Arriving at the Penn Landing Marina we were somewhat surprised to see how few boats were there, and even fewer amenities, but neither proved to be an issue for us. There were some colorful swan boats available nearby.
Penn’s Landing is located in Old City, the most historic part of Philadelphia, with lots to see and do within walking distance. We had lunch onboard and walked a bit along the docks and the nearby neighborhood which was starting to be decked out for Halloween.
We also showed them some of the elaborate mosaics in the neighborhood bordering the Magic Garden near South Philly.
That evening we met Stephanie and Ryan for a drink at Fringe Bar and walked from there for a delicious sushi dinner at Tuna Bar. It was a very fun and festive evening.
Stephanie and Ryan graciously offered us the use of their car the next day, so we Ubered to their home where Addie and Lange got the grand tour. Stephanie and Ryan also offered to watch Archie that day so he could have a play date with their Corgi, Eloise.
Jonny got to play tour guide all day and drove us through many interesting parts of the city including nearby Naval Square (where we’ve been looking at condos), along stately museum row and the beautiful park along the Schuykill River. We passed the colorful boathouses owned by the various collegiate skulling teams.
From there we headed over to elegant Rittenhouse Square and strolled through that lovely park stopping at Goldie’s for their famous falafel sandwiches and tahini shakes. After that we headed over towards City Hall for a 2:00 tour. But first we stopped at Macy’s to see the amazing Wanamaker Organ, the largest fully functioning pipe organ in the world.
The tour of City Hall, a landmark building in Philly, was mildly interesting and the best part was going up the tiny elevator to the top of the clock tower with its stunning 360 degree view of the city.
Later that afternoon we met Fiorella Fernandez (the daughter of friends from Miami) and her fiancé for happy hour. We met them at a most unique setting, a huge ship called Moshulu located on the next dock from Zendo. The Moshulu is the world’s oldest and largest square-rigged sailing vessel that is still afloat and the only restaurant venue on a tall ship today. We were so impressed with the elegance of the dining rooms and event space which, not surprisingly, is also a very popular setting for weddings.
Afterwards, the four of us went to one of Philly’s popular BYOB restaurants called Aroma for a delicious Italian dinner. All in all, it was a very full day!
On Friday we took a long walk through Old City checking out the site of Benjamin Franklin’s home, printing press and the first post office. We also saw Betsy Ross’s home, the site of Alexander Hamilton’s home and various other aspects of our country’s early history.
From there we walked across town to Reading Terminal Market which was bustling at lunch hour. We turned Addie and Lange on to our favorite pork and broccoli rabe hoagies and found a table to enjoy our lunch.
After that we hoofed it over to the Italian Market about a mile away. Addie and Lange were very impressed with the DeBruno Bros. cheese shop and the many vegetable stands lining the street. We managed to find room for a shared cannoli and cappuccinos at an outdoor café.
Returning to Zendo, we had lots of nibbles for dinner sitting out on the aft deck.
Fortunately, the weather had improved dramatically from the cruise up the river and each day in Philly was more beautiful than the previous one. We all went to bed early that night since Addie and Lange were trying to go stand-by on a 5:30 a.m. flight and Jonny and I wanted to catch the current going back to Delaware City. It was another wonderful visit from the Kings to celebrate my birthday. They have been coming every year since we’ve been cruising on Zendo and we hope they’ll continue to do so!
No comments:
Post a Comment