Have you ever wanted to visit somewhere so much that when you finally book the trip you ever let out a little squeal of joy? That’s what happened when we finally booked our (albeit short) trip to Philadelphia. Having heard, read and seen so much about The City of Brotherly Love we eagerly wrote a list of things we wanted to see and do during our visit. We had 8 hours to spend wisely in the city. Therefore, we planned out our itinerary down to the second. From the second we jumped off the Greyhound from New York until the second we jumped back on was accounted for. And we were excited.
That was until three massive things conspired against us. The following ensured that our perfectly planned trip to Philadelphia did not go as we thought it would.
- Martin Luther King Jr Day
- Government shutdown
- -26 degree temperatures
Getting Around Philadephia
Yep basically Philadelphia was closed for the day. But we were there and decided to make the most of our time. Our plan had included cruising around the city on the Philadelphia hop on hop off bus. Even though the bus was at the first bus stop on the route and the driver was on it, she informed us that because it was Martin Luther King Jr Day it was not running. Bizarre, right? We know we’d rather be at home than sitting on a freezing bus not going anywhere.
That was it, our transport plan scuppered. Plus weather warnings had been issued stating you shouldn’t head out anywhere as the temperatures were making it hard to breathe (yes, really!) meaning taking a walking tour was out of the question, which was a shame as we find them to be the best way of seeing and learning about any city. Therefore, we decided Uber was the only way to go.
Reading Terminal Market
However, before we headed anywhere we took solace from the cold in the Reading Terminal Market. The large indoor market had been highly recommended and we wholeheartedly pass that recommendation on. It was established in 1893 making it one of America’s largest and oldest public markets. After an early morning alarm and a two-hour bus journey from New York, we took the opportunity to grab some food to set us up for the day.
To be honest we chose the first stall. However the market is home to hundreds of stalls, or at least it seemed to be that many. They sell a range of amazing things including meats, cheese, pastries and even tableware and flowers. Vicky opted for a hot buttery pretzel Croissants because, well, yum. And Mr ESLT chose a big fat Philly cheesesteak, naturally. Well, when in Rome, right?
The Rocky Steps & Statue
The first stop on our Uber tour of Philadelphia was somewhere Mr ESLT has always wanted to visit – the Rocky Steps which are the 72 stone steps leading up to the entrance of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Having seen the film at least four thousand times, there was no way on earth he wasn’t recreating the famous scene where the Italian Stallion after running across the city, legs it up the stairs.
Not only did it give him the chance to warm up a bit but also to admire the city’s skyline including Eakins Oval, the Benjamin Franklin Parkway and Philadelphia City Hall. from the top. If you’re familiar with the film you’ll know Rocky throws his arm in the air, happy with his achievement. A statue showing this located at the bottom right of the stairs. You have to copy and have your photo taken with.
Liberty Bell
The Liberty Bell is an iconic symbol of American independence. It was something Vicky was very much looking forward to seeing up close. Originally commissioned in 1752, located in the steeple of the Pennsylvania State House (now known as Independence Hall) and bearing the message “Proclaim Liberty Throughout All the Land Unto All the Inhabitants thereof”, is now housed in the Liberty Bell Center in the Independence National Historical Park.
Unfortunately, the Liberty Bell Center which is located at 6th and Market Streets and is free to visit was closed when we visited at the beginning of the year. This was due to the Government shutdown. Therefore we did not get the opportunity to learn more about from a National Park Service Ranger. Instead, the closest we could get to it was to see it was through a window.
Independence Hall
Independence Hall also located in the Independence National Historical Park is the building where both the United States Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution were debated and signed. Again, it was closed when we visited. However, had it have been open it would have been free for us to visit as you only need tickets (only a limited number are available each day) between March and December.
We did, however, visit the Independence Visitor Center which is the Official Visitor Center for the Greater Philadelphia Region. Here is where you can buy tickets for Independence Hall from. We took the opportunity to visit the gift shop (got to love a gift shop and the visitor centre has a great one by the way) and bought maybe one too many Rocky souvenirs. We also took the opportunity to warm up a bit before heading to our next stop.
Paddy’s Pub
Even though the temperature was crazily cold, guess what – the skies were blue. And yes the sun shone brightly over us all day – maybe it really is ‘Always Sunny in Philadelphia‘? Vicky’s cousin Hannah travelled to Philadelphia with us and as a massive fan of the show, it was at the top of her list of places she wanted to see and visit in the city. We decided to brave the temperatures and make the 11-minute walk. By the time we got there, none of us could feel our faces.
Therefore we had to go inside and have a pint or two. It’s important to remember that the internal shots as seen on the show are filmed in a studio in LA as the interior of Paddy’s Pub is nothing like it – it’s super small and is very much a pub, not a swanky bar. That’s not to say we didn’t enjoy some respite from the cold and some local beer. It also gave Hannah the opportunity to buy some merchandise to remember our visit.
We Can’t Wait To Return
The rest of our day consisted of visiting Hard Rock Cafe (because, well, it’s Hard Rock). The weather became just too much for us to handle anymore, especially as the sun started to set. Even though we couldn’t see or do even half of the things we wanted to, we still had an awesome time. Our short but sweet visit to Philadelphia was a great introduction to the city. It’s just a shame we didn’t get to find out more about the cities history and its importance. But we now know we definitely want to revisit next time we are on the other side of the pond.
Have you ever visited Philadelphia? We hope circumstances did not conspire against you the way they did us. Did you enjoy it? We’d love to hear your recommendations about what to see and do when we do return. Hopefully in the not too distant future.
No Comments