Philadelphia

  Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Saturday, June 28, 2003

On June 28th I had breakfast with my cousin before heading out to  Philadelphia. I checked in to the Bank Street Hostel. I visited the  Norman Rockwell exhibit. Later explored some of Independence Hall, the  Liberty Bell and Washington Square.

Philadelphia Liberty Bell

On June 29th I did a guided tour of Independence Hall and saw where both the Declaration of Independence

Philadelphia Independence Hall

Philadelphia Independence Hall signing

and the Constitution were drafted, and I also saw an original draft of the Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation and I viewed the West Wing and Congress Hall.
At 10:30AM I had a 1:1 ranger led tour through the city. I visited Carpenter's Hall (home to the 1st Continental Congress in 1774), the 1st Bank of the US (started by Alexander Hamilton and government's bank from 1797-1811) and many other historic streets.
I also visited City Tavern, a reconstruction of Revolutionary America's finest tavern.


Then I visited Thaddeus Kosciuszko National Memorial (his former Philadelphia home) to commemorate the Polish patriot who also fought for Americanindependence in the Revolutionary War.

Philadelphia Thaddeus Kosciuszko home

After I visited Franklin Court,  the former home of Benjamin Franklin. Next I visited the former home and current resting spot of Betsy Ross. From there I hiked about 20
blocks to Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site, his home where he
lived in 1843 and wrote his classic stories.

Philadelphia Edgar Allan Poe home

On June 30th I drove to Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site, an iron plantation founded in 1771.

Philadelphia area...Hopewell Furnace

At noon I drove to Valley Forge National Historic Park. I saw the
winter encampment of Washington's Continental Army from 1777-1778
during the American Revolution.

Valley Forge

Valley Forge Triumph

I ended the day at the non-historic King of Prussia Mall.

On July 1st I visited the Ben Franklin National Monument. Then I hiked to the Philadelphia Museum of Art and ran up the "Rocky" steps. Inside I saw works by Cezanne, van Gogh, Warhol, Renoir, Monet, Degas, etc. After I explored the smells and tastes of the Italian Market.
All in all I drove 240 miles to and in Philly.