At a dead sprint we began our trip into the heart of Philadelphia. In the wake of Rocky Balboa, we raced up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Weaving through the ranks of charity runners, after their race, we made it to the top of the steps and reveled in the congratulations from bystanders. After our final few steps, and a good five minutes of hard breathing, we turned and the sight of the Ben Franklin Parkway from the top of the steps was breathtaking. Flags of different countries line the Parkway and from the Museum of Art to North Twenty Second street, showing the diversity of the city of Philadelphia.
At North Twenty Second, there was a children’s fair with a book selling stand, and one of the most amazing inventions in beverages ever, Simply Orange. There was a stand with people from the company handing out free samples of their product. They approached our group and we all received our free samples and enjoyed them for the next thirty minutes while we went around Philly. The people at the stand were very friendly, giving us descriptions of the product, saying it was actually made with real oranges. People around the fair were saying that this was not a one time thing and that these fairs were not a new thing for the city to host. The next stop on the list of things to see would definitely be the Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul.
The Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul is at the end of the Ben Franklin Parkway and is one of the most beautiful churches in the area. I have been to St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York, but it does nothing to compare to the beauty of the Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul. Just walking in had a hushing effect, which comes over anyone that enters the oak doors. The inside is adorned with marble statues of the stations of the cross which are shown off by tour guides that go through the cathedral while mass is not going on. While we did not have the opportunity to see a mass, just being able to be in and around the cathedral was enough. The sheer architecture and experience of being in the cathedral was worth the visit to Philadelphia. Stepping from the solemn, quiet interior, we were faced again with the sunshine and noises of the city.
While we were basking in the warm sunshine after leaving the cathedral, we were approached by a man who appeared not to know where he was going. He first began by telling us in a very recognizable French accent, but perfect English that he was only in town for the day and did not know what he should see. He then asked if we knew where a hospitality center was, which we did not, but we did help him to plan his entire day. We showed him places that he could go visit and things of importance to see. Luckily because we had planned our own trip, it was easy for us to plan his trip in our ten minute conversation. We left wishing each other good luck on our respective trips around the city and we were off to find cheese steaks. Some people say that Philadelphia cheese steaks are the best in the world, and after this trip I most certainly agree.
With visits to two different cheese steak places, Jake’s and Campo’s, we got a true taste of Philadelphia flavor. After leaving the cathedral we went down to the Shops at Liberty Place, to experience where people might go to shop, and ended up finding Jake’s Cheese Steaks. There were two people behind the counter at Jake’s, one man was taking the orders and money, while another sat behind an encasing of glass and stoves, cooking the steaks. Although not the most efficient or quickest ways of getting to the customers, it did mean that quality was their main concern. After paying the man at the cash register, our group sat down with our cheese steaks and that was one of the better cheese steaks I’ve had. But, when we later went to the historical district in Philadelphia, we found a quaint little place called Campo’s Deli where we enjoyed our second cheese steak of the day. Sitting in IndependenceNational Park, I had the best cheese steak of my life and took my time to enjoy my Campo’s Deli cheese steak. Although both were plain with just American cheese, Campo’s Deli most definitely made the better cheese steak.
The lines for Independence Hall wrapped around the building, and it seemed like everyone wanted to be a part of the history that had happened among these special buildings. But, we did not have the time to wait in the lines to also be a part of this history and went on our way down to South Street for the interesting specialty stores. This street sure had a lot of interesting things on it. Among the tattooed strangers and drag queens that we saw, there were erotic stores and shoe stores and small restaurants. The entire street was littered with people and stores, it was all quite overwhelming. But after our interesting experience on South Street, it was off to the Vietnam War Veteran’s Memorial. This was our pickup spot and should be on anyone’s itinerary for a trip to Philadelphia. With a beautifully kept lawn, and giant marble slabs respecting the sacrifices that our armed forces made for us, it truly is humbling, just like the city itself with all its life and history.
