The first hop on hop off bus didn't leave stop 1 until 9.30am and we were getting on at stop 6 so we had plenty of time to find a cafe and have breakfast first.
Philadelphia is a very historic city and the focal point is the City Hall which is the largest in America. On top of City Hall is a 38ft tall bronze statue of William Penn who founded and designed Philadelphia in 1682. He named the city Philadelphia which means brotherly love in Greek.
Philly was the US capital for 10yrs from 1790.
Today is Columbus Day which means it is s holiday for schools, some galleries/museums and some small shops. There still seemed to be plenty of people in business dress around. A lot of the galleries and attractions are closed on Mondays anyway so we didn't miss anything we really wanted to see.
The hop on hop off bus is good because a tour guide talks about everything as the bus passes by. They also add stories and history so each time we got back on, there was a different guide with diifferent information.
There seems to be a lot of art and culture around. The Art Musuem houses the 3rd largest collection in the USA, there is a Rodin museum that holds the largest collection of his sculptures outside France and a new museum is being built that will hold the largest private collection of Impressionist and Modern paintings in the USA.
The Zoo is the oldest in America opening in 1874.
When we got back to stop 1, we got in the queue to see the Liberty Bell. It took about 20mins before we got into the building and looked around the exhibits before seeing the Bell. It obviously is very important to a lot of Americans as a symbol of freedom.
We got tickets for Independance Hall too. It is free but the tickets are timed. We had just over an hour before our tour so we walked a few blocks to the Betsy Ross house.
Betsy Ross is widely acclaimed as having sewn the first US flag but there is no historical evidence to prove that. There is also debate as to whether she ever lived in the Betsy Ross house.
Just a block or so from the house was Elfreth Alley. This is the oldest continually inhabited street in the US. It was very narrow with very cute little houses lining the street. They were all very similar and very close together.
After going through a secutity check we joined the Independance Hall tour. Our guide was a funny woman with a dry sense if humour but she made it interesting. She involved the group by asking them questions, particularly the kids. It was interesting to hear about the signing of the Declaration and the Constitution and how it all came about. I think it would have been particularly interesting and possibly moving for a lot of Americans. It was cool to see the chair George Washington sat in to oversee the signings, the book printed by Benjamin Franklin and the cane used by Thomas Jefferson. It was quite anazing to be allowed into these rooms and so close to the objects that are such a big part of America's history.
Benjamin Franklin is also widely acknowledged throughout Philly. He was one of the founding fathers and lived in Philadelphia. He was very active in the politics and business of the time.
After finishing the tour we got back on the bus to see thr small part we hadn't done yet. We ended up doing another loop and then got off at Reading Terminal Markets. These markets have been operating since 1892 and have seen many expansions and remodels. It is full of vendors selling fresh produce from fruit & vegies, to meat, cheese, baked goods and herbs. The Amish have a section in there and many stalls cook and serve meals.
We caught the last bus back from the markets and went halfway around the city again until our stop.
Philadelphia has been an interesting city which has given us a good insight into the beginnings of America.
Tomorrow we fly to LA via Chicago. I hope we don't cop any excess baggage charges. It is much easier to drive to LA but that would require another 3 weeks!!