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Philadelphia Travel Guide
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| Philadelphia |
If Benjamin Franklin were alive today, he'd be right at home
in Old City, Philadelphia's
hippest neighborhood. One of the most progressive citizens
of his time, Franklin would surely be out browsing the many
art galleries and trendy shops or sampling the cosmopolitan
fare at its newest eateries. He might even be seen at the
hottest nightspots -- if only to satirize them in one of the
publications that made his reputation (his printing establishment
was in the neighborhood). We suspect Philadelphians would
wait for the review.
Franklin was a key player in the city's rich history, whose
relics are still visible today. Philadelphia's superb Historic
District has Independence Hall, where the nation's liberty
was ironed out, and the Liberty Bell, which made that liberty
known. Its museums - more than a dozen, including the excellent
Franklin Institute - are world-class institutions that mix
old and new in surprising ways. Watch fourth graders sprawled
on the floor of the Philadelphia Museum of Art drawing pictures
of the objects on display, and you'll see how much a part
of contemporary life this city's history really is.
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| Philadelphia
Travels & Tours |
Liberty Bell
In 1751, William Penn asked that the new bell being cast
for the Pennsylvania Statehouse be engraved with the words,
"Proclaim LIBERTY throughout all the Land unto all
the inhabitants thereof." The bell rang to call citizens
to the first reading of the Declaration of Independence,
and was later dubbed The Liberty Bell by abolitionists,
who adopted the bell as a symbol of their fight for freedom
for all Americans. Talks on the history of the bell are
presented continually during open hours, which vary season
to season.
RiverLink Ferry
If you're coming to Philadelphia for the day from New Jersey,
consider a trip across the Delaware River on the ferry.
It's faster and more pleasant than a drive across any of
the five bridges, and you don't have to worry about parking.
Round-Trip Tickets cost USD5 for adults, USD4 for seniors,
USD3 for children. Group rates (15 or more) are USD3. Tickets
and special RiverPass tickets can be purchased at the Philadelphia
and New Jersey terminal facilities and the Independence
Seaport Museum.
Rocky Statue
This bronze visage of Philadelphia's most famous fictional
resident stands with his arms raised in victory in front
of the First Union Spectrum. Tourists are often seen taking
snapshots of the worker turned World Heavyweight Champion,
Rocky, who is portrayed by actor Sylvester Stallone in the
popular film series. Featured in many big screen productions
including "Rocky III" (obviously), "Trading
Places," and "Mannequin," this statue by
Jon Leitner, Tom Shomberg and George Lundeen has come to
epitomize the underdog, blue-collar spirit for which the
city is known.
Lights of Liberty
Lights of Liberty is a spectacular sound and light show.
Experience the events leading up to the American Revolution
while walking through Independence National Historic Park
after dark. A personal headset with surround sound tells
the story of the American Revolution, while beautiful hand-painted,
5-story-high images are projected onto the sides of historical
buildings. In less than a mile and about one hour visitors
experience five acts in five locations.
Memorial Hall
Situated on a meadow in Fairmount Park, its high copper
dome is visible for miles. Built in 1875, Memorial Hall
was conceived as an international art gallery, but became
the central facility for the United States' Centennial celebration.
President Ulysses S. Grant opened the Centennial proceedings
in Memorial Hall's 150 foot-high "Great Hall"
on May 10, 1876. This is the only significant structure
remaining from the Centennial festivities. An exhibition
in the basement pays homage to the Centennial fairground,
the first World's Fair ever held in America.
Benjamin Franklin National Memorial
Benjamin Franklin's legacy is unique because he is remembered
as a scientist, inventor, philosopher, statesman, printer,
economist and musician—and he did all of these things
in a remarkable way. This marble statue stands 20 feet high
in Memorial Hall, a rotunda modeled after the Pantheon in
Rome. The statue weighs 30 tons and sits on a stepped pedestal
carved from 92 tons of marble. Many of Franklin's personal
possessions are also displayed in Memorial Hall, a part
of the Franklin Institute Science Museum.
Library Hall
In 1789, Library Hall became the first library open to the
public, the predecessor to the Library of Congress. The
hall was refurbished during the 1950s and today holds an
excess of books from the Philosophical Hall collection.
Rare manuscripts of groundbreaking scientific and historic
importance are on hand. The original journals of the Lewis
and Clark expedition, and first editions of Sir Isaac Newton's
Principia and Charles Darwin's Origin of Species are exhibited.
The Declaration of Independence in Jefferson's own handwriting
is here.
Philadelphia Zoo
Established in the early 1800s, the Philadelphia Zoo is
the oldest of its kind in America. Today it is home to nearly
2,000 creatures great and small from the top of the food
chain to the bottom. Rare species from around the world
are on hand, such as white lions, pandas, polar bears and
the country's only giant river otters.
John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum
The John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum is the
largest freshwater tidal marsh in Pennsylvania. The mission
of the refuge is to preserve the marsh, promote environmental
education, and provide visitors with an excellent opportunity
to observe wildlife in its natural habitat. The Heinz refuge
offers nature programs, environmental education workshops,
field trip consultations and a resource library. All workshops,
field trips and related services are offered free of charge.
The Refuge is an excellent resource for birdwatchers, hikers,
and nature lovers.
Philadelphia Folk Festival
The Philadelphia Folk Festival is an annual extravaganza
of folk music, crafts, dance and children's activities that
takes place at Old Poole's Farm on Chalmers Mill Road in
Schwenksville. Past performers have included Ani Defranco
and Loudon Wainwright III. You are sure to be tapping your
toes and glad you made the 45-minute trip from Philly! Special
children's activities are included.
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| Nature
and Adventure |
| Philadelphia
has four distinct seasons, and spring is possibly the most
beautiful and pleasant. The city's climate is moderated
by its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean: high humidity in
summer, frequent high winds and bitter cold in winter. January's
average temperature is 33 F/1 C -- temperatures tend to
dip below freezing in the evening. July's average temperature
is 75 F/24 C with sunny, humid days that sometimes exceed
90 F/32 C with more than 90% humidity. April and October
average temperatures are in the 50s F/10-15 C. Clear skies
25% of the time; partly cloudy skies 31%; cloudy skies 44%.
Annual rainfall: 40 in/100 cm; heaviest rain in July and
August. Annual snowfall: 20 in/50 cm.
Thanks to William Penn's decision to plan Philadelphia as
a grid, it's one of the easiest cities to navigate in the
eastern U.S. You do have to understand the numbering and
naming system, though. In Center City, all numbered streets
are one-way. East of Broad Street (also known as "14th
Street," the Broadway of Philly), odd-numbered streets
run south to north, even-numbered streets north to south.
West of Broad Street, odd-numbered streets run north to
south, even-numbered streets south to north. Market Street
is the dividing line between north and south addresses.
In the downtown area, major streets running east to west
are named after trees (e.g., Chestnut, Walnut, Locust, Spruce).
They, too, alternate directions as one-way streets. (Locating
an address is simple: 1918 Locust, for instance, would be
between 19th and 20th streets.)
Because on-street parking is difficult to find and parking
lots in the tourist areas can be expensive, walking or using
the bus is advised if you are going sightseeing. The Independence
Park area is easily covered on foot, by subway or by using
the Philly Phlash Shuttle Service, which makes a continuous
loop around most tourist attractions. The convention center,
hotels, restaurants and shopping are within easy walking
distance of one another and of the historic area.
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