Philadelphia

Last week was our annual Explore Week trip to Philadelphia with the 8th grade.  We visited Waterworks, the Liberty bell, Independence Hall, and a Phillies baseball game. Smaller groups toured the Eastern State Penitentiary or the Franklin Institute.  Each group of 4-5 students plus one adult planned a day that included touring Chinatown and having a meal, learning to get around the city, and visiting a number of spots chosen and planned by the group.

My group toured the U.S. Mint and the Seaport Museum, which included going aboard a ship and a submarine and following a self-guided tour.  We had a great day, but I learned (yet again) that I am too old to go without sleep!  Here are a few photos from the trip.

The 8th grade girls at the Rocky statue outside the art museum

The Liberty Bell

A lollipop for you if you can tell me what we ordered in Chinatown! The lady there taught us how to say "thank you" in Chinese: shuh-shen-ee.

Our group for the Franklin Institute

We took a subway ride to get from center city to old city where we ate lunch

My crew posing by the Delaware River on our way to the Seaport Museum

A fire in old city while we were there

An amazing shop near Chinatown filled with crystal chandeliers. I've never seen a place that sparkled so much!

Group photo in front of Independence Hall (photo credit: R. Yutzy)

At the Phillies game (photo credit: R. Yutzy)

On this trip, I also discovered the beautiful Schuykill River Trail that runs relatively near the hostel where we stay. A couple of colleagues and I had a run there two of the mornings, and it was lovely.