Imaginary Friend: A Trip to Philly, part 1

(Uchenna looking at Independence Hall, and wearing the hat I got him. It was cold in Philly!)

You know how Grandpa likes to say that flight is still an experimental form of travel? Most flights go very smoothly, but some seem more experimental than others.

Our flight to Philly got delayed by weather. In fact, it was raining so hard in Philadelphia that we (and a couple other planes we could see out the window), circled for over an hour, then had to make a side trip to Scranton to refuel. Then we came back and circled some more. The turbulance tossed us around a bit, of course. As we were enjoying a rollercoaster-type drop, I saw the guy across the aisle reviewing his safety information card.

Fortunately, we didn't have to put it to use, and we all stumbled gratefully off the plane about two hours later than scheduled--and made a bee-line for the bathrooms. They wouldn't let anyone use the plane bathroom because we could be cleared for landing any moment, for two hours. Also fortunately, in front of us was a group of loud women from New Jersey who had great humor and boisterous laughs, so the trip seemed more like a good story to tell and less like an ordeal.

So why did we go to Philadelphia when the DeMarcos aren't there? Because Uchenna had a conference, which is really our main excuse to travel anywhere. It's a great deal, since we only have to pay for one flight ticket, one person's meals, and no hotel. That said, the trip is still not free, so I guess we won't be getting a big T.V. this year. Uchenna is trying not to be heartbroken.

On the topic of costs, we've noticed an irony about hotels: the more expensive the hotel, the less they give you. A lot of basic chain hotels these days provide free internet, breakfast, and a fridge and microwave. Big, fancy hotels don't. They may have some nice details, snazzy lobbies, and perhaps more comfortable beds, but the rooms are basically the same (at least the ones we book; I'm sure they have amazing suites up somewhere near the top floor). So let's see--higher price tag for thick, fluffy towels or lower price for internet and breakfast. Hmm, tough decision. We're just more practical and cheap than classy, I guess.

Anyway, we thought Philly was dang cool. I think Uchenna wants to move there--but he might be happy to move to any city after living in a small town. We were right downtown on Market St. (okay, that justifies the hotel's cost), and I loved walking by the river, looking at the stores and sampling all the restaurants. In fact the trip sort of turned into a restaurant tour of City Center. Plus, there's this great Reading Terminal Market just a couple blocks away--a lot like Lexington Market for those of you who remember Baltimore.

(In front of the Benjamin Franklin bridge and the Delaware River. Can you see the scarf Mom made me while she was here? Total life saver!)

I called one of my former college roommates who's from there; she invited us to dinner on Sunday and told us how to navigate the subway (it's called the Septa System, which to me sounded too much like septic system. Do people say the words out loud before the inaugurate a new acronym?). Then on Monday showed me the Penn's Landing, took me along the quirky shops on South St., and introduced me to Philly cheese-steak. You know, the important things.

(That's the real Liberty Bell, crack and all. Somehow I thought it'd be bigger, and encased in glass)

Of course one day Uchenna took the afternoon off from conference sessions and we toured the historical sites. Uchenna hadn't been there before, and the last time I went I think I was 12 or 13. As with that first trip, I was struck by how small everything was--such as the room where they drafted and signed both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. But as the park ranger for the Liberty Bell said, these were things and buildings created for everyday use. They may be small, but the ideas are big.