For our first family spring break trip, we went to Philadelphia. I had a work conference there and Jordan nor I had been since we were kids. We drove up early on Easter Sunday in a rental car with little traffic. We stopped at a few rest stops across the states and the kids loved them. We stayed at a great Residence Inn across from City Hall right in the heart of downtown Philly.
The next day we ventured out into the Suburbs and went to Legoland. This was my kids first time in a mall! We enjoyed the mall with extra kids rides and ate at the food court. We drove by a lot of the city sites on the way home before turning back in the rental car.
We then roamed around the City Center being tourists and saw the Chinatown Friendship Gate, Dilworth Park with the famous LOVE Sign, City Hall, the Masonic Temple and other sites. We then begin what would be our daily jaunt to Reading Terminal to eat!
Let’s pause for the amazing food at Reading Terminal! I give my special shout-out to Fox and Friends for their gluten-free fried food menu - my first funnel cake in over five years was glorious. I even ordered a gluten-free Philly cheesesteak during the week. The kids loved the different bakeries that were scattered throughout the stalls. We ate so many foods and went every day to the busy place to get a meal or a treat.
While I was at the conference, the kids went to the Franklin Institute, which is a science museum aimed at kids and only a short distance from our hotel. The kids had an absolute blast exploring, touching, and playing with exhibits, artifacts, and live shows. They may have even learned something by accident.
I had scheduled a full vacation day on Thursday, so we went to see the historic revolutionary sites. We went by the site where the Quakers started US churches, Elfreth’s Alley (The oldest US street), Betty Ross’s house, the US Mint, Christ Church (1695), the First Bank, site of the Second Bank (main US bank for 50+ years as the country was founded - major economic policies set here), the waterfront and peeked into the Museum of the American Revolution. We even ventured into a beautiful office building to see the Dream Valley Mosaic. After our tour, we went to see the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. We did not realize you needed a ticket to see Independence Hall and felt defeated. The Liberty Bell exhibit, much updated, was great though.
When we found out you needed a ticket for Independence Hall, the Park Ranger taught us how to get a next day ticket, but said you best be timely and lucky. As our luck is good, we made our way back to Independence Hall with our tickets in hand for the first tour of the day on Friday. We saw all the sites and spent some precious time alone with the Declaration.
As this was the last day, we had to have another meal at Reading Terminal. We then had a few free hours. As it was my daughter’s nap time, I decided to break away to see my favorite site - books! I sprung into a cab and ventured out on my own. I went on a guided tour of the Rosenbach Library - and due it being lunchtime on a Friday, I was on tour with myself and a super knowledgeable tour guide. The Library is a collection of rare books, manuscripts, and historical objects two brothers were some of most famous bookcollectors ever. Dr. A.S.W. Rosenbach (1876-1952) and his brother, Philip (1863-1953) played a central role in the development of private libraries that later became our nation’s most important public collections of rare books, such as the Folger and Huntington Libraries. The brothers’ own personal collection, now the core of the Rosenbach, features treasures the brothers were unable to part with, including the only surviving copy of Benjamin Franklin’s first Poor Richard Almanac and the manuscript of James Joyce’s Ulysses. Our collection is continuously growing, including the addition of the papers of poet Marianne Moore, and Bram Stoker’s notes for Dracula. I really enjoyed seeing one of the largest collections of books from the 1600-1700s from the US as well. As I love rare books, I really enjoyed this museum.
We had saved one last adventure for this trip - riding a semi-overnight train back to Greensboro. (We are grateful that Greensboro is still a major railroad hub!) We had spent money (!) to book two small cabins with seats that turn into beds. I had to temper Jordan’s expectations, as these were not the EU trains we so adored. However, we did get access to a club that had non-alcoholic (boo!) drinks and snacks to wait for the train. The coolest part was overlooking the station and when it’s time to board your train, they put you on a freight elevator and it drops you directly on the platform for you to board the train. This was the kids first time riding a train not at Tweetsie. The small cabins were nice and came with some perks like dinner. As we boarded, the kids caused a mutiny and would not let the adults into the first cabin. So until bedtime we let these crazy kids have their own cabin, plush with pads, snacks and drinks. They had the most fun of the year during those hours. We then got ready for bed, as the train was supposed to arrive after midnight. Well, due to some train traffic - who knew that was a thing? - we got delayed until after 3am. We were grateful that the kids slept and we were able to be in beds to wait it out. We really enjoyed the Amtrak adventure and will definitely ride the rails again. Jordan has one route he’s wanted to take for years, so maybe we will schedule a 2024 train adventure!
