Adventures with Hillari

My pal, Hillari Snelson (Anderson) (see her picture at the temple from Oct 07) made the treacherous treck from upstate NY to visit me this weekend. She said she was bringing homemade bread- so I said, "Yes, I'd love for you to come!" And, it was delicious. It was so great to see a familiar face and to catch up. We tasted a little Philly food wherever we went and walked all over to see the sights. We found the "Naked Chocolate Cafe" where they serve hot chocolate European style- thick and packed with cocoa. Here are some of the other sights...

The Liberty Bell, up close and personal, with legendary crack. I went through that whole visitor's center and skipped the explanation of how it got cracked!

Inside Independence Hall- the room where the Declaration of Independence was signed. It was much smaller than I thought it would be. I didn't get a very good picture, but in the middle of the room, there was a desk facing the tables in this picture with a large wood chair. The chair was the actual chair that George Washington sat in during the time when the declaration was written and debated. At the top of the chair is a carved half sun. Benjamin Franklin (I think) said that he wasn't sure if the half sun meant the sun was rising or setting on the birth of our nation- but it turns out that it was the sunrise of a great country. Our tourguide was excellent- I always get all choked up when hearing about the ideals of the founding fathers and their sacrifices to make our country great.

Commodore Barry is known as the father of the US Navy. A member of today's Navy, Hillari is thinking of taking the Navy a whole new direction. Behind the statue is the back side of Independence Hall.

Bingo chips, chess, Sorry, dominoes, and Monopoly pieces are scattered through this plaza and is appropriately titled, "Your Move".

The Thinker by Rodin. His pose of thoughtful consideration contrasts with the hustle of city life.