PAGE EIGHT
Philadelphia - Andrew, Jacqui, her Mum and her Uncle - 2010
Our trip to Philadelphia started on a hot Monday appropriately enough in New York’s Pennsylvania Station. Having bought our tickets (if you do this don’t forget to take picture ID with you) we went down underground to pick up our train for the 1 hour 20 minute journey through New Jersey to Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station.
Shortly before you get to Philadelphia you pass through North Philadelphia which, from the train at least, looks like something from an Eminem video with run down slums and a very unappealing look. Fortunately the train passed straight through and as you get closer to 30th Street Station things begin to look up.
Interior of Philadelphia's 30th Street Station, PA
The Station is built on a grand scale, with a massive interior and huge columns on both the front and back entrances. We all bundled into a taxi for the journey to the historic centre of Philadelphia.
After a short journey the cab pulled up across the road from the Independence Visitors Centre which was where the guidebooks suggest you should start your visit to the City. It had been hot in New York, but we have travelled south and it was now scorching hot – and approaching midday.
Independence Hall, Philadelphia, PA
Inside the Visitor Centre it was gloriously air-conditioned. We looked around at some of the exhibits and booked ourselves on a guided “Duck” tour. We then headed to Philadelphia’s most famous resident – the Liberty Bell.
The Liberty Bell, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
The Bell itself is not spectacularly big, nor heavy, but has a pivotal place as a symbol of American Independence. It was cast in 1751 in Whitechapel, London for use in the Philadelphia State House. However, it cracked when being tested and despite attempts to fix it, remained that way. Despite the crack the Bell was still rung on several occasions.
Andrew by the Liberty Bell, Philadelphia, PA
Tradition associates the ringing of the Bell with the First Continental Congress in 1774 – the very earliest meeting of those who would eventually push for US independence – and also after the Battles of Lexington and Concord both in 1775. The most famous ringing may never have happened. It is said the Bell was rung to summon the citizens of Philadelphia to hear the Declaration of Independence read out on July 8, 1776. Whether or not this occurred, the Bell became the symbol of the Independence Movement and was dubbed the “Independence Bell”.
The British marched on Philadelphia the following year but the “Independence Bell” plus all the church bells of the city had been judicially hidden in rural Pennsylvania to stop them from being melted down by the invaders. Once the British left in 1778 the various bells were returned.
With the movement for the emancipation of slaves the Independence Bell took on a new meaning and a new name – The Liberty Bell. Today it stands for not only American Independence but the rights of all people to liberty – in many ways simply the American Dream.
Detail of the Crack in the Liberty Bell, Philadelphia, PA
The Liberty Bell used to live inside Independence Hall but in recent years it has been moved to its own purpose built Visitors Centre between the Independence Visitors Centre and the Hall. Even the brief walk outside nearly cooked us and we were glad to get back inside the air conditioning. After your bags are searched you walk through a series of historical displays about the history of the Bell and then at the end you get to the Bell itself.
Crowd around the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall behind, Philly, PA
It now stands on its ancient yoke, but suspended from a modern frame with a big window behind it looking out over Independence Hall. There was surprisingly little space to move around the Bell, but we were told that it was very busy today. By New York standards this was not busy at all and it was fairly simple to get a series of photos of ourselves with the Bell before heading back out into the heat.
Andrew, Jacqui, her Mum and Uncle Victor by the Liberty Bell, Philadelphia, PA,
By this point it was about midday and much as we would have liked to have gone on into Independence Hall we instead had to head back down the street to pick up our Duck Tour.
Another view of Independence Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Duck Tours of this kind operate in various places around the world, but this was the first one any of us had been on. The company operates old military amphibious vehicles which bump along the roads before heading for the water. On this boiling hot day it seemed a very good way of seeing more of Philadelphia.
Robert, Our Mad Philly Duck Driver!
Our guide, Robert, was as mad as you might expect and we were all kitted out with little yellow beak shaped quackers which we were encouraged to use whenever possible (except passing horses and travelling through the Society Hill Historic District.
Society Hill Historic District, Philadelphia, PA
This was the first area the Duck Tour took us, going down 6th Street with its old Georgian style houses which – we were told – was what all of Philadelphia had once looked like (if we could imagine the cars not there).
South Street, Philadelphia, PA
After passing through the Society Hill District we turned onto South Street. South Street is the thriving heart of old Philadelphia. It is here you get all the restaurants, clubs, Philly Cheesesteak joints and trendy shops. It is painted brightly and had a kind of subdued carnival atmosphere. This is the place where you would find yourself returning to frequently if you were staying in the City for any length of time.
Rainbow House on Philadelphia's South Street
More Colourful Buildings on South Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
When we reached the end of South Street we were close to the Delaware River (old Philly sits between the Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers) and I was expecting to get to the aquatic bit of the tour, but we actually turned back into the old part of town and continued down some more old streets.
The Philadelphia Exchange, Pennsylvania
We passed the top end of America’s Oldest Continuously Occupied Street – Elfreth’s Alley. Outside we saw a woman and a man by a bench and were told that she was one of Philadelphia’s professional storytellers. The City employs people to tell historical stories to tourists at various points in the Old City which seemed like a great idea to me. Elfreth’s Alley has been here since the early 1700s – for the US this is very old indeed!
Elfreth's Alley - The USA's Oldest Street! Philadelphia, PA
Literally around the corner is Betsy Ross’ House. Betsy is renowned as the maker of the first US flag – the version with the circle of stars which was designed by Francis Hopkinson and which she, allegedly, changed from six point stars to five points because they were easier to make. There is a great deal of debate and doubt going on amongst scholars as to whether Betsy did indeed make the first US flag and, indeed, if she even lived at this House (another strong contender is Rebecca Young). However, there is no question in Philadelphian minds as to who made the first US flag – it was Betsy Ross and she looks likely to go down in history for doing the job.
Betsy Ross' House, Philadelphia, PA
From here the Duck finally headed towards the Delaware River and after a brief pause (to take on a pilot) we plunged into the grey waters directly underneath the massive span of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge (Franklin is everywhere in Philly – if in doubt, Franklin did it!).
Jacqui and I were sitting on the dry side of the splashdown, but Jacqui’s Mum and her Uncle Victor got a bit of a dunking!
Victor having got wet when the Duck entered the Delaware River
So the boat chugged out into the Delaware River. As we moved away the size of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge became more apparent. Across the other side of the Bridge is Camden, New Jersey which at the time of our visit had the dubious honour of being America’s Most Dangerous City. This would be close enough for us!
The Benjamin Franklin Bridge, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
The Whole Span of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge, Philadelphia, PA
Close by on the Pennsylvania side of the River is Penn’s Landing – today something of a rhapsody of concrete. However, it was here that William Penn landed to found his City of Brotherly Love. There are still some buildings in Philadelphia that he would recognise.
Another Duck Going the Other Way, Philly, PA
The rather hefty concrete sign which declares the area as Penn’s Landing has an odd history – it is the only completed part of the Philadelphia Overhead Railway – nothing else was ever built making this a rather expensive sign.
Penn's Landing, Philadelphia, PA
Philadelphia Skyline from the Delaware River, PA
As we turned to head back to dry land a nice view could be had of the Philadelphia skyline. At one end the white spire of Christ Church – one of the oldest in the US (as is almost everything in this City) and the place where such luminaries as Betsy Ross, John Adams, George Washington and, yes, Benjamin Franklin worshipped.
Christ Church, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
The tour then made its way back to Independence Hall and we all departed – it was well worth the $20 entrance fee and had given us a good overview of this fascinating City – one which we would definitely like to return to, but preferably on a day where you could walk more than 12 feet without dissolving into a pool of sweat!
Back inside the Independence Visitors Centre we watched a movie about the build up to and signing of the Declaration of Independence which highlighted the role of John Adams in the whole Independence movement. He may have been the second President, but he was certainly the driving force behind the birth of the nation.
Inside the Bourse, Philadelphia, PA
A brief stop at the shop and then some refreshment inside the Bourse building; a block away and venerably old the interior is now kitted out in gleaming fashion with restaurants and shops and then it was a taxi ride back to 30th Street Station and the train back to New York.
It was only a brief taste of Philadelphia – but it was one which very much whetted our appetite to see more.
Go
to USA Page One
Go to USA Page Two
Go to USA Page
Three
Go to USA Page Four
Go to USA Page Five
Go to USA Page Six
Go to USA Page
Seven
© Text copyright - Raving Loony
Productions, Andrew J. Müller,
Roy Barton
and Shaun Runham
© Photos and Artwork - Roy Barton, Shaun Runham and Andrew J. Müller
© Web Design and Layout - Andrew J. Müller
2023
