Independence Hall

© 2010 Mexipickle

Id est quam volvam

My daughter, poised to be the charioteer as her friends are the "horses." They did okay, but they didn't win.

"Id est quam volvam" = "That's how we roll."

© 2010 Mexipickle

If This Were A Video, You'd Hear A Grunt

During my son's soccer game today, I shot photo, as I usually do. This is J's best friend who is also on his soccer team this season. Here he has chased down a ball and is returning it to his offensive field.

So far, the team is undefeated and un-scored upon this season. Yeah, we've got a stacked team.

© 2010 Mexipickle

Cheez Whiz, That's a Good Cheesesteak!

During our visit to Philly ventured to the south end of the city for a (Philly) cheesesteak from Pat's. Pat's King of Steaks, to be exact.

I personally went with the provolone on my sandwich, but I think the authentic 'steak is made with CheezWhiz. Thankfully, they had a generous supply of it!

© 2010 Mexipickle

Chariot of Fire--Down in Flames

My daughter is now was a junior in high school and is finishing up her third year of Latin. The Latin 3 class suggested to their teacher that they have a chariot race, with the students forming teams of charioteers and "horses."

So, Tuesday was race day. My daughter was one of the charioteers, pulled by two of her friends. Of the 5 teams in the race, 2 failed to finish (one shown here--the driver fell out of the chariot and was DQ). A's team did finish, but did not qualify for the final--so that's a 3rd place finish. Not bad for homemade and all by the 4 girls on the team.

Replete with Olympic music, an announcer, and a large crowd on hand, this was the first annual chariot race event. Next year's is already being planned!

© 2010 Mexipickle

God Wants Us To Be Happy

During our time in Philadelphia, we went to lunch at City Tavern, which has been around since the 1700s. "Back in the day" the Continental Congress hung our there, imbibing from time to time. So, we did too. This sampler of beers had four brews made with recipes dating back to the founding of our country. Pretty tasty, too.

© 2010 Mexipickle

She Couldn't Leave Her History Behind

So, my daughter is a good student. Part of our Spring Break trip was used to visit colleges--4 of them, to be exact. As part of her current curriculum, she is taking A.P. (advanced placement) U.S. History. Her teacher offered extra credit to any student who took their text book on break and got a picture of it in a historical spot. With 4 days in Philadelphia, that was a snap for us! That book went to Independence Hall, Christ Church, the Liberty Bell, and Elfreth Alley, among others. Bonus points here we come! Whoo Hoo!

© 2010 Mexipickle

Shaftway

Walking down the street in Philadelphia, I noticed this assortment of doors, windows, and signs. Especially intrigued by the "shaftway" sign, I clicked the Nikon.

© 2010 Mexipickle

Set for Breakfast

After another day of sight seeing and college visiting, we thought we'd end with dinner at the Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia. Well, we walked in at 5:59, unaware that they closed at 6:00. We picked up a little produce and then headed across the street to a sports bar/grill for a bite. Before we had to hustle out, I got a couple of shots. I think it was nice that there wasn't anyone else around. I thought it was really nice that they were already set up for breakfast!

© 2010 Mexipickle

Pat's King of Steaks

While in Philadelphia, one has to have a cheesesteak! We headed over to Pat's in South Philly, the creator of the Philly cheesesteak. Geno's was right across the corner, but we stuck with Pat's. It was yummy, but next time I've got to add the peppers....ah, lessons learned!

The goofball in the window waited on us at the steak ordering window and he was a great guy. Head that way when in Philly!

© 2010 Mexipickle

Elfreth Alley

Our Spring Break includes visits to Philadelphia and Washington, DC. Our first day in Philly included the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, Christ Church, and a bunch of other sites important in our nation's history.

Elfreth Alley is one of the oldest, continuously inhabited residential areas in the country, dating to the early 1700s. There are a couple places for rent or sale if you're interested!

© 2010 Mexipickle