Hiatus
with History
After a rainy arrival in Delaware City –
the eastern terminus of the C & D Canal, we left with the tide to run up
the river for a dock in downtown Philadelphia.
Most loopers skip this side trip as we did last year, but this go round
we made time and worked the tides for the 40+ miles upriver. Our hearts sunk a
few degrees when the mph dropped from 11 to 4.8 as we rounded Pea Patch Island
heading north – all that rain we suffered through was now adding to the already
vigorous current in the river! (That
current was the reason we reached 11 mph to begin with – our normal cruising
target is 7ish)
Fort on Pea Patch Island.
However, we trusted the advice from the helpful dock master in
Del City and saw the tide kick in and gradually ease our speed back toward the
high 8.9 range. So in the end, we made the trip in less than 6 hours arriving
under cool but sunny skies for an afternoon of touring in Philly. Our dock is a few blocks from South Street
and the Independence Mall cluster of buildings run by the National Park
Service. We paid our respects at the
Liberty Bell and did the obligatory tour of Independence Hall where both the
Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were signed.
Standing in the surprisingly small space it
is not hard to hear echoes of the arguments and debates which formed our
government. Yet again we are amazed at the courage and wisdom of this handful
of men who crafted documents which have stood the test of time – bending and adjusting
but not breaking. We also stopped in Congress Hall where the House and Senate
met before moving to the new Capital in Washington DC. The guides reminded us
of the historic and, most importantly,
peaceful transition of power from our first president to the second
which took place in this building. For a fledging nation this orderly
transition was a ground-breaking accomplishment not repeated by many newly
formed democracies.
The hordes of tourists – most from other countries – crowded
along with us to see this unique National Park neatly woven into the heart of a
major city. It is rather heartwarming to see that so many citizens of the world
want to walk where our history was made. From our perch on the dock we had a up
close view of the revitalized waterfront area called Penn’s Landing. Coming into town we passed the industrial
heart of the city and the evidence that this waterfront used to be crammed with
many commercial docks for great ships.
However, much has been done to transition from commercial to
entertainment uses. Several large condo
complexes cleverly anchor the waterfront. One built into the old dock building
the other designed to resemble a massive cruise liner. A waterfront
amphitheater with festival space is just up from the dock and miles of board
walk line this area offering ease access for walkers, runners, and families
with strollers. We sit behind locked gates, but are close to locals availing
themselves of this public spaces and enjoyed chatting with them about boats,
the weather, and good places to eat. While this is not a marina with deluxe
amenities, it does sport well maintained docks with all the hook ups we need.
The location more than makes up for the lack of marina facilities, so returning
here is likely in our future.
We would be remiss not to mention this
city’s devotion to the arts. Historic structures have been lovingly maintained
and even re-purposed. Newer additions respect the scale and style of what has
come before. Public art work is everywhere to entertain and amuse – often located
in the numerous public spaces. Movie houses, theaters and concert locations are
with in ease reach of the riverfront. In addition, Philadelphia boasts a bounty
of world-class museums, plus the great shopping and restaurants make this an
easy stop to like. With so many fun
options we will be stopping again since there is be more on the “to do” list
than we can possible accomplish in one short visit.
New Ben Franklin Museum
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