Today was a day of busted plans that didn't turn out so badly after all.
PLAN: Get out of State College at a reasonable hour.
RESULT: Take hours in the morning answering emails, writing up a blog post (for you, dear readers), and finding a hotel in Philadelphia. Busted!
PLAN: Have a nice, traffic-free, calm drive through central Pennsylvania, get into Philadelphia before rush hour.
RESULT: The drive wasn't bad, but it also definitely wasn't traffic-free. Also, I managed to hit Philly right as rush-hour began. On the upside, I passed a few Amish carts on the highway, which was interesting. Also, the traffic in Philadelphia's rush hour...I've seen (and driven through) worse traffic in Boston on a Saturday - so it wasn't all that bad. Still, busted!
PLAN: Get into Philadelphia and see some historical sites (and sights).
RESULT: Everything closes at 5pm. Who'dve thought? Busted! At least I was able to see a few things from the outside:
(The Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier of the American Revolution. The inscription on top of the tomb reads "Beneath this stone rests a soldier of Washington's army who died to give you liberty")
Of course, many a bad day can be rescued by a good meal, and today (though not really bad, per se) was no exception. Dinner started out with a Philly cheesesteak (with peppers and mushrooms) at Campo's (the best-rated cheesesteak place within walking distance of where I was):
Verdict: It was good and tasty. I considered going back for seconds. That's perhaps its only failing - I was expecting something a bit larger. Don't get me wrong, it's not tiny, and I'll grant, I didn't each much earlier in the day, but I expected something...more....from a legendary dish. That said, I might get another one tomorrow.
In a rare occurrence, I actually had enough room for dessert, so I went down the block to the Franklin Fountain for a classic hot fudge sundae:
Verdict: It's ice cream and chocolate. You can't really go wrong. It was delicious, especially given the heat and humidity.
Tomorrow: Philadelphia, PA to Washington, DC
Sweet. It's like you're doing my road trip...but backwards. I didn't do anything remotely notable from Memphis through Philly though, since I drove all 14 hours in one crazy fucking day. But I'll give you a heads up on places to eat once you get farther South.
ReplyDeleteSweet, man. I look forward to the tips. If you have ideas for NC/SC/WV/TN, now's not a bad time, since I'm still trying to plan out where to go between DC and Atlanta.
ReplyDeleteJust stay in DC longer and yell at your congress-men and -women! Then drive straight to Atlanta.
ReplyDelete