Philly, Franklin and fun

What’s not to love about a city that began as lightening rod of social justice and political reform, and continues as such to this day? History. The home of Benjamin Franklin. The first US capitol. The continental convention. The Declaration of Independence. The constitution. A City where various religions coexisted peacefully? The first library in the country. The first medical school The first hospital. And, let’s not forget Philly Cheesesteaks!

We wandered the historical district and toured Independence Hall and gazed upon the liberty bell. What struck me was how these symbols spread liberty and freedom across the globe. These ideals that all humans are created equal, even though it took us a while to include women and non whites. Today, we seem to be back to those same struggles, but Philly is ready. The city was decorated in banners and flags urging voting, and I even found a shop that sold strictly activist items. T-shirts, soaps, signs touting freedom from oppression. 

But what about the food? The rivalry between Pat’s and Geno’s is legendary, but we chose to eat at Sonny’s famous steaks. Now, can I say that Sonny’s is the best in Philly? No. I can say it was good, the bread was incredibly fresh, and Lord forgive me, I ordered provolone and not cheese whiz. Who eats that stuff?

A fun find was a store dedicated to Feminism, LGBTQ activism right next door to the Firefighter memorial to Ben Franklin memorial. I think he would be pleased.

I would like to have more time to explore the museums in this great city, but you can’t go wrong with a day in the historic center. This is where our country began. This is where the ideals were truly expressed. Hopefully we will bridge our differences like they did back in the 18th century.