Ride the Duck

When I saw tour vehicles go by that could go on both land and sea, I definately wanted to do it. Then they started quacking at us so I knew that it would be a fun tour. Bo finally decided to go but he didn't want to show up until the last second. So we didn't get to sit together and we didn't get a window seat. I was kind of bumbed about that. If you go to Philly Ride the Duck.

This is our tour guide, Mike.
I found this interesting this church had children playing outside next to a cemetary. I guess there isn't much land inside the city.

You can see what our vehicle looked like.

Bo even got into the quacking with music.

Waiting to get on the Delaware River.

Some ship I can't remeber the name of or anything about it.

Penn's Landing, they were having a jazz festival the day we were here.

The Benjamin Franklin Bridge. Bo and I did not get to go over it to New Jersey. Maybe next time.

So this concludes my trip to PA I hope you enjoyed it. Now, I plan to get back to sewing.

Elfreth's Alley and Christ Church

Elfreth's Alley is an interesting little street. Is one of the oldest continually residential streets in the country. These houses are 9 feet wide due to the taxes that were issued on the width of ones house when they were built.
This is Bo standing in front of one of the houses. Look how narrow it is. I bet it is a pain to get furniture to the top floor.

The details of the houses were amazing.

I just love the color of these cellar doors.
I love this Dutch door. How much fun would it be to have the top half of your door open and talk to your neighbors as they go by. I guess it could also be a pain since the street was filled with tourist the day we went. I bet it is like that most days.

We also visited Christ Church this day. I always feel kind of weird taking pictures inside of a church. I had to take a picture and sit in the pew that was designated as George Washington's. Betsy Ross, Ben Franklin, and the Penn Family all also have pews at this church. This was just one of those things Bo and I didn't have on our list of things to do, but we are both really glad that we did.

This is their beautiful pipe organ.

Betsy Ross' House

Let me start off by saying I have always liked Betsy Ross. My parents dog is named Betsy after Betsy Ross. I think it is because she is famous for sewing and I love to sew.

This is her house. I wish I could have taken inside, but they were forbidden. Her house is tiny. Bo couldn't get over how narrow the stairs were in the house. Betsy Ross' house is a must do if you go to Philadelphia.
Betsy Ross' grave located in the courtyard beside her house.

Bo trying to figure out what we should do next. It was so nice and peaceful sitting in the courtyard by Betsy Ross' house. Bo and I stopped here several times.

This is the actress who played Betsy Ross. People tried to get her out of character, but couldn't. I loved watching her spin her wool into yarn.

Random Pictures in Philly

I found this sign interesting since the store wasn't founded until something like 1930. I'm guessing the Betsy Ross didn't purchase her Kitchen supplies there.

Made me thankful for indoor plumbing.
The building the Liberty Bell is housed in.

The crest of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Liberty Bell and Independence Hall

Bo and I went to Philadelphia for the last two days of our trip. I had done the sight seeing tour Philly when I was a kid. It was interesting because I clearly remember doing somethings differently. Like now they charge you $2.00 to Ben Franklin's grave. I know it had to be free when I was a kid because there is no way we would have gone to see it twice in one day. My dad forgot to put film in the camera when we were doing the touristy stuff so everything he thought he took pictures of in the morning he didn't. So probably the last hour of the day my brother, dad, and I run back threw the city taking picture of the highlights from the morning. I so wish I could find those pictures. Needless to say he has never lived it down.

I just loved this window in Independence Hall.

Amish Sale

I should worn you this post is picture heavy.

Every Wednesday in the Summer their is an Amish sale, and if I'm in the area I have to go to it. And this was a can't miss for Bo.

Heading off to the sale. Bo and I went with my aunt.

A Mennonite girl taking a digital picture of a horse and buggies.

I think this is the point I got yelled at in Dutch by an Amish lady. I have no clue what she said, but I could tell by the tone of her voice that she wasn't happy with me.

My aunt liked the idea of the motorcycle parked by the horse and buggies.

We made some purchases at the sale. We got an Amish cookbook for my mother in law, a dozen Whoopie Pies which in the end wasn't enough, three Shoo fly Pies, and a piece of pumpkin roll.

At the produce auction I wanted to buy so much of the good looking produce, but sadly I couldn't bring it home with me. I did get caught up in the bidding and purchased 4 apple moon pies for $2.00.

It was a busy day.

Leaving the sale.

Amish Country

When I was a kid and I would go to my Maw's house, I could hear the Amish horse and buggies going down the road next to her house. I loved to hear the sound of the horses hooves on the pavement. I think since I have not grown up in this area I find the Amish fascinating. Some people who live in this area find them to be a pain. Either way you look at them they have their convictions and live by them.

Bo was obsessed with getting a picture of this sign. He just loved it.

An Amish farm

Bo also was impressed with these "bails" of hay. So different than the big bails we see in the south made by machines.

Corn field. There is corn everywhere. Tall stalks of corn that blow in the wind. It is just so picturesque.

A Ride in the Mountains

Bo was taken a back by a lot of what he saw in PA. He made several comments on how close the houses were together, how many mountains there were, how cool the temperature was, and how amazing the Amish were. Even though I grew up in Alabama, I had lived in PA for a while sometime after I was 1 until around 6, then I visited most years after that. So I don't remember not knowing what this area of the state looked like, but it was really interesting seeing it from someone who had never been there before.

One afternoon my dad and Bo went riding in the mountains to find an old hunting camp that my grandfather and his brother's had built and my dad had hunted from we he was a boy. (This trip was based around my dad seeing old friends and family and places from childhood. We drove by both my mom's childhood home and my dad's childhood homes. The neighbors are still the next to my dad's house so he stopped and talked to him and his wife for a while.)

When they came back these are some of the pictures that were on the camera.

Only a guy would take a picture of a gas on the side of the mountain.
This is a pretty creek.

I think the water is to cold to swim in. I don't care if it is a lake, river or pool. I have been laughed at more than once for not swimming. I take my water at a nice 82 degrees.

Pretty waterfall.

My dad in front of his families old hunting camp. No one in our family still owns this, but it looks like a fun place except there is no electricity running to it.

Horseshoe Curve

While we were in State College we decided to ride over to Altoona and see Horseshoe Curve. They have improved the roads so much so this trip took us a little over an hour for what used to take all day.

Bo had seen a History Channel special about Horseshoe Curve. So he was excited to see it. I was okay with it. Mostly because I had seen it as a kid, but my vacation wouldn't be complete without seeing a Zoo or a train. They always seemed to part of my childhood vacations and still seem to be a trend in my vacations.

Just by luck we timed it just right to see two trains climb the mountain and cross. Both were freight trains with one just caring coal. Horseshoe Curve is an interesting place, but I don't know if I will have to go back and see it again. Twice is enough.

I enjoyed watching the trian go around the curve. There are three tracks up there. I think it would be interesting to see three trains pass all at the same time.

This is just a little to "GREEN" for me. These toilets have been there for years so this isn't something new.