A Day in Philadelphia

One of the great thing about a lot of East coast cities is the proximity of each city to each other. So, on a cloudy Saturday, I decided to do a day trip to the city of brotherly love, Philadelphia. For historical buffs, Philadelphia is a dream. Considered the birthplace of the United States, many things have happened here: from the signing of the Declaration of Independence to serving as the nation’s capital at one point until Washington DC was ready.

From Baltimore, it was a nice two hour train ride that was very comfortable. I would book an Amtrak ticket at least a week in advance. I ended up paying $30 round trip for mine, but when I looked a day before it was almost $120 round trip. The further out you book the better. The train station stops at a pretty central spot in Philadelphia. The metro system is pretty good and costs around $2 a trip. It is super easy now with Apple Pay (unsure about Android but assuming it does work) at the gates. No need to grab a ticket.

Another option is to get on one of those hop on/off busses. There was one company that was very affordable and if you don’t want to walk too much or use the metro, it is a great option. For me, I used a combo of walking and the metro 3 times, and I will warn you it’s a lot of walking. I took 24k steps and walked roughly 12 miles by the time I got back to the station to head home.

I started the day at the Liberty Bell Center and got in line about 10 minutes before it opened. Luckily the line was short and I do recommend doing this first thing. I have heard the line can go around the corner, and note there are no restrooms inside the center. You have to go across the street to Independence Visitor Center. The Liberty Bell Center is a nice tribute to the Liberty Bell with great displays about its history.

After exiting the center, you can walk right across the street to Independence Hall and Congress Hall. Independence Hall is the site where the Declaration of Independence was signed while Congress Hall served as, you guess it Congress served while Philadelphia was the capital. You have to get a reservation in order to get a tour of Independence Hall, but you can go into a tour of Congress Hall every 20 minutes. I didn’t get a chance to take the Independence Hall tour but the Congress Hall tour was very informative. The West Wing of Independence Hall also holds some printed copies of the Constitution, Declaration of Independence, and other original documents. They even have the inkstand used to sign the Declaration of Independence.

Being a former Marine, I had to go check out the site of Tun Tavern after Independence Square. While on the way, I passed by some of the other famous sites like the Second Bank and Carpenter’s Hall. The site of Tun Tavern has a little post that marks the birthplace of the Marine Corps. Eventually, there are plans to open a real Tun’s Tavern just 250 yards away from the site.

Next, I decided to make the walk to Reading Terminal Market. On the way, I stopped by Ben Franklin’s grave, where people sometimes like to throw a penny onto his grave as a tribute. Reading Terminal Market is a giant food hall/market. There is pretty much a choice for any type of food you are looking to devour. I ended up getting a Pretzel and Cheese, which was delicious. After, I did the short walk to see City Hall as well as the Love Statue at Love Park.

Needing an actual meal, I hopped onto the metro for the 2nd and final time to head to Cheesesteak Corner. Cheesesteak corner is known for the rivalry between Pats and Genos. Ultimately, I decided to go to the credited creator of the Philly Cheesesteak, Pat’s King of Steaks. There is even a sign commemorating them making the first cheesesteak in 1930. The line moved quick, and honestly it wasn’t the best cheesesteak I’ve had but still good.

Closing out the day I made the trip all the way to the Rocky Steps in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. I didn’t want to stand in line to take a picture with the statue, but I admired from afar. I did the obligatory running up the steps and took in the view of the city. Finally, to end the day I made the walk down Schuylkill River Trail to get back to the train station for my ride home.

Iceland Day 12-14

National Aquarium - Baltimore, MD