Downtown Philly

READING TERMINAL MARKETThe Reading Terminal Market is filled with homemade food, shops and PEOPLE!

It's always crowded.  It's always good.

CHINA TOWN

Does every major city have a Chinatown?

SOUTH STREET

The name says it all.  This store is unique and filled with a lot of *ahem* 'toys'.

SOUTH STREET

South Street is known for the party crowd on Friday and Saturday nights.

PENNS LANDING

You can see New Jersey from the port.

Society Hill, Philadelphia

Society Hill is a neighborhood in the Center City section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The neighborhood, loosely defined as bounded by Walnut, Lombard, Front and 8th Streets, contains the largest concentration of original 18th- and early 19th-century residential architecture of any place in the United States. Society Hill is noted as a charming district with cobblestone streets bordered by brick rowhouses in Federal and Georgian style.

In the 19th century, the city expanded westward and the area lost its appeal. Houses deteriorated, and by the 1940s, Society Hill had become a slum neighborhood, one of the worst in the city. In the 1950s, the city, state and federal governments began one of the first urban renewal programs aimed at the preservation of historic buildings. While most commercial 19th-century buildings were demolished, historically-significant houses were restored by occupants or taken over by the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority and sold to individuals who agreed to restore the exteriors.

In 1807 Dr. Philip Syng Physick, "Father of American Surgery," introduced artificial carbonated water for the relief of gastric disorders to America. Following Dr. Physick's instructions, pharmacist Townsend Speakman supplied his patients with a glass of soda each day at a cost of $1.50 per month. Following the doctor's instructions, fruit syrup was added to improve taste and thus the American soda was born in Philadelphia.

Virginia Congressman James Madison. Dolley and James remained in Philadelphia at his house at 429 Spruce Street until he retired from Congress in 1797. 

In Washington Square Park you will find The Tomb of the Unknown Revolutionary War Soldier.

Independence Hall

INDEPENDENCE HALL
Where the Declaration of Independence was adopted, the Constitution of the United States was debated, drafted and signed.

THE LIBERTY BELL

The Liberty Bell was originally call the State House Bell.  Abolitionist changed the name to The Liberty Bell during the unit-slavery movement.

INSCRIBED ON THE LIBERTY BELL

 "By Order of the Assembly of the Province of Pensylvania for the State House in Philada."

Pennsylvania was misspelled on the bell, in fact it was also misspelled on the original version of the Constitution.

HORSE AND CARRIAGE RIDE

We took our British guests on a tour through Independence Hall neighborhoods.

The architecture was amazing.  

Especially knowing the buildings were built in the 1700's and are still standing today.

Court House

Court Yard

Revolutionary War Burial Site

I had no idea that there was a cemetery in our area with graves from the Revolutionary War. 

To stumble across this site that honored the men and families that fought for our freedom was humbling, to say the least. 

 The burial ground is surrounded by a peaceful setting.

 It was a cold and windy day.  The flags had blown away from the graves.  Todd and I picked up the flags and returned them to the grave stones of the soldiers.

The oldest grave recorded was dated in 1777.  It's possible there are older graves, but the etchings are so faded it is hard to read them.

It also looks like some stones were written in German.  

It is not surprising because the area I live in was settled mainly by German immigrants.

I am familiar with a bit of the German language and can only translate some of the headstone:

Rests here in God.

Anna (last name) 

(relative) of Jacob (last name)

(born) October 1722, 21st to

(death)(?) 22

October 1794

I get the gist of it but I am curious to know the full details and how Anna is related to Jacob.

I sent the picture to a few German friends to see if they understand what I don't.

Rest in peace Patriots of our country.

The British are Coming!

A major party of American history was the Revolutionary War.   The early American legend tells us the Paul Revere road through the streets of Boston yelling "The British are coming!"  When in fact this is a myth.

In fact, Paul Revere never yelled "The British are coming!".  It wouldn't make much sense because  the majority of residence in Boston were mostly British during that time period.  (I'm kind of a geek when it comes to Early American History and it helps to know my husband, the history teacher).

Once I asked my husband "Why would Paul Revere shout "The British are coming!"
Weren't they were already here??
=) 

Todd and I went to a re-inactment at the Daniel Boone Homestead.

It was a very hot day. I couldn't imagine wearing wool uniforms in this heat.

The re-inactment was held at the Daniel Boone Homestead.

Daniel Boone is one of America's famous frontiersmen.

He moved his family to this homestead in 1730.

NBC aired a television show in the 1960s about Daniel Boone.

That is before my time, so I can't say if it was an accurate portrayal of Daniel Boone or not.

The re-inactment was a really neat experience.   It's one thing to read about the RevolutionaryWar and it's another thing to see it! At the end of the re-inactment the "troops" spoke to the crowd and answered questions any one had.

One boy asked, "Why did the British wear red?"

The 'soldier' had an interesting answer.  He said that when the muskets were fired, there was always a lot of smoke.  The bright colors helped the soldiers determine who was a friend or foe.

Interesting little tidbit I didn't know. (I told you I was a history geek!).