First of all let me set the records straight….YOU DON’T HAVE TO GO TO PHILADELPHIA to get a good Philadelphia Hoagie. We walked the streets of Philly and sampled and sampled but could find NONE better than the Hoagies we’ve had at Franklyn’s in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho !!!
Now let’s get back to the Philadelphia that we came to see. Independence Square hosts some amazing historical sites and we spent the better part of two days just soaking up as much the history that’s available there. Our first stop was the visitor’s center and taking in their movies is something we always do. This one was about William Penn’s 1701 Charter of Privileges, which established a practice of the colonies that welcomed everyone, regardless of religious affiliation or national origin…imagine that !!! It then told the story of Independence Hall, a national shrine that was built from 1732-1756 and is where the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution was debated and signed. The next thing we like to do is grab one of the Hop-on / Hop-off buses and tour the whole city so that we can figure out just what we want to see and how to get there later. Within 3 buildings we walked the same floors and stairs that our forefathers walked many times while writing, debating, and signing the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the same halls were earlier the Bill of Rights were written.
Across the street is the new and modern home for the Liberty Bell. After standing in line to get in and then going through the inevitable search of our backpack we walked the halls displaying the many facts and pictures of the Liberty Bell.
The Liberty Bell cracked long ago, but as an icon of freedom its voice has never been stilled. Its crack is a reminder that liberty is imperfect and we sure know that don’t we… Looking for a little diversion from the museums and historical buildings we decided to walk a half dozen blocks to find the Philadelphia City Market.
The food that was being served looked and smelled so great that we almost forgot that we had another dinner location planned, and the produce…amazing with freshly picked and beautiful produce with fair pricing to match.