Philadelphia

Philly Phun

August 2016

 

          Haven’t been to a wedding in a while. So we were delighted to be invited to the wedding of friend/colleague/coauthor Glenn and former student Kelly in Philadelphia, which we’ve visited only briefly. And our 1^st experience with honeyfund.com, a registry website for making gifts to support honeymoon stuff; e.g. for G & K: cruise shore excursions and special dining, train trips and tours in Italy, etc. It’s a nice way to feel like part of their planning. 

Initially expected to drive down, instead we join friend/colleague/coauthor Glenna and hubbie Paul on the train  ̶  a good and relaxing choice. Friday 8/5 on-time sunny ride along the Hudson to NYC, the usual pretty scenery: a couple of little mid-river lighthouses, views of the Catskills, Bannerman Castle on a small island, West Point, ongoing construction work on the Tappan Zee, plus a white whale float next to a building onshore (must be a parade leftover).

 Marjorie and I share sandwiches plus drinks from the Café Car. Very crowded Penn Station. G & P show us how to get Red Cap help with luggage, which also gets us onboard a bit ahead of others. Second leg of the trip across to NJ, a distant view of the NYC skyline outside Newark (return trip view shown here), otherwise not too scenic via Secaucus and Trenton. Paul tells us we’re going 105 mph! Texting with son Matt, who suggests where to get the best sandwiches in Philly. Views of the skyline, boathouses and rowing shells along the Schuykill River.

Into 30^th Street Station, imposing exterior & interior.

A taxi ride to our Loews Philadelphia Hotel. We’re greeted with a “wedding bag” full of Pennsylvania snacks. A lovely hotel, spacious rooms arranged for wedding guests; there are other wedding parties and a conference going on here. Streets still decorated with banners from last week’s Democratic National Convention, also some painted donkeys (one right outside the hotel entrance). 

The hotel is on Market St., near 2 local icons: a few blocks east of the striking City Hall and adjacent to Reading Terminal Market. We explore the Market  ̶  interesting & colorful produce, crafts, and many dining options (not just Philly cheesesteaks!). Following Matt’s suggestion, we get tasty, loaded pork sandwiches from Tommy Dinic’s to eat in our room.

Out for a stroll with Paul about 5 blocks to the Independence National Park area. A first view of one the many murals on buildings here (more on that later). We walk by the pavilion housing the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, Christ Church Burial Ground, the edge of Chinatown with a pretty gate. 

One place offers an unusual window view down onto subway tracks and the top of a train. Pretty lighting on buildings as the sun is setting. Back at the hotel, nice sunset views from the topmost 33^rd floor. A relaxing evening in our room watching the opening ceremony for the Rio Olympics, elaborately over-the-top as usual. 

 

           Low clouds becoming sunny Saturday AM. I’m up and out early to follow part of a walking tour of the Mural Arts Program: begun in 1984, nearly 3000 building murals thruout the city to “turn graffiti-scarred walls into scenic views, portraits of community heroes, and abstract creations.” I find several within a few blocks of the hotel. 

A stop at the Market to get bakery for breakfast in our room, some 33^rd-floor AM photos. We touch base with other sociological wedding guests Steve & Jill and Scott & Kathy, but they’re headed to the Market for breakfast. 

          Marjorie heads off to poke around Chinatown, I go further to Franklin Square. A lovely park: pretty fountain; carousel w/ brightly painted horses, tigers, dragons, etc., next to 2 of the painted donkeys; a Philadelphia-themed mini-golf course; lots of green- & blue-shirted youngsters. 

 Past more murals. Becoming very muggy as I continue to the Independence National Park Visitor Center: some costumed characters, people posing with a “Rocky” statue (another local icon). Long lines for Independence Hall and especially for the Liberty Bell. Too steamy for that! A wedding party taking photos by another Philly icon: a red XOXO sculpture. 

A quick stop at the Market to get a cheesesteak pin Marjorie suggested to become part of my travel magnet collection. We’re then joined by Glenna & Paul for lunch in the Market at Down Home Diner; Paul & I succumb to the lure of cheesesteaks. Relaxing back in our room watching an exciting finish to the Olympic men’s cycling road race.

But now it’s time for the main event! Glenn & Kelly have arranged a trolley shuttle to the wedding & dinner venue about 6 blocks away, Ballroom at the Ben. We first gather in a lobby, but are directed away to one side because the space is for “residents.” The wedding venue apparently shares the building with condos; we wonder what the residents think of all the wedding hubbub. The wedding space is quite lovely: a large ballroom surrounded above by wrap-around balcony, large chandeliers hanging from the 65’ ceiling. Described in websites as “European ambiance” and “turn-of-the century elegance,” Bradley Cooper & Jennifer Lawrence danced here in “The Silver Linings Playbook.” 

A lovely simple ceremony. Kelly’s little nephews (who Marjorie met on the hotel elevator) serve as “Ring Bearer” and “Ring Security.” The “celebrant” gives a sweet and humorous review of their romantic history and some good thoughts on marriage. Nice vows by G & K. Followed by an abundance of hors d’oeuvres around the balcony  ̶   plenty enough for dinner by itself!  ̶  while the ballroom is reset for dinner. An ample dinner interspersed with toasts, dancing, frivolous portraits in a photo booth. Capped off by a “dessert room” buffet of wedding cake and many other tasty sweets. Kelly made magnets for guests, one I’ll use in my travel collection. Trolley shuttle back to the hotel, up to the 33^rd floor for night views of the city. 

Sunday is a gorgeous sunny day. Breakfast at Down Home Diner. Just enough time before checkout for Paul and us to ride the Phlash hop-on-hop-off (but we don’t have time to hop off) bus (seniors free!) to get a quick view of sights: over to Penn’s Landing, back around City Hall and Logan Circle with pretty fountains and buildings, past Eastern State Penitentiary (now an interesting looking tourist attraction), by the Museum of Art and “Rocky” statue out front. 
We share a taxi with Glenna & Paul to the train station for our separate rides home. M & I share a pretzel & drink on a “Quiet Car” (i.e., no cell-phone use) to NYC. Past one last mural: a parking garage with brightly painted zoo animals (but I don’t get a photo!). A 2-hour layover in Penn Station, tasty sandwiches from Tim Hortons. 

A beautiful evening for our return ride up the Hudson. The aforementioned pretty sights along the river, plus Sing Sing barbed wire glistening in the sun, the Indian Point nuclear plant, a blimp floating over the river (Marjorie wants a ride!). Sun setting as we arrive at the Albany-Rensselaer station.

A fine weekend. Philly’s an interesting city. A lovely wedding shared with many sociological friends: Paul & Glenna, Kathy & Scott, Steve & Jill, Lyla & Don, Cathy R, Linda L, Hui-shien, and a number of former grad students who’d taken my Research Methods class. Pleasant train rides. Glenn & Kelly headed off for a wonderful honeymoon, beginning with a Mediterranean cruise leaving from Rome . . . that began to look like “the honeymoon from Hell” (Kelly’s words) when they got snarled in a Delta Airlines computer crash: 12-hour delay, finally into Rome while their luggage was in Minneapolis! But they got their luggage, made it to the ship, and sailed off to Florence. So a happy ending . . . and beginning.