Philadelphia

We arrived in Philly around 11am the next day. Our first stop was the National Constitution Center. It was a fantastic, interactive museum that we weren't allowed to take pictures of so I have absolutely no proof of this. However, I'd recommend everyone to stop by and check it out. While there we watched a presentation titled "We, the People". It was one of those things that sends tingles down your back and makes you feel proud to be American. I liked it. It's good to get that reminder. After we adventured all through their museum (you should check out the website to get an idea of what fun stuff they offer). Then we were off to Independence Hall where we saw the old courtroom and the room where the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were both signed.

Independence Hall


Closer view of the Independence Hall bell tower

Courtroom


Signing Hall

After taking a few pictures we wandered downtown with a group to get some Philly cheese steaks. I had no idea what we were getting ourselves into...



They were MONSTROUS! The picture on top is only half of my sandwich...the half that I couldn't handle and had to give up eating. We later gave it to a homeless person so it went to a good cause, don't worry. After stuffing ourselves, we and our newly made married friends ventured around the city. One of our first stops was the rose garden, which it turns out had a lot more magnolias than roses. It was beautiful.

Our new friends!

We also stopped by and saw Liberty Bell, crack and all. Ryan and I still aren't quite sure why it's famous - other than having a giant, unrepairable crack. I guess shoddy workmanship really pays off in the end...?

After walking all over the place we were all pretty tired so we found a great park and took a rest. Most everyone slept while I watched the busy squirrels and "decorated" Ryan. He's so good for putting up with me.

After our break we saw Benjamin Franklin's grave. He had amazing epitaphs written for him...



After Franklin's grave we went to Christ's Church where many of the founding fathers would worship. Then before heading back to DC the group stopped and got pizza. Overall it was a great trip and we had a fun time seeing the sights and making new friends.