…………..is in Philly of course!
Lunch at Sonny's Famous Steaks in Philly
Our lunch was great – we got a tip from one of the horse and buggy drivers that Sonny’s Famous Steaks had good cheese steak sammies. It’s a no-frills kind of place, but the staff was fun, the food was great, and the price was right. We passed on the horse and buggy ride – a little too spendy (especially on a cold day) after spending 18 bucks for only 2 1/2 hours in the parking garage. Philly is sure diverse in its construction. There are grand old buildings and majestic new towers. A lot of really old buildings, in fact we walked down Elfreth’s Alley, which is known as one of the oldest continuously inhabited residential streets in America.
Elfreth's Alley - Created in 1702
We have been in the Philly area for about a week. I had a work-related class just a few miles from the city so we made sure to take a whirlwind tourist trip before we left. There is a tremendous amount of history here and it was incredible to see a glimpse of it in person. We stopped by Betsy Ross’ house, the Ben Franklin Post Office, and Christ Church (founded in 1695). The Liberty Bell center was a fun place, we lined up like everyone else for a picture.
Is the Liberty Bell walking away?
We also popped into the Fireman’s Hall Museum, a fantastic firehouse museum of the Philadelphia Fire Department. They have great collections of equipment, photos, memorials, and apparatus. It was a working firehouse, constructed in 1905 and operated until 1952 until it became a warehousing building. The brass pole was awesome as well as the oak doors and stained glass window.
Philadelphia Fire Museum
Our last stop in Philly was at the Wanamaker Building. A friend of ours from Hermiston had suggested that we stop here if possible. We’re glad we did! The Wanamaker Building is a 12-story building that was the first department store in Philly and also one of the first in the US. It also has the largest operational pipe organ in the world (28,000 pipes). We looked a lot more like tourists than shoppers during our trip inside the store. The building currently houses Macy’s on 3 floors, and it was decked out with Christmas decorations. Our thanks to Anna for letting us know about this great building.
The Wanamaker Building - Downtown Philadelphia
The Grand Court inside the Wanamaker Building
Although we didn’t have much time to explore, we did see a lot of Philadelphia in a short time. It was busy (something to do with the 1.4 million people who live here) but laid back. I can’t imagine what it would be like during a busy tourist weekend in the summer. I think I’m ready to turn in the rental car and go back to hiking/Metro. Much less stress for sure 
Thanks for being with us in Philly – take care! (oh yeah….almost forget…..GO PHILLIES!!) jimmy and patti
