Philadelphia: Birthplace of a Nation
May 4 - 10, 2016
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From the first night when we settled into our hotel across the street from the Liberty Bell, we were surrounded with American history. The weather was drizzly and rainy at times during our stay, but it never dampened our adventurous spirits. Busy days were followed by late afternoon wine and sometimes beer (the Beer Brewing Conference was in town too), in our hotel lobby, Then we strolled to restaurants in the neighborhood for excellent meals, followed by a stop for our favorite gelato. Life was good!
On our first day our guide Diane took us through "America's Most Historic Square Mile". We investigated the highlights including Independence Hall, Carpenters' Hall and the Liberty Bell. The afternoon we were left explore greater Philadelphia on our own on foot or on the Big Bus City Trolley. The next day we met Diane at the Union League to tour the Civil War era private club with its treasure of art and memorabilia. We headed a block away to visit City Hall in its huge building under an equally huge statue of William Penn. While touring we literally walked into the Mayor who graciously agreed to a photo with us. Then we went on to the Barnes Foundation for lunch and a self guided tour of this immense collection of Impressionist paintings. The next morning we visited Valley Forge, where General Washington overwintered during the Revolutionary War. We visited the house where he and Martha lived as well as the re-created huts where the soldiers, and sometimes their wives and children, stayed. Back to Philadelphia for lunch at the Reading Terminal Market where we treated ourselves to Amish apple dumplings, grilled cheese sandwiches, chocolate, ice cream, just about anything we could imagine eating. We spent the afternoon again exploring Philadelphia (running Rocky-style up the stairs of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, anyone?) The next morning we headed for Brandywine River Museum which showcases the Wyeth family art. We also visited W.C. Wyeth's home and studio there. Our next stop was Longwood Gardens where 13,000 were visiting for Mother’s Day. This former DuPont estate with its glorious formal gardens and conservatory was able to handle the crowd with plenty of room to roam. On our last day together, we walked through South Philly, the Italian quarter of Philadelphia. Of course we visited Gino's for a Philly Cheesesteak! We had one last afternoon to visit the places our fellow travelers had raved about, then on to our grand final dinner at Fork, one of the best restaurants in Philadelphia. Many of us stayed in town one more day to visit Winterthur, another Dupont estate. The gardens were more natural, studded with groves of blooming azaleas this time of year. The estate museum boasts one of the finest collections of American decorative arts, each room portraying a different style. Others went to Amish country and we all eventually headed home to rest before our next adventure |