Post COVID Conference in Philadelphia

During 2020 & 2021 most big gatherings were changed to virtual due to the pandemic. With improved COVID conditions, Ray decided to attend an in-person medical conference organized by the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Neither Ray nor Traci had ever visited Philadelphia before and looked forward to learning more about America’s political birthplace.

After flying from Seattle to Philadelphia on Alaska Airlines, Ray and Traci boarded the SEPTA rail car at the airport and 5 stops later found themselves at the Jefferson Station in downtown Philadelphia, less than a block away from their hotel, the Hilton Garden Inn. Their hotel was located above the Philadelphia Convention Center parking garage, was centrally located for tourists, and provided a spacious well furnished and organized clean room. The biggest deficiency was the lack of an in-room safe – Ray couldn’t remember the last time he was in a hotel without room safes. Like many similar class hotels, housekeeping was limited and didn’t service the room until after Ray and Traci departed Philadelphia. With a microwave, small refrigerator, and lots of storage areas, the Garden Inn was a great place to stay.

After settling in, Ray and Traci ventured into the neighboring Chinatown to a ramen shop called Terakawa Ramen. Although the online waiting list projected a 30 minute wait, Ray and Traci ended up waiting an hour to dine. In the intervening time, they walked to nearby Franklin Square – one of Philadelphia’s original five squares. This park held a carousel, a collection of colorful art, and a water fountain much like a miniature version of Las Vegas’ Fountains of Bellagio. Every thirty minutes music accompanies a show of shooting water from moving jets. 

The travelers left the beautiful park and entered Terakawa Ramen for dinner – the restaurant was tiny, but you could see even on a Sunday night that there were many take out orders being prepared by the 6 cooks working on the opposite side of the counter. Ray enjoyed shrimp tempura udon and a side of chicken karaage while Traci had Hiyashi Chyuka (cold ramen) with an appetizer of chicken served on a bun. The food was excellent as a crowded restaurant at 9:30 on a Sunday night would suggest.

Walking around Philadelphia, one sees the usual social problems of big cities including homeless living on the streets. Philadelphia has its share of violent crime – a mass shooting of 15 people occurred the evening before Ray and Traci arrived. The grittiness is balanced with the deep history embedded in the city – the birthplace of the United States.

The conference started on Tuesday so Ray planned on touring Philadelphia Monday. He purchased Go City Philadelphia 3 day passes in advance for $91 each which covered entry fees to most of the attractions in Philadelphia – the passes turned out to be a great deal for Ray and Traci. They started out with a 2 hour guided tour by a very knowledgeable history teacher named Bill organized by the company Grimphilly.com – the walking tour covered the Independence Hall National Park.

Philadelphia was the center of American government before Washington D.C. was even imagined, and Bill led everyone back in time when the rebellion against the British was first organized, the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the creation of the Constitution and the first Federal Government. The remarkable career of Ben Franklin was also highlighted. Ray was especially intrigued by the story of Robert Morris who was a self made tycoon who personally financed Washington’s army but later went bankrupt from real estate speculation and ended up in debtors prison. Clearly he was man who lived before his time – now days one can go from real estate bankruptcy to the White House. After the organized tour, Ray and Traci explored many of the attractions in and around the park – Independence Hall, where a park ranger showed off the room where the Declaration of Independence was signed followed in a few years by the Constitution. The Liberty Bell with is legendary crack has its own exhibition housing nearby. 

The first Supreme Court, the first Congress, the first Pentagon are all located in the park. Nearby, the Museum of the American Revolution showed off many artifacts including George Washington’s Tent. The National Constitution Center (NCC) has many historical and current day exhibits giving perspective on the American Constitution – its aspirational goals and the times it falls short. One of the more popular attractions in the NCC is Signers’ Hall where life size bronze statues of James Madison, George Washington and the other founding fathers are captured in action drafting the Constitution. 

Philadelphia’s Reading Terminal Market (pronounced redding) is found a block from the convention center/Garden Inn Hilton and is a great place to pick up lunch and treats. The hungry can find a huge range of foods from cheesesteaks to pizza, deli food to many ethnic selections, and many bakeries serving donuts and all sorts of cookies, cakes and pies. Bassetts Ice Cream established in 1861 and Famous 4^th Street Cookie Company are notable places to get dessert. The eateries have extremely limited seating so on the go items are popular.

As part of the Go City Philadelphia pass, tourists get to ride on the tour buses that circle the city. Ray and Traci boarded the double decker bus and rode it to the Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site. The structure looks quite odd – think Tower of London in the middle of an upscale neighborhood. While vastly overshadowed by the younger prison Alcatraz, Eastern State Penitentiary which opened in 1829 is the world’s first true penitentiary which put prisoners in isolation as a form of rehabilitation. Each prisoner had a tiny room with a small individual outdoor exercise yard surrounded by high walls making communication with neighbors impossible. Al Capone was once imprisoned in Eastern State although it isn’t clear if he was being punished or was using the secure prison as refuge from his rivals.

Near Eastern State is the Art Museum of Philadelphia, otherwise known as the Rocky Steps forever in Hollywood lore. While the Museum would most likely rather be known for its rich collection of works from Rodin, Cezanne, Picasso, and Monet among many others, it has the stairs climbed by the fictional Rocky Balboa that inspired many an Instagram selfie. The statue from the third Rocky movie was relocated from the top of the steps to a much less conspicuous location to the bottom the stairs on the right and has lines all day from photograph seekers. Ray and Traci both enjoyed the museum and took photos on the ‘Rocky Steps’.

Running in the middle of any large city is a challenge, fortunately Philadelphia has the Schuylkill River which has a paved boardwalk providing a great place for runners and cyclists to exercise free of traffic concerns. Brownish slow moving water filled the river. Occasionally, people fishing were seen along the banks.

 

Ray’s conference was at the Union League of Philadelphia, a private club originally founded to support President Lincoln and the Union during the Civil War. The beautiful ornate building was elegantly furnished giving attendees a feel for its rich history. During the lunch break, Ray walked down the marble steps, slipped and took a nasty fall landing flat on his back. Although quite painful, he believed he avoided any fractures and returned to the Hilton, attending the rest of the conference virtually.

Ray and Traci were scheduled to take a night tour of Philadelphia focusing on ghosts, criminals, and other sordid details in Philadelphia’s past but cancelled after Ray’s fall. Fortunately, the injury seemed more of a contusion rather than something more serious and although it made the long flight home more uncomfortable, it hopefully will resolve over time. After the second day of the conference they took the train back from Jefferson station and had a smooth flight home having learned a great deal about the founding of America’s government.