Best of Dover: Blueberry Danish, Legislative Hall and DogTown Hot Dogs!

What? You missed the pictures in my previous Dover post? HERE they are!


Welcome back to Dover, Delaware, home the only capitol city with an all-volunteer fire department, the best blueberry danish this side of the Atlantic, and the Pattersons!


That is in fact how I started Day 2 in Dover: with a fabulous blueberry danish from Frankfurt bakery! This was quite possibly the best danish I've ever had. I'm salivating just thinking about it! But let's get down to business. There's more to know about Delaware! =)


So, several people told me I needed to go to Legislative Hall, which is their current capitol building. I have to say the tour was actually quite interesting! I'm not the most interested person when it comes to politics, but Delaware is actually pretty cool. It's a tiny state, of course, so that means people actually know their congressmen. I got to go into the House and Senate rooms, and most of the desks boasted personal notes and pictures from kids and the voting public. To be eligible for the election, all candidates have to live in Delaware for at least three years, live in the county they're hoping to represent for at least one year, and be over 27 years old. So if anyone's contemplating getting into politics, those are your minimum requirements for Delaware--move today. =)


Interesting random fact: At the time of the Revolution, there were approximately 50 families living in Dover, DE. Another interesting and random fact: The state bird of Delaware is the Blue Hen. It is known for its ferocity and fighting success! In the Colonial era, cockfights were a major form of amusement. Apparently the Delawarean soldiers fought with similar ferocity. =)


The building itself is very ornate and pretty. It's Georgian revival style,which just means it's symmetrical any way you slice it. Lots of Colonial-era buildings were Georgian style (named, of course, for King George of England), so when they built this place in the 1930s, they wanted to show remembrance for that. All the walls and things inside are "Colonial Blue" and "Buff" (off-white), which are the official colors of Delaware. My tour guide noted that almost all the DE schools' colors are some variant of blue and off-white or yellow as well.


In both the Senate and House of Representatives rooms there are these huge paintings of important people and events in Delaware history. I found that to be the most interesting part of the tour! There was one depicting the treacherousness of the Delaware Bay and the "Delaware Pilots" (sailors) who risked their lives each time they sailed in or out of it. Another painting showed Caesar Rodney's ride to Philly--the ultimate Dover Hero. Of course one of the paintings portrayed the signing of the Constitution at the Golden Fleece Tavern, one of the most important days in US history, not to mention DE history!


The painting I found most interesting and wish I knew more about was the one depicting Zwaanendael Colony. It was a short-lived Dutch colony founded in present-day Lewes, DE, in 1631. No one knows much about the colony, except that it existed--I'm researching this. =) Also prominent in the Legislative Hall decor is the presence of agricultural influence. Delaware is apparently a big agricultural state even to this day, which I didn't realize! My guide talked about how the Swedes settled much of Delaware, and the fact that New Castle used to be the capitol, but it moved to Dover in 1777 because it was further out and a bit safer for their capitol city. 


Moving along, the most interesting display to me was just a small one in the hallway dedicated to two recently discovered shipwrecks, one from the 1770s and the other from the 1860s. Remember, the Delaware Bay is very treacherous. Ships used to run aground, and if there was a nor'easter, ships were certainly in great danger! These two ships in particular were cargo ships, and the fine china and other things that the ships were carrying show what an important part Delaware played in US commerce--remember, the Delaware Bay was also an important passage way into Philadelphia! The artifacts were pretty well-preserved, considering their 150-230+ years under the sea. One of the plates had a barnacle growing off of it that was at least three feet long. =) 


After a rousing day in historic Dover, the Pattersons and I decided we needed to go explore the outskirts. Off we went to Middletown! Sean and Jenna had told me about this cute little town just 30 minutes north with pretty homes and buildings and a fabulous hot dog place. I'm game. =) Dog Town Hot Dogs, I have to say, is awesome! They have a few things besides hot dogs, but their hot dog choices definitely outshine the rest! I got the Hawaiian, which included pineapple. Yes, it was amazing. =) Definitely worth a trip! And then we went to Rita's Italian Ice. YUM! And then we came home and watched the Lion King. Yes, it was a winning day! =) 


Next up for day three in Dover... The Johnson Victrola Museum! Don't know what a Victrola is? Thought it was Johnson's last name? Well follow me, dear...

Over in Dover: My First Glimpse at the First State

So, why would anyone ever go to Dover? To visit the Pattersons, of course! And the trip fits in perfectly with my latest interest... visiting all the Colonial America sites! Did you know Delaware is the first state that ratified our constitution? It is!

And even if you knew that, I'm willing to bed you didn't know this: Delaware didn't separate from Pennsylvania as a colony until June 15 1776--just three weeks before all 13 colonies declared independence from England! People in New Castle, DE, still celebrate this because New Castle was the first capitol city of DE. Have you ever noticed that PA is mostly land-locked? So how did Philly get to be such a prominent city when access to the Atlantic was so important? Apparently, William Penn convinced the Duke of York to give him the land that is now Delaware because of the Delaware River, which empties into the Delaware Bay, which empties into the Atlantic Ocean--owning Delaware meant PA wouldn't have to pay taxes to use someone else's waterways. All about taxes, my friends!

Anyway, Delaware got on the ball when they became their own entity. (Although there were border and land-ownership issues all the way up till the 1930s!) One of the great heroes of Delaware is a man by the name of Caesar Rodney. He lived in Dover at the time of the Revolution, and he since he also acted as Governor, he was also the Delaware representative at the Continental Congress. Representatives from all 13 colonies left the convention to go discuss the possibility of declaring independence from England, and everyone was supposed to come back to vote a while later. Well, Delaware decided to vote yes, but they needed to get to Philadelphia to actually submit the vote. Who was determined enough to ride 14 hours straight and make it there by morning in time to vote YES... Caesar Rodney, of course! And actually, this is a significant ride for other reasons as well. Mr. Rodney was not in the best of health--he was plagued with asthma and other health problems--the all-night ride actually worsened his health and probably hurried along his eventual death. Soldiers were not the only ones who gave their lives for freedom. Next time you look at a Delaware state quarter, take a look on the back to see good ol' Caesar riding onward to Independence. =)

But I'm getting ahead of myself. As I said before, William Penn actually started things up in Delaware. He even mapped out Dover in 1717, and they still use the same grid layout today. They have these two open fields in front of the Old State House called "The Green," which is sort of the center of the town. The Old State House is this beautiful building from 1791, and to me it looked like the picturesque setting for the time period it represents. It really impressed me how the paint wasn't caked on in several layers, artifacts had been well-taken care of, the rooms were set up just right; it was as if the state senators and representatives of old would walk in at any moment! The docent ho led me through the Old State House was a nice, older gentleman named Tom who is very passionate about what he does--and even more passionate about the "unsung hero" of the American Revolution, Allan McLane. Mr. McLane actually was quite an interesting and influential character in the American Revolution, as well as one of the signers who made Delaware the first state!

I spent a good hour and a half or so in there, so by the time I got finished up, I was hungry for some lunch! Sean and Jenna had recommended a couple of places, so I picked the Dover Newsstand Cafe, since I knew I'd passed that one along the way. Let's just say I was a bit underwhelmed. The food was fine, but the service was rude. Oh well. I was hungry enough to eat whatever she threw at me. =)

Moving right along... now it's time for a walking tour! Tom, my friend from the Old State House, told me to make sure I went to the John Bell House next door and take their tour, which starts every hour on the hour. The Bell House was very interesting all on its own because it is the oldest standing wooden structure in town--it still has the original studs on the walls! It's had to be restored throughout the years, but much of the structure is original to the 1700s. Pretty impressive! The guide was a nice man named Mike, and bless his heart... the city requires that he wear the full Colonial garb, hat, coat, and all--whew! It was a hot day for me in shorts and a sleeveless top, so I can just imagine how hot he must have been! But he did it with a smile on his face and without complaint--kudos to Mike! He was a good guide, too.

Something I found interesting on the tour was Dr. James Tilton's house. Dr. Tilton was not only some guy from Dover, DE, he was a rebel! He not only advocated for women's rights in the 1700s, he was also a revolutionary physician. He was the person who first started separating people by WHAT was wrong with them (as opposed to "sick" or "not sick"), and he linked many diseases to mosquitos, which no one else had ever realized before. Oh, and while he was Surgeon General of the US, he directed his own surgery by watching what was happening in a mirror and telling his assistants what to do. That's a man. Oh goodness.

My fellow tourists and I found out that The Green was not only a public square--a place for people to gather for community events--was also used for military drills. There are accounts of soldiers practicing drill here as well as times when people gathered here to say goodbye to the troops as they  marched off to war. We walked around to a few of the surrounding buildings, but none caught my attention quite like the site of the Golden Fleece Tavern. As many know, Taverns were not just for drinking, they were the places where people would go for a hot meal, a spot on a bed, lectures, and meetings, among other things. One such meeting we know of happened there in 1787: The ratification of the U.S. Constitution. Yes, THIS is the place where the decisions were made and the papers were signed making Delaware the very first state of the United States of America on December 7, 1787. And how do we know it happened at this tavern and not somewhere else? Because we have the bill from the meeting: room rental fee, food, etc. are all included for this day and a day or two surrounding the date. This is a lesson to all: keep your receipts! =)

Also of interest is the fact that Dover's first fire company was the Robbins Hose Company, which was totally volunteer--and today Dover is the only capitol city in the nation with an all-volunteer fire department. Better be nice to your neighbors!

Dover has several other history tours dealing with the underground railroad, women's history, ghosts and a couple of others, but unfortunately they do not occur on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday--the only days I'd be there. But when I told Mike that I'm a tour guide, he offered to tell me more stories from the other tours--woohoo! I got to hear about the first murder by mail (called the poison candy murders) and more about the settlement of Delaware, which involved Swedes, Marylanders, Dutch, Pennsylvanians, and maybe another group or two.

Well by then it was time to head out! Sean and Jenna get off work around 3:00, so they picked me up and we set out for Fifer's Orchard! It's a farmers' market near their house, and I'll just be honest with you... it's IMPRESSIVE! We picked blueberries (I think more of them made it into my tummy than into the bucket, though) and the Pattersons got all kinds of veggies for canning--yum! They have milk products there, baked goods, james, honey, etc., etc., etc. Definitely a delicious experience!

We went back to their house to put away the goods and set out for... sushi! =) They showed me this fabulous place called Rice. Who knew Dover would have such good sushi? But the best is yet to come... ice cream from Byler's! It's an Amish grocery store (see the picture of the horse and buggy in the picture link below), and they truly have some of the best, creamiest ice cream ever--big scoops, too! Love it. I got black cherry, and there were entire fresh cherries chopped up in there! Amazing.

Up next... chilling out and watching the movie Cars at the Patterson house. =) It was a grand day in Dover! Stay tuned, more fun to come!

Pictures, you say? You want pictures? =)https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.830144547038.2170690.52700845&type=3&l=8865b3cfc3

The Old Haunts of Philly

Well, since my work event got cancelled, but I still needed to stay in Philly, I decided there was something I simply needed to do--go on a ghost tour! Being a ghost tour guide myself, I feel it's required. =) The clouds were threatening to open up at any moment (which is why the event got cancelled), but I had my umbrella with me, so I figured it was worth chancing!


I needed to eat some supper, so I set out in search of good, non-chain fast food, and I found a great place called Honey's! One might think this is a bakery or a sweets shop from the name, but no, it's Italian. I was kind of expecting squishy, oily, not fresh stuff, but I couldn't have been more wrong! I ordered a chicken veggie panini, and much to my delight and chagrin, it was the BIGGEST panini I think I've ever seen! I couldn't even finish it all, and let me tell you, I know I looked funny trying to eat it on the go!


At any rate, I went to the meeting point and stood and waited for a few minutes. When it got to be about two or three minutes till 7:00 and no one else was there, I began to wonder if I was at the right spot. The guides usually wear orange shirts, at least that's what I thought. And just when I was certain I'd flubbed the meet-up address, some guy on the opposite corner hollered, "You waiting for a tour?" I said yes, and he said, "Haven't I given you a tour before?"

Oh my goodness! It was my friend Chris, the same tour guide I'd had a the tour I took a few weeks ago. Too funny! As it turns out, I was the only one there, so I got a personal tour! It was lots of fun, since we're both tour guides and we both give ghost tours. We swapped some stories along the way, and again, he was a fabulous, enthusiastic guide! That's his snake tattoo you see in the picture, by the way. Yes, he has the coolest tattoo in the free world.


The ghost tour was a lot like the ones my fellow Colonial Tour guides and I give--spooky stories, strange sightings, legends, nothing truly scary. He actually said he's always most uncomfortable about this tour because some people come expecting to be really scared out of their socks and they leave disappointed. In all actuality, the tour I got was exactly what I wanted! laid-back, easy-going, heavy on historical context, light on the creepiness, oral history ghost stories. Highly recommended, and definitely ask for Chris when going on the Free Tours by Foot in Philly!


We saw all kinds of fun and exciting things, such as the Ghostbusters building! Did you know that was in Philadelphia? I didn't. But it is! One of the first things we did was go over to Washington Square. What's so scary about Washington Square? Well, nothing really. Except it's built on a potter's field--a graveyard for people who couldn't afford a grave. Revolutionary soldiers from both sides are buried there, as are victims of the yellow fever epidemic. So whenever you go to this beautiful park, be aware that you're walking on people.


We also stopped by Dr. Philip Syng Physick's house--he was a revolutionary surgeon... and the father of carbonated beverages. =) His house is haunted. We went by the Philadelphia hospital and saw William Penn's statue, and I found out something interesting about it... he moves! People have said he moves around the yard there and lounges on benches, changes positions, etc. That would have been cool to see him do! I also learned about the New Jersey Devil, who apparently comes over to PA now and again. Did you know the New Jersey Devils hockey team is named for this character? Yep! Apparently he's pretty fierce and terrifying. I know I didn't want to run into him! There were a few creepier things on the tour, but you'll have to go on it yourself to find out about them! =) 


Chris kindly took me back to my hotel so I didn't have to go back at night on my own, for which I was most grateful! I was absolutely pooped after that long day! The next morning, I got up intending to go for a run and see a few more things before getting on the train home that afternoon, most of which I got to do. I got to see the Todd House (where Dolley Madison lived before she met James Madison!) and the Bishop White House. I'm constantly impressed with the way these historic homes in Philadelphia have been restored and preserved. The paint isn't caked on, props are dusted, it's nice. I love how they can do paint and wood analyses to find out what the original colors were and how old the wood is they were using. It's so interesting! Anyway, Dolley Todd's husband and one of her sons died from the yellow fever epidemic. They actually fled to a safer place, but since Mr. Todd was a lawyer, he needed to come back to Philly to help others get their affairs in order because so many people were dying and afraid of dying. He ended up catching the disease just days before he left to join Dolley and their sons, and he and their youngest son died on the same day. Dolley was introduced the next year to the shy and much older James Madison--17 years older! They never lived in this house together, but they may have actually first met there. =) 


The Bishop White house was much finer and fancier. He did a lot of things for the betterment of the community and mankind. He started a school for the deaf and other things, too, besides spreading his faith as well. Our guide said he didn't do the Bishop House very often, which was kind of a disappointment, but he made up for it because he took us to the third floor! That portion of the house is still being researched and restored. They already have furniture up there, which the guide said he didn't know anything about! It's like we got to look into super secret operations. =) 


And that was it! Off to the train station I went. I was home for less than 24 hours and then I was off like a shot again! Next up is Dover. Stay tuned! 


Missed the pictures of Philly in the last post? HERE you go! 

Gettin' friendly with Philly

Yep! We're back in Philly this weekend! Unfortunately, the event where I was supposed to be working got cancelled at the last minute for threatening rains. Fortunately, I was already in Philly, so my boss told me to stay and enjoy myself! So that's exactly what I did!

First up: Philadelphia's history museum! Apparently it's been closed the last five years for a complete do-over, and it's only partially completed at the moment. They have several cool artifacts, though, like the compass John Ladd used to map out the city! It's huge--here's a picture:

You can ask me how they used that thing, but I won't tell you, because I don't know. =) At any rate, there are three exhibits open to the public right now, but the most interesting one I found was the one about Philly's early history and significant events. William Penn was imprisoned in England for being a Quaker, so he moved to the New World in 1600s to establish a place where all people could find religious freedom. When he planned out Philadelphia, he specifically planned it on a grid system because he'd lived through the great fire in London. He saw all the devastation and confusion that was perpetuated by the curving, confusing streets, so he designed it logically (imagine that!) for easy evacuation if necessary.

The museum also talked a lot about the yellow fever epidemic of 1793 that killed nearly 5,000 people (the population then was approximately only 45,000). People didn't know how yellow fever spread (it's spread by mosquitoes), but they knew it was an awful, painful death. You basically rot from the inside out and become delusional. This is the time when Philadelphia was the nation's capitol, so luckily for us, the Washingtons and many others fled to avoid the epidemic, otherwise it would have been much worse. What people would do to "cure" the yellow fever was bleed them to get all the bad blood out. And if you didn't have the fever yet but you wanted to prevent it, you would light a big rope of tobacco and the smoke would "clear the air." And actually, that one would work because mosquitoes don't like smoke. It wasn't until late October and early November when the first frost came that the frost killed off the mosquitoes. I also found out it's called yellow fever because you become jaundiced: yellow-skinned. There were a few more things, but those were the ones I found most interesting, so those are the ones I wanted to share! =)

And next up... a four-hour tour of South Philly! They call it the "Real Philly" tour. Honestly, this one wasn't as fantastic as the Philly history tour I went on a few weeks ago, but there were interesting tidbits now and then. For instance, did you know there's a Star of David on the back of a one dollar bill? Yep! There are stars on the right above the eagle that form a star of David, and George Washington himself requested that it be put on the United States currency because of a man named Hyam Salomon, who was a Jewish man from Philly who helped finance the Revolutionary War.

We also saw the first Philadelphia hospital, founded by Ben Franklin in 1751. Interestingly, there's a skylight above the operating room. Surgery was only performed between 10-2 (or 10-3?) because that's when the sunlight was best so they could do surgery in the best light possible. (It's got electricity now, by the way, but they kept the skylight!) Also of interest is the statue of William Penn. This is one of the only likenesses we have of Mr. Penn (for whom PA is named), since he was a Quaker and they're big into no frivolity or vanity. Another interesting fact about it is that it was made and came from England--the very place where he was imprisoned for being a Quaker! We THINK the statue is around 300 years old, but we can't be sure. Someone saw it one day outside of some building in London and wanted to buy it so it could be placed somewhere in Philadelphia, but we couldn't afford it at the time. Years later, Penn's grandson found it in a warehouse--it had been discarded as junk!--so he bought it and promptly sent it to Philadelphia. Why did they choose to put it in front of the hospital? Not sure. But it's there for all to see! Some say this is the best likeness of him. We know he wore a wig (which the statue has) because he caught a disease when he was little that caused him to have bald spots on his head for the rest of his life, so he always wore a wig.

Also interesting is that Philadelphia apparently used to be home to lots and lots of Swedes. I want to find out more about that. The guide sort of said that in passing, but I found out just recently that there's an American Swedish Historical Museum in South Philly. Guess what just got added to my list! Look for more on that in the next blogged trip to Philly.

And on we go... We saw Mario Lanza's birthplace, also in South Philly. He was a famous actor and tenor in the 1940s and 50s. He tragically died at the age of 38 from a weight loss-related surgery that led to heart failure... or a hit from the Mafia, we're not sure which. Also looking into that one... Google him and see what songs he sang that you recognize. You may not know the name, but you'll know the music... especially if you've ever watched Looney Tunes. ;)

And now we're in the heart of South Philly: The Italian Market! This is the longest running continuous open-air market in the country, and it's famous mostly because Pat's and Gino's are there. I had already eaten lunch, so I felt I needed to gravitate toward the coffee shops and chocolate stores. =) I had some fabulous torrone (nugat) gelato and some sub-par chocolate from one place, and a steamer from the coffee shop next door. Yum. =)

Moving along, we switched gears toward the more artistic, modern side of Philadelphia. Our guide took us past some murals that had been painted (on purpose) by graffiti artists in an effort to control the graffiti that was taking over the city in the 80s. The result is really quite beautiful, believe it or not! And by far the coolest thing we saw (as far as art goes anyway) was the Magic Garden. It's the beautiful museum-garden made entirely of things people have thrown away: glass bottles, dishes, mugs, mirrors, bicycle wheels, etc. This master dumpster diver named Isaiah Zagar started making art out of his finds, and now he charges $5 to go see it--and it's worth it! This is another place I'd like to go back to!

Walking along, our guide pointed out an alley to us, but not just any alley. This street was made entirely of wood! It's been around for hundreds of years. I can't believe they didn't make it out of this stuff more often. It softens the sound of horse hooves and people walking by--genius!

And we're walking... next up is City Hall and another statue of William Penn--that's too high for anyone to actually see. ;) Now, this is a very tall building. And William Penn's hat was the tallest point in all the city from 1901 to 1984, when the Liberty Tower was built. Interestingly enough, 1984 was the year Philadelphia sports teams stopped winning championships. They call this phenomenon the Curse of William Penn's Hat. The curse was broken only when a NEW tallest building in Philly said they'd put a statue of William Penn on the top of the building when they finish constructing it. Hooray! Something else astounding about City Hall is the fact that it walls are 22 feet thick. TWENTY-TWO FEET! Holey moley.

Random fact for you. We know Philadelphia and PA are famous for things that happened before, during, and just after the Revolutionary War. But, did you know PA almost seceded from the Union before the Civil War broke out? It did!

Tour's finished... break time!

Pictures you say? HERE you go! =) 

Saturday in Savannah, the Nation's Most Haunted City!

Savannah!

First things first—Breakfast at Cracker Barrel! This is quite possibly the one and only chain restaurant I would consider going to when traveling. I can’t get it anywhere close to me, and it’s a good southern institution that’s near and dear to my heart! Blackberry pancakes for me! =)

Matt hadn’t been out to Tybee Lighthouse, and of course I haven’t been, so that was our next destination! The lighthouse itself has changed a lot over the years, which is actually really rare. It’s had six different paint jobs since it was first built in 1736, which is interesting because lighthouses were not only a beacon of light in the dark to warn ships of their proximity to land, their unique paint jobs functioned as an indicator of what port city ships were approaching—if you change the paint job, sailors might not realize they’re in the right place! It was destroyed by storms in 1741 because it was built too close to the water—all the seawater rotted the foundation! It was rebuilt further inland the next year; this time it was taller (94 feet!) and sturdier. But by 1768 the sea was too close again, and they had more foundation problems. So a 100-foot lighthouse was built further back, and by 1790 it was given to the US government (up to now it was run by Georgia), and by 1857, new technology came to the lighthouse: a lens!

So things were going along great… and then comes the Civil War. But believe it or not, it wasn’t the Yankees who destroyed it—it was the Confederates! They had to burn it to keep the Yankees from using it to guide ships into the port. So there you go! And now we come to the fourth lighthouse, the one we have now. The first 60 feet from the foundation up was still intact after the fire, so they decided to build on to that instead of starting from scratch. This time, the place was built totally from brick and metal—fireproof! Up to this point, they were still using candlelight, but in 1933, they finally got electricity. Woohoo! The lighthouse was operated by a lighthouse keeper until 1948, when the most recent keeper died. The lighthouse was then given to the Coast Guard till 1987, when the Coast Guard and the Tybee Historical Society struck a deal to preserve it. The historical society is doing some renovations to the outlying buildings to make it more accessible and display artifacts better. I’d like to go back when the project is completed because I think it’ll be really nice!

And up next… lunchtime! Matt told me about this pizza place he likes a lot that’s really famous around here called Vinnie Van Go Go’s. They serve HUGE slices of pizza with all sorts of toppings. I got mine with spinach and pineapple, and it was actually bigger than my neck and my head together! Sure was good, too! =) We sat outside and watched several tours go by: carriage tours, pedal tours, bus tours, trolley tours, etc. It’s kind of nuts how many tours they have going on here! And now… exploring Savannah itself!

I found out that there used to be 24 squares in the city, but now there are 22. The other two were built over when Savannah wasn’t yet into the while historic preservation thing. An interesting thing about the squares is that their original purpose was actually protection, not beauty. Mr. Oglethorpe, the founder of the Colony of Georgia (and one of its delegates to the Continental Congress), designed the city in such a way that it would be easily navigable, and with squares so that people would have common places to go to for protection in case of an Indian attack. Each square originally had a brick wall around it, with provisions inside, just in case. If there was an attack, folks could come out of their homes and stay in the protected shelters until help came. A few years later, after no attacks had ever happened, Oglethorpe tore down the walls and made them into green parks for people to come out an enjoy. That’s what we have today!

Also interesting to me, the squares were numbered. In the center of the city, there is a huge bell. In case of a fire, someone would go ring the bell the same number of times as the closest square. When that happened, everyone would go to that square to put out the fire. Hello, fire department. =)

We walked around a bit more, I nearly lost my camera, and it was time for some Irish supper! I’d heard about a place down on River Street that is supposed to be an authentic Irish pub. Matt and I are planning a trip to Ireland, so I thought it would be a fitting place to go! Supper was really good, even though the service left something to be desired. The atmosphere was fun, and they had a live performer singing Irish songs! We enjoyed ourselves, to be sure! And now for the most exciting part of the day… the ghost tour!!!!!

Savannah is the most haunted city not only in the South, but also in the entire nation. And do you know why? Because it was built on a burying ground! And do you know why else? Roads, homes, and buildings were all built on top of cemeteries! Apparently, any time the city undergoes construction anywhere (repairing roads, digging power lines and maintaining sewers, etc.), the workers can’t dig too deep without hitting bones. Ah!

We met up with the group, called Cobblestone Tours (HIGHLY recommended!), in front of Colonial Park Cemetery. It’s a good-sized cemetery, taking up an entire city block, but we soon were told what we see today is only 10% of the original cemetery! There are over 8700 people buried there that we know of, but only 651 marked graves. A lot of the gravestones were taken up and moved during the city’s occupation during the Civil War, much like what happened to the gravestones in Alexandria, VA. Also, the soldiers actually burned bones from an above-ground sarcophagus to keep warm in the winter time. Wow.

Anyway, our guide was amazing! His name is Patrick, and he was dressed in a Confederate Civil War uniform, with a lantern and haversack at the ready. He is a fabulous storyteller with a fantastic sense of humor. Matt and I both really liked him. As many know, I always take notes when I travel. It’s just what I love to do. =) Since it was dark and I wasn’t on my own, I had decided I wouldn’t try and take notes on the tour, just enjoy it and listen. But that didn’t last long! I was so interested in all of it, I didn’t want to forget! About half way through the tour, Patrick asked me about what I was writing. I told him it was for my blog and asked if that was ok. He said he’d rather I didn’t because it’s copyrighted material, and he’s worked hard to make the tour what it is. Well of course I can respect that, but I was absolutely mortified! It was not at all my intent to steal his stories or use any of his material for something malicious or anything like that, and I felt so bad!

So I put the notebook away and just listened to the rest of the tour—which was fantastic—but afterward I made a point to apologize and let him know it was not at all my intent to use his material. I let him know I’m a tour guide as well and I absolutely respect his material. As soon as I said that, he asked me where. I said Alexandria, VA, and he said, “Oh! Well you should have just slapped me across the face and told me you’re a tour guide, too. You can use all of it.” HA! We got to talking, and he let me know that there are 89 tour companies in the area (WHOA!), all competing for business. So they have to be more careful than we do (there are two tour companies in Alexandria) about the material and distribution of information outside of the actual tour. So we talked a little more. He asked Matt where he’s from, and when Matt said Savannah, Patrick asked if Matt knew about one of the houses several blocks away. When Matt said no, Patrick looked a bit surprised and said, “Follow me.” So we did! Along the way, we stopped at several other places and basically got a whole other tour! We didn’t finish up till midnight, which of course is pretty late, especially after a full day of touring and being on our feet, but it was ENTIRELY worth it! Like I said before, I highly recommend the Cobblestone Tour company, and ask for Patrick! =)

By the way, the ghost stories in Savannah are WAY scarier than the ones I tell on my tour!

And up next… sleep! =) Church the next morning was great. The church family there is welcoming and friendly, and a few of the folks there wanted to make sure I knew they wanted me to pack up and move on down for good! The preacher is Larry Wright, and not only is he one of the nicest people I’ve ever met, he’s also coming up for a lectureship close by in Maryland next month, so I’ll probably see him again soon! Small world. =)

A bunch of us went out to a Barbecue place called the Smokin’ Pig for lunch, and just as good Southern BBQ ought to be, it was delicious! Yes, I truly got the Southern experience. It was fun getting to know the folks from church, too. It turns out we know a lot of the same people, which I always find funny, but comforting at the same time. You’re never far from family. =)

It rained in the afternoon, so Matt, his roommate Doug, and I went back to Matt’s place to watch a movie until time to go back to church that night. Well, I watched the movie. The boys napped! After church that night, I told Matt I definitely wanted to go back into Savannah for supper down on River Street. =) I’d heard about the Cotton Exchange Tavern, so that’s where we went! I’m glad I got to know Doug while I was down there, too. The three of us had fun at supper. The Cotton Exchange Tavern exists because of the cotton and shipping industry from back in the 1800s. I don’t know so much about the cotton factory side of it, but I sure did like the food! The service was great, and so were the fried green tomatoes. =)

And then it was time for bed! Matt and I had to set out early the next morning to get back to Atlanta. Whew! The trip was a bit of a whirlwind, but next time I’ll know exactly where I want to go back to and what I want to make sure and not miss!

And for my next adventure… Philly again! I’ll be doing and seeing some different things this time around, and I’m excited about it! =) More to come soon!

And if you missed the Savannah pictures last time, they are HERE!

A Return to the South... Savannah!

And for my next trip… Savannah, Georgia! As we know, I am a good southern girl. A belle. Sweet as tea. My roots grow deep in the South, so when I found myself with a RARE weekend free from all three of my current jobs, I thought, whatever shall I do with my time? And then it came to me—head south and explore a place I’ve never been! My friend Matt moved down to Savannah about a year and a half ago, and I’ve wanted to go visit ever since. This was my opportunity!

By a convenient twist of fate, it turned out Matt was actually going to be working in Atlanta for the next two weeks. Convenient because Atlanta was considerably less expensive to fly into, and Matt could pick me up from there instead of my having to rent a car and drive. Also convenient because neither of us had to make the four and a half hour drive from Atlanta to Savannah on our own! He’ll even be able to drop me off at the airport on his way into work on Monday. Couldn’t have worked out better! So I bought my ticket on Sunday, and there I sat in Georgia on Friday!

Another bonus of going to GA and flying into Atlanta is that my friend and adventure travel accomplice, Andrea, lives in Atlanta, so of course we needed to make plans to see each other! She and I met up for lunch at Highland Bakery close to downtown, and not only was it delicious, we had the best time catching up! She came up to DC and stayed with me for a couple of days in April, but we picked back up so easily it was as if we’d never been apart! We had so much to talk about. I love having so many friends in so many places. =) It’s good to never be far from friends.

After lunch, she and I met up with Matt and off we went! Matt’s been up to DC several times for work since taking this new job and moving away, so we’ve seen each other periodically over the last year and a half or so. It’s fun to get to catch up with him on his turf, though! =) Once we got into Savannah, we got to head over to his friends’ house for… a good Southern church signing! =) I’m not sure how often they all get together for singings, but I’m sure glad it worked out for me to be here and participate in one! He goes to a small, but well-established and close church out here called Garden City church of Christ. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming—as one can safely expect here in the “Hostess City of the South”! There were maybe about 12 or so of us, and we all got to choose at least one song each, and tell why we like the song or why we chose it. We sang many I knew, and a couple I didn’t know quite as well. I picked This World is Not My Home because it’s been made so clear to me the last few weeks that the world is very, VERY worldly, and it makes me so sad for people who think this world is the best there is, or the only thing there is to live for. It’s comforting to me to know that this world is NOT my home, I’m just passing through until I can get to Heaven. =)

After the singing, Matt and his temporary roommate Doug and I went back to Matt’s place, then headed out to downtown Savannah! We were on a mission: Leopold’s Ice Cream! It was late by the time we got there, but as I’m sure you well know… it’s never too late for ice cream! =) ESPECIALLY homemade ice cream!

So, Leopold’s is famous not only because it’s been around since 1919, they have amazing, incredible, delicious ice cream, unmatched by any I’ve ever tasted (and I’ve tasted a lot of ice cream!), but also because it’s run by a famous movie producer—Stratton Leopold! Stratton’s father and two uncles started the ice cream shop using the recipes that their uncle had created. They made all the ice cream themselves back then, and they still do today! The place is filled to the brim with movie memorabilia from the movies Stratton Leopold has produced, and they use a lot of the same fixtures as the original 1919 store, including the ice cream bar and soda fountain! I’m so glad we went here the first night because that means we have two more days to go back! =)

When we got done there, we three decided we needed to go explore River Street, which is another spot on my “to do” list. Folks who know me know I love seeing and being around the water! River Street is the place where a lot of the factories were located back in the 1800s, but today it’s a lot of restaurants and shops. Touristy? Yes. But it’s also nicely set against the water with riverboats docked there and lots of places for people to walk and sit. Cars use River Street, too, which is annoying for both pedestrians and drivers alike. The street itself is made from Belgium Blocks, and there are trolley tracks running through them as well, so it looks like you’re really back in the past and the cars are out of place. I like it. =)

We didn’t stay there long, since it was getting late, so we made our way up, up, up the tiny and steep steps to the main roads, got in the car and drove back home. Tomorrow would be a long day! 

And in the meantime... Pictures anyone? =) Click HERE!

Stuck in Philadelphia!

Well, Saturday morning came and I was packed up and ready to go. I wanted to see a couple more things before I left, and so I set out to do just that!

First up, the President's Mansion! I'd been curious about it since the day before, even if it is just an outline. Honestly, I could have skipped it and been ok with that. They seem to push one particular issue in Philly that sort of surprised me. You'll just have to go and find out for yourself what it is! ;) Anyway, I didn't really get the connection between that issue and the backstory of the house--which is what I was interested in. Oh well. I moved on to Franklin Court!

This is the place where Ben Franklin lived. He was born in Boston but left at a fairly early age and came to Philadelphia. He prospered here with his various businesses, inventions, etc. His house was torn down several years after his death because his grandchildren couldn't afford the upkeep, but now there's an outline, much like at the President's mansion, showing the size and placement of the house. It was a 10-bedroom house that he rented out. Smart man! And it was also right behind his book binding office, printing office, post office, and close to other businesses as well. It's a pretty cool place. And the post office still functions--I sent post cards from there! It's the only post office in the country without an American flag out front--there was no America when that post office started! =)

By then it was time to find my way back to the hotel to get my stuff and head to the train station. Paul offered to drop me off, and I took him up on it! I got there around noon, and the first thing I heard over the intercom was:

"All southbound service has been cancelled. We do not know when it will return. If you have a ticket to Newark, Wilmington, Baltimore, Washington, and other stations south of here, there will be no train due to a tornado in Baltimore last night." Nice.

And so, I had to call Paul to come rescue me again! I called my boss to let her know what the situation was and see what she wanted me to do. I could either rent a car and drive home (not my preference!), or I could stay and work that night. She said that was up to me, so I opted to work another night--I mean, why not? I could use the extra cash, and I like the work. The picnic I was supposed to go to back in DC was cancelled, so I might as well! And I'm glad I did! I needed to do laundry, so I spent the afternoon doing that, blogging, and updating Trip Advisor. Quite the productive afternoon, if I do say so myself! The southbound trains started running late in the afternoon, but by that time I was already set to work. I was actually able to hitch a ride home with my boss's brother and his daughter, who had come up to work the event that evening and were driving home the next morning. Not the most exciting adventure I've ever had, but an adventure nonetheless!

And thankfully, I found out my building didn't lose power at all. Whew! No hard, no foul, no trees downed on my car or anything like that. Thank heavens!

Thanks for joining me on my Philadelphian adventure! There will be another one coming up in a few weeks, so stay tuned! I'll do some different things next time and become more familiar with the lay of the land. =)

Old City Philly and a Cheesesteak--something for everyone!

PICTURES HERE! Philly 2

Friday morning in Philly was a HOT one! Over 100 with a heat index well over that--I thought I was back in the South! But that didn't deter us. And it's a good thing, because the tour we went on was awesome! Not only was our guide a native of Philly, funny, and cute, he also majored in American history and political science in college--just the person you want to have for a tour guide in Philadelphia! There ended up being a group of about 20 of us, which is a good number for a tour like that, I think.

What was the first thing we found out? Philadelphia has the most Colonial homes and churches in the country--and I found out later that it's all within one square mile! That's a pretty big deal considering all the Colonial buildings in Boston and Alexandria, but it's true! And Philadelphia itself was founded in 1682--I know it's logical, but it's so cool to think that many of our cities are older than our country!

Now, while our guide was a native Philadelphian, he made some very fair points and poked fun at his city, saying that it was once known as "Filth-adelphia" for its nastiness; it's name means "City of Brotherly Love," but people are generally NOT friendly--it actually has a reputation as the most obnoxious city in the country! And he made a point to mention that the Philadelphian sports teams all have the same motto: "Next year!" =)

There's way too much to go through the entire tour, and I'm sure none of you want to read all the details I wrote down, so here are the highlights!

The president's mansion: It was torn down many years ago, and now only the floor plan has been built in its place. Chris (our fantastic guide) said that was because when the city decided to rebuild it, all they had was the floor plan; they didn't want to take any chance on misinterpreting the house, so they built the floor plan and have a few walls up as well. It looks kind of artsy-fartsy to me, but once he explained their reasoning behind it, I thought it was pretty cool. Something else interesting about the house is that it was never intended to be a presidential house! It was given to George Washington by Robert Morris (a very wealthy Philadelphian who actually financed most of the Revolutionary War, and he ended up dying relatively poor) as a temporary home while the real mansion was being built. By the time the other one was built (no, I didn't think to ask where the "real" one was--I'll ask next time!), Washington said he didn't want to move! John Adams ended up living in the same house as well when he became president before the capitol officially moved to D.C.

We came upon Signers Walk, where they have a plaque in the sidewalk for all 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence. Obviously we couldn't talk about all of them, but we did find out about some of the important, but lesser-known, signers. For instance, have you heard of Francis Hopkins? He was the godson of Ben Franklin, and he designed the first American flag! And did you know that John Hancock was known in the Colonies as the "King of Smugglers"? Dr. Benjamin Rush was a doctor far ahead of his time, and he's the one who thought blood-letting was the way to cure someone of an illness--very smart man, but made that one very awful mistake! Benjamin Rush also repaired the friendship between Adams and Jefferson, as a matter of fact. And George Ross was the father-in-law of Betsy Ross. I wish I'd learned more about these men in school!

We roamed around the Liberty Bell and talked about why Philly is laid out as it is (William Penn designed it to be easily navigable, on a grid), and actually Market and Broad Streets go out from the city center and make a cross--William Penn was a dedicated Quaker and wanted the city to make a cross. There's also no 1st Street for that reason. There's a 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th Street and so on, but nothing can be first except God, so there's no 1st Street (the street where 1st "should" be is called "Front Street").

And now we come to the fun part... There's a square called Logan Circle where they used to do executions. Also, the place that is now lovely Washington Square was once a potter's field--or poor man's cemetery. I'll have to take the ghost tour to find out more about those! =) Apparently there are thousands of people buried there, including yellow fever victims, Revolutionary soliders from both sides, and many people who couldn't afford a grave in a regular cemetery.

Also in Washington Square, however, is a commemorative tomb to the unknown soldiers of the Revolutionary War. The only catch is... we don't know whether the person actually buried there is American or British! The original flags of the thirteen colonies (most of which are not the ones we know to be the state flags today!) and the American flag flank either side of the walk way as you approach the grave with a statue of George overlooking it. It's very nice, and it's a pretty park as well.

Another fact I didn't know... both the Navy AND the Marines started in a tavern in Philly. I always thought John Paul Jones was the father of the navy, but I stand corrected! It's John Barry. I will be researching the backstory on that!

The next building we came to that was of utmost interest to me was Carpenters Hall, just a block or so from Independence Hall. Believe it or not, Carpenters Hall was the place where the first Continental Congress met! It's relatively small, but they've done a good job of keeping things well-preserved in there. They even have some of the chairs from the first Continental Congress in there! Very cool. And out front was the Pentagon from back in the day--all SIX Department of Defense employees met there. Wow! Inside that building are exhibits about the beginnings and progressions of our military. It's amazing to see how they were doing things 400, 300, 200, even just 100 years ago. Highly recommended!

Another very fair and less talked-about bit of information our tour guide Chris needed to tell us was... the founding fathers were not perfect! They were men who made mistakes and had weaknesses. He talked a lot about Ben Franklin and what a genius he was; we wouldn't have so many things without him and his crazy inventions. But he also let his wealth, renown, and knowledge puff him up. He figured out later in life that it didn't need to be that way. He even said that he wished he'd loved his wife better when she was alive.

Don't get me wrong, Ben was a cool guy with lots to offer, but instead of the bald eagle emblem that we have today, he wanted it to be a wild turkey! And our national weapon, according to Ben, should have been the bow and arrow! He also wanted a 35-letter phonetic alphabet instead of the 26-letter one we have now--while that might have been better in the long run, some could argue, it never did catch on. Oh well!

Other stops that warrant mentioning are the Philadelphia Christ Church, which has been continually in use for over 300 years (since 1695), and it was the tallest building in America until 1810! The baptistry they use is 600 years old, and it was a gift from the Penn family. Wow. Ben Franklin, Betsy Ross, George Washington, and John Adams all worshiped here, too.

My next favorite place we went was Elfreth's Alley. It's the longest occupied city block in the nation! The earliest house was built in 1702, and people have lived there ever since! It's such a cute block, tucked back from the hustle and bustle. I definitely want to go back and spend more time there next time I go to Philly! I learned a few things about Colonial and earlier architecture. Did you know that the more windows you have exposed to the street, the more taxes you had to pay? And the more steos you had, the more taxes were required as well? Thus the many shutters on old homes, and the phrase, "A step up in society." Who knew?!

I wish you all could have come on the tour with me! It was so much fun, and incredibly informative.  I do love a good tour, as you know! =) There are so many more things I could tell you about, but you must come do the tour yourself!

After our amazing tour, Paul and I knew we needed to complete a mission: CHEESESTEAK! So, of course, we asked our guide where we needed to go. He mentioned a few places, but they were all a little too far from us (we needed something walking distance), but he actually said one of his favorite places was just a few blocks away! It's called Jim's Steaks, and apparently it's well-known. So we went, we waited in line, we got our cheesesteaks (mine with provolone, his with whiz, both with onions), and honestly, we were not impressed! Glad we did it for the experience, but we were both kind of wishing we'd done something other than a cheesesteak. Oh well. We did it! =)

And then it was time to rest for a while before work that evening. We were working another event at the Mann Center, doing park assist demonstrations and playing the keyless code game, and tonight was the night we (at least Paul and I) were most excited about. The symphony would be performing the 1812 Overture, complete with cannon fire and fire works! =) This made me very happy! It was the hottest day, the hottest evening, but it was so worth it! Hooray!

More to come... the most exciting part, as a matter of fact!

Don't forget the PICTURES! Philly 2

Historic Philly: Seeing the sights and hitting up the Tavern!

And now... time to tour Philly! My coworker, Paul, and I decided to make the most of our time here and set out in search of historic Philadelphia! We found it, as you can see in the pictures:

Pictures (Same as in the last post, in case you didn't see the last post) HERE.

Our hotel is only six blocks or so from Independence Hall, so that was a natural place to start! We had a bit of an adventure getting tickets, but the folks at the Visitor Center were very helpful, and gave us plenty of information on where to go and what to see to get the most out of our day. Definitely stop at the Independence Visitor Center first... you have to so you can get a ticket to Independence Hall. =)

Anyway, we went inside with a big group and a park ranger, and the first thing we found out was that... we had no idea what building we were in! We all thought we were in Independence Hall, but nooooo! We were actually in the Pennsylvania State House! It was built in 1732, the same year my boy George Washington was born. What's interesting is that it wasn't even called Independence Hall till 1824 when the Marquis de Lafayette called it that on a trip to Philadelphia. The park ranger who was our guide gave us a whole spill about the importance of Philadelphia in the Revolution, and he talked a lot about the events leading up to the Revolution--starting with the French and Indian War in 1753. That's when tensions really started coming up because the King of England decided to tax the Colonies to make up for the money England lost on the war. Well, we obviously didn't like that! The three main things that happened over the years that pushed us over the edge were the Quartering Act, the Boston Massacre (John Adams actually defended the British soldiers who killed the Colonists and got them off the hook--Adams knew what kind of backlash they'd get if the Colonists killed the British soldiers, guilty or not!), and the Boston Tea Party (which, by the way, would have cost over $1 million in today's dollars!).

So those events and several others led us up to the "Committee of 5" (aka: Jefferson's writing the Declaration of Independence pretty much on his own). The Continental Congress basically said we needed to make a stand, but no one knew how to go about telling the King about it... so they shoved it off on 32-year old Jeff--the second youngest person there!

And the next order of business to get straight... there are several important dates associated with the Declaration of Independence, not just July 4--that's just the day they approved it! June 28 was the day Jefferson presented it; the others scrutinized it for several days; July 2 is the day Independence was actually DECLARED! The British army and naval fleet arrived in New York that day, and we were having none of that! The fourth was the day Congress agreed on it and officially adopted it. John Dunlap printed up copies and distributed them, and July 8 was the very first time the Declaration of Independence was ever read in public--in the courtyard of the PA State House!

Fancy that! We moved to the room next door: the court room. Most of these folks were lawyers, same as today. But the room is set up quite different from ours nowadays. All the lawyers sat together at one table, instead of the prosecution at one table and the defense at the other. And the person on trial was locked up in a "prisoner's Dock" in the middle of the floor! The jury could see him locked up, and of course that made people think he was guilty, even if he wasn't. (That's why we don't have court rooms set up that way anymore.) Another interesting thing about the court room is the seal of PA above the judge's chair. You know what used to be there? The King's coat of arms! And you know what happened to it? They burned it on July 8, 1776, the day the Declaration of Independence was read! Take that! =)

And then we came to the very place where both the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution were drafted, deliberated, and signed: the Assembly Room! I'm such a nerd for being impressed and excited about this stuff, but I love it! It makes me feel like an American to be in the same rooms and buildings as these people and think about what happened and what kinds of things must have been going through their minds. Ben Franklin felt the need to remind his comrades that "We must all hang together, gentlemen, else we shall most assuredly hang separately." What must Jefferson have been thinking when they were scrutinizing and "correcting" his writing? Was he sure he wanted to sign it with all the changes that had been made? Did he feel better about it and have confidence in his own writing? Did they know the effect this would have on the future generations?

Onward we went! Next up we saw Congress Hall, which was the first building similar to our Capitol building. Both the House of Representatives and the Senate met there and had offices upstairs. There's a bust of Ben Franklin above the door to Congress Hall, and so of course I had to ask why him and not someone else? The park ranger said that was actually the first order of business when the building started to be used. Ben Franklin died in 1790, the same year that the capitol moved from New York to Philly. The congressmen wanted a way to commemorate  Dr. Franklin, so the first thing they did was raise money for a statue of Ben. And there he sat, overlooking their every move for the next 10 years! The park ranger on duty in there was excellent. He made a great point saying that Congress Hall is just as important as, if not more important than, Independence Hall. If the things that took place in Congress Hall had not been successful, all the things that started in Independence Hall never would have mattered. It's true!

Next stop: The Supreme Court! It's on the other side of Independence Hall from Congress Hall, and it's surprisingly small inside. Lots of things were debated and decided there, too. To be a fly on the wall...

And on we went to see the Liberty Bell! I found out that it's not a "crack"; it's a "gap." I found out no one really knows how it cracked at first, but after they fixed it, the thing cracked again: bigger and better than before! People noticed it started making a buzzing sound instead of a ringing sound, and not long afterward, it split that second time. So of course, philosophical types found all kinds of symbolism in the fact that it now had a gap in it. It is enduring, yet it's imperfect, like our young nation, they would say. I didn't realize this before, but after the Civil War, the Liberty Bell actually made a cross-country trip to encourage people and rouse their feelings of liberty. Nice. =)

Next stop, the National Constitution Center. Honestly, save your money. Paul and I weren't all that impressed. It was ok, and it was air conditioned, but there was a definite agenda going on in there. The coolest part was at the ver end. There's a room called Signers' Hall, and there are life-sized, bronze statues there of everyone who signed the Declaration of Independence! I got pictures with a few of them, and we were off to visit with Betsy Ross!

The house is pretty cool, given its age, and Betsy Ross was really there! ;) I even got my picture with her. It's a small museum, but I liked seeing the way she would have lived and learning about the things that impacted her. She couldn't tell anyone that she sewed a flag (perhaps the first, perhaps not), but we learned that George Washington did, in fact come to her house personally and ask her to make one! He told her what he wanted, but Betsy didn't think a 6-pointed star would look as good as a 5-pointed star (and the 5-pointed one was easier for her to make, too!), so she convinced him to let her do the stars in the same way we still have them now! She's buried out beside the house with her third husband--she survived three husbands, by the way... she was a trooper for sure! She was also a Quaker, until she married a man who was not and was read out, just like many others were back in the day. She then attended Christ Church (Episcopal), which is just a couple of blocks from her house! Anyway, like I said, she had to keep it a secret that she had made a flag during the Revolution, and afterward she still didn't talk about it. It wasn't until after her death that her nephew started telling people the story--and that's how we got the information we know today! It's all very conspicuous, but it's a good story, and it might be true! =)

And now we were hungry! Just a couple blocks down was the City Tavern, which is a Colonial restaurant much like Gadsby's, so of course I had to try it out! I got the duckling, which was awesome! The waitstaff dresses up all Colonial like we do at Gadsby's, and they do the whole fine dining thing with pretty place settings and all that. And they have amazing desserts! =) I got the blueberry cobbler with cinnamon ice cream. Hooray. =) I got a lot of info on the history of their tavern, which is part of the reason I wanted to go!

And by this time, we were pooped! We both needed a little bit of a rest before going to work that night--whew! Stay tuned for the next day, when we ventured out for a walking tour with a native Philly guide!