17. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

We left New York in the rain (a good day for travelling) and our train passed through New Jersey before arriving in Pennsylvania at our third city, Philadelphia. I am using the rail journeys to further my geographical and historical knowledge of the US and I can now locate all 50 states on a map, thanks to a fun 'Where is that?' app on my iPad. Having started to learn about the stirrings of American Independence from the British back in Boston it was now time to see how it all came to fruition in Philadelphia.
Philadelphia is the fifth largest city in the US and the only World Heritage City. The city has always been renowned for its tolerance and acceptance therefore creating a diverse community. It was also the first capital city housing George Washington and the White House. Our hotel was an old 1828 shipping building next to the port on the Delaware River and right in the heart of the 'Old City Quarter', with plenty of interesting buildings, bars and restaurants and historic sites close by.
Elfreth's Alley is 'our nation's oldest residential street' and full of quaint terraced brick houses. Betsy Ross, a seamstress rumoured to have had a hand in the design on the US flag lived here and Benjamin Franklin (who seemed to do everything!) lived and was buried here too.
Many of the tourist spots are related to the quest for freedom and independence, the birth of the United States and the constitution. I just hope some of the information I have learned stays in my brain. The Liberty Bell and Independence Hall are hotspots but we liked the real variety of architecture here too, the busy downtown - like a mini New York - and the whole feel of the city which is so compact and walkable. We found a whole network of old streets one evening just lovely for wandering after a good meal.
Philadelphia is known for its good food and Steve was compelled to try the local 'cheesesteak' speciality, a huge hoagie filled with beef steak and cheese; not a healthy option on this occasion but very tasty. Luckily we had a superb evening restaurant - our best meal so far - complete with BYOB, vegan/vegetarian options and all proper food.
We were only here for one full day of exploring and luckily it was a bright sunny day, albeit a little windy, and by late afternoon it was hats on time in the City Hall square at the 'Love statue'. This is such a great place and the range of nice eating and drinking places and all of the tourist/historical sites on our doorstep and not having to utilise any public transport was a huge plus; we could definitely have had another night and day here
Last stop, Washington DC.