Day 78, April 12, Philadelphia Pennsylvania

 Three amazing things:  1- It kinda choked me up to stand in Independence Hall where the great thinkers and movers who founded our new nation as they seceded from Great Britain penned those documents that made us a union, an experiment with a new form of governance. I had been here with Bry almost 49 years ago. Choked me up then, too.





2- Toni was our spry 80-year old walking-tour guide with whom we spent several hours exploring Philly’s sites and learning more about the early history of the founding of our union than I ever hoped to know.  She was just adorable, and she took us to and explained in lively manner such sites as
The Betsy Ross Home, Elfreth's Alley (where restored private residences from the 1750's are still lived in), to the first bank in the US, to The Liberty Bell, to The Carpenters' Hall where the First Continental Congress met, and to Christ Church where Ben Franklin is buried.  Toni's tour ended after almost 3 hours, but we just couldn't quit exploring, so we continued on to The "Be Free Post Office", the first post office in the US, and finally to Congress Hall where the first United States Congress convened.  









3- The Ben Franklin Museum was such a great way to spend a couple of hours.  Can't believe we fit so much into our day and still had time for this small museum, but we thoroughly enjoyed it and learned a great deal about this odd, brilliant, selfless, sage, and witty patriot who did so much to further the cause of freedom.  He truly was a man for his time, and his diplomatic and negotiation skills, to say nothing of his scientific advancements and abolitionist stance, have blessed this nation like none other for well over 200 years.







Not so amazing thing:  Philly CheeseSteaks.  I treated Aaron to a famous Philly lunch at a highly recommended diner, which he quite enjoyed and which I found a notch above barely tolerable.  



Good deeds:  Toni, our delightful elderly tour guide, led us on an outstanding expedition through Philly for the price of a tip.  Only about half of the participants handed her anything at all, and then it was only $10 per couple, which we thought was quite chintzy.  We slipped her $40, which I truly hope made her day!




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