Day Seven - City of Brotherly Love

Today was our long day in the car. Thankfully we traded in our local
rental for a mini van. We assumed our usual positions with John behind
the wheel and me behind the iPhone as navigator. We made it to
Philadelphia in about 2.5 hours. Shortly before we got there, John
pulled off the highway looking for a place to eat. As he drove around,
Marianne and I told him we weren't really hungry. I think the graffiti
covered buildings made us lose our appetite, or maybe it was the
hookers. We found a Burger King in a slightly nicer area and Lavender
got her first crown, which she kept grabbing off her head so she could
eat it. Some of us may have been tempted by the bacon sundaes, but we
resisted and headed into the city.

Our first stop was the Liberty Bell, that great symbol of freedom. Did
you know it weighs 2,080 pounds, has a 12 foot circumference and is
made of bronze? (Me neither, but John and Evan remembered that and
much more!)

We had a terrific guide for our tour of Independence Hall. She was a
great storyteller who helped everyone understand the significance of
standing in the very room where our founding fathers signed the
Declaration of Independence and the Constitition of the United States.
It was awe inspiring to be there and to see the original chair where
George Washington sat to preside over the constitutional convention.
Benjamin Franklin pointed to the sun on that chair and asked if it was
rising or setting.

We spent some more time learning about Franklin at his print shop,
post office, home site and grave. Then we walked down Elfreths Alley,
the oldest residential street in America with homes from the 1700s. We
went somewhere a little more modern for dinner--Jim's Steaks has been
in business since 1939 and they make mean Philly cheesesteak!

With full bellies we continued our drive up to New York City. After
fighting traffic and paying numerous tolls (one bridge was a whopping
$12) we were rewarded with spectaculars views of the lights of
Manhattan. Let the adventures begin!