I came up to Philadelphia and the City So Nice They Had To Name It Twice... And it's such a fantastic area and set of cities. I've traveled to both multiple times, but this trip refreshed me even more than usual.
A colleague and I drove through Queens and Manhattan AT RUSH HOUR no doubt. It was fantastic to pound through the city and the divers tunnels that feed the city, wow, just amazing!
We then took the train and cut through the downtown area of Philadelphia. It was a blast. Doing the Freedom Walk around Independence Hall, the American Philosophical Society launched by Ben Franklin just off Market Street, and the compromised integrity of the original Liberty Bell. I love the organic and unpolished nature of American History.
We then went down to the Old City, what a treat! The amazing historic statues and especially the memorials, particularly the Irish emphasis at Penn's Landing. We, of course, scored a legit Philly Cheesesteak and some fresh Eastern Coffee from a novel Turkish joint.
The Silly part of Philly was the presence of working, clearly functional and well-worn Opium Bongs in some restaurants and other dives in the historic district.
The point is that freedom has a cost, but liberties sometimes exceed the intent of what the Founding Fathers meant when they said when Live Free or Die! We want to ensure that our freedom doesn't become the cause of our unwitting bondage. Freedom is our best friend or our worst enemy.
