More Philadelphia

On Tuesday afternoon, we finally got to see Independence Hall, the first Congressional Hall and the National Constitution Center—all free and part of the Independence National Historical Park. But even more impressive was the murals tour we took that morning: 40 city center murals in 2 hours and these were only a tiny fraction of the street art that enlivens Philadelphia.

Established in 1984, the city’s Mural Arts Program was created to help abate a graffiti crisis that was plaguing Philadelphia. Twenty-five years later, the city is home to over 3000 murals—most of which are magnificent and worthy of hanging in the finest art museums. Here are just a few of the pieces we saw on our whirlwind tour. All blank walls have now become potential canvases to my eye.





































Next stop: New York City!

Summer Vacation

About 6 months ago Tim announced that one of his favorite singers, Stacey Kent, was scheduled to perform in New York City the first week in June. Kent, who lives in England, rarely comes to the U.S., so he wanted to see her. I agreed to go with him, but insisted we spend a couple of days in Philadelphia beforehand. I fell in love with Philly when I was there on business (by myself) two years ago and knew Tim would love it, too. He agreed and so I made reservations accordingly.

Sunday

Although we weren't flying to Philadelphia till Monday morning, our vacation actually started Sunday night at California Adventure, where Disney's 3rd annual Food & Wine Festival was being held. The featured food and wine expert was our fave, Guy Fieri, host of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. The meal was casual and good (pulled pork sandwiches, lettuce cups, pasta, etc., and an assortment of desserts); but the best part was listening to Guy chat for two hours about the show, his family, friends, and food. He was funny, cute, and down-to-earth. I would have loved to talk to him afterward, but still had packing to do, so we left as soon as folks started to queue up for autographs. We left for the airport 9 hours later.

Monday

Horrors! As soon as we arrived at our Philadelphia hotel, I realized I hadn't packed my mascara. So off we went (on foot!) in search of a drugstore that Tim remembered seeing on the way into town. A mile later, we were standing in the cosmetics aisle of an inner-city Rite Aid. Tim waited patiently while I decided which mascara to buy. It had been 30 years since I wore anything but Mary Kay products, so I was completely flumoxed by all the different make-up brands and types. After much silent deliberation (did I mention that Tim is a saint?), I settled on Maybelline, the kind my sister and I wore in high school. (More about this later . . .)

We next went in search of dinner. Despite complete exhaustion (in our family, food trumps sleep every time), we found a cute sidewalk cafe called the Kite and Key (I swear, Benjamin Franklin is The Man in Philadelphia!), where Tim wolfed down the “three slider sampler” (pork, beef and crabcake) while I devoured a most scrumptious pork shank. We stumbled back to the hotel, forcing ourselves to stay awake for Conan O'Brien's debut as Tonight Show host--it's impossible to miss home when every other TV show and commercial is filmed in Los Angeles. We passed out in our Sheraton "heavenly bed" at exactly 12:30PM.

Tuesday

With little more than 48 hours to enjoy the sights of Philadelphia, we decided to take one of the numerous tours of the city. First stop: the Liberty Bell, which had moved me to tears the last time I was there. Not so much this time. Apparently every student on the east coast learns about the Revolutionary War in June, because the entire colonial part of town was overrun with kids on field trips. It was fun watching them react to the historical monuments, etc.—some were excited, others were just plain bored--but the sheer number of people sometimes cramped our style. Although we arrived at Independence Hall (across the street from the Bell) at 10AM, we weren’t able to get tickets to the tour until 3:30PM. We opted to go elsewhere instead.


One of our favorite things to do on vacation is sample the local cuisine at large (usually) indoor markets typical of most metropolitan cities. Toronto, for instance, has the wonderful St. Lawrence Market. Seattle has Pike Place. Even L.A. has Grand Central and, of course, the world renowned Farmer’s Market on Third and Fairfax. One of the best, though, is the Reading Terminal Market in downtown Philadelphia. Home to some 80 shops, this former railroad terminal offers everything from ice cream to gyros. Tim waited 20 minutes for a Philly cheesesteak, while I made a beeline straight for the pastries at the Flying Monkey Patisserie (yum!). Bellies full, we then hopped back on our tour bus and headed north.









I was intrigued by the Eastern State Penitentiary the last time I was in town, but had no time to visit, so decided to make it a priority this time. It ended up being a true highlight of the trip. Completed in 1836, Eastern State was the world’s first “penitentiary” where both men and women were brought to do meditative penance for their crimes. A high-concept masterpiece in its prime, the prison eventually became outdated and severely overcrowded and so was closed in 1971. Today it is a fascinating relic that hosts tours and art installations. I highly recommend spending a couple of hours there the next time you’re in Philadelphia.










Although it was starting to drizzle when we reboarded our double-decker bus, we decided to sit top-side for its better view. Within minutes we were drenched. I looked like a wet raccoon by the time we returned to the hotel. Now I know why Maybelline mascara is so cheap!

Raccoon or not, our day wasn’t quite over yet. At 5PM I remembered that Macy’s, which houses a 1904 30,000-pipe organ, features a live recital every day during rush hour. We got there just in time to stake our claim to a piece of balcony directly across from the massive pipes. Soon the store’s marble atrium was filled with joyous music. We gasped as locals continued to shop below. What a wonderful way to end our first full day in Philadelphia.



More soon . . .

Philadelphia

A month ago, I was invited to lead a couple of workshops in Philadelphia. It was a brief affair—two travel days plus two days in town--but the memory still burns bright.

Forget “Rocky” and the TV show “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.” The City of Brotherly Love is beautiful and reminds me a lot of NYC, but without the crowds. It is, of course, also totally historic. Benjamin Franklin not only walked these streets, he’s actually buried here, too. In fact, the man is considered a god in Philadelphia, with everything from monuments to pawn shops named after him.

Since I had only one day to sightsee, I decided to take one of those at-your-own-pace trolley tours to get an overview of the city. My first stop was the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, where I spent two hours reliving the birth of the USA.

Now I’m not a religious person, but I do appreciate the sanctity of certain places and things. Every American citizen should consider these sites hallowed ground—ground that’s protected by metal detectors and security guards, but hallowed nonetheless. Indeed, the Liberty Bell, which used to be out in the open for anyone to see and touch, is now housed in a new facility where it is treated as something of a holy relic. It stands across the street from Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence was signed and where the Constitution—the blueprint for all democracies that have come after—was drafted. I was especially moved by the Hall’s Assembly Room, where the founders debated the future of their fledgling country behind closed curtains. Here was the actual chair where Benjamin Franklin (or was it Thomas Jefferson?) sat as the men climbed the short dais, one by one, to sign the Declaration.

Even more moving, though, was entering Congress Hall two doors west of Independence Hall. (I had no idea that Philadelphia served as the nation’s capitol, from 1790 until 1800, while Washington D.C. was under construction). Downstairs was the House of Representatives chamber, with its nondescript wooden desks and plain white walls. Upstairs, however, was an entirely different story. Just as it is today, the early Senate was, by far, the more prestigious of the two Congressional houses as is immediately apparent by their chamber’s lavish furnishings. Plush green wallpaper and red velvet curtains speak to the importance of the Senate’s governmental role. And there were twenty-six beautifully appointed desks, reminding everyone that the U.S. started with thirteen states (two representatives from each, as it is today). The picture (to the left) of the eagle-emblazoned carpet was taken from the exact spot where George Washington was inaugurated during his second term as president. Every student of early American history should stand in that spot.

From Independence Hall, I hopped the trolley to other sights, including Betsy Ross’s house, the art museum (where Rocky made his triumphant ascent), the avenue of flags, and Society Hill. Back at Independence Hall, I decided to walk the two miles to the hotel (the temperature was in the upper 40s—a real heat spell for early January) and visit some of the sights we’d quickly driven by. I stopped in the Reading Terminal market—similar to downtown L.A.’s Grand Central, but without carnitas tacos—for lunch, and then wandered over to Macy’s (formerly Wannamaker’s), which houses one of the largest operational pipe organs in the world. Built in 1904 for the St. Louis World’s Fair, the organ was moved in 1911 to Wannamaker’s department store, where it’s been ever since. Located above the cosmetics counters, on the second floor of a phenomenal marble-lined atrium, the two-story-tall organ entertains customers twice a day at noon and dinnertime. I missed both concerts that day, but now have a good excuse to return to Philadelphia!

Perhaps Tim and I will take a trip back east next fall...

2/5/07