Philly Road Trip

Independence Hall
 Martin Luther King weekend was an extra long one for Anna (she also got Tuesday off school for a teacher work day).  Why not take advantage of the chill, off-season weather and head to Philadelphia for a road trip?  The Fagellas headed north for a 2-night adventure.  Even though the weather was cold, it was still a great time to visit Philly.  Philadelphia has something for everyone.  History.  Museums.  Great food options.  We enjoyed all of them.

Anna at the Liberty Bell
We started with history, including a visit to Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell.  As luck would have it, we were visiting the Liberty Bell just in time for the MLK ceremonies.  Theresa was excited to see all of the VIPs, including the mayor of Philadelphia, the Governor of Pennsylvania, both Senators and some Congressman.  One of the special guests was a 95 year old woman who was one of the Rosie the Riveter factory workers from World War II.  The grand finale of the ceremony was the ringing of the bell at Noon.  Joe and Anna were less impressed with this - especially after the "ringing" of the bell involved playing a recording of a bell ringing while the honorary bell ringer tapped the bell (according to Anna she did not even hit the bell at the same time as the ringing).  Anna was quite incensed by the fake bell ringing and talked about it the rest of the day.  It is doubtful that the rest of the ceremony resonated with her.

On the museum front, we spent an afternoon at the Franklin Institute.  This is an incredible science museum!  We enjoyed the terra cotta warrior exhibit with pieces on display from China. (https://www.fi.edu/exhibit/terracotta-warriors) 
We barely scratched the surface of the museum and definitely plan to return.  We also were able to tour the U.S. Mint and watched the coins being made.  Very interesting!

As for the food, we found some good eats.  We had lunch at Reading Market, which is really sensory overload for anyone....but especially for foodies.  Joe enjoyed a Philly cheesesteak. Anna and Theresa found assorted other foods, including giant pretzels.  We also found a great sushi place for dinner.  Most importantly - there was an amazing gelato cafe two blocks from the hotel.  We definitely want to go back.  There is lots of food to try!

Theresa with a terra cotta warrior
This trip was a milestone for several reasons.  Joe is clearly on the mend as he walked several blocks around the historic district with no problem.  Anna was fine on the car ride up and back.  Theresa successfully used her Uber Ap for the first time (we all have our little victories).  Most importantly - we had fun!  We look forward to returning to Philly again to see some of the many things we missed.  Next time we will do it when it is warmer.  

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