Walking...and walking

Our hotel is in the midst of the historic district of Philadelphia. And you can literally visit every important historical sight IF you can walk. Getting old sucks! Today we wandered to Ben Franklin's home, Independence Hall, the liberty bell, and Betsy Ross's upholstery shop.

And many other places...just ask my dogs. We had delightful tour guides in costumes and even the right dialect to wrap us in historical facts, and even more fun, the little-known stories.

Philadelphia has two issues. One is the streets. I have to watch the ground because everything is cracked, uplifted by trees, is brick, cobblestone or whatever. However, the cobblestone roads have an interesting background. Stones were used for ballast in the ships coming to America. Once here, they replaced them with cargo. Since they had piles of rocks available, they were used to pave the muddy roads. And they are interesting, kind of pretty, and

definite ankle breakers.

This is truly the cradle of the American ideals. I think we could solve many of Washington, DC's problems IF Congress was sequestered to this area with no electronics for a few weeks to really contemplate 1) where we came from, and 2) the greatness we could achieve if we followed their plan. We have forgotten so much. I suffered a tight throat, misty eyes, and swallowed sobs as I considered everything in front of me. Independence Hall, Ben Franklin's home and grave, the Liberty Bell to name just a few.

Then we headed to the Reading Market Terminal for lunch. Okay---I am now

officially "peopled" out. My solidary days of not seeing other person will be enjoyed when I get home tomorrow. Shoulder to shoulder people everywhere. But dining on a genuine Philly Cheesesteak was mandatory. It was great. I had hot peppers on mine since in this area you NEVER put green bell peppers on them. EVER. Who knew?

Dinner was on a tall ship in the Delaware River. It was pretty awesome. I can't imagine sailing across the ocean in one of them. And I think this is quite large

compared to the Mayflower. The food was

excellent. But we listed a bit to one

side............which is not great for those of us with balance problems.

Oh, and I didn't tell you... our driver missed the exit due to construction, so I got to spend all of ten minutes in New Jersey. At least I got to say I've been there! People here talk of going to Maryland, NJ, Virginia, even Indiana like it's nothing. And it is. The states are so small that you could cover a handful in less than a day. Unlike Idaho where you have to drive ten hours to get from one end to the other. We may not have as much history, but we have space.

And Philadelphia's other issue...they are Pepsi drinkers. For a diehard Coke addict, that was hard. And I whined. But I must say I was impressed with the traffic and drivers. I expected lots of honking, cursing, and hand gestures, but everyone seemed respectful, and traffic flowed. Unlike us westerners who suffer road rage. Maybe on accounta we have too much space??