We woke up in the wee hours and took subway towards the 34th St - Penn Station. While our Bolt bus departure is 815am and google map route indicated trip duration to be around 1 hour, we set aside almost 2 hours just to be sure. It was barely after 6am on Sunday, so the train frequency might not be what we were used to in Singapore. We didn't want to take any chance of missing our bus :D
It was good that we left our friend's place around 630am, as we had to take 2 train services and the bus afterwards (I think it was M34, 5 stops). There were only 15 minutes to spare by the time we reached Bolt bus! Phew
The bus departed right on time at 830am and we reached Philadelphia 30th Street Station at 1030am. After taking a while to orientate ourselves in a new city, we equipped ourselves with subway map and tickets before heading into the city to check in to Double Tree by Hilton.
Unfortunately for us, 1130am was too early for check-in and we dropped off our bags with the bellboy and went out in search of lunch. It was a pleasant area to take a stroll in but there wasn't much for sightseeing.
We eventually picked a western diner for lunch. Pretty good food with generous serving!
After wasting about 3 hours at the diner and Starbucks, we checked-in around 3pm. Despite the low expectation about hotel rooms in the US (the rooms were generally old, extremely different from 3 stars and above hotels in Asia), we were so happy with our accommodation for the day.
Free cookies are definitely a better welcome than those typical syrup drinks :D
After a quick fresh up, we left hotel around 345pm and took subway towards the Independence Hall for free and easy walking tour of Philly. At the Visitor Centre, Remember to get your free timed tour tickets for Independence Hall on the morning of your visit, on a first-come, first-served basis.
While this is the recommended route, of coz we skipped a few points as we were quite lazy :D
Independence Hall, the birthplace of America, was built in 1732 as the Pennsylvania State House. Within this hallowed hall, the Second Continental Congress met in May 1775, and The Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 4, 1776.
Fun Fact: This Independence Hall was on US $100 note and the time was set for 10 minutes past 4. Interestingly, the numeral four on the clock face was written as IIII instead of the usual IV.
Independence Hall is also where the Constitutional Convention met to draft, debate and then sign The United States Constitution on September 17, 1787.
The Assembly Room in the Independence Hall
The Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution were both signed in this room. Later, the room became a shrine to the founding of the nation, proudly displaying the Liberty Bell and original paintings of the Founding Fathers. That was the scene when President-elect Abraham Lincoln visited the Assembly Room and praised the ideals expressed in the Declaration of Independence. Following his assassination, Lincoln's body lay in repose here for two days.
It was here in Independence Hall, George Washington was appointed Commander in Chief of the Continental Army in 1775, the Articles of Confederation were adopted in 1781, and Benjamin Franklin gazed upon the "Rising Sun" chair in 1787.
The Library Company of Philadelphia, founded by Benjamin Franklin in 1731, was housed on the site of Library Hall from 1790 to 1880; the Library Company served as the Library of Congress from 1774 to 1800. In the 1880s, the Library Company moved to 1314 Locust Street, and the original Library Hall was then demolished.
In the 1950s, a reproduction of Library Hall was constructed on its original site. Today, Library Hall houses some of the American Philosophical Society’s collections, and the Library Company still functions as a prominent research library on Locust Street.
President's House
This open-air President's House commemorates the predecessor the White House where President George Washington and President John Adams lived while they were in office, while Philadelphia was the Capital City of the United States from 1790-1800.
The President's House site also provides a lesson pertaining to a troubling time in American history with slavery. There are exhibits about the early American Presidency, the free African community in Philadelphia and the enslaved Africans who lived there.
View of Independence Hall from the President's House
The Bourse Building, opened in 1895, was the first Commodities Exchange in the United States. The Bourse Building was the first in the world to simultaneously house a stock exchange, maritime exchange and grain-trading center.
The 11-storey Lafayette Building was one of the few early twentieth century office buildings built on what is now the Independence Mall, as that area was mostly industrial until the Mall was created in the 1950s. It sits next to The Bourse, a former stock exchange built in the 1800s, which is now office space and shops.
Completed in 1824, the Second Bank of the United States is one of the finest examples of Greek Revival architecture, modeled on the Parthenon in Greece. The Second Bank was designed by William Strickland who was known as the "city architect" because he created a large number of Philadelphia's public buildings. The Second Bank was incorporated in 1816, and it was one of the most influential financial institutions in the world until 1832. Today, the building houses a collection of late 18th and early 19th Century portraits.
The New Hall Military Museum is devoted to interpreting the role of the military in early American history. This building is a reconstruction of the one built by the Carpenters' Company in 1791, and it originally housed the office of the first Secretary of War, Henry Knox, and his staff. The building currently houses exhibits highlighting the origins of the United States Army, Marine Corps and Navy with displays featuring weapons, uniforms, battle flags and more.
Carpenters' Hall was built in 1770. The First Continental Congress met at Carpenters' Hall in September 1774 to draw up a Declaration of Rights and Grievances and an appeal to King George III. This was in response to the Colonies' outrage towards the British Parliament over punishing Massachusetts for the Boston Tea Party. During the Revolutionary War, Carpenters' Hall served as a hospital and an arsenal for American forces. It was here at Carpenters' Hall during the First Continental Congress that Patrick Henry stated, "The distinctions between Virginians, Pennsylvanians, New Yorkers, New Englanders are no more. I am not a Virginian but an American."
The National Liberty Museum was created to help combat America's growing problem with violence and bigotry by celebrating our nation's heritage of freedom and the wonderful diverse society it has produced.
Benjamin Franklin, one of America's Founding Fathers, was a very accomplished author, diplomat, inventor, philanthropist, political pundit, printer, statesman and scientist during his 84-year life. Franklin's house once stood in Franklin Court, however it was razed in 1812. Today, the Robert Venturi-designed "Ghost House" stands depicting the frame of Franklin's home. Below Franklin Court is a museum which is filled with paintings, objects and inventions; the museum also continuously shows The Real Ben Franklin movie.
B. Free Franklin Post Office & Museum is the only Colonial-themed post office operated by the United States Postal Service. It is a living portrayal of a bygone Colonial lifestyle, and it is the only active post office in the United States that does not fly the American flag (because there was not yet one in 1775 when Benjamin Franklin was appointed Postmaster General). The postmark "B. Free Franklin" is still used to cancel stamps. The museum on the second floor features displays of postal history and memorabilia.
The Betsy Ross House, a row home built in 1740, has been restored to about the year 1777, and it commemorates Betsy Ross' legend and history. In 1777, Ross was commissioned by George Washington to create the first American Flag. Although no official records exist to prove the story of Ross creating the legendary "Stars and Stripes," the descendants of Ross have passed her story down from generation to generation, which detailed Ross' role as a national matriarch and the feminine face of the American Revolution. The flag features 13 stars to represent the original 13 colonies with the stars arranged in a circle. However, it was still up for debate whether Betsy Ross created The First Flag or one of many First Flags.
Christ Church Burial Ground is one of America's most interesting graveyards from the Colonial and Revolutionary Eras; the burial ground has 1,400 markers on two acres. The graveyard is the final resting place for some of America's most prominent leaders including Benjamin Franklin and four other signers of The Declaration of Independence.
We then walked for about 20 minutes towards' Penn's Landing - the Delaware river waterfront, just a short walk away from the historic Philadelphia. If you are in town during summer season, make sure to pop by Spruce Street Harbor Park. It would make a great place to chill out with beer garden, alfresco dining options and a slew of hammocks.
As we were there in the autumn, there wasn't much activities happening. We just relaxed and reflected on the United States' fight for independence, how Philly and Boston downtown walks formed a bigger picture for us to appreciate, our adventurous USA trip as well as our lives, careers and really, just anything that came to our mind. I am thankful to have someone with whom I can share anything with, be it momentous milestones in life and just mundane, trivial things happening in life.
Beautiful sunset yeah?
Sometimes, it felt great to be able to just exist and appreciate the moment.
Although we could have taken Bus 33 for 11 stops, we still had to walk about 15 minutes (to the bus stop to board the bus and to the hotel afterwards). Coupled that with low frequency bus arrival, we opted to walk for about 30 minutes. It was a peaceful and quiet jaunt back to the hotel and the good thing was we found a breakfast place for the next day.
After spending about 5 hours retracing the steps of the Independence history of this great nation in downtown Philly, we were back in hotel and turned in early. Our plan for the next day - explore other parts of the birthplace of America such as City Hall, LOVE sculpture and Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
Adios!
xoxo
Miss N
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