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Day 4: June 14, 2018
Today it's time to hit the road! It's transfer day for our tour and we headed to Philadelphia! We had a couple of hours' drive in front of us and we were ready to visit the city where our government started.
Along the way, we stopped at a Service Plaza for a short break, and many were really impressed by the facilities, commenting they were nothing like the ones they knew at home. This one had a food "court", convenience store, and many other amenities the group was unaccustomed. It was refreshing to be reminded that not everything is the same across the country!
When we arrived in Philly, we were surprised to see the 3rd Infantry Regiment's Drill Team there to present a precision exercise. This is the same unit that provides guards for the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Their demonstration was incredibly impressive. Afterwards, we headed straight to the Liberty Bell. Unfortunately, we weren't able to obtain tickets for Independence Hall, but no worries! They allow visitors into the Hall without tickets after 4:30 p.m.. So we decided to visit other parts of the Historic District in the meantime. We had lunch at the famous Reading Terminal Market, saw where Benjamin Franklin had his printing press, stopped by the Colonies' first post office, toured Betsy Ross's home, saw Benjamin Franklin's grave, and by that time it was time for us to head back to the Independence Hall area. The group had the opportunity to see our country's first Congress Hall, and then waited in line to enter Independence Hall. What a terrific day to experience some of the historic sites Philadelphia has to offer.
But! We are sleeping in New Jersey tonight for the New York City portion of our tour! So we need to make our way further north. So onward!
We drove into Manhattan to pick up our dinner at Ben's Deli and ate at our hotel. It was good to be there, to relax after a long travel day and settle into rooms at our new hotel.