Independence Hall & Liberty Bell

Sunday we visited Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell located in the Old Town.

It is the birthplace of the nation and the location where the the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were debated and adopted.

It was great to take in all the history of my new adopted country!

This is where George Washington first sat as the President.
















The Liberty Bell is one of the most prominent symbols of the American Revolution.

It has been described as an icon of liberty and justice, after its most famous ringing occurred after the first reading of the Declaration of Independence in 1776.

Rocky Steps & Museum Of Art

Saturday we made our way around Philadelphia taking in all the sights.

As the parents took in a tour of the Old Town, we made our way over to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, that hold the second largest collection in the US. The first being the MET in NYC - oi oi oi!

It is also the location of the"Rocky Steps" where Sylvester Stallone famously runs up in the movie Rocky. There is a statue at the base, where you can go, strike a pose and look like a bit of an idiot.





















Afterwards you can run up the stairs, hands in the air, stopping only for a photo opportunity!




















All this in 96F/33C degree heat, by the time I reached the top I was ready to throw myself in the fountain!

















The view from the top was a panoramic of Philadelphia and we enjoyed the afternoon in air conditioning comfort plodding thought the museum.





















By the time we got back to the hotel exhausted there was only one thing to do ...........

Philadelphia

On Friday we made our way to Philadelphia, the birthplace of the USA, philly cheesesteaks and NHL 2010 finalists - lets go Fliers lets go!

We were due to met up with my parents who had spend the week in Washington DC, and arrived early Friday afternoon to a heat wave of 94F/31C!!

We made our way to the infamous Pat's King of Steaks, the oldest cheese steak stand in Philly.




































A true philly cheese steak is chopped steak fried with onions, served on fresh bread with cheese from a can, affectionally referred to as "Cheese Wiz".

The man on the table behind us proclaimed "this is a culinary delight!"

Indeed the finest street meat you will eat - tacky but tasty!

Riverside Park

On Memorial Day, we headed to the long stretch of park along the Hudson known at Riverside Park.

It is Manhattan's most spectacular waterfront park, stretching four miles from 72nd to 158th Streets along the Hudson River.

We walked 40 blocks and rewarded ourselves with a gelato at the end!

Brunch at Petrossian

Sunday we brunched at Petrossian, the swanky art deco inspired restaurant located in the historic Alwyn Court Building on Manhattan's West Side.

It is known for its extravagant food, especially caviar and fois gras, so was the prefect indulgence.

Afterwards we headed to Broadway and saw a matinee performance of West Side Story- clearly keeping the day themed!

Coney Island

Saturday we rose bright and early and took the subway to the southern most point of Brooklyn -Coney Island!

We walked along the boardwalk........

...........and then onto the pier ...............

..............before making our way over to look at the rides and games.

It was then onto Famous Nathan's Hot Dog stand, a New York institution that has been around since 1916. There is nothing like a chilli cheese dog to keep the boys happy!

Parents Arrive

Last week marked the arrival of my parents all the way from Oz.

After a long flight there was nothing else to do but enjoy the warm weather on the patio, drink some beer and have a BBQ!