Historic Philly...something for everyone

So the cool thing about being in Delaware is that we are just a short drive away from so many big cities, including but not limited to Baltimore, Philly, Ocean City, and D.C.. There isn't exactly tons to do in Delaware itself after the tourists leave, but it doesn't really bother me since I'm just an hour and a half from Philadelphia. A day of extensive Yelp searching gave me some great ideas of what to check out in Historic Philly, but really it's such a huge city that I could easily spend a day there every week and never run out of things to see!

First up was "Dottie's Donuts", a vegan donut shop. It was delicious. It was a tiny little shop tucked in between a couple other places, but it was poppin. There was a steady flow of people well after breakfast hours. I tried the Peanut Butter Crunch and it was phenomenal. I was pleasantly surprised at how soft and moist my donut was for being vegan. They were even a hit with my kiddos (note Lincoln's grin!).

Next we passed this little cemetery that once held the remains of Stephen Girard. Since he was part of history in my home state, Indiana, I thought it was awesome that we passed this burial ground at Holy Trinity Church. Girard was French, born and raised poor and uneducated yet grew up to be one of America's richest men. He got a job in an American shipping company which allowed him to save money and get out of extreme debt.

Eventually Mr. Girard helped finance the War of 1812. The Mississinewa 1812 was the largest war that took place in the War of 1812 and it happened in my hometown in Indiana. It's pretty neat to travel well over 600 miles from home and find a little piece of my own local history associated with a big city like Philly.

"Freedom is a light for which many men have died in darkness."

Of course, what's a trip to historic Philly without visiting the tomb of the revolutionary soldier?

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I also had a chance to do a brief viewing of the (tiny) remains of Presidents George Washington and John Adams' executive mansion. There's a pretty thought-provoking exhibit that surrounds the remains that talks about slavery, as both presidents had slaves serving them there. It was just a few steps away from the Liberty Bell exhibit, but that line was way too long; maybe my next trip can include that!

Oh Philly, I quickly have fallen in love with you since moving to Delaware. It's probably been my favorite city to visit. I've been there just three times, but there's simply nothing like an authentic Philly cheesesteak or the beauty in being surrounded by so many diverse ethnicities all at once. Until next time, Philadelphia.