Road Trip with Kate 2017

In July 2017 my oldest friend from high school - Kate - visited us here in the US.  The kids and I took a road trip with her to see some of the sights - Philadelphia, Washington and Pennsylvania Dutch country.

Day 1 - Sunday 9th July

We left out place in Massachusetts and headed south on Route 95 through providence Rhode Island and into Connecticut.  We hopped off the freeway at Mystic Connecticut and took a drive through the center of town.

Tug boat at Mystic Seaport

We stopped briefly at a glass blowing studio, but everything was way overpriced so after  quick browse we got back on the road.  Just west of New Haven we jumped off the freeway again and after a bit of a detour through the back streets found a park in East Haven to stop at for lunch.  Had a picnic lunch in the park at East Haven and then took a drive through the center of New Haven, checking out Yale.

Entrance to Yale campus - New Haven

Brew tour of New Haven

We jumped back on 95 for a while, then made a detour onto route 15 the Meritt Parkway.  A nice drive with lots of great overpasses etc.  We joined the 287 at Tarrytown  New York and crossed across the Hudson river before turning south and heading into New Jersey.  We stopped for the night at a Holiday Inn at East Brunswick New Jersey.  After a quick dip in the hotel pool we headed out to local diner for dinner - the Seville Diner.

Road Trip 2017 - Day 2

Day 2 - Mon 10th July - Philadelphia

We got on the road early today, heading down Route 1 then back onto 95 at trenton and on to Philadelphia.  We drove straight to the Independence Visitors Center and parked the car for the day.  We then bought tickets for the Phlash hop on hop off bus.  Our first stop for the day was the Liberty Bell.

a cracked bell

In front of Independence Hall

From there we jumped on the bus and headed up Market Street, past the city hall

We jumped off at John F Kennedy Plaza.  We were planning on checking out the LOVE statue but once we got off the bus we realised that the whole plaza had been ripped up and the statue was not there.  Instead of waiting there for the next bus we wandered slowly up to the next bus stop at Logan Square.

in front of a building at JFK Plaza

sculpture - I reckon it looks like a tooth.

in place of the LOVE statue

Cathederal of Saint Peter and Paul

Logan Square

waiting at the bus stop

We jumped back on the bus and headed out past Eastern State Pennitentary

And then off again behind the Philladelphia Museum of Art.

There was a nice little walk behind the museum looking over the Schuylkill River

We wandered down along the walkway and around to the front of the museum.

The front steps of the museum

Josh running up the steps

reached the top!

exhausted

view from the top of the step back to the city hall

Lexie made it to the top

the Rocky footprints

Rocky poses

Greek statues

Lexie spent ages figuring out who was who

Back down the steps to see the Rocky statue

Then back on the bus and back into town.   We jumped off again at the old railway station then headed around to the Reading Terminal Market for lunch.

We had to try a Philly Cheesesteak.  It was OK, but nothing really great.

Back on the bus and down to the SeaPort and Penns Landing.

looking over the Delaware River

Paddlewheeler

We went back and picked up the car and headed out of town.  Back on 95 and South into Delware.  We headed right down to Dover and stayed the night at another Holiday Inn.  Another afternoon in the pool and dinner at Olive Garden.