The First Flight

Day 2. We flew out of Charlotte Douglas around 7:40 AM. The kids first time flying and all the excitement and nervousness that goes with it. The flight took us from Charlotte to Atlanta. We changed plans in Atlanta and headed to Philadelphia. We landed in Philly around 12:13 PM. After waiting briefly at the baggage claim to grab our luggage (the overhead bins were full but no really - people complained about having to chance their carry-on bags), we headed to Zone 7 to meet our Uber driver. The SUV was only big enough for three people so Liz sat on not lap as we headed into the city.

I must have a sign hanging around my neck that says in bold black letters: TREAT ME LIKE GARBAGE! While we were waiting on the Uber driver, some dick picked me out of the twenty or so people standing on the sidewalk to lay a hit and run comment on: Thanks for moving!. What the hell! Who does that? Is sidewalk rage a new thing?

Anyway the Uber driver dropped us about a block from our AirBnB (516 12th Street, Philadelphia, PA). Our host, Robert (who i think is probably gay and a former hippie) met us at the car and escorted back to the property. He is a hospitable older fellow of 74. Robert showed us around the unit and recommended Gennaro’s Pizza for a quick bite to eat. A quick block or so walk from the unit, Gennaros is a run down hole in the wall that was probably popular in the early aughts. We ordered a large BBQ chicken pizza for me and the kids and a lamb gyro and fries for mom. Drinks were in bottles and consisted mostly of Pepsi products. Anyone who knows me knows I don’t like Pepsi products. The pizza was delicious. The crust was among the best I have had.

I ordered an Uber to drive us to Independence National Historic Park where we had a 4 PM tour of Independence Hall. A mask is required to ride with Uber. Mine and mom’s mask broke on the plane ride up, so we were left empty handed. I cancelled to two rides before asking a beautiful lady in hijab behind the glass barrier of gas station if she had any masks. She said no. There was a black man hanging around the station, who offered to give us some of his masks. He tore open a plastic bag he had and pulled out three masks. He also told us that we could visit the medical center across the street to get masks for free before offering to get them for us. He disappeared into. the building and came out a few minuted later with two boxes full of masks. He gave us one and kept the other.

Our Jamaican Uber chauffeur dropped us outside the Visitor Center. Interestingly, one has to go through a security check point to enter the visitors center which from what i could see consisted of two lazy men behind an information deck and a gift shop. America has reached the point where we have to go through security to sit around, pee, or shop.

The kids and I grabbed our NP passport stamps before crossing the street to visit that cracked up piece of iron we Americans call the Liberty Bell. The icon has its own little building with a window that looks out on Independence Hall (which happened to be our next stop). Our tour time was 4PM. We arrived a little early so the ranger allowed us to join an earlier tour (20 minutes or so).

Grabbed some sweets from Scoop De Ville and walked back to the unit on 12th Street, A quick in and out of 7-Eleven to buy three Diet Cokes and a bottle of Fiji water. I met a lovely veteran on the walk back to the unit. He politely asked for “help”. After explaining that I had no cash, he decided to take advantage of that sign around my neck I mentioned earlier. If profanity were flowers, I would have been walking through a garden. Apparently, tourists have no cash because they are giving it to “the junkies”. Who knew?

Liz got hungry so we order in Geno’s Steaks, one of the alleged originators of the Philly cheesesteak. Next time I am in Philly, I will order from Geno’s again. It was so much better than Pat’s (the other originator) that there truly is no comparison.

Washed clothes and typed this up.Read more