Friday - July 28, 2006

Today we planned a brief stop in Philadelphia but found ourselves spending all afternoon and evening in the City of Brotherly Love. This was easily one of the nicest days of our trip, even though we dealt with muggy heat and sudden rain. We began after a relaxing morning sleeping at our motel north of Washington D.C. before we started off for Independence Square in Philly. Traffic was light and we easily found the visitor's center downtown. Underground parking at the center is expensive, but it's convenient too. Certainly we'd have no problem getting into Independence Hall! Well, it turned out that the Park Service folks had already closed the line for free tickets necessary to join a tour. The last guy in the queue said he wanted four tickets and there was only one left. The guy walked off and I leaned over the divider and said that we'd take it. I figured that Vienna, who wanted to see Independence Hall even more than I did, could enjoy the tour while I waited nearby. She seemed unsure, not wanting to leave me to wait. Indeed, she seemed honestly ready to stick together rather than split up. But I convinced her that I'd be perfectly happy to hang out during her tour, so we agreed. Since the tour was set for later in the afternoon, we asked whether Reading Terminal Market was nearby. I remembered having such a great time there and was delighted to learn that the grand market was only a few blocks away.

As the sun began to hide behind the clouds, we began our walk that took us through Chinatown and toward the Market. I told Vienna that this place would overwhelm our recollections of the food court in Washington D.C.'s Union Station. And as soon as we walked in, she and I agreed. This place is huge, bustling, and fascinating. While often overfilled with convention crowds, the Market contains so many tiny stalls, indoor diners, and famous eateries that everyone can find something for almost any taste without waiting too long. Vienna got some sushi made to order while I waited with a happy crowd at Rick's Steaks.

There is a Mecca for cheese steak and it is here, or at least it's close enough. The folks at Rick's maintain a rapid pace, stacking piles of onions, peppers, and mushrooms on the grill while the steam of thinly sliced steak draws patron after hungry patron. As I snaked through the line, I wondered whether I'd be able to get a seat once I ordered. But pretty soon I was sitting with Vienna, wolfing down my sandwich, dripping juices off my chin, and savoring a complex combination of tastes that I've never found elsewhere. As far as I was concerned, this day was already a success. Afterward, we wandered the cavernous Market, stopping to listen to an old man play a piano that had been placed there for impromptu concerts by anyone wandering by.

Walking back, we noticed that the sun had entirely departed behind an awesome wall of clouds. Last night, we endured a scary electrical storm as we tried to sleep, so I knew we could be in for some bad weather. We decided to duck into the Liberty Bell display in hopes to avoid the rain. The line looked pretty wretched, but it moved along quickly as security personnel checked us out. Most strangely, anyone carrying a soda had to take a sip in front of a guard. Inside, we enjoyed our chance to view the bell. Though I was less impressed with the actual item than I was at the building's collection of Liberty Bell memorabilia: plates, etchings, knickknacks and the like, all celebrating that iconic object. The vast windows behind the Bell revealed Independence Hall - and slashing bands of rain too.

Getting Vienna to Independence Hall would involve getting soaked. But we'd come too far to abandon our plan, so we ran. Then, after a while, we walked. The rain lessened and we were already plenty wet anyway - no need to rush. Given my "anticipate and verify" mentality, we checked once more to see where she had to wait for her tour. For no particular reason, I asked if maybe they could squeeze me in as well. Turns out the rain meant that some folks would likely not show up. So, the ranger said I'd likely get a chance to take the tour with Vienna. No guarantees, though. Well, you know what happened...

I got in and we both enjoyed our visit. Independence Hall is the site where the famed Declaration of American freedom from British tyranny was conceived and voted upon. This site was also the birthplace of the United States constitution. But for Vienna and I, it was a chance to enter the world of a favorite movie of ours, 1776. While it may strike you as odd, this kid and I really love to recite lines from that flick. And as you may have read in the Boston entry, Vienna has a bit of a crush on William Daniels’ portrayal of John Adams. So we both enjoyed the chance to stand behind his desk where so much of American independence was born. The tour lasted about 25 minutes and we'd definitely gotten our kicks for the day. The rain had ceased and we were ready to grab some souvenirs and start north toward our stop for the night. However, as we headed out the door, a display caught our eye.

Turns out that a nearby center was playing 1776, the actual movie that we love so much. They do so once a week, so we were doubly lucky. Moreover, this would be no mere screening. According to the rangers, this show also involved audience singing and other forms of participation. Vienna and I took little time to agree: this we had to see. We had some dinner at a nearby cafe and found our way to the movie. We were handed bags with various items: a plastic flute, a feather quill, some strips of paper, and even an American flag. After receiving some instructions (essentially, "go nuts and have fun") we enjoyed the long version of 1776 (with a couple of edits for time) with a small audience of like-minded crazies. With the opening credits, we played our flutes. With the struggle to decide who would write the Declaration, we passed our quills to our neighbors. With the Jefferson's failed first drafts, we crumbled up the pieces of paper and threw them at each other. And with the announcement of the new nation's name, we waved our flags proudly. And we sang along to our favorite songs, loudly and with questionable accuracy. It gets worse. We bought the soundtrack and listened to the entire thing on our drive out of Philly. Yes, Vienna and I are a bit of a lost cause. But we loved our visit.

As I write this, we're about to sleep in our motel near New Brunswick, New Jersey. Tomorrow we drive into Queens where we will meet Jenny. It's been two weeks. Vienna and I have had such fun together, enjoying our unique rhythms and complimentary senses of humor. We've developed our little rituals and solved all sorts of momentary challenges while driving cross-country together. We've crossed that magical threshold when neither one of us knows what day it is, only where we are. So far, it's been a blast. Tomorrow our trip enters its third phase. It'll be interesting to return to our traditional family dynamic. And we both miss Jenny greatly, so it'll be wonderful being all together once more. But I'll never forget the special time that Vienna and I spent together, just the two of us. Really, I had no idea how fun it'd be.