I just had an amazing trip to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The name Philadelphia is of Greek origin which means “Brotherly Love”. The City of Philadelphia has significant historical significance. Philadelphia was founded by William Penn in 1682 nearly 100 years before the founding of the United States. The downtown area has many historic sites from the time of its founding and the American Revolution. One of the coolest sites in downtown Philadelphia is Independence Hall which is where the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776. Independence Hall was also used by the United States Government as the home of the temporary United States Capitol city, while Washington DC was being built in the 1790s!
Adjacent to Independence Hall is another must see, The Liberty Bell. The Liberty Bell is run by the American Parks Service and provide free access to get see and get photos standing next to the Liberty Bell. The Bell was created in the 1750s and according to legend rang on July 4, 1776, to symbolize America’s independence from Great Britain. The Liberty Bell weighs over 2,000 lbs.
Philadelphia is surrounded by multiple rivers. The Delaware River separates Philadelphia and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania with the State of New Jersey to the East. Some of the largest bridges in Philadelphia cross the Delaware River including the Walt Whitman Bridge and the Benjamin Franklin Bridge which dominate the skyline. Another river that borders Philadelphia on its western side is the Schuylkill River. During the summer months, both rivers are popular for boating and other recreational activities. One of the largest U.S. Naval Yards is also located along the Delaware River in Philadelphia and has been in use since the 1870s and was super busy during World War I and World War II.
Philadelphia is passionate about its sports teams. All four professional teams in Philadelphia play in three separate stadiums all located next to each other south of the city center. The sports complex is less than 10 minutes away from Philadelphia International Airport. Philadelphia’s baseball team plays at Citizens Bank Ballpark which is always packed. Some of the cool features of the ballpark include the light up liberty bell which sways whenever the hometown Phillies hit a home run or win! Another great feature about visiting in the summer is being able to view some of the iconic sunsets over eastern Pennsylvania.
