USA Trip Day 26 - 29 Sep 2014 - Free and Easy Philly

We woke up, packed our bags, checked out of the hotel, left our stuff with the storage bell boy and left for breakfast at IHOP around 1030am. Oh my, that was my very first time at IHOP and I was asking myself why I didn't discover this place sooner?!! 

Amazing taste would be an understatement for a brunch at IHOP 

I was already happy with the enticing aroma of our dishes 

And the taste was divine. 

We polished our plates in 10 minutes flat. 

With satisfied tummies, we then walked over to the majestic Philadelphia City Hall. 

In his original 1682 design of the city, William Penn set aside the Centre Square for public buildings. But it took an astonishing 200 years before the square was used for that purpose. The first floor is built of solid granite at 22 feet thick in some places. The 548 foot tower is tallest masonry structure in the world without a steel frame.  

Upon its completion in 1901, it was the tallest habitable building in the world. In Philadelphia, it retained the tallest title till 1987, when it was surpassed by One Liberty Place, ending an unspoken gentlemen's agreement the limited the height of buildings in the city to be no higher than William Penn's hat atop City Hall. 

In front of the William McKinley Statue

Timed tickets are required whether you want to view just the observation deck (US$ 8.00 per pax, tour departs every 15 minutes) or add in the architectural tour of the City Hall (US$ 11.00 per pax, 2 hours tour departs at 12:30pm on weekdays).  

We collected our timed tickets from the City Hall Visitor Centre on ground floor around noon and walked over to the LOVE Park to wait for our viewing time at 12:45pm. 

A favorite destination for tourists and locals alike, John F. Kennedy Plaza gets its famed nickname “LOVE Park” due to its famous sculpture by Robert Indiana. Located near City Hall, LOVE Park serves as the grand entrance to the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

- "www.visitphilly.com"

Benjamin Franklin Parkway begins here 

Slightly before 12:45pm, we headed back to the Visitor Centre, where the tour leader brought us up to the observation deck, 548 feet above the ground.  Taking a lift up the tower was an experience in itself as we had never been on such a vintage elevator, with a view of wooden superstructure surrounding us before. Due to safety reasons, each 15 minute slot is limited to only 4 visitors. 

Aerial view of the Love Park & the Benjamin Franklin Parkway from City Hall's Observation Deck 

(The largest municipal building in the United States with over 14.5 acres of floor space) 

This clock tower was home to 11.3 meter tall, 27 ton heavy, bronze statue of the city's founder William Penn. 

We then walked over to the nearby Reading Terminal Market to grab a bite, meant for light lunch. After All, we just had a pretty satisfying brunch at IHOP. 

Just look at those vibrant, locally grown produce! Mouthwatering for sure! And I don't know about you, it definitely made me feel like I am on a healthier diet :D

Delectable food, tempting baked goodies, tantalizing aroma and vibrant colors all made this centuries old market special.  Make sure to drop by for a taste of local flavor when you are in town.

I just wanna take them all home!

While waiting for bus, we noticed this retro looking Hard Rock Cafe opposite the bus stop.  Just snapped this shot because it represented a very different image of Hard Rock Cafe, from what we were introduced to in Singapore.  I was pretty sure it was definitely not vintage diner style.

Anyway, taking bus #38 for 13 stops brought us from Reading Terminal Market to the back gate of the Philly Art Museum. Our explorations of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway to be continued!

Adios!

xoxo
Miss N