Philadelphia Freedom

Ok, so this whole Adam traveling for auditing hasn’t been all that hard, until this month. I counted the number of days I would see my husband in March and it came down to 6. Six days in an entire month that would get to spend with my best friend. That’s hard folks, really hard. But one perk about this job is that once a quarter Boeing will pay to fly spouses out to spend the weekend there.
So last weekend I took advantage of that and flew to Philadelphia to spend 2.5 glorious days with my husband. We had such an awesome weekend.
We kicked it off in style with an awesome dinner. We splurged (because most of Adam’s meal was covered by his per diem, from Boeing) , and went to Morimoto’s. We were adventurous and tried the Omakase, an eight course tasting menu designed by Chef Morimoto that included things like scallop tartar, sashimi tasting, sushi tasting, quail two ways, hibiscus soda, vegetables and soup. It was amazing. Pretty much the most elevated dining experience I have ever had. If you ever have the opportunity to try it, don't pass it up!

Saturday we got up early and did not stop going until it was dark. We hit up all the historical sites in the Old City Area.
First thing was Independence Hall, which is most famous as the location where the Declaration of Independence and Constitution were debated and signed.  While there’s nothing glamorous or spectacular about what you’re seeing, it’s more of just the feeling, the sense of awe and appreciation for the men that met in these rooms and did what they did so that we could live in this free country today.  It was actually a very powerful spiritual experience I will never forget. 

The room where it all happened

The senate room

 

Then of course the Liberty Bell.  Because how can you go to Philadelphia without seeing this national symbol of independence. 

Next stop the final resting place of Benjamin Franklin at Christ Church Burial Ground

Then onto Carpenter’s Hall, where the first continental congress was held.

Our next destination was Franklin Court, where Benjamin Franklin’s home once stood and where they have a museum of his inventions and works. 

Ben Franklin's favorite self portriat

We strolled over to Christ Church, where 15 signers of the Declaration of Independence once worshipped, including George Washington and Benjamin Franklin. 

This was once the tallest building in the US

Next Stop was the Betsy Ross Hose, which I was really excited about, since you don't hear about a lot of famous women when it comes to the revolutionary period. I loved this little tour.

Then up to Elfreth’s Alley , which is one of the oldest continually inhabited residential streets in the country
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We had done a lot of walking and site seeing at this point and it was past lunch time.  So we hopped in a cab and headed to the famous cheese steak spot – Tony Lukes .  I decided to go against getting the traditional sandwich with cheese wiz, and stuck with what I know I like – provolone.  It really was a delicious cheese steak, and I’m not really that big of a cheese steak fan, but the bread was perfect and the meat delicious.  I’d go back for sure! 





While you might think day one should be over by now, it is not….

We went into downtown after our cheese steak break and explore the city area.
First Stop – Love Park – simply because we had to get the picture...

Right across the street is City Hall. It is just stunning and was the world’s tallest building from 1901 – 1908.

Across the next street was this historic Masonic temple.

The architecture of Philadelphia is just absolutely beautiful, I loved being in a city so full of history and art around every corner.

After a short break in Rittenhouse square, We finished off the day with delicious sundae of peanutbutter, chocolate, bananas and toffee, from Max Brenner .  Does it get any better than that?

We took it easy on day two and just hit up the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

It is  huge museum, I hear it’s the third largest in the country, so doing just that was enough.  It really is a beautifully done museum.  Their exhibits were so interactive and varied, there was something inspiring in every nook and cranny.  I loved the Asian exhibit, ancient artifacts and beautiful pieces. 

Of course they had many classic and well known artists as well.

Of course another token tourist picture had to be taken at the Rocky statue, since the steps up to the museum of art or those that Rocky did run up in the movie. We were dorks and ran up them too.

There are statues everywhere in Philadelphia, but this was one of the largest we saw. The Washington Monument.

So – as you can see it was a packed weekend, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I like to do as much as I can when I am traveling! (I get that from my mother) But the best part was really just spending quality time with Adam. It was nice to be together and not have the responsibilities that being at home together brings. We need weekends like this more often. I am just glad this one was on Boeing’s dime!

Thanks Boeing for the awesome room with this view!