Day One of Marquesha's "You're 18!" trip was spent in Philly (never "Philadelphia" - they don't fully spell out anything in this city). After a complicated first-time flight experience, Marquesha arrived with Joseph 10 hours later than planned. They did get to experience first class flying, however, as the airline's apology :)
We started our day about eleven o'clock, a sleep-deprived but hyper bunch of small-town folks in a big city. Goal #1: Head to the river to tour the battleship New Jersey, the most decorated in the country.
We opted for the self-guided tour so we could explore the monstrosity
at our own pace. Colleen and Marquesha had the informational headphone
systems, so they shared the most interesting facts as we wandered along
the red tape line - Around the deck, through vault-like doors, down
skinny hallways, up steep ladders, through hatches...it really felt like
exploring!
We even got to go inside one of the main
16" gun turrets. The space felt cramped with just the 6 of us, but when
the battleship was operating, it took 77 men to run each turret - 27
men worked at one time in this upper space with another 50 right below
them. Mind-blowing.
We couldn't decide what size of
men the ship was designed for! Definitely fellows taller than Suzie,
but they couldn't be much taller than Joseph and still fit the bunks...
In any case, the captain got the most comfortable sleeping quarters...
...and the navigators were the most protected (their workspace is encased in a 17-inch thick concrete wall!)
Goal #2 was famous Philly Cheesesteaks for lunch. We found a tiny shop that boasted their authentic cheesesteaks, and crowded 'round a table meant for 4 to enjoy them. Delicious!
Re-energized, we were off to a few other historical sites.
Independence Hall:
Our guide for the short tour here told of the events at Independence Hall as if he personally knew the men involved! His approach was very welcome, as we were all about to fall asleep on our feet at this point in the day. There's so much more to the story than we read in our history books!
We were approaching the end of museum hours in the city, but the Liberty Bell was right next door. For some reason, we thought it was outside! Perhaps it used to be? They have a really neat setup for it - You are greeted with this view of the bell with Independence Hall as a backdrop after walking through an informative corridor about its history and influence on various groups.
There was one museum in town that still had some appeal after hours - The Philadelphia Museum of Art.
When the doors are closed to the exhibits inside, people still come to run up the "Rocky steps". We were not about to miss out on that!
Our inspiration:
The reward? A magnificent view of the city.
And, some super-sturdy columns to lean against :)
We found our way out of the city and on the road to Beth's house to get some sleep for more adventures ahead.
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