Retirement: Feelin' the love in Philadelphia

In our previous post on Lancaster, Pennsylvania, we didn’t mention the city having two international airports less than an hour away as a big plus for this retirement location. An Amtrak station right in town offers another option for travel possibilities.

We love riding trains and have always wanted to visit Philadelphia to learn more about our nation’s beginnings.

So we booked inexpensive roundtrip tickets and climbed aboard for a 2-day excursion to the “City of Brotherly Love.”

BTW—know how Philadelphia got that nickname? William Penn, the city’s founder, combined the Greek words for love (phileo) and brother (adelphos).

Arriving in time for breakfast, our first stop was the Reading Terminal Market, one of the country’s oldest and largest public markets.  Wow, compared to the market in Lancaster, this place was overwhelming. The selection of meat, seafood, cheeses, produce, baked goods and prepared food is so fantastic, we came back for breakfast the following day!

We began our exploration of Philadelphia at the outstanding Museum of the American Revolution.

The massive building was a treasure of interactive displays, artifacts, and filmed presentations that took us through the events of our country’s fight for independence. We even saw George Washington’s astonishingly well-preserved tent from the fields of battle.

What’s the one thing you must eat while in Philadelphia? A Philly cheesesteak, of course.😋 Only a 5-minute walk from the museum, one of the city’s best is served at Sonny’s Famous Steaks.

After lunch we wandered around Independence National Historic Park with stops at

Carpenter’s Hall, where the First Continental Congress convened in 1774;

Independence Hall, where  both the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution were debated and adopted by the Founding Fathers;

and one of America’s most iconic symbols of freedom, the Liberty Bell. In downtown Philadelphia there is historical significance everywhere you look.

On the way to our final stop of the day, the National Constitution Center, we stumbled upon the Betsy Ross House.

The National Constitution Center showcases how throughout our nation’s history the principles of the Constitution have impacted major milestones like Reconstruction, women’s right to vote, and abortion.

An exhausting day of serious history immersion left us feeling a little silly.

Day 2 was all about culture and sightseeing. After another yummy breakfast at Reading Terminal Market, we walked around and through Philadelphia City Hall, the largest municipal building in the United States.

The massive structure was designed to be the tallest in the world. But its intricate architectural detail took nearly 30 years to complete, by which time it had been surpassed in height by both the Eiffel Tower and Washington Monument.

Then we spent the remainder of our day exploring the scenic Benjamin Franklin Parkway, a beautiful boulevard modeled after the Champs-Élysées in Paris, that runs through the heart of cultural Philadelphia.

First stop was the Rodin Museum, home to an impressive collection of art by the “Father of Modern Sculpture” and other noted artists.

Works displayed include “The Three Graces” and Rodin’s most famous, "The Thinker,” with Edd (thankfully keeping his clothes on) posing alongside.

At the end of the Parkway stands the Philadelphia Museum of Art. A proper visit would have required more time than our busy afternoon allowed.

But no trip to the city would be complete if we didn’t celebrate like Rocky at the top of the Museum’s steps and pose with his statue. All we needed was the music! 😀

On a stroll back to the Amtrak station for our return to Lancaster, we stopped by several more “must-do” sites.

Our love of reading took us to the impressive Parkway Central Library, heart of the Free Library of Philadelphia system. It is home to notable collections from authors like Edgar Allen Poe and Beatrix Potter as well as rare medieval manuscripts.

And we were definitely “feelin' the love” at the sculptures in LOVE Park and Sister Cities Park.

After two jam-packed days, we left Philadelphia satisfied that we had covered the city’s major attractions. Could we live there?

AARP just included it as one of the Best Places to Live and Retire Now, so who knows? Maybe a longer stay with a different focus will be part of our future travels.

Stay tuned...