreating it and making it into an open air display. The footprint of the house is there, complete with window frames- and then theres all the high tech displays of today with tvs. But, I was super impressed in what was playing on these tvs. It wasn't the stories of Washington, it was the story of the people he enslaved in this very house (Including Ona Judge, who I just find fascinating- if you don't know here, look her up, there are some great books written on her) Ona was born at Mount Vernon and brought to Philadelphia to cater to Martha Washington's every whim- and then she escaped! The Washington's came after her- but ultimately she remained free. Anyway, her story was told along with others (like the chef Hercules who many think helped Ona escape). I just foudn this all so interesting- mostly because a lot of historical sites brush over the horrendous acts of our Founding Fathers. This did no such thing, and I wondered when that changed. In any case, I applaud the Presidents House for including it all.
**This!! All of this!!
Continuing down the park, we laid eyes on Independence Hall. It's where the Declaration was signed (and read on the back steps!!) Its where they held the Consitutional Congress. It's where Washington was elected. It's basically the birthplace of America.
And I got to go inside! Our tour guide was awesome and engaging (great because we were with a school group), and they take you into two different rooms. The building itslef has a grand entrance and two rooms across from each other, one that was used as more of a courtroom...
..and one that is where the Declaration was debated and signed. (We even got some Quaker shout outs in our tour which was great). I of course, brought my George Washington finger puppet along to visit. And I sat there in awe of the real room where it happened. I know I visited here as a kid. In fact, I vaguely remembered it. But, I wasn't a kid who loved history- that came later- so now I love revisiting sites I didn't fully appreciate. For Asa, it was his first time here, and I think for his non-history loving heart, he rather enjoyed it. (Look at my smile though, I was super excited to be there).
Back outside, there is still more to see. The original Supreme Court and Congress Buildings stand on either side of the hall, and there's a small museum to pop into.
The tours of Congress Hall don't require a ticket, you just line up outside at a particular time, and they let you in. This is the original Congress Building, it's where the Bill of Rights came to be- its where both Washington (the second time) and Adams were inaugurated. Sadly, we were only able to visit the House part of the building, the Senate upstairs was under renovations. Still, I got to stand where Adams stood when he was inaugurated. I got to see George Washington;s actual chair, I got to sit on the floor where the BIll of Rights was debated. It was all very cool. Asa enjoyed this part even more than Independence Hall. (Also another great tour guide- they were all very engaging and not boring at all, so props to them!)
After the tour, we made our way out of the Independence Complex and back out to the visitors center for a bathroom break (pro tip, they have nice free bathrooms there!) and I got myself a magnet from our trip.
Then we were off to visit the Liberty Bell. I saw this one as a kid too, but I don't remember the complex being so big and so cool- especially with the big glass windows looking out to Independence Hall. I suspect it's been wildly re-done since I was last there. While I don't find the bell all that impressive, whats a visit to Philly without seeing it? (Especially because on the day we visited- there was no line, we just walked right up to it).
We continued down the street into the art gallery, which houses portraits of all the founding guys, and just generally important guys from history. We found a bunch of guys that get passing mentions in Hamilton and sent those pictures on to Hayden. (Thomas Paine, anyone?)
And then, for another bathroom trip we went on an adventure down to the basement, where we found this fun brick tunnel.
Out the back of the gallery, and across the street, you'll find the Todd House- which is where Dolley Madison lived with her first husband, before he died of Yellow fever. She's also one of my favs, and while it wasn't open to go inside, we explored all around outside- Asa nosed around Dolley's garden, and found some weird spider nest, and I got to knock on Dolley Madison's door! Which, I was totally fan girling about. (And yes, you can totally fan girl for Dolley Madison).
One thing I love about the streets of Philadelphia, is a lot of the walking paths are still real cobblestone. Not the fake manufactured cobblestone of today- but real rocks type of cobblestone. It was fun to see (less fun to walk on, admittedly)
Just a short walk from there, you can find the original Bank of the United States. Where Alexander Hamilton worked! It's another place that's being renovated, so you can't go inside (yay infrastructure bill!) but it was cool to see from the outside anyway.
And it's not far from where the Hamilton's lived either. Though the building no longer stands, there is a plaque there to recognize the land.
We had missed a bit of the outdoor summer type Philly things still being opened- but we did make it to the seasonal Independence Beer Garden. And, it was happy hour, so we got some drinks and some fried pickles and rested our tired feet for awhile.
Then we were off to visit Washington Square. Originally this square was treated as a grave yard, especially for those too poor for headstones who died from the yellow fever outbreak. So, you're basically walking on a lot of unmarked graves. But, it also served as the Tomb of the Unknown Revolutionary Solider.
A couple blocks down we noted a library, and went in to nose around (you know, we're library people). It wasn't all that impressive, but because we were so close to Chinatown there was a whole wing dedicated to books in Chinese, which I thought was nice. And, then I found this little sticker on the door, and I loved it.
The library is very close to the 'Declaration House'. This is the site of where Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration. But the house has long since been torn down and replaced with this replica. It was past 4 at this point though, so it was closed.
We decided to stroll back to Reading Terminal Market for dinner at this point, and to get ourselves a cheesesteak. We thought we'd be getting a pretzle too, and maybe a few dooughnuts to take home, but a lot of the places were already closed. The market was supposed to be open till 6, and we were pretty close to that- but a lot of stuff was closed down.
At least we got our cheesesteak! Though, it was a little disappointing. It's not that it was bad- it wasn't at all. But it was just a normal cheesesteak. I thought they'd be better, or special in Philly somehow, but it turns out it's just like you can get anywhere, or honestly, make at home. I'm glad we had one, but really the pretzels and doughnuts were it for us.
I did grab a cookie from the place all the blogs/pinterest boards tell you to go to. But, I was pretty unimpressed with it as well. It was kind of dry and nothing special. I will say though, maybe I'm just cookie bias. I live in the land of Gideons, y'all, and there's really nothing better.
By now we were in search of some after dinner coffee, and Asa still hadn't used his bogo coupon at Starbucks- so we found one inside a Macys, which also had this crazy huge organ, and rested our feet for awhile. 20,000 steps and we had been up since 4 am, coffee was needed. I didn't even get a decaf at this point.
Since we were right there, we did a loop around city hall- long closed by now, but still gorgeous, and they even had some pickleball and various games happening on the grounds.
And by now we had circled back to Love Park, where we started many hours, and thousands of steps earlier. We debated going down to the art museum, but I was worried about our time (stay tuned for why that worry was crazy).
So instead, we picked up some paddles and played some Ping Pong in Love Park. And it was as fun and as perfect as it sounds.
We were right across from Center CIty Station, and we'd heard mixed reviews on how reliable the trains were so by 7:30, we decided to head back.
We were sitting waiting for our train (which was a little late- when Asa got a text our flight had been delayed). We decided we should get on the train anyway, because they always tell you to show up to the airport even when theres a delay, because things can change. So, we hopped on the train and headed back to Terminal C where we started from.
It was easy getting through security- which we'd heard can be a nightmare in Philly- so heads up, it's not so bad at 8pm on a Thursday night, and then we decided to kill time by having a little snack in one of the restaurants and watching some Thursday night football.
And then things went downhill. Our flight was on time on the display (giving us false hope) and then suddenly, it didn't appear on any of the screens for gate number (leading us to worry it had been cnacelled). . We couldn't find any Frontier employees to ask- the terminal was full of people all delayed, and only one gate had any employees there to ask, and they had no idea about the Tampa flight and told us to wait at the original gate and maybe someone would say something. We made friends with other Tampa flight people- some drunk, some that had been there since 11am, a favorite became Tyrell who was just trying to visit his friends in Tampa for the weekend after working all day at his construction job. Eventually they moved gates- and delayed us again, which we foudn out via text while Asa's phone was dying. Two more gate changes and three more delays, after hours in the airport, we finally boarded a little after 1 am.
And then By the time we landed it was 24 hours since we had gotten up. Asa slept a bit on the plane ride back, but that's just something I cannot do. So, I was pretty exhausted. Luckily, we made our parking time (it's 24 hours max) with about 15 minutes to spare, and we got home just before 5.
We slept till almost noon the next day (and we were still exhausted), but lucky for us Aroma Joes had free coffee.
So, would we do a day trip again? I totally would, but Asa took a few days to come around to that conclusion. Still, it'll probably be awhile (you aren't catching me up north in the winter 'just because'), but if it's something I find in the Spring, he'd be down. There's just a lot of parameters it has to fit. So, we'll see what happens. But, I loved our one day adventure to Philadelphia, even if it took me a few days to recover.
Next up: Disney Date Day (like four days later!)
