ROCKY!! The Philadelphia Art Museum...homage to Rocky just out front.
We took a weekend to continue our east coast city tour and had a wonderful time checking out Philadelphia, PA. (from now on known as "Philly" in this entry). We were blown away by another city rich with history and great things to see.
The front of the Philadelphia Art Museum, aka "Rocky Steps" (as you know, I must also continue my pop culture tour as much as learn my history). As much as we would have loved to check out the Cezanne exhibit, well, we had our darling little 2.5 year old to keep entertained too...
But Reid did great, he made it up those Rocky steps like it was nothing!
Chris and Reid at a fountain in front of the Philly museum. Reid got a little American symbology lesson as Chris asked him what bird it was just behind them...Reid said "A pigeon!" Then we had a small diatribe with little Reido about the eagle. :)
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (also one in D.C) here at Washington Square Park in Olde Town Philly.
The back side of Independence Hall in Olde Town.
Front sign of Independence Hall, "Birthplace of the United States of America"!
Reid happily waiting in front of Independence Hall for our tour.
The tower in which the Liberty Bell once reigned. Statue of George Washington out front.
The room in which the Declaration of Independence and Constitution were drafted and signed!! (a true highlight, so many amazing and brilliant men ahead of their time were all here in this room)
The Liberty Bell, once housed in Independence Hall, now in a really wonderful and surprisingly interesting museum across the street.
A part of the Philly skyline, a juxtaposition of old and new.
Dim Sum craving time!! In addition to our East Coast city tour, we continued our east coast Chinatown tour as well. We found Philly's Chinatown to get our fix of Chinese life and food. In comparison here so far, New York's Chinatown is the largest, Boston's is the smallest, and Philly's had the best dim sum we've had yet!
Yummy! Chris with a mouth full of cha siu cheung fan, ordering some more and Reid having a great time anywhere as usual.
Philadelphia houses the US Mint's largest facility
and is one of four active coin-producing mints. It is also the site of master die production for U.S. coinage, and the engraving and design departments of the Mint are also located there. With all of this learned and said, I really wish we had taken a tour! Maybe next time...
Very cool Chronology of Ben Franklin's life on a plaque near his grave. What an amazing man.
Benjamin Franklin and his wife's final resting place. People throw change onto the graves.
We spent quite a bit of time at the amazing Ben Franklin Institute, a kid-centered museum with airplanes, trains, Ben Franklin's National Memorial, Kid's Science, a Giant (model) human heart you can walk through, and a planetarium (to name a few of the exhibits we all enjoyed), especially Reid! There were even original notes, parts, and the Wright Brothers restored first airplane they flew! It was incredible.
*There was the most amazing "olde" building amidst the new buildings of the city, the Philadelphia City Hall. I can't believe we didn't take a picture of this beautiful structure, but I encourage you to click on the link below to see it! Until next time...
