This month has by FAR been the fastest month of my life. It seems as though I hopped into a time warp as soon as training was over and was spit out into the last weekend of the month. In any case, we've got some catching up to do.
I finished training up on Thursday, August 31 and had a four-day weekend to burn, so we decided to head to Philadelphia. Friday morning we hopped on the Megabus and took a 2 hour ride to the City of Brotherly Love. I must say, Megabus is pretty awesome. It's pretty cheap, offers rides to numerous destinations, and offers outlets and free WiFi during the ride.
Our hotel, Club Quarters, was within walking distance from the bus station, so we were settled in no time. We stopped in for some quick Japanese on our way to get the Ride the Ducks tour. If you've never heard of Ride the Ducks (I hadn't either until a girl at work told me about it), it's basically a tour bus in the shape of a boat that rides around the streets and then into the water. They have them in several cities - really any where that driving into the water is feasible. It's a little cheesy, but we had a good time.
The next couple of days were spent seeing the city on foot or on the double decker tour bus. We toured the amazing Eastern State Penitentiary - built in 1829 and the prison that held Al Capone. We saw the Liberty Bell, toured the US Mint and Independence Hall (where the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were signed), and explored the insane Reading Terminal Market where we had America's favorite sandwich. We dined at the City Tavern, where the Founding Fathers used to dine.
All in all it was a great trip (though a bit rainy). Here are some pic highlights:
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| Ride the Ducks bus :) |
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| It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia bar |
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| Out on the Delaware River |
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| City Hall |
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| Al Capone's Cell | | |
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| Eastern State Penitentiary |
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| Inside the penitentiary |
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| Tommy Dicnic's in the Reading Terminal Market (check out the sandwich!) |
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| America's Best Sandwich! Roast port with sharp provolone & spinach - it was AMAZING. |
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| Independence Hall - where the Constitution & Declaration of Independence were signed |
Dinner at City Tavern:
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| Beer brewed using the recipes of George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin |
The rest of September has really been a blur. I had a great birthday - mostly spent working, but we were able to squeeze in a great dinner at a Mexican restaurant outside at South Street Seaport (Jonnie got me a new camera!) and stop by the Freedom Tower and 9/11 memorial.
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| View from dinner |
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| Freedom Tower |
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| Firefighters' memorial on 9/11 |
We went to the USC vs. Syracuse game at MetLife (Giants) Stadium:
Most importantly, we've spent a few Saturdays watching FSU football at the alumni bar, Saloon, on the Upper East Side:
