The front of the Franklin Fountain at 116 Market Street
Sometimes you run across the perfect shop in looks and merchandise that just stands out. The Franklin Fountain in Philadelphia is one of those places. I try to stop here when I am in Philly for their homemade ice cream and to admire the old fashioned deal of the place.
I love this section of Old Philadelphia where the city was created with its old fashioned buildings and creative signs. You can see how the city developed over time.
The front of the fountain area
All of the ice creams are homemade and are made in house. You can taste the richness in each bite of the dish of ice cream.
The menus and the specialty sundaes
The Franklin Fountain is not shop of the past but a creation of many shops to create this turn of the last century ice cream parlor in a tin ceiled building that gives it the 19th century look.
The flavors of ice creams and sundaes
They have a wonderful selection of sundaes and milkshakes to choose from and some great flavors of ice cream.
The Sundae specials
The syrups and toppings
I chose the Caramelized Banana and the Salted Caramel ice creams on both of my trips to The Franklin Fountain. I had to try them both for a second time remembering how good they were the first time.
The rich creaminess of the ice cream with the taste of the sugary caramel and the fresh bananas was a real delight as was the delicious taste of the caramel in the Salted Caramel.
The Caramelized Banana was on the top of the package
Yum!
I loved every bite of it. It can be a bit pricy but for that special indulgence, it can be a real treat.
The History of Franklin Fountain:
(From the Franklin Fountain website)
In January 2003 Eric Berley was finishing his philosophy studies at William & Mary College with no hard plans for the future. Ryan Berley, his brother, was continuing his work as an antiques trader and consultant to Freeman’s auction house, although he was feeling stagnant and ready to do something different.
Just over a year before, the Berley’s father and aunt had purchased a turn-of-the-century building in the heart of Old City in Philadelphia at 116 Market Street. It had (and has) wonderful decorative tin walls & ceilings and the original porcelain mosaic tile floor, that inspired Ryan to float the idea of building an authentic ice cream parlor and soda fountain.
The brothers have always attributed their early fondness for ice cream history to the interior design of their childhood home. Carole Berley, Ryan & Eric’s mother, began selling antiques out of their home in Media in 1976, just after Ryan was born, and decorated the dining room with a historical ice cream parlor motif.
In Summer 2003 Eric traveled to New York state to study under an ice cream chef and mentor. When he returned to Philadelphia he and Ryan wrote a business plan for what would be called “The Franklin Fountain.”
The brothers were inspired by a marble portrait of Benjamin Franklin they had seen at an exhibition of sculpture by Jean-Antoine Houdon that spring. Dr. Franklin, civic businessman, thinker and experimenter, began his adult life just steps away from 116 Market Street. Following a turn-of-the-century precedent for naming businesses after the great man, Franklin’s legacy proved a worthy namesake for the soda fountain.
Months of planning followed, as did road trips to the National Ice Cream Retailer’s Convention in New Orleans, and annual the Ice Screamers Convention (an ice cream antique and memorabilia convention). As they learned, the brothers began to make connections between the values of the early soda fountains and those that Franklin advocated: craftsmanship, social responsibility and experimentation to better serve the people.
By January of 2004, construction began, and with mountains of help from family and friends the final equipment was placed as September wound down. The Franklin Fountain quietly opened the last week of the Summer 2004. The Franklin Fountain aims to serve an experience steeped in ideals, drizzled with drollery, and sprinkled with the forgotten flavors of the American past.
The Halloween decorations were not even put away, the weather was 80 degrees on Halloween night and as I walked to the restaurant after the parade, display people were decorating windows with wreathes and trees. Here comes Christmas ! Between Halloween and Christmas I never sit still. There is so much ground to cover between New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania covering events for the holidays for my blog. It was a lot of picture taking this holiday season and revamping older blogs with new pictures and updates on the events. Join me for my crazy holiday season.
The beautiful sunrise on the day after Thanksgiving to start the Christmas holiday season
The Friday after Thanksgiving, we had the Christmas tree drop off with the Men’s Association and then I worked a triple shift that Friday from 7:00am to 9:00pm. It was a long busy day . We sold over 50 trees that day and they kept coming.
The tree racks were filled and refilled during the day
We had not even been open ten minutes and we had our first sale
It was a beautiful day for the start of the sale
Fully set up for the sale
The members of the Hasbrouck Heights Men’s Association at the beginning of the sale
The first day it was non- stop business all day. Thanksgiving fell a week late this year and we lucked out with sunny but cool weather putting everyone in the Christmas mood. We just ran around and worked all morning, afternoon and evening selling , wrapping and tying trees to people’s cars and trucks. It was really a team effort.
Because I had plans on almost all weekends and weekday nights for the next two weeks, I worked the “Triple Shift”, which is Christmas tree drop off, then the morning shift from 10:00am-2:00pm, the afternoon shift 2:00pm-6:00pm and the evening shift the 6:00pm-9:00pm plus marching in the Hasbrouck Heights Christmas Parade with the Hasbrouck Heights Men’s Association.
We were open for business on one of our busiest opening days that I can remember. We all forgot that Thanksgiving came a week late this year and people were waiting for us to open
One of our new Executive Board Members wanted to put a float in the parade for publicity for the Christmas tree sale so we marched along with that. It was a long day. Thank God, we had bought pizza for lunch for the members and another member brought White Castle Hamburgers and Chicken Rings for us. We did not have to stop for meals. That brought its own challenges later on.
Fully open for business
It may have been a long day, but it was a productive day for us. By the end of the evening, we sold 51 trees and four stands, refilled everything as we went along and then marched in the parade and then returned to sell one more tree before we called it quits at 8:45pm. The temperatures did drop, and the parade was not as crowded as I thought it might be on an evening where everyone was off.
We turned the Christmas lights at dusk
Later in the evening is when the true spirit of the site comes to life. The Christmas lights come on and it really brings the spirit of Christmas home. It lets our customers know that we are open for business.
The Christmas tree lot the first weekend night of the sale
I think this festive environment is perfect for selling trees
We closed the lot for an hour so that the guys working that night could march in the town holidays parade with our float. We really had a nice time handing out candy canes to the kids and wishing everyone a happy holiday season.
The start of the Hasbrouck Heights Holiday Parade
The costumed Christmas characters
The Moonachie Fire Department displaying their lights
The Hasbrouck Heights Men’s Association float in the parade
The parade concluded at the Circle for the Annual Tree Lighting ceremony. We did not stay for it as we had to head back to the lot for selling but I went back later to take pictures.
The Christmas trees lit on the Circle in Downtown Hasbrouck Heights
The museum has an extensive collection of firefighting memorabilia and equipment from different stages of the fire service. The museum is a must for firefighters and fire buffs.
The lighting display by the Circle
The historical Dollhouse on the Circle
The Hasbrouck Heights Firemen’s Park at the Circle decorated for the holidays
The bell at the Firemen’s Park
The Firemen’s Park display by the gazebo
The gazebo beautifully decorated by the town for the holidays
The sign welcome you to Hasbrouck Heights for the holiday season. When it comes to the holiday spirit of special events, house decorating and community involvement the residents of Hasbrouck Heights really bring the holiday spirit to life.
We headed back to the lot to finish out the evening selling for more trees and one stand. By the time we closed the lot for the evening, we had sold a record 51 trees and four stands in one day. It was a great way to start the sale. This was just the start of my holiday season in the never ending rush of activities.
The Christmas tree lot as we were closing for the evening
That Saturday, I decided to break a bad curse that I had experienced five years ago when visiting the historic Kearney House in Alpine. This is where I had the accident going down that cliff road at night. Though I said to myself that I would never enter that park again at night, I figured during the day would be okay.
The sad part was that I was the only guest for the first hour and a half of the opening. It was a chilly afternoon on Thanksgiving weekend but inside there was wonderful entertainment and hot cider to enjoy.
Enjoying the guitar playing and a cup of hot cider at the Kearney House
In between the entertainment and enjoying a few cups of the hot cider, I was able to tour the house again and take pictures. With the fireplaces going and glowing, it created a festive environment for relaxing during the holidays.
The Dining Room with the fireplace warming the room and hot cider to drink
Historic games to play
The fireplace glowing keeping the kitchen warm
Touring the upstairs bedroom gallery
The other bedroom and park system gallery
The old Attic bedrooms where Mrs. Kearney’s children used to sleep
After the tour was over, I stayed for an hour and enjoyed the music and the warm fire. It was a nice break from the holiday rush.
Enjoying the holiday music by the fireplace
I had to get back home but took the time to tour the park and houses grounds. It is an interesting historic site.
The herb garden
The house by the boat basin
The beautiful Fall foliage inside the park grounds. This was the last of the colors as the cold of winter was coming
In touring the Kearney House, I completing taking pictures of almost all the historical sites in Bergen County. The house is now closed for the season and will not open again until the end of April.
The next day I attended the Bergen County Firemen’s Home Holiday Party at the NJ State Firemen’s Home Association Christmas Party of the residents. This is one of the biggest events that we run for the residents for the home and the residents love this event. They have a good meal at the home, wonderful entertainment and present for every resident. No resident should be forgotten during the holiday season.
My blog on the Christmas event at the NJ State Firemen’s Home:
We started our meeting with a very nice buffet lunch that all members and the staff at the home could enjoy before the entertainment started. It was a nice way to start the afternoon. Chef Prince prepared a feast of Baked Ziti, Chicken Piccata, salads, breads, deli sandwiches and Chocolate Cake from Rockland Bakery for dessert. Everyone loved it!
The buffet lunch
The buffet lunch
Then we headed in for the afternoon entertainment. We were treated to the entertainment of and Member Jerry Naylis’s family, who we are watching grow up before our eyes. Funny how time marches on.
The members of the Bergen County Firemen’s Home Association with Santa and our pal, Wells
Jerry Naylis’s daughter and granddaughters in their group picture
Wells and I took our picture as well. He is such a great member
The members of the Bergen County Firemen’s Home Association elected me President for 2025 which I humbly accepted. I felt very honored.
After the party was over and everyone headed home, I took a detour to visit Downtown Boonton, which is a few blocks from the home and saw all the decorations. The town looked very festive.
I then visited the town’s Santaland that was closing for the afternoon and took pictures around the park.
Santaland
Letters to Santa in Santaland
Santaland set up for visitors
Santa’s Headquarters in the Park
The decorations in the park
The other entrance to Santaland
The Gazebo in the Park lit for the holidays
The gazebo in the park at dusk before I left for the evening
I have to say one thing is that for a small town, Boonton does a beautiful job decorating the Downtown. The Main Street and the parks were very festive and put you in the holiday spirit.
The rest of the week was concentrating on the last quiz of the semester and getting ready for major projects. I also had another night of selling Christmas trees and did the weather turn quickly. It went from the 60’s to the 30’s very quickly.
After this week was over, it was time for a break. My students were very antsy due to their major project being due the next week. I do not know why everyone felt so uptight on such a fun project.
I could not wait until Friday morning when I could have a day off and just relax. I planned a trip down to South Jersey to take two Christmas House Walking Tours, one in Woodstown and Pinesboro on Friday and the other in Salem,NJ the next day.
This is my blog on the Pilesgrove-Woodstown Walking Tour on the Historical Society site:
I was not too sure what to expect so I dropped my luggage at the hotel first and got to Woodstown early. I had enough time for some lunch so I ate at the Creekside Inn, where the busses were leaving from. The food and service were excellent.
The entrance to the Creekside Inn right on the golf course off Downtown Woodstown
I sat down in the bar area that was decorated for the holidays and ordered lunch while planning the evening. The food and the service are excellent.
The Christmas tree by the buffet being set up for that evening
The food and the service were wonderful (see review on TripAdvisor). Not wanting to be loaded up for the tour I had a Grilled Cheese with Bacon and Tomatoes. It was delicious. They made it with sour dough bread and cooked it in butter so that the outside was crisp. The perfect comfort food on a cool afternoon.
My lunch at the Creekside Inn, the Grilled Cheese with bacon and tomatoes with a side salad and a Coke
It was a nice sized lunch
Yum!
It was perfect timing because just as I finished it was time to take the bus out to the homes in Pinesgrove. What a nicely planned tour.
The outside patio area where we caught the bus and Santa would join us later
Our first stop on the four house tour was the Seven Stars Tavern House, what was once an old Tavern between Woodstown and Bridgeton. It was so beautifully restored and decorated for the holidays.
The historic marker for the tavern
Our group starting the tour of the house
Our group talking with the owner of the Seven Stars Tavern
The former tavern area of the home
The decorations in the Living Room of the Seven Stars Tavern
The decorations in the Seven Star Tavern
The Christmas tree in the Dining Room
The Dining Room in the Seven Stars Tavern
After the tour of this former tavern, it was time to move onto the next three houses on the tour.
We started the next part of the tour at the farm.
The Farm in Pilesgrove
The Living Room at the house
The Dining Room at the house
The barn on the property
When we exited the house, we had time to walk the grounds which were so beautifully landscaped and maintained. I was trying to imagine what the grounds must look like in the Spring and Summer.
The bus then picked us up and took us to the next location which was the Figo Farm. That was a real treat as that home was so beautifully decorated and the hosts so welcoming to us.
The Figo Farm in Pilesgrove, NJ
The Figo Farm was more of a ‘gentlemen’s’ farm with small fields and an orchard with a stable in the back. The family who hosted the event could not have been more gracious to us. They welcomed us with home baked cookies and holiday greetings.
Welcoming us in their beautifully decorated kitchen
The aroma of freshly baked cookies was in the air
The beautiful warm living room where we had a talk on the history of the farm
While I talked inside with the host’s parent’s most of my group took a hay ride around the farm. I met them in the stables which were beautifully decorated for the holidays.
The stables at the back of the farm
The beautiful decorations in front of the barn
The beautiful tree by the barn
Our then took us to the last stop on the Pilesgrove tour which was ‘Morgan’s Folly’, a Federalist style farmhouse home, very big and elaborate for the time. It just started to get dark when we arrived.
The beautiful sunset on the farm fields
The ‘Morgan’s Folly’ home at the holiday
The Dining Room at ‘Morgan’s Folly’
The beautiful family Christmas tree
The ‘Morgan’s Folly’ house we were left at for over forty-five minutes and no bus came to pick us up. We found out later from the bus driver that one of the bus drivers got let go early and they forgot to pick us up. So we got back to the Inn about an hour late. No big deal. I got back to the meeting spot and vendors had set up and Santa was there.
I ended up having a long conversation with Santa and I asked why people were so rude today. He had been by himself and stood up and looked at me and said, ‘Some of it they learned at home listening to their parents and some of it they learned on their own.’ He told me though that you should look for the best in people. I thanked him and told him, ‘I still believe in you.’ That seemed to please him. I think we need to carry that holiday spirit with us always.
Myself with Santa
When I got back, it only left me about two and a half hours to tour homes in Woodstown so I got back on the bus and they drove us to Downtown Woodstown, which was beautifully decorated for the holiday.
Downtown Woodstown, NJ decorated for Christmas
Downtown Woodstown
The display windows were so nicely decorated for the holidays
The whole downtown residential area was so nicely decorated for the holidays
I had never been in Woodstown for Christmas. I had just passed through to look at the decorations. What a beautiful town to walk around. Since it was late, I wanted to visit as many homes as I could before 8:30pm. The event closed up at 9:00pm but I am sure that many people would be exhausted by that point with people walking through their homes.
The homes were so nicely decorated
Some houses were not open but the exteriors were on display. This one had a wonderful light show on the side of the house.
This was a delightful show
The first house I visited was the Bobbitt House, which had been owned by a former doctor. The fire places were lit that evening which was nice on a cool night and the whole house sparkled with lights and garland.
The Bobbitt House lit for Christmas
The house was decorated to the hilt
The rooms were all decorated for the holidays
The house was just magnificent and all the details were so perfect. The family that owned the house did such amazing work on the decorations. I then moved on to the next house.
This house was only open on porch to admire the decorations
The next house I visited was only open for view of the outside but the owner’s daughter was entertaining us on the porch. It was a really festive concert.
A wonderful version of ‘Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas’
I moved on to the Pilesgrove- Woodstown Historical Society for a quick tour and to admire the decorations. The docents were stationed around to help and there were refreshments in the kitchen area.
The Christmas tree at the Historical Society
The Doll and Toy collection
The old house was decorated with bows and garland
The Colonial kitchen was still the centerpiece and the heart of the house
It was getting late and I visited my last house of the evening, which had once been the home of the minister and his wife to the church next door. It now was owned by a designer who decorated it to the hilt for the holidays.
Every detail was in place to the home in Downtown Woodstown
The beautiful Living Room decorated for the holidays
The Christmas tree in the Living Room
The banister decorated for the holidays
What was nice about our host was how gracious she was with refreshments of hot cider, hot tea, cookies and chocolate. Unfortunately spending the day eating all these sweets was enough and I just needed a snack later.
While most of the homes were closing up for the evening, before I took the bus back to the car, I walked around the downtown where they had set up a market with all sorts of vendors. By this point, they were just starting to close up but I got to sample some of the wares.
The Christmas Mart in Downtown Woodstown, NJ
I took the bus back to the Inn and drove back to Salem for the evening. I got into bed early. I was so worn out from the cold and the running around that I spelt soundly that night. Still I got up early to watch the sun rise.
The sun rising from the view of the Meadow Room at the Inn at Salem River
I had a nice breakfast the morning at the Inn overlooking the Delaware Bay. It was not like the Summer or Fall when you could eat outside on the deck. It was so cold that I ate by the windows looking out with the heat on. Breakfast at the Inn with that view on a sunny morning is breathtaking.
Starting breakfast with this view is a treat
I always enjoy my breakfasts at the Inn
There was a whirlwind of activities that I had not planned. I had another Christmas walking tour of homes but this time in Downtown Salem, NJ but it did not start until the afternoon. What I did do was attend the Annual Christmas parade on the Main Street.
The start of the Magic of Christmas Parade
The start of the parade with costumed characters
The entertaining band
The costumed people in the parade
The Salem Fire Department adds to the spirit of the parade
The Parade Queen and her court waving to the crowd
Even this playful Christmas got into the spirit of the parade
After the parade was finished, I made my way to the Salem Fire Museum, which after five years of trying to visit was finally open. I talked with the firemen on duty and walked the whole museum. It is a unique look at the history of the fire service in both Salem and New Jersey.
The second floor gallery of living quarters and offices
The firehouse Christmas tree and rescue equipment
The I stopped next door to the Salem County Courthouse, which is the second oldest continuous used courthouse in the country. The courthouse was beautifully decorated inside and out.
The Salem County Courthouse at South Broadway decorated for the holidays
The entrance to the courthouse was so spirited
These historical buildings line Downtown Salem, NJ
The side of the Salem Courthouse was decorated for the holidays
The inside of the Courthouse has the original wooden chairs
I loved the tree in the corner
The tour guide said since the doors have opened, this building has been in continuous use for the City of Salem. If these walls could talk.
I crossed the street and visited the old main bank in town that is now an art store and school. They were preparing for an onslaught of children coming in for arts and crafts.
Then I moved on the antique store to check in with the formal part of the house tour, exploring the historic buildings of Market Street. My first stop was to check in at Royal Port Antiques at 13 Market Street.
Royal Port Antiques at 13 Market Street is always so nicely decorated for the holidays and has such interesting merchandise.
From the antique store, I worked my way down Market Street to many of the homes and churches that were open for the house tour. The first part of the tour was a Colonial military display along the river.
The Dutch cabin during the military display
The military display near the river right before a Christmas battle
The Gazebo decorated for the holidays
The decorations are whimsical
I started the tour of the Federalist homes and they were so beautifully decorated.
Downtown Salem, NJ decorated for the holidays
The first stop on the Yuletide tour at 40 Market Street
The house was so beautifully decorated and the host could not have been nicer. She talked extensively about the renovation and her little grandson was dressed in period costume greeting people.
The Dining Room decorated for the holidays
The fireplaces were lit in the Living Room and Dining Room giving it a warm feeling
Our host had wonderful refreshments in the kitchen waiting for us at the end of the tour
After this wonderful tour, I moved to the next house.
This house at 43 Market Street was next on the list
The foyer at 43 Market Street
The upstairs at 43 Market Street
The couple that owned this house put a massive amount of work into the renovation of this home and you could tell the amount of TLC that went into every detail. The whole house was so beautifully decorated.
I went inside St. John’s Episcopal Church for a tour of the Christmas decorations and listen to the traveling carolers. They stopped at most of the places I visited that afternoon.
The church opened their rectory to sell items for lunch and had a desserts available. After two days of non-stop Christmas cookies I was all cookied out. So I had a bowl of New England Clam Chowder with sourdough bread and talk about hitting the spot on a cold day. I was totally energized.
The excellent Clam Chowder I had for lunch
The Carolers came to the rectory as well
After a good lunch and a nice rest from all the walking, I moved on to explore the rest of Downtown Salem. The next stop was the Presbyterian Church with its musical performance.
The 1st Presbyterian Church at 88 Market Street is very impressive that afternoon
The carolers followed us around the downtown and performed in this church as well
What was nice about this Christmas walking tour was being able to see the inside of all these historical buildings and being able to see all the nooks and crannies of these old buildings.Just like the Woodstown tour the day before, the Salem County Historical Society was open too for touring.
I had seen all these exhibitions in the Summer when I was in town for the Firemen’s Convention, so I was not there long. My favorite section of the museum at the holidays is the ‘Keeping Room’, which is the original section of the home where the museum is housed.
I toured the museum for about forty-five minutes before I moved on to the next site. Take time to really tour the museum as it has so many interesting exhibitions and artifacts to see.
I next walked down Broadway to the Friends Meeting House, the center of the Quaker religion. The building was really old and smelled like wood and dust and creaked when you walked around it. I did not stay long.
The one part of the Meeting House that was cheerful and decorated for the holidays
I moved on to the last two homes of the tour as the afternoon moved on. The first house was no longer a home but an insurance company. The front of the building is the older part of the house and the back was the addition which was part of the old Masonic Lodge. It was a unique building.
The old house at 90 West Broadway is now an insurance company
The beauty of the main entrance room of the former home
This little doll in a sled was one of the members Grandmother’s toy
The home had been sold years ago and then became the Masonic Lodge which itself had closed years ago and the insurance company bought it for offices.
The last house I visited on the tour was a gorgeous Victorian in a rather sketchy neighborhood. The couple had lived there for years and said they never had a problem. I could see the huge potential if many of these houses were renovated.
The home at 24 Oak Street was the last house on my list that day
The owners had lived here for years and had renovated it to loving care. The landscaping was impressive even at the end of Fall. I would love to see what it is like in the Spring and Summer.
The woman who owned the home with her husband explained that she had hung all the wallpaper herself when she was younger. She did a beautiful job and the couple could not been more gracious in welcoming us into their home.
Their beautiful Living Room with elaborate wallpaper
Even the Kitchen was nicely decorated
We toured the house and got to see the gardens in the back which be impressive in warmer weather. The couple also had hot cider and cookies waiting for us at the end of the tour.
The last stop on the tour was where I would spending the night, the Barrett Plantation House B & B. I got to the B & B which was packed with cars out front. I was graciously welcomed by my hosts.
There was a fire going in the fireplace and music in the Parlor Room, which is where we would be served Breakfast the next morning. They even had a violinist who was in Revolutionary War garb playing songs from that period.
The Barrett Plantation House B & B at 203 Old Kings Highway
He beautiful decorations for the holidays at the entrance of the foyer
The Parlor where we relaxed when we finished the tour
The violinist who entertained us that evening not played the songs but explained the holiday entertainment of that period.
It was a very nice end of the tour. We just sat in front of the fire and talked with the violinist. He explained the songs he was playing and how people would entertain during that time. It was nice to just relax in a chair and be warm by the fire.
Since the couple at the B & B had to clean up after all the people touring through the rooms, I drove back downtown to attend the Christmas tree lighting ceremony
The County Courthouse decorated at night for the ceremony
The local elementary school provided the choir for the ceremony
Santa and Mrs. Claus arrive at the ceremony by fire truck
The Parade Queen and Santa led the tree lighting ceremony that evening
The front of the Courthouse after the tree lighting ceremony
The ceremony was for only about forty five minutes with the kids singing two Christmas carols and the elected officials wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas. It got really cold out at the end of the evening.
I made it back to the B & B and joined the owners and the other guests drinks and a hot Roast Beef sandwich with fresh Potato Salad by the fire. Now that was fun. We all talked about the tour and what a perfect day it was seeing all the decorations. After a nice evening by the fire, I just relaxed up in my room. I had to be on an early walking tour of the Alloways History Museum, which had been arranged for me.
I had an early morning tour of the Alloway History Museum at 49 Greenwich Street on the second floor of the Municipal Building. This tiny museum had been elusive to me and the owners of the B & B were able to arrange to get me in. The appointment was at 8:30am so everyone else slept in while I drove to Alloway, a tiny farming community just west of Salem.
For such a small museum, it packed with interesting artifacts and displays. I was impressed by their Native American collection and their community displays. Here is a small sampling of the collection you can see on my VisitingaMuseum.com blog:
The Native American artifact collection
The local community displays
The Schoolhouse and Education display
While everyone else slept in, I toured the museum and got a feel for the collection. It really is a ‘hidden gem’ and like the Salem Fire Museum should be open to the public more.
After the tour, I went back to the Barrett’s Plantation for breakfast with the other guests and we had a wonderful meal with lively conversation by a warm fire in the dining.
The beautiful breakfast room at the Barrett’s Plantation
Our gourmet breakfast started with fresh fruit with local honey, freshly squeezed orange juice and hot tea
The delicious fruit salad
The honey Amish Bread
The breakfast entree was the Sunday soufflé with a side of hash browns
We just relaxed and talked to our hosts and enjoyed the crackling fire. It was a nice way to end the two days of touring.
After breakfast was over, I relaxed in my room for a bit before I left for a day of touring around the community. I really loved my room and the way it had decorated for the holidays.
The Dickerson Suite I highly recommend
The decorations in the Dickerson Suite at the holidays
Before I packed up and left for the day, I took a tour around the B & B and the grounds. The couple who owns it did a wonderful job decorating for the holidays. Here are some of my favorite pictures.
The staircase and foyer
The outside of the Barrett’s Plantation decorated for the holidays
The sleigh on the porch
The holiday decorations
The grounds are so nicely landscaped and are a pleasure to walk around in all seasons
Before I left for the day, I went to visit the Pennsville Historical Society to see if the house was open to see their Christmas decorations. I lucked out and they were having their Annual Open House with a visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus.
The Church Landing Farm, the home of the Pennsville Historical Society
The Christmas Open House was an amazing event and it was a beautiful sunny day to be outside. I started my visit with meeting with Santa and Mrs. Claus. In this crazy political world we live in, it was nice to see that the Claus’s were so welcoming to everyone. It is nice to believe.
Santa and Mrs. Claus greeted me warmly that afternoon
Me with Santa getting some good advice at the holidays
I toured all the display sheds and the farmhouse which were all beautifully decorated for this holiday event. There were so many beautiful decorations that I can’t show them all here but look at my blog on the Pennsville Historical Society on my site, VisitingaMuseum.com. Here are some of my favorites from the tour around the house and ground:
The farmhouse on the day of the Open House
I took a full tour of the house and grounds and took so many pictures (see the blog above) of all the beautiful decorations throughout the property. Here are some of my favorite pictures.
This is from the amusement park shed
The decorations in the military shed
The front of the farmhouse decorated for the holidays
What I love when you come to the Pennsville Historical Society’s Church Landing Farmhouse is that it is so beautifully decorated for the holidays. The volunteers go above and beyond and the house is amazing.
The foyer to the home
The front Parlor
The Christmas tree in the Living Room
The upstairs bedroom
The decorations in the second bedroom
Even the upstairs bathroom was decorated
The little elf in the upstairs bathroom
The refreshments in the kitchen
I finished the tour of the house and headed down to the kitchen where the volunteers set the main table with every type of Christmas cookie you can imagine. One of the volunteers told me that every volunteer had baked a pound of cookies and they had an excess. After two full days of sweets, two were fine with me.
After some hot chocolate, I finished my tour of the grounds.
The little schoolhouse on the grounds was decorated for the holidays
The Gazebo decorated for the holidays overlooking the Delaware Bay
The Church Landing Farmhouse decorated for the holidays
After spending the early morning at the Open House, I had enough time before I went home to take a trip to Millville to see the decorations at their historical house. Unfortunately, the ladies who decorate the home that the Society owns next door had not decorated it yet so one of the volunteers took me to the Ward Mansion which they also run.
This was the home of the family that started the WaWa chain amongst other companies. The home had been decorated for their holiday party and they let me tour the home.
The Wood Mansion is part of the Millville Historical Society
The Living Room at the Wood Mansion decorated for the holidays
The Victorian Christmas tree in the Living Room
The Dining Room
The artifacts in the upstairs gallery
The Wood family tree to the branch that now runs WaWa
It was nice to take a personal tour of the home and see how the family lived in Victorian times. It seemed that the modern generation no longer wanted the home and left it to the historical society. After the tour was over, I took another tour of the historical society and then headed home. It had been a long and productive weekend.
The second week of December was presentation week for my students. I had for major presentations with all four of my classes plus a presentation to Ramsey Borough Hall. I had been teaching four classes at Bergen Community College and each of my classes had real clients this semester which I had never had before. So there were the demands of real clients and visits for the students to Closter, Bergenfield, Lyndhurst and Ramsey, NJ whose job it was to promote these great towns. I found out months later they were still asking me for things. That’s how real these projects are to people outside the classroom.
The first class to present their project was the Farm team presenting how they were going to promote the farm with all their specialty products and create a series of Special Events.
Me with my President and Senior Vice-President of Operations for the Farm Project
The Manager of the farm came to the presentation and gave his thoughts on our ideas and loved almost all of them. So I had my first happy client.
The next presentation I had was with my Marketing class and we were creating a Destination Tourism plan for the Borough of Bergenfield. We were showcasing the Bergenfield Museum, Cooper’s Pond Park and the South Church of Bergenfield’s historic cemetery.
We presented the project to the Board of the Bergenfield Museum and the publicity member of the Borough of Bergenfield. It was a brilliant presentation and everyone really liked it.
The Bergenfield Team after the Presentation
The next presentation was “It’s Razzling in Ramsey-Be a Tourist in your Own Town”, an extensive Destination Tourism plan for how to promote Ramsey, NJ for tourism. The students presented to me in the classroom first and then we presented to the Ramsey Borough Council. That was pretty amazing.
Me with my President and my Senior Vice-President of Operations
My last presentation for Thursday night was the presentation for the Lyndhurst Team for the Red Schoolhouse Museum. We presented the project that Thursday night to the Board of the museum. This presentation was put together in four weeks and it was a great presentation.
All the Presentations went and was impressed with all the students work. It took many weeks and a lot of touring of the locations but we presented to all the clients our best work. I was so drained by the end of the week that I went to bed early that evening.
I had another busy schedule the third weekend of December and that included more holiday tours and decorated homes. I had to run from Hope, NJ to Upstate New York, to attend one day events. All this while I was preparing the final exams for the next week. We had sold out of Christmas trees in two and a half weeks, so the was now behind us. We got ready for our annual Christmas stand party.
The party fell on Friday the 13th and I got in the car and left for Blairstown , NJ, where the opening scenes of the original film were shot. Going to Blairstown, NJ where the opening scenes were shot of the 1980 film has become a big thing. It was in October 13th, 2023 but in December 2025, it was Christmas all the way.
It was so cold out and so close to Christmas that there was not a sole in town. I was there for about an hour taking pictures on the holiday decorations rather than talking about Friday the 13th. I toured there and Hope, NJ and took pictures of all the decorations..
The decorations in Blairstown
The building that was the original diner that was in the opening scene. It is now a gift shop.
The cemetery gate where Annie gets dropped off in the middle of the scene
After I had toured both Hope and Blairstown, I double back to Blairstown for lunch. The Blairstown Diner for lunch and had a very good but expensive chicken sandwich off their ‘Friday the 13th menu.
I was coming back that Saturday night for the Moravian Christmas walking tour and would have loved to spend the night in the area but I had so much work to do at home that it was just easier to drive home than stay.
I was resting at home after the long ride home when the guys from the Men’s Association texted me telling me to get my butt to the party and to bring some dessert. So I changed clothes and played a platter of homemade cookies and went to the party for an hour. It ended up that after the long week of student presentations and running around, I needed the drink.
The guys on the Men’s Association enjoying a job well done at the end of the season
The tree stand the night of the party with one tree left
The next morning I was in a rush to finish my grading and the laundry as I had to be back in Hope, NJ for the walking tour and then the church services afterwards. It was going to be an hour trip back out there. Then the day after that, I would be up in Beacon, NY visiting more decorated houses.
I had been to the Moravian Christmas Lantern tour three years prior in 2021 but it had been so windy they could not put up the luminaries. This year they could.
Downtown Hope, NJ before the nightfall
The Presbyterian Church that used to be the old Moravian church where the candlelight service would take place that evening.
I liked the way everyone decorated their homes
Many of these old homes were decorated with wreathes and garland
As it grew darker, it grew colder and I was smart enough this year to take the earlier tour and leave time for dinner before church services.
The Hope Community Center where we started the tour
Inside the Hope Community Center, they set up a buffet where you could buy dinner and you could see their ‘Festival of Trees’ display the they used to display at the local hotel. They moved it back to the Community Center this year which was nicer to observe all these beautiful Christmas trees decorated by local groups.
The Community Center set for dinner and the tours
The beautifully decorated Christmas trees
The beautifully decorated tree
One tree was more impressive than another
Since I wisely chose a tour that would start at twilight and end when it got dark, I got to see the town in both perspectives. Either way, the town was fully decorated for the holidays and when the sun went down it was really beautiful.
The bridge coming into town
I got to walk around before my tour started while it was still light out and in the winter time the town is so picturesque.
All the homes in the downtown area were decorated for the holidays
The tour started at 5:00pm and we started to walk through this former Moravian community. During COVID, the town had been ‘discovered’ by New Yorkers and since my last tour in 2021, almost all the homes in town had been renovated and landscaped. The town was very impressive.
Our guide on the lantern tour
The tour took us to all the historical sites in Hope which included the church’s, manufacturing and old farms and mills. The temperature was dropping as it got darker and I felt bad for all the actors outside who had to stand there waiting for us.
Starting the tour at dusk
The historical buildings of Hope, NJ
The local elementary school entertained us on the tour
Then we toured the downtown, visiting historical buildings that are now banks and offices and visiting a live Nativity scene.
The bank was an old Meeting House at one time
The luminaries in the downtown
The luminaries downtown looking toward the church
The live Nativity performance
We rounded the downtown one more time to see all the historical homes and the beautiful light
After I returned to the Community Center, I stopped and had some dinner. The buffet had some heavy dishes and I decided on the Mac & Cheese which really warmed me up on this cool night. For dessert, I had a locally made Cider doughnut. What a nice way to end the tour.
The Community Center is a nice place to eat dinner after the tour
After dinner was over and I warmed I walked over to the Presbyterian Church for the traditional Moravian Candlelight Service. I had been here four years prior and had enjoyed the service with its engaging sermon and the beauty of the candles in the final part of the service.
The church was decorated in a secular fashion for the holidays
The service was very inspiring with a talk about family and what the purpose of the holiday really means. With all the pressure of the holidays in hand and finals week being the next week plus the posting of grades before I left for my mother’s for the holidays it was nice to just relax.
The end of the Candlelight service
Downtown Hope, NJ at the end of the church service
Having prepared all my exams and wrapped up the grades for the Team project, I was able to head to the Hudson River Valley to visit some decorated homes that I needed to revisit for my museum blog, VisitingaMuseum.com.
The first one was Mount Gulian in Beacon, which I had visited over the Summer and now needed pictures of the Christmas decorations. The other was Knox Headquarters Homestead, which I had visited several times between the Summer and the Halloween holidays. The decorations at both homes did not disappoint me.
Mount Gulian Historical site for the holidays
Since I had taken the formal tour of the house over the summer, the docent who led my tour then just gave me an overview of the Dutch holidays and explained the decorations.
The beautifully decorated front doors
The main staircase decorated for the holidays
While my tour guide finished with his first tour, I toured the house on my own.
I started in the basement looking at the Colonial kitchen, which is the only thing that survived the fire that burned this historical house to the ground in the 1930’s (the current house is a recreation of the original home).
The colonial kitchen decorated for the holidays
The decorations around the kitchen area
I made my way upstairs and continued the tour on my own.
The elegant Dining Room
The table was set for Christmas lunch
Then I toured the other rooms and made my way to the Library.
The Library was decorated with all sorts of garland and Christmas ornaments
The Library was decorated with all sorts of garland and wreaths
The old Parlor was set up for the upcoming Children’s tea
The old Parlor Room was set up and decorated for a Children’s Tea which was the week after Christmas but I still got to walk around and enjoy the decorations. The Christmas tree was elaborately decorated for the event.
The Christmas tree surrounded by pictures of the Order of Cinncinatti
I ended my tour when the next group of visitors arrived. While the tour guide greeted them, I took one last tour of the dining Room. It just a beautiful room.
The fireplace in the Dining Room with a picture of the last descendant who lived in the house as a baby over the fireplace
After the tour of Mount Gulian, I had time before my tour of the Knox Homestead to tour Downtown Beacon and have some lunch. The downtown really nicely decorated for the holidays.
Downtown Beacon decorated for the holidays
The snow had fallen the day before giving it the early Christmas look
The beauty of the mountain tops after the sun
The snow bound downtown
The beautiful falls downtown
Downtown Beacon is really a picturesque place with wonderful restaurants and shopping and interesting street art. It is a wonderful town to explore and window shop.
The beautiful decorations downtown
For lunch that afternoon, I ate at Noble Pie at 137 Main Street, a small restaurant specializing in homemade sweet and savory pies. What a treat. I had not had a piece of homemade pie in a long time and you can tell the care they have in their product in each bite.
It was a tough choice but I decided on the Homemade Chicken Pot Pie and the Apple Pie a la Mode with a big scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream with the ice cream from Del’s Ice Cream in Rhinebeck, NY.
The wonderful Chicken Pot Pie with a flaky buttery crust
The delicious Apple Pie a la Mode with Vanilla Ice Cream
The restaurant was nicely decorated was nicely decorated for the holidays
After a wonderful lunch and a full tour of the picturesque downtown on both sides, I headed down to the Christmas Open House at the Know Headquarters . I had wanted to go early because it was so cold and it got dark early.
The lights turned on before I left Beacon giving it more of a Christmas feel
I got to the Knox headquarters for their Christmas Open House just before nightfall so they were still setting up the outdoor lights. The house looked so picturesque with the snow on the trees and grounds.
All the rooms were decorated for the holidays with costumed actors talking about life in the house during the Revolutionary War Christmas era.
The Parlor decorated at Christmas
The spirit of the lady of the house
The decorations in the Parlor
The ghostly figure in the mirror in the decorated Dining Room
The Knox office in the house with a costumed soldier to explain the plan
The decorated stairs and bannisters for the holidays
The upstairs bedrooms were well appointed and decorated for the holidays
A soldier met us at the top of the stair and explored the war years to us
The Dining Room
The last room of the afternoon I visited was the Dining Room where the Dining Room table was decorated for the holidays. This had been a trend during that period where the top of the table was decorated to impress guests.
The whole Dining Room was beautifully decorated
The Army Captain explained what entertain was like during the war years for officers and soldiers
The outside of the home was lit with a bonfire and torches
The temperature really dropped that evening and it got cold! The poor actor who portrayed a soldier standing guard was really cold. He really knew what these men must have felt.
The soldier standing guard outside the homestead
The Knox Homestead when I left that evening
The torches that lit the property on a cold winters night
After the Open House was over, I had not realized how early it still was so I decided to take a detour and visit Kingston and Woodstock to see how those town’s were decorated for the holidays.
My first stop was Woodstock, where I had spent many relaxing Christmas’s after my father passed. I needed to clear my head and spending time in the mountains with some peace and quiet helped me tremendously. I found the town quaint and had an almost Currier & Ives feel about it. It still means a lot to me at the holidays.
I always love the Woodstock Christmas tree. It always looks so unusual
The Dutch Reformed Church where I spent many Christmas Eve’s
The manager scene outside the church
The retail district around the Green at the holidays
It was so cold out that no one was outside. The restaurants were pretty quiet that evening as I could see no one wanted to venture out. It was a big difference from four months prior when it was 60 degrees and sunny in the evening. I had the whole downtown to myself that evening.
The restaurant’s were decorated to the hilt. This used to be Joshua’s where I ate Christmas Eve the years I came here
I walked around the quiet Green admiring the Christmas tree and peeking in the business windows. I could not believe that Christmas was going to be next week.
The Village Green the week before Christmas
I finished my tour of Downtown Woodstock and it was still early so I headed to Kingston. I had missed the Snowflake Festival this year because I was in Salem and Woodstown for the Christmas Hour tours so I wanted to see how the town was decorated.
Kingston is always so nice at the holidays and I wanted to see how the town was decorated. It is another picturesque town.
Downtown Kingston ‘Stockage District’ with the snowflakes
I got to Kingston late in the evening around eight in the evening and for some reason Kingston likes to roll up its sleeves at 8:00pm. I walked around the downtown and had the streets to myself.
The Kingston Christmas tree in the ‘Stockage District‘
The Dutch Reformed Church at the holidays
I would have thought there would have been bells during the holidays and it was just very quiet in the evening around the church.
The Senate House barns
One last tour around the Downtown before things closed for the evening
The merchants compete for the best windows
The windows in Kingston could compete with any other town
It was a nice way to end the day walking around this beautifully decorated town enjoying all the wonderful lights and displays all to myself. I knew I needed the relaxing as Finals week was here and the last day of class was on Thursday night. I could not wait to be done with classes.
Finals week was a rough week for everyone being so close to the holidays. I could see that a large portion of my students had no desire to study for their finals and their grades reflected that .
The students that had taken the class work seriously did really well and an about a third of each of my classes struggled on a final that really was not hard. You just had to do that new fangled thing called ‘study’ I had to spend most of December 20th and 21st grading and posting grades That took time and I was glad that the semester ended. I could now relax for the next month. The semester would not begin again until the first third week of January.
The students that had taken the class work seriously did really well and an about a third of each of my classes struggled on a final that really was not hard. You just had to do that new fangled thing called ‘study’ I had to spend most of December 20th and 21st grading and posting grades That took time and I was glad that the semester ended. I could now relax for the next month. The semester would not begin again until thethird week of January.
December 20th and 21st grading and posting grades That took time and I was glad that the semester ended. I could now relax for the next month. The semester would not begin again until the third week of January.
I had to clean the house, finish my cookie baking for gifts and do all the laundry and pack. I was leaving for my mother’s for the holiday and then two days of work and rest in Cape May. There was a lot of picture taking and cultural sites to visit.
Decorations for the holidays in Murray Hill at the Union League Club at 38 East 37th Street
I was able to get into New York City just before Christmas and I will tell you there is nothing like Manhattan during the holidays.
Nothing says ‘Christmas’ more than Macy’s on West 34th Street, my home away from home for seven years of my life working as a Manager and then a Assistant Buyer. It still is an amazing Christmas store.
I explored the City and ran around Manhattan visiting as much as I could in a day. I would be leaving for my Mother’s on the morning of the 24th, so I wanted to get things done.
Macy’s Herald Square on the Broadway side of the first floor
My first stop was Macy’s to see their windows and to see how the stores were decorated. They really did a nice job on the inside of the store and their windows I thought were the most unique of all the department stores.
Macy’s Broadway Christmas windows
Macy’s Broadway windows
Macy’s Broadway windows
Macy’s Broadway windows
Passing Penn Station at Christmas
I walked around the Murray Hill neighborhood in Midtown enjoying all the holiday decorations on all the buildings.
I passed this tree outside one of the office buildings in Midtown
Gem Saloon in Murray Hill decorated for the holidays
Touring through Bryant Park during the holiday season is always a lot of fun. You always see such interesting vendors during the holiday season. The skating rink was packed with skaters and tourists filled both.
I continued to tour around Midtown, walking into stores and parks and admiring the decorations. After a long semester of classes and projects, it was nice to get my mind off work and school.
I continued the walk around Midtown up Park Avenue and passed the decorations at Grand Central Terminal. This is when you see the City at its best during the holidays.
My last stop before I left the City was an extremely crowded Rockefeller Center where every tourist from every walk of life was taking pictures from every direction. I had to elbow my way around the complex and I still got some wonderful pictures.
The Angels at Rockefeller Center at Christmas
The complex at Christmas time
The Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center just known as the ‘Tree’ to us
After I left the skating rink, I walked around Saks Fifth Avenue. Their windows were not that exciting this year as they just featured clothing from the Couture floor. I could see under all the glitter that the store was having problems. I saw the cracks that I had seen at Macy’s years ago. We will see how this plays out.
The front of Saks Fifth Avenue at 611 Fifth Avenue minus their Lightshow and exciting windows
It was nice to just walk around the City and enjoy the decorations and get my mind off work. It was going to be a long day of getting ready for the holidays and then a trip to Cape May to just decompress.
Christmas Eve Day was a whirlwind of activity. I had to head to Downtown Hasbrouck Heights and pick up flowers for my cemetery visits, then head to Downtown Wood Ridge to Mills Bakery for doughnuts for my mother for breakfast Christmas Day. Then I visited my family before I left for my mother’s. It was a busy morning.
The store was so beautifully decorated inside and out
How magical the store looks inside for Christmas
The back of the store sells all sorts of Christmas treasures
This is where I buy all my flowers to pay my respects at the cemeteries and they always put a nice arrangement for me at a fair price. Plus I love looking at the decorations at the holidays.
Then it was off to Mills Bakery for pastries. The baked items at Mill’s are always fresh and the selection is wonderful.
Mills is always so nicely decorated at the holidays
The beautiful Christmas cakes at Mill’s
The holiday cookies at Mills always smile at you
The elegantly wrapped Gingerbread houses make the perfect gift
After I finished my shopping and made my visits the my family, I had a quick lunch at Bella Pizza on the Boulevard for a slice of pizza before I left for my mother’s. The Sicilian slice was really good and hit the spot for the long trip.
Bella Pizza at 197 Boulevard decorated for the holidays
The Sicilian Pizza is fantastic and did not affect my appetite for dinner
After lunch, it was the four hour trip to my Mother’s . Thank God the traffic was not bad. Once I left the Newark area, it was smooth sailing. Even when I had to make a stop at one of the rest stops, the new rest stops were nicely decorated.
On the way into Rehoboth Beach, there is a farm where I always admire the decorations. It may not be that elaborate, but there is just something about the way they decorate that I always admire.
The farm outside Rehoboth Beach
The pictures don’t reflect how truly beautiful the farm is decorated. I could not get the correct lighting
Since there was no room at the house, I stayed at the Hampton Inn Rehoboth Beach at 18826 Coastal Highway and I highly recommend the hotel at the holidays
The Hampton Inn Rehoboth Beach at 18826 Costal Highway at Christmas time
The hotel is really nice with a large lobby and Breakfast Room and an indoor pool. The hotel was nicely decorated for the holidays.
The lobby at Christmas time
The Christmas tree in the lobby
The Breakfast Room where meals are served in the morning
I met the rest of the family at my mother’s after I had settled in and then we left for Christmas Eve dinner, which she calls our ‘Jewish Christmas’ meal at Confucius Chinese Restaurant.
Confucius Chinese Restaurant at 57 Wilmington Avenue in downtown Rehoboth Beach
Dinner is always an experience at the restaurant offering some of the best Chinese food in Delaware.
We started the Christmas Eve meal with Salt & Pepper soft Shell crab
They serve the most amazing Duck Springrolls
The Pork & Chive Dumplings steamed or Fried are mouthwatering
The entrees here are top notch and the dishes that came out of the kitchen were excellent that evening. Even for a busy evening, one dish after another was amazing.
The Moo Shu Pork here is one of their specialities and one of our favorites to order. We had to get two orders just so everyone could have one.
The Kung Pao Chicken without peanuts is one my mother’s favorites
The Tang Lake Chicken is one of my favorites and I highly recommend it
The House Special Lo Mein is another favorite of mine
The House Fried Rice is one of the best I have tasted
We had to add some greens to the Christmas Eve dinner
It was a wonderful dinner and it was nice to catch up with my family. It is tough when all of us are scattered throughout the country. It is one of the few family meals we have during the year.
After dinner was over, we all met back at my mother’s house. Before I left Downtown Rehoboth Beach, I took a quick tour of the boardwalk and the town’s Christmas tree. It is always a nice site and very festive.
The Gazebo by the shore all lit up for the holidays
Christmas Eve in downtown is quiet and beautiful
I got back to the hotel that evening and slept soundly. All those weeks of final projects and running around caught up with me. There is something about the Hilton mattresses that give you the perfect night’s rest.
My perfect Hilton bedroom
Christmas morning was a whirlwind of activity. I had to meet my family for breakfast later in the morning and help with dinner at my mother’s before her guests arrive. Since I love breakfast, I started with an early morning meal at the hotel.
It was a very nice breakfast with a good assortment of hot and cold items. Since the howl was not that busy, I got to talk with other families, who like myself there was no room at the inn at their relatives home.
The Breakfast Room at the Hampton Inn
The Breakfast Room and Lobby at the hotel
The selection of hot and cold items makes a nice breakfast
Creating the perfect breakfast sandwich
The morning would be a whirlwind of activity as we had to finish last minute preparations at the house, getting appetizers in order and do some last minute preparations work and clean the kitchen. It would be a very nice morning and afternoon.the kitchen.
Helping my mom in the kitchen at Christmas has become a new tradition for my brothers and I . For years we were told to stay out but as my mom is getting older it is a lot of work so we all enjoy helping out. It has become a family affair.
The Dining Room set for Christmas dinner
The Dining Room table always looks so elegant
The decorations in the house
Simple but elegant
My mother kept it simple at Christmas and did not go overboard but the house always looks so nice at the holidays. The table was set so beautifully and my mother likes to keep the tradition of name cards, which is really nice.
My mother kept dinner simple this year and we had a lasagna with a salad and garlic bread . We were all working and was tough doing all fancier dishes we had cooked in the past . Still it was a nice meal.
We started with a simple meat and cheese anti pasta
The most amazing Christmas dinner Lasagna, Garlic Bread, Dressed Salad and roast pork
My mother hosting dinner with much pride. She is an excellent cook and host
It really was a nice Christmas Day. It gave us all a chance to be together with our mother and her friends and catch up with one another’s lives. My brothers and I did the clean up and helped with dessert.
Christmas dessert, my brother baked the cookies, my mother baked her wonderful apple pie and my sister in law brought a very rich Russian chocolate cake
My brothers and I with our mother at the end of the evening on Christmas Day
We really had a wonderful Christmas but like most holidays it zipped right by and the night was over. The next morning we met at our mothers for breakfast and each of went our own separate ways afterwards. I was heading to Cape May, NJ by ferry while my brothers both headed to New York City. I would meet up with them later in the week for lunch in Manhattan. My mother got some time to relax after we departed.
I love the trip over to Cape May from Lewis, DE. The ferry is always so nicely decorated for the holidays and even on Christmas Day a few years ago is always busy at the holidays.
The terminal and their restaurant inside are always so nicely decorated for the holidays
The ferry takes only an hour and a half compared to the five hour drive around southern New Jersey. On a beautiful sunny morning, the views are amazing.
The Lewes Terminal in the summer months
Getting ready to arrive
Cape May at Christmas time is one of the most magical places especially at night. The lights and sounds and music, plus the tours and the restaurants is the reason you will never be bored here. I took a ride through the back roads and made to the heart of downtown and to my hotel in no time Cape May in no time.
The Chalfonte Hotel where I normally stay when I am in Cape May was closed season (the hotel is not insulated) and I stayed at the Southern Quarters, the sister hotel next door. Somehow I keep getting the room on the top floor of the hotel and it holds a lot of memories for me because it’s where I first stayed when visiting Cape May.
The room at the top of the Southern Quarters has a great view of the neighborhood
I was finally able to relax and decompress for a few hours. I ended up sleeping for three hours. This trip to Cape May was about relaxing and picture taking for the blog so it would be another working vacation for the next two days. I would be spending a lot of time time visiting the Congress Hotel to revisit restaurants and take pictures of the decorations.
The front of the Congress Hotel was decorated to the hilt
The Congress Hotel at is decorated for their “Winter Wonderland” promotion at Christmas time. The hotel is a spectacular time to visit the hotel with the public rooms fully decorated and the lawn area in the back set up like a Christmas Village with a decorated tree, amusements, shops and refreshment stands. It was packed both nights I visited.
The beauty of the lobby at The Congress Hotel
The hotel sometimes reminds me of ‘The Overlook Hotel’ in the movie in the movie in ‘The Shining’
The Courtyard of the hotel
The Christmas tree on the lawn of The Congress Hotel
The Christmas tree by the shops
The Congress Hotel is one of the most beautiful hotels at Christmas time. Every inch of that hotel is decorated. Before I went to dinner, I walked the halls and the grounds. Most of the amusements were closed for the evening but I figured I would come back during the day to see the shops and what else was going on.
I revisited the Boiler Room Pizzeria in the basement of the Congress hotel for dinner as I had back in 2018 and in 2021. The food and service here is wonderful and the place was packed.
The pizzeria at the Boiler Room
Like I said, I was on a picture taking mission and had to eat the same things I ate six years earlier(which I did not mind) and I had a Arugula and Prosciutto Pizza, which was the meal I had at the hotel in Christmas Eve when I stayed at the hotel.
The lighting might have been a bit strange but the food was excellent The Caesar Salad was delicious and could have fed two people.
The Arugula and Prosciutto Pizza is a treat
The Boiler Room bar area was really busy at night
Even in the post Christmas, the whole hotel seemed mobbed. I would read later on that one guest of the hotel complained that there were so many outside visitors to the hotel that the registered guests couldn’t enjoy all the special things at the hotel. My feeling was tough! That is how the hotel makes money and I did not hear the hotel complaining about how many guests there. There were a lot spending money.
After dinner was over, I decided to walk around the downtown area and admire Washington Mall, which was nicely decorated for the holidays.
The Washington Mall is so festive
The Washington Mall at night
Even by the hotel, the light show continued as many of the B & B’s and businesses had heavily decorated for the holidays.
The Bed & Breakfasts were nicely decorated for the holidays
Cape May’s Downtown Square Park
The trees in the park were fully lit
The Gazebo in the park was an array of lights
The colorful Christmas tree in the gazebo
Downtown Cape May at night during the holiday
The unique Victorian Mansion on the walk back to the hotel
Even closed for the season The Chalfonte Hotel was decorated for the holidays
The next morning was a clear and sunny day. The temperature was nippy but not cold. I could not wait to start the day.
The view from my room at the top of the Southern Quarters
Since food service was closed for the season at the hotel, I walked down to Uncle Bill’s Pancake House, my go to spot every Summer and holiday season. Right after the New Year, they normally close until it gets warmer.
Uncle Bill’s is one of the best places at the shore to have breakfast
Decorated for the holidays
The Christmas Village at Uncle Bill’s
I love coming here for breakfast when I am in Cape May and they make the best French Toast, Scrambled eggs and Pancakes. I saw someone having the Pancake platter with scrambled eggs at the next table over and that is what I ordered.
The Pancakes and Sausage at Uncle Bill’s are cooked in Claire’s butter giving it a sumptuous taste and the pancakes an extra crispness
The pancakes and eggs here are excellent
After a great breakfast, I paid the bill and walked around Cape May. It was a warming day in the 40’s and downtown is a nice place to work off breakfast. I headed back over to The Congress Hotel to see what was happening in Santa’s Village. The hotel was in full swing with people taking rides on the trains and Merry go Round. They were ordering pretzels, hot chocolate and other holiday snacks at the snack bar. I just thought it was fun.
The Merry go Round at the Congress Hotel
The lines were long for families to rise the trains
The lobby was just as spectacular during the day as at night
After walking around the hotel grounds and tiring of the crowds, I went out to explore the community and investigate historical sites in the area. It took me to corners of Salem County that I had never seen before. There were some historical locations in Upper Cape May County that were still on my bucket list. I knew they were closed for the season but I wanted to know where they were located.
My first stop was the the JW Grady House which is in the middle of nowhere where.
The JW Gandy Farmstead at 26 Tyler Road in Oceanview, NJ
The JW Gandy Farmhouse was closed for the season and would not open again until the Spring
The next site I wanted to visit was the historic Tuckahoe Train Station. This Victorian Train Station was the hub of activity at the turn of the last century.
The Tuckahoe Train Station on Route 659 Railroad Avenue
Both historical sites were closed for the season and would not open again until the Spring do they would another trip to Cape May.
It was a lot of twists and turns to come to these remote sites and then I headed back to Cape May to walk around before dinner. I walked through the downtown again and walked through the park to see the Christmas tree again but during the day.
The Gazebo during the day
The Christmas tree was just as spectacular during the day
I relaxed at the hotel for the rest of the afternoon and then went to dinner in North Cape May to Viggiano’s on Sunset at 109 Sunset Boulevard in West Cape May. I had seen the recommendation on my Dining Club and had passed it many times and wanted to try it on this trip.
I really enjoyed my meal that evening. I keep it simple on the rather cool night. I started the meal with a bowl of the Wedding soup that contained tiny meatballs and kale that seriously warmed me up. The temperature had dropped that evening so it was the perfect appetizer for dinner.
The wedding soup at Viggiano’s
The delicious Wedding Soup
For the entree, I wanted something that was filling and could warm me up on this cool night and I picked the Spaghetti Carbonara, which was loaded. With butter, cream and cheese, which I had not had in a long time.
The Spaghetti Carbonara
The perfect comfort food on a cold night
After a wonderful dinner and a relaxing evening, I walked back to the hotel through town admiring the lights and decorations on all the homes and businesses around West Cape May and Downtown Cape May.
The decorations as you enter West Cape May
The decorations in West Cape May
The decorated homes and B & B’s by the hotel
I walked along the beach on the way back to the hotel and work off dinner. It was so quiet that evening. In the post-Christmas season, the nights were much quieter this time of year. By the time I got back to the hotel, I got ready for bed and fell asleep.
The next morning I packed up the car and then headed over to The Congress Hotel again but this time for breakfast at the Blue Pig. Like I said before, it was all about the pictures and I ordered the same thing I ordered back in 2018, the Eggs Blackstone with Orange Juice, Hot Tea and a side of Potatoes. It was just as good as it was six years prior.
I had not been back to the restaurant in seven years (there are always so many places I wanted to try between here and Wildwood) and it was a treat to come back. The prices were still pretty reasonable for the meal that you got and the food is excellent.
My breakfast at the Blue Pig Tavern
The Eggs Blackstone Poached eggs on top of Cheddar Cheese biscuits with spinach and bacon and tomatoes with Hollandaise Sauce and Hash-browns. Decadent and delicious. Breakfast and lunch.
The weather was really gloomy that morning so I checked out and headed home. My original plan was to stop in various shore towns to see what they were doing for the holidays but it started to downpour when I left Cape May and I figured I would stop in Point Pleasant and see what activities were happening on the Boardwalk.
I knew Santa was making a plunge at the aquarium so I stopped there . It really was a miserable day. Stopping at the Boardwalk though made it better.
The Sea of Lights event at Point Pleasant Beach Boardwalk
As festive as the Boardwalk was it never stopped raining. Not the most pleasant place to be in the rain
The Boardwalk was surprisingly busy for such a gloomy day because the show of shows was inside the aquarium itself with the beautiful “Sea of Lights”. I must have missed Santa (I met him along the way during my holiday adventures) but I was exhilarated by the display of twinkling lights inside the aquarium showcasing the exhibitions. Santa could not have done any better. What a show!
The ‘Sea of Lights’ at the Jenkinson Aquarium
The aquarium was spectacular that day with all the twinkling lights
I cut my trip short because of the weather. It was a misty day and I did not want to linger down the shore. I took a quick tour in downtown Point Pleasant where there were nice decorations dotting the street lamps and many of the merchants had interesting display windows. I still thought they did a better job decorating the downtown during Halloween.
Downtown Point Pleasant decorated for the holidays
Before I headed home, I took a quick trip to Bayhead, NJ and toured their decorated downtown. They had interesting and very clever decorations. Whether it was the Santa in front of the Bayhead Firehouse or the twinkling lights and garland along the bridges, Bayhead is a very picturesque town at the holidays.
Downtown Bayhead, NJ at the holidays
The downtown is filled with quirky little shops, interesting restaurants and a great bakery. In the summer months, the town is especially beautiful. The sounds of the waves and seagulls is nice on a late Summer afternoon. Unfortunately, it was a gloomy rainy day and not much fun to walk around. I headed home from here. Until the warmer months.
The Bayhead Chapel at 442 Main Avenue at Christmas time
Before I left Bayhead, I took a chance and stopped by the Bayhead Historical Society, which was open that afternoon and was still open when I got there. I got to see their display of a ‘Victorian Christmas’.
The Bayhead Historical Society in Bayhead, NJ at Christmas time
The “Victorian Christmas” at the Bayhead Historical Society
The “Victorian Christmas Tree” at the Bayhead Historical Society
The Historical Society is a ‘hidden gem’ in the area with an interesting “Historical Map” exhibition and outer buildings with nautical displays. The museum has limited hours so try to visit it on the weekends when it is open. Their “Victorian Christmas” display was really nice with the vintage decorations and antique ornaments that were displayed on the Christmas tree. Many of these ornaments once decorated the members mother’s and grandmother’s Christmas tress in the past and I thought fascinating to see generations of decorations on one tree. After my visit to the museum, I headed home into the gloomy rainy evening.
The week between Christmas and New Year’s when I returned home was filled with running around doing errands and laundry. I had been running the whole month and it gave me a chance to catch up. On the day before New Year’s Eve, I met my siblings for lunch at Jing Fong, a Dim Sum restaurant in Chinatown. This had been a former Dim Sum palace on Elizabeth Street but moved to its new location at 202 Centre Street after they lost their lease. The food is still spectacular.
The food was excellent and we had a variety of Dim Sum for our lunch that afternoon. The only bad part of this restaurant is that it has limited space and they need to turn the tables over quickly which is annoying when you want to sit and relax and talk after your meal is over. They are a bit rude of asking you to leave (this happens to everyone who dines there. Check the TripAdvisor reviews).
The Steamed Pork Buns
The Shrimp Spring Rolls were perfectly cooked
The Fried Pork Dumplings
The homemade Soup Dumplings will melt in your mouth
The Pork and Chive Dumplings
For dessert, we had the Egg Custards, a Portuguese tradition comes through Hong Kong
The menu is really interesting and the carts have all sorts of delicious goodies to choose from. The only problem with the restaurant is when they rush you out the door when you are finished. After lunch, we went up to Rockefeller Center to see the Christmas tree. It was crowded but it still fun to see again.
I never get tired of seeing the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center and it was spectacular this year. It was really impressive.
That evening we went to the Marriott Marquis for dinner at the second floor Broadway Lounge, where I had my graduation dinner many months before. My brother had really enjoyed it the year before and invited us to join him and his wife for dinner. The food and the views are amazing!
I had the most amazing Chicken sandwich for dinner that night. I tried to keep it simple since we had a big lunch. I ate the whole thing.
I highly recommend the Chicken Sandwich
Yum!
Before we left, my brothers and I took a family shot at the restaurant. It amazes me sometimes that we are still kids at heart even in our fifties.
My brothers and I at the Marriott Marquis after dinner
After dinner was over, we went our separate ways. One of my brothers headed home and my other had plans for the New Year’s celebrations. I had wanted to visit Philadelphia for the afternoon and checked on the Macy’s Philadelphia’s website and discovered that the Annual “Lightshow” and “Dickens Village” were still open and that December 31st was the last day the display would be open. I made the reservation for 2:00pm and off I went on a early train from Penn Station in Manhattan. Everything in and around Penn Station was still heavily decorated for the holidays. The whole station was quite the Christmas site.
I was only here for the morning before my trip to Philadelphia but it really is a beautiful building and what a food court! The place was so nicely decorated for the holidays with wreathes and garland all over and interesting decorations tucked here and there. This was another picture taking trip to update a blog I did on visiting Philadelphia during the holidays.
The trip on the Acela took about an hour and I got into Philly with plenty of time before the lightshow, so I went to have lunch at the Dutch Eating Place in Reading Market. I had wanted to go to Carmine’s Cheesesteaks, but Carmine had retired and closed his restaurant a couple of months before, so I went to my second favorite place and already knew what I wanted to order. The hot Turkey platter with extra gravy.
I can’t tell you how much I love Reading Terminal Market with its food stalls, colorful displays and especially the isles and isles of delicious food. I swear there is one good restaurant after another in the place and it is not a place for someone on a diet. The rule here is to indulge.
Rows of delicious baked goods just outside of Beiler’s bakery
The lines of people there on New Year’s Eve. This is the best place to ring in the New Year
The ultimate place to eat from them all and one of my personal favorites is the Dutch Eating House where really will enjoy some of the most Pennsylvania roof
After lunch was over (and trust me I was stuffed), I needed something sweet and I needed a doughnut so I walked across the aisle to Beiler’s Bakery.
Beilers Bakery has the most amazing treats
Beilers Bakery on one side and Beilers Doughnuts
The selection of great baked goods at Beilers Bakery
I can’t tell you how mouthwatering the bakery items are at Beilers. All the items are baked on premise at the Reading Market and the turnover is quick so everything is always so fresh. From buttery cookies and cakes to heavily iced doughnuts, the selection is extensive and all the toppings and fillings are freshly made and the doughnuts are made right in front of you.
The doughnuts are freshly made, iced and filled right on the spot and sold just as quick
The selection of doughnuts are so mouthwatering and delicious
The Glazed Doughnuts and Lemon Filled were the best on this trip
The Lemon Iced and filled is just the best
There’s nothing like a Beilers Glazed Doughnut
After a wonderful lunch and an even more wonderful dessert it was off to Macy’s for the light show. My appointment to see the Dickens Village was not until two o’clock so I got to see the show both before and after the show. I took one more walk around The Reading Market before I left.
I always love the excitement of the Market
I thought I would have time to stop at Bassett’s for ice cream but maybe the next trip
Macy’s was just around the corner from the Market and I have to say I love the Macy’s here is just so beautiful and classic. I still have a hard time calling it Macy’s considering it was the old Wanamaker’s store since its inception. This beautiful grand dame of the department store industry was so much nicer when it was Wanamaker’s.
Macy’s Center City Philadelphia-The old Wanamaker’s Department Store
The Windows at Macy’s Philadelphia were nicely decorated similar to the windows in Manhattan
The Macy’s Windows based on the New York windows
Window Two at Macy’s Philadelphia
Window Three at Macy’s Philadelphia
Window Four at Macy’s Philadelphia
There were beautiful restaurants, luxury departments and it was always nicely decorated for the holidays. Macy’s does a nice job, but it was a different store in the 80’s and early 90’s. I still see traces of the old store in the movie “Mannequin” when it was still Wanamaker’s.
The movie trailer for “Mannequin” was shot at the store in 1986
The famous opening scene that was shot in front of the old Wanamaker Department Store
My favorite song from the movie “Mannequin”
The movie “Mannequin”
I can still see traces of the old store here and there. It was beautifully decorated for the holidays and it was really pretty in the store. The displays were very colorful and the main rotunda was so festive. It was not the same as the old Wanamaker’s but more like a Macy’s store in New York.
The Rotunda of Macy’s Philadelphia (former Wanamaker’s)
The beauty of the Rotunda decorated during the holidays
The decorations in the Fine Jewelry Department
The Eagle in the Rotunda
The Women’s Accessories Department during Christmas
The Men’s Department during Christmas
The decorations of the main floor
I have seen the light show about five times now and I know I can see the whole thing on YouTube, but it is still fun to see it live in the store and hear the organist play the famous pipe organ. It really is an exciting show. I love the music and I love the way they display the story line. Julie Andrews does a nice job narrating the story.
The start of the show that takes place every two hours
The start of the show with the Introduction
The start of Part One of the show
The video of Part One:
The video of the start of the show with a scene from ‘The Nutcracker’
The second part of the show with the clocks
The Video of Part Two:
The video of the Clock Show and Snow falling
The Sleigh Ride and the Snow Falling
The visit from Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer
Video of Part Three:
Taking a Train trip to a Winter Wonderland
Welcoming Frosty the Snowman
Welcoming the Snowfall
Video of Part Four:
The Finale with the sounds of the organ is always a treat
One of the reasons I came down to Macy’s Philadelphia not just to see the windows, see the Lightshow but I made a reservation to see the Dickens Village, which was a relic of Strawbridge & Clothier created in 1984 by the former rival of Wanamaker’s.
The Macy’s Dickens Village is now located on the Third Floor of the store which was the old Executive Offices
The start of the tour of the “Dickens Tour”
The start of the “Dickens Tour”
The Dickens display with Charles Dickens narrating
The Dickens display with Scrooge confronted by members of the Charities
The Dickens display The Ghost of Christmas Past
The Dickens display of Fuzzywink’s Party scene
The Dickens display Meeting Ghost of Christmas Present
The Dickens display Nephew Fred’s Party
The Dickens display Scrooge meeting the Ghost of Christmas Future
The Dickens display The end of the story with a Revelation by Scrooge
The Dickens Village is a lot of fun to walk through and it is a fun way to learn the story and understand the lessons about the story. It is nice to see that Macy’s is keeping these traditions going (for now). After seeing the Lightshow and walking through Dickens Village and walking around the store to see the decorations and what the store looks like, I walked around the downtown. I swear, it has not changed much since my last visit. Most of Market Street is still as dumpy as it ever was in the past. They really need to build more housing downtown to bring more people to the downtown. I found out when I got home a few days later in the New Year that Macy’s will be closing this store in March 2025.
The closing of Macy’s Downtown Philadelphia-For the second time since Wanamaker’s closed
On my way back to the train station, I stopped in the Christmas Village by City Hall and stopped to see the Christmas tree. This was the last day of the Christmas Village as well. Most of the stores were closed by this point but a lot of food vendors were open and the skating rink was really busy in the late afternoon.
During the holiday season, I also like to see the light show at Macy’s (which I still call Wanamaker’s) and visit the tree at City Hall. Philadelphia has its own magic at holidays. There is such a beautiful holiday market that surrounds City Hall with all sorts of artisan crafted foods and handmade products. There was a slew of singers, actors and musicians that were entertaining the public.
Downtown Philadelphia’s Christmas Market in 2024
The City Hall Christmas Tree may not be as big as the one in New York but no less nice. It was beautifully decorated and at twilight, covered with colorful lights. A lot of people were taking pictures around it or were getting ready to skate around the makeshift skating rink. It is not Rockefeller Center, but the affect was just as nice, and it really did put me in the Christmas spirit.
The Christmas tree by City Hall in Center City Philadelphia
The beautiful downtown Christmas tree with Downtown Philadelphia in the distance
After touring the Christmas Market, I left to take the train home. I did not want to get caught in the Manhattan traffic of New Year’s Eve. The train station was beautifully decorated with lights, wreaths and a huge tree and it was nice to just sit back and relax until the train came. On the way back, the city was all lite in front of me. The boat houses on the river were lit with Christmas lights and boats passed by lit up as well.
The Christmas tree in Penn Station in Penn Station in Philadelphia
The tree was truly beautiful at the end of the Christmas season
When I got back to Manhattan, I made my way out the back door of the station and headed up Eighth Avenue to get home. I did not want to deal with all the nonsense of Times Square on this cold night. The Hudson Yards were so beautifully decorate for the holidays with the white lights with the backdrop of the buildings.
The Hudson Yards on New Year’s Eve
It was surprisingly quiet at the Hudson Yards at 6:00pm.
I just wanted to get out of Manhattan before it too crazy in Times Square. I celebrated New Year’s Eve in a quiet way. The privacy of my Living Room watching the ball drop at Midnight. I had fallen asleep on the bed and woke up around 11:50pm and almost missed it.
It had been a productive December for me with travels all over the Tri-State area, classes concluding and now three weeks off to relax before the Spring semester began. The weekend after New Year’s Day I spent travelling to light shows at the Bronx Zoo and The Brooklyn Botanical Garden on the last weekend before the Epiphany. There was a lot going on this last weekend and I rushed to everything. It was a great weekend.
My blog on the Lightshows during the holiday season of 2024:
After the holidays were over and I returned from my trip to Cape May for three days, exploring all the museums and historic sites that were open while enjoying the extension of the holidays, I got to visit a few of the local “Lightshows” on the last weekend they were open before the Epiphany. These are interactive exhibitions of lights and museum that should not be missed and are fun to walk through.
These started in Cape May and continued on through my last walk through Brooklyn on the last night of “Lightscapes” on one of the coldest nights of the New Year. Even with the weather turning bitterly cold, some of the nights there was not wind and made these nights out a true delight. You get caught up in the beauty of all the lights and music.
My adventure of lights began after Christmas with my annual trip to Cape May, NJ. Cape May is one of the most dazzling towns to celebrate Christmas. The only town to rival it is Rhinebeck, NY and they are neck in neck for the holiday season. The parks, hotels and the downtown Washington Street Mall are always decked out for the holidays.
The Park in downtown Cape May, NJ
Cape May Park in Downtown Cape May, NJ
I love this annual lightshow because it is free and part of the holiday magic that makes Cape May, NJ so special. This walk through the ‘Village Green’ of Cape May is part of what is so wonderful and shows the holiday spirit of Greater Cape May during the Christmas holidays.
The glittering tree in the park
The park glitters and shines
The Gazebo is always brilliant at the holidays
The Christmas tree is always amazing in Downtown Cape May
The decorated homes of Cape May, NJ near the beach
The houses in Cape May lit up for the holidays
Washington Mall in Downtown Cape May lit for the holidays
Washington Mall in Downtown Cape May
The Washington Mall during the later evening in Cape May
The beautiful Christmas lights and decorations continued at The Congress Hotel just off the downtown. The hotel is always so beautifully decorated like the town and is a wonderful place to stay at Christmas time (I stayed here in 2017 for Christmas and loved it). I ended up eating at the hotel for both breakfast at the Blue Pig and dinner at the Boiler Room (you can see these reviews in my Christmas blog from 2017 updated in 2024):
The inside of the hotel’s foyer always decorated to the hilt for the holidays
The Courtyard of the hotel decorated for the holidays
The beautiful Christmas tree in the courtyard is always a treat to look at every holiday
After I left the hotel, I just walked around Cape May and there is always a light show to see. So I walked around town, had dinner and just enjoyed the lights for two nights.
The light tree in one of the parks in Cape May
I ate at Viggiano’s at Sunset 109 Sunset Boulevard for dinner my last night in Cape May after touring around town
I started the meal with a delicious Italian Wedding Soup
This was followed by a delicious Spaghetti Carbonara
The food at the restaurant is very homey and delicious. The dinner was a perfect way to end my tour of Cape May’s downtown area and all the decorated homes. The two days I spend there always refresh me after the holidays.
When I arrived home from the Christmas holidays with my family, I had the week off before the college I work at resumed classes. I had not planned too many activities so I decided to update some of my older blogs by visiting places I had once visited during the holidays and planned to visit some of the popular light shows in the tri-state area.
The first thing I did when I returned home was visit the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center. The crowds started to go down after the holidays and I got to visit it later in the evening so I could take better pictures. There is nothing like Rockefeller Center at Christmas time. It is in a league all its own.
Visiting Rockefeller Center at Christmas is always exciting
You have not experienced anything at the holidays until you have seen the tree at Rockefeller Center
Across the street, Saks Fifth Avenue was decked out for the holidays. The decorations and lights were beautiful and made up for their windows which were decorated with just clothes this year.
Saks Fifth Avenue at 611 Fifth Avenue at Christmas time
There were three light shows I wanted to visit on the last weekend of the holidays and it took some coordinating. On New Year’s Eve, I took the train down to Center City Philadelphia to see the lightshow at the old Wanamaker’s store which is now Macy’s (Thank God I did as they announced after the holidays that Macy’s will be closing this location in March 2025). This is always a treat. I had not seen it since 2016.
See my Blog on visiting Philadelphia at Christmas in 2016:
The front of the store made famous by the movie ‘Mannequin’
The trailer for “Mannequin”
The windows at Macy’s Center City
The opening of the movie “Mannequin”:
The inside of Macy’s Center City in the movie “Mannequin”
The beautiful decorations of Macy’s Philadelphia at Christmas
Preparing for the lightshow in the main Rotunda
The magnificent decorations on the first floor
The famous eagle on the first floor
I saw the Lightshow twice, once to take pictures and once to film it. It is the same show I have seen several times, narrated by Julie Andrew’s but I never get bored from it. It really is a holiday tradition.
The start of the show that takes place every two hours
The start of the show with the Introduction
The start of Part One of the show
The video of Part One:
The video of the start of the show with a scene from ‘The Nutcracker’
The second part of the show with the clocks
The Video of Part Two:
The video of the Clock Show and Snow falling
The Sleigh Ride and the Snow Falling
The visit from Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer
Video of Part Three:
Taking a Train trip to a Winter Wonderland
Welcoming Frosty the Snowman
Welcoming the Snowfall
Video of Part Four:
The Finale with the sounds of the organ is always a treat
The Finale
The Video of Part Five: The Finale
The Finale always gets an applause
After the Light-show was over, I walked around Macy’s. It is not the same store it was when it was Wanamaker’s when all the floors were open and they had all the magnificent restaurants. Wanamaker’s was top notch. Still I saw traces of the old store here and there. You can still see all the beautiful architecture and lighting.
The Rotunda after the Lightshow
Macy’s at Christmas
Macy’s at Christmas time
After I left Macy’s, I walked around Center City Philadelphia and walked around the City Hall complex. This was pretty much the last week of decorations and the holidays before they started to take this down.
City Hall in Center City
The lights continued with the Philadelphia Christmas tree downtown
On the other side of City Hall was the last day of the Christmas Mart
The outside Christmas Mart had its own gardens and Christmas lights
After I had toured both the store and the downtown area, I headed over to Reading Market for lunch. I love coming here for meals when I am in Philadelphia. There are so many places to choose from.
One of my favorite places to eat when it is open is the Dutch Eating Place inside the Reading Market. I love their breakfasts, their burgers but especially their Hot Turkey Platters. They are the best. Sitting at the counter, you can always have a nice conversation with someone.
The food at the Dutch Eating Place is always top notch and very homey. The Hot Turkey Sandwich was the Thanksgiving dinner that I did not have this year.
After my tour of the Reading Market, a short walk around downtown Center City and tour through Macy’s (with almost no merchandise on the shelves in certain departments, it was signaling to me that there was a problem in the store), it was time to head home. There were even more beautiful Christmas lights at Penn Station with their Christmas tree.
The Christmas tree at Penn Station in Philadelphia
After the holidays were over, Macy’s announced that the Center City store would be closing in March. So much for coming back or a ‘Mannequin’ remake.
Macy’s closing their downtown store in Philadelphia in March 2025
Over the weekend of the Epiphany, I arranged to see three more walking tours before they all closed for the season. One was the Holiday Lights tour at the Bronx Zoo, another was the Christmas Walking tour of the Armour-Stiner House in Irvington, NY and the last was one of my favorites, The Lightscape tour at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden. Each of these were more beautiful then the next with the only problem being is how cold it got those evenings.
The well lit welcome to the Bronx Zoo at the entrance by Astor Court
The fountains by Astor Court
Astor Court dazzling that evening
The wonderland of lights by Astor Court
The Christmas Tree light show just off Astor Court
The Light-show is captivating
This holiday light presentation was ongoing and beautiful. I just wished the music could have been louder. The main Christmas tree had so many unusual light displays.
The beautiful lights during the show
The main Christmas tree
I loved all the lights on the tree
I ended up watching the show three times for over a half hour and it still keep changing to something new
The tree display
The tree lights were captivating
After I left Astor Court, I just followed the pathways around the zoo and enjoyed the lights and displays. The show either seemed bigger than I remembered or I missed a lot on my last trip in 2019.
Walking along the pathways with all the displays
The pathways lit to create a Fantasyland
What I love about this show is the different themed sections of the show and how the zoo sets the show up. The Nautical displays were on the side of the Zoo that I entered and were the first set of lights I saw.
The nautical lights
The Nautical lights
Stingrays in the Nautical lights
The fish display
The Jellyfish display
The seals were one of the bigger displays in the zoo
One of the indoor displays was interactive
The multi lights and interactive puppets by the zoo sign
I liked the light structures
The giraffe sculptures
The reindeer lighting the way
The colorful flowers lining the paths
The light sculptures line the paths of the zoo
The puppet masters entertained us in the park
Then I headed down paths to visit all sorts of exotic animals and their colorful habitats lined the paths.
The flamingoes
The Turtles
The ant eater
The colorful parrots
The penguins
The Emu
The Alligator
The crowds are sparse at this time of the year and this is the best time to take pictures
It was the weekend of the Epiphany when I visited so the holiday decorations were still up
The park was so nicely decorated for the holidays
The beautiful snow flakes
I next went to the jungle themed part of the park and visited all the animals in the wild. This is where all the bigger displays were located and you got to see all the zoo related animals.
Where the wild animals were located
The friendly giraffes
The friendly faces of the giraffes
The playful monkeys
The elephants
The Rhinos
Lions and tigers
Walking down the well lit paths
The Rainbow tunnel
The Wild Wolves
The Green Tree by the Dancing Crane Cafe
I had to stop for a while to warm up and have something to eat. I tried to stop before I got to the zoo but there are only delis that surround the park. I had not eaten here years and the food had always been pretty good.
The Chicken Fingers here were excellent and the portion size was very fair
The fries were really good as well and had just come out of the fryer
I have to say that I was very impressed by the food and the service. Everyone could not have been nicer and it was a very pleasant and relaxing dinner.
As I resumed my walk down the paths of the zoo, I walked through the most amazing colorful tunnel, where everyone was taking pictures.
When you can walk through this alone it is really amazing
My part of the zoo I traveled through was the Magical Rain Forest with its colorful flowers and exotic animals.
The beautifully lit Totem pole
The colorful flowers lined the paths
The colorful butterfly’s
The colorful flowers in the Rain Forest
The beauty of the walkways
This was such a colorful frog
Another playful frog in the Rain Forest
I thought the frog with the toad was very clever
These colorful birds lined the path
The colors of the frogs in the Rain Forest were amazing
This beautiful Diamondback turtle was last animal I saw before I left the Rain Forest
The temperature really started to drop this evening and it was in the thirties when I left the Bronx Zoo. Still it was an amazing night. The show was so dazzling that night and dinner was surprisingly good that night that I did not mind.
The 125th sign all lit when I left the park that night
The Swan Gate as I was leaving
It got really cold at the end of the evening but it was such a great night. The displays were amazing and the musical light shows were a lot of fun. It is something everyone should see once. It is even better later in the season when there are no crowds and you can take great pictures.
The decorated Rhino was one of the last thing J saw when I left the park
On the Sunday of the last day of the Christmas season, I visited the Brooklyn Botanic Garden to see their lightshow ‘Lightscape’ which I had seen a few years earlier. It was the last night to see it and it was crowded and really cold.
The problem was that the weather had turned really cold and it was in the low thirties even in the early evening. So I really had to bundle up for these visits. The show itself was well worth the trip.
The map would take us all over the gardens
The lit tree army the entrance of the gardens
Then I entered the ‘Canopy of Light’ with its magical lights and music
At the entrance of the show was the breathtaking ‘Canopy of Light’
The beautiful multi lights with music
The lights moved to ‘Let it Snow’
I continued down the path to the Japanese Garden and saw the most spectacular light and water show in the lake of the garden.
The colors and fountains swayed to the music
What gorgeous colors
The movements and music were wonderful
The amazing water show in the Japanese Garden
The end of the show was beautiful
I ended up seeing the water show twice because I knew they would not let me turnaround to see it again. The I turned down the path.
The lights in the trees were amazing
The field of white lit roses
A closer look at the white roses
I continued down the path to the next display
I next moved on to the main lawn where the sculpture ‘Singularity’ was displayed. You could not stare at it too long or it could hypnotize you.
The sculpture ‘Singularity’
The sculpture ‘Singularity’
I walked around the Water Lilly ponds whose flowers would bloom again in the summer but had sculptures of Butterflies floating around in them.
These were called ‘Butterfly Effect’
The ‘Butterfly Effect’
I love the way the sculptures swayed and moved in the pond to the music. The Yellow Magnolia, the Garden’s restaurant was open that evening and was packed with people eating dinner. There was no way of getting in so I moved on down the path.
The pathways were lit with all sorts of colors
The next sculpture was ‘One Small Thing’ and the sculpture ‘Halo’ that lit the way in the back of the Gardens.
‘One Small Thing’
The lights alone the path for ‘One Small Thing’
The came the sculptures for ‘Halo’
The next interactive and musical sculpture was ‘Alumine’ which looked like trees in a Dr. Seuss book. Colorful and fun!
Walking through the ‘Alumine’ sculptures
The experience of walking through ‘Alumine’ is like walking through ’Whoville’ in the winter
The lights here changed color every minute and were so amazing.
As I left ‘Alumine’, the next series of sculptures were light shows with dazzling colors and music. This is what made this show stand out more than the shows of the past.
The beautiful lights lit the path through dormant trees
The colors kept changing
As I walked down the path, I entered ‘Rainbow Road’ with it colorful disco lights and energetic soundtrack.
The outdoor lights and music makes you feel like you are in a discotheque
I stayed here the longest to listen to the 70’s soundtrack
The music was fantastic that night
I moved on to the area of the gardens between where the crocuses will grow in two months and near Daffodils Hill was another amazing display entitled ‘Anemonia’. These sculptures looked like futuristic lamps.
The ‘Anemonia’ sculptures
The ‘Anemonia’ lit beautifully
The next light display rivaled the ‘Happy Waters’ was ‘Interface’, a display of memorizing lights and music. I stayed for three shows as it was so dazzling.
The ‘Anemonia’ sign
The lights and sounds of ‘Interface’
The sights and sounds of ‘Interface’
The show ended with some of the spectacular lights
I then walked through the ‘Neon Network’ to get to where the Cherry Blossom Esplanade dazzled everyone in April with its beautiful, fluffy pink blossoms. It was other bright colors showcasing this part of the gardens.
The ‘Neon Network’ sign
Walking through the ‘Neon Network’
The ‘Neon Network’
Walking through the ‘Neon Network’
The ‘Neon Network’ led to the last spectacular displays of lights in the Cherry Blossom Esplanade, ‘Winter Reflection’, a celebration of lights, trees and snowflakes.
The colors of ‘Winter Reflections’
The colors of ‘Winter Reflections’The
Video on ‘Winter Reflections’:
The tree brightly lit in ‘Winter Reflections’
The dazzling colors of ‘Winter Reflections’
To really appreciate the shoe of ‘Winter Reflections’ you had to walk up the pathways overlooking the Esplanade.
The pathway through the Cherry Esplanade was spectacular
The lightshow for ‘Winter Reflections’ was most entertaining from the top of the hill
The video of the show from the top of the hill show it’s true beauty and entertainment:
One of the most memorable show off ‘Lightscapes’
After I saw the show twice before I headed out of the gardens. I walked through the ‘Winter Cathedral’ which had been the biggest part of the light show a couple of years ago. This is most impressive.
The ‘Winter Cathedral’ at the end of the tour
The lights are so spectacular in the evening
The last display before I left the park was the ‘Lantern Garden’ at the original area of the gardens entrance.
The sign for ‘The Lantern Garden’
The ‘Lantern Garden’ at the end of the garden
The ‘Lantern Garden’
I exited the gardens after almost two hours of walking around and it started to get cold outside. It was still really busy in the gardens as the later ticket holders will still coming in.
The exit of the show at the Eastern Parkway entrance
Before I returned to Manhattan, I had a quick dinner at Bahn Mi Sandwich on Washington Avenue. Their Vietnamese sandwiches are always wonderful.
After cold night in the gardens, I stopped to have a sandwich and eat inside the restaurant. It was so nice and warm and the sandwich was excellent. I ordered the Shredded Chicken Banh Mi and it was delicious. Lots of steamed chicken tucked inside a chewy bun with fresh vegetables. I really enjoy their sandwiches.
The sandwich was a perfect way to end the evening
Before I left Manhattan for the evening, I walked through Bryant Park on the way back to Port Authority. The Christmas tree was still up surprisingly and the most of the food vendors around the skating rink were still open.
The Skating Rink at Bryant Park at the end of the holidays
The food vendors were still open at the end of the season
The Christmas tree was still ablaze at the end of the 12 Days of Christmas
Bryant Park is so spectacular during the holidays
For anyone who says New York City or even Philly for that matter are boring during the holidays have not walked the parks and streets. There are so many beautiful and spectacular things to do and see.
You all have to experience them for yourself in eleven months!
Post Christmas visit during the Philadelphia Flower Show 2025:Macy’s Closing
What was sad though when I returned two months later for the Flower Show, it was announced that Macy’s was shutting down the downtown store as part of the store cuts as Macy’s was downsizing the company.
Macy’s Closing at the Wanamaker’s Building
Almost all the inner city stores like Brooklyn and Philadelphia were going to join stores like Pittsburgh and Minneapolis. It was a sad day for Philly.
Macy’s during my day of touring
Sad day in Philly
It reminded me of when B. Altman closed in New York City
The display windows said it all but had been very festive just two months earlier
The once elegant Men’s Department
The mannequins for sale
Me with the ‘Mannequins’ on the first floor
Me with the decorations that once adorned the first floor during Christmas
It’s so sad to see where John Wanamaker once walked and Andrew McCarthy and Kim Cattrall once danced down the aisles has now been reduced to thisbargain sale
The empty cases were once filled with beautiful jewels and fancy perfumes
All the Christmas decorations from two months before were all sold
The beautiful atrium where I watched the light show a few months before
The Accessories Department
No one was near the Eagle that day
The back part of the Atrium
The sadness of the Clothing Department
The Cosmetics Department had nothing left
The beautiful embellishments around the Cosmetics Department of the Eastern States. This is of Massachutes
This is the New Jersey emblem
Where Kim Cattrell and Andrew McCarthy danced in the film
The lion guarding the stairs
The actors dancing in the film “Mannequin”
The front of the old Wanamakers store where the opening scene of ‘Mannequin’ was shot
Not what John Wanamaker envisioned for his store
It is a sad day as this was once one of the most beautiful and creative stores in the country now reduced to a bargain sale.
Shane Confectionery at 110 Market Street in Philadelphia
What can I say about this little chocolate/candy store in the heart of Old Town Philadelphia? It is so charming and welcoming and a step back into time when buying candy was a luxury treat. The store looks like a jewelry store for candies with a wide aisle, wrought iron glass cases and overhanging lights that gas jets once lit the store (now electric). Still the store looks like something from the turn of the last century.
The interior of Shane Confectionery has not change since the turn of the last century
They were preparing for the Halloween holidays when I visited in the early Fall but I was looking at all the interesting handmade candies, made inhouse. All the trays of chocolate…
On a recent trip to Philadelphia for the Cornell versus Penn Football Game (We won!), I had on my bucket list a series of small museums that I wanted to visit. One of them was the Museum of the American Revolution at 101 South 3rd Street in Old Town Philadelphia.
What was supposed to be a two-hour visit ended up being almost four hours of fascinating artifacts, paintings, murals, flags, ammunition and cold hard facts about the Revolutionary War and its beginnings, battles and finally peace.
My first stop in the museum was the exhibition “Liberty: Don Troiani’s Paintings of the Revolutionary War” which showed the artists interpretations of the historical battles and occurrences that took…
I came across this interesting little historical museum when I was touring Elfreth’s Alley in Old Town, Philadelphia. What an interesting look back at the merchant trade class of the 18th century. It really showed how the average worker used both their home as a business and as a home. The home had been former business of a pair of dressmakers who used the front parlor as their store and showroom, the side room used as the kitchen, the upstairs room was the living quarters for a very large family (I believe that the family had eight children according to the tour guide) and a nice sized garden in the back of the home.
I visited the Betsy Ross House Museum when touring the small museums of Old Town Philadelphia. What an interesting historical site. You felt like you were invited into Betsy Ross’s house by Betsy Ross herself.
The house and museum is broken up into different sections. When you walk into the museum complex, you will get to visit a very patriotic gift shop stocked with Revolutionary War memorabilia. Out side the gift shop is the formal gardens and the courtyard which is a nice place to relax and enjoy the weather.
When you enter the house, you will be able to visit all the rooms of the house and the kitchen area on the…
I took some time out of ‘MywalkinManhattan” and decided to head down to Philadelphia to see the annual Philadelphia Flower Show. The gloom and cold of the winter was driving me crazy and I needed a change of scene. The trip was a spur of the moment decision with an excellent package deal with the tickets and hotel. I had not made my usual trip at Christmas and having a cheesesteak fix, off I went. The theme of the show this year was “Flower Power” for the anniversary of Woodstock. It was everything 60’s man.
Just packing for the overnight, I worked in the Soup Kitchen that morning. We had a busy day on the Bread station as usual and I was exhausted when I got to Penn Station. I could not check into the hotel until four that afternoon so I was in no rush. That is what I love about taking the Acela to Philly, you get there in record time and it is a smooth ride down with not many stops.
It was a little gloomy when I got down to Philly that afternoon but still I enjoy the walk from the train station to Center City. Penn Station is always cheerful though and it is nice to walk around the station and look at the architecture of the building and the ongoing renovations that preserve the structure. I walked around a little to see if any new restaurants had opened and then the long walk to Center City Philadelphia, which takes me a whopping twenty minutes to walk. It is a straight line right to the hotel.
When I visit Philly I like to stay in the downtown area to be close to the museums and Chinatown and this time I stayed at the Courtyard Hotel (See review on TripAdvisor) right across the street from City Hall and around the corner from Macy’s Center City (the old Wanamaker’s Department Store). What I like about the Courtyard is not just its location but the rooms are large and they have the best mattresses that are firm yet soft and you get the best night’s sleep on.
Downtown Philadelphia Courtyard Hotel (changed name of the hotel)
Dropping off my luggage, I made a b-line to the Reading Market. The one thing I love about the Market is the wonderful food that you can get that you can’t find in New York City or in Northern New Jersey. What I mean by that is you can a cheesesteak in New Jersey but not the way you get one in Philly with the thin little steaks and Cheese Wiz at Carmine’s and you can get a good doughnut but not a Beiler’s Apple filled with cinnamon icing the way they make it. They are prepared for people from Philly not from New York. Every time I want a Cheesesteak in New York, they want to make some upscale Steak sandwich. I like the real thing.
A real Philly cheesesteak at Carmine’s Cheesesteaks (Closed in October 2024)
Yum!
So off I went to start my lunch feast at the Reading Terminal Market (See review on TripAdvisor) at Carmine’s Famous Italian Hoagie’s and Cheesesteaks at 51 North 12th Street (See review on TripAdvisor and DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com) for my favorite sandwich, a cheesesteak loaded with Cheese Wiz ($8.00). I swear when you bite into that soft roll and keep going there is nothing like it. It is the combination of the caramelized meat and the sharp cheese is delicious and washed down with a Coke, it is the best.
Carmine’s Cheesesteaks (Closed in October 2024)
For dessert, I had two things. I went to Beiler’s Bakery and Bassett’s Ice Cream, both in the Reading Market around the corner from Carmine’s. I had one of Beiler’s apple filled jelly doughnuts with a thick cinnamon icing on it and it is delicious.
Beiler’s at 3900 Chestnut Avenue fries all their doughnuts and then hand fill them with homemade fillings. The sweetness of the fresh apples and the thick glaze give it a fantastic taste.
At Bassett’s Ice Cream, I had a craving for their homemade Cookies & Cream Ice Cream on a cone and even though it was my second dessert it was well worth it. The ice cream has a high count of butterfat which makes it creamer and they load it up with pieces of cookie in it. Everyone just looked at me with the big smile on my face walking out of Reading Market eating that cone. It was so rich and good!
Now that my cravings were fulfilled and I had walked all over the Market checking out the other foods, I decided it was time to walk off the lunch and I headed to the Philadelphia Art Museum (See review on TripAdvisor). Since I am a member of the Newark Museum (See my review on VisitingaMuseum.com and TripAdvisor), we have a reciprocal program with the museum and I can get in for free.
I had not been to the museum since the previous Christmas I had wanted to see how the renovations were coming along and see two of the exhibitions at would be closing the next week, “Fabulous Fashions: From Dior’s New Look to Now” and “Little Ladies: Victorian Fashion Dolls and the the Feminine Ideal”. Both of which were excellent. The one thing I like about the Philadelphia Museum as opposed to the Met is that they don’t over-whelm you with the exhibition. The show is long enough to enjoy but not long enough where it over-loads you with information.
The “Fabulous Fashions” exhibition was really interesting in that it showed how fashion changed since the end of World War II. The exhibit covered fashions from the “A” look to more modern garments that show the comfort a woman expected from designers then and now. It was a series of dresses on mannequins that showed the progress of this over the years.
Dior Show at the Philadelphia Art Museum
“Little Ladies: Victorian Fashion Dolls” exhibition was centered around the ideal of the Victorian woman that girls would see in their mothers and the women that surrounded them. The dolls represented the fashions and mood of the time and preparing young girls for marriage and motherhood and the ideal values of life. It is amazing to see the change of attitude in just a hundred years. It was not just what the dolls were it was what they represented in way of fashion and accessories but in the attitude of the times. Everyone knew their place and played the role as best they could in the values of the times.
Victorian Wedding Doll
Both were interesting to walk around and explore what the curators were trying to convey. The Philadelphia Art Museum does a nice job mounting their exhibitions and since they were not the huge over-whelming exhibitions of other museums, it gave me the rest of the evening to explore the museum.
On Friday nights, the museum has live entertainment and I sat on the stairs inside the courtyard of the museum and listened to the jazz combo while I watched everyone eating at the museum’s restaurant that surrounded the stairs. It was an evening of cocktails and music for most of the patrons. I was still stuffed from lunch so I just sat back and relaxed and listened to the music. I highly recommend Friday nights (they are open until 8:45pm) at the Philadelphia Art Museum with their late night music concerts. It is a relaxing way to spend the evening.
On the way back to the museum, I all of a sudden got hungry. It was getting colder out and I did not want to explore all around Chinatown at 8:30pm at night. I remembered this tiny noodle and dumpling restaurant by the bus terminal near the convention center and decided to stop there. It had been four years since I ate there so I was not sure if it was even there any more. Not only was it there but it had doubled in size over the years.
Tom’s Dim Sum at 59 North 11th Street (See review on TripAdvisor) in downtown Philly used to be this tiny hole in the wall restaurant but popularity of the place made it expand. Even this late at night the place was mobbed with people slurping noodle soups and soup dumplings. The TV crowd was going strong with the games.
I was still a little stuffed because of the cheesesteak so I ordered soup dumplings, roast pork buns and Wonton soup to warm it up. The food is just a good as I remembered. The soup dumplings ($5.95) were juicy filled with nicely spiced ground pork and it was fun slurping them down. The Roast Pork buns ($4.95) were filled with a sweet pork mixture and steamed perfectly. The Wonton Soup ($2.95) finished off the meal nicely with the rich broth that was warming me up after the long walk.
The Soup Dumplings here are excellent!
The Roast Pork Buns were delicious
The Wonton Soup is loaded with Cilantro and Sea wood so it is an acquired taste
What I liked best about the restaurant was the excitement of the games even though they were not my teams. The whole restaurant had a lot of energy and it does not come off as your average Chinese restaurant just off Chinatown.
By the time I got back to the room at 10:00pm, I was exhausted. Between both jobs, the Soup Kitchen, my writing and running around with the Fire Department, I was pooped. Thank God that the restaurant was so close to the hotel. Still it gave me a chance to admire the windows at Macy’s before heading back to the hotel room. This part of downtown Philadelphia rolls up its sleeves right after 5:00pm.
I did not get much done at the hotel even though I brought all my work. The moment that I took a shower and got changed and sat down to read a book, I decided to just shut the light off for a bit and relax. I woke up at eight in the morning the next day getting almost nine hours of sleep in. That’s how comfortable the bed was in the room.
The next morning, after I got ready, I packed up and checked my luggage and headed off to Reading Terminal Market again before I left for the Flower Show. I had breakfast at the Dutch Eating Place (See reviews on both TripAdvisor and DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com), where I love to go for breakfast and lunch when I visit Philadelphia. The place was mobbed and it seems that everyone wanted to eat there because the place was about ten deep. Everyone wanted to have breakfast before the show started.
The Dutch Eating Place in the Reading Terminal Market
I was able to snag a seat immediately being one person and dove into breakfast, my favorite meal of the day. I had the Apple Cinnamon French Toast ($4.75) and a side of sausage ($2.75) and scrambled eggs ($1.25). It was one of those meals that transcend eating to a new place because it was so good I wanted to lick the plate.
The French Toast was made with freshly baked bread and freshly churned butter and the sausage was made from their own butchers and been spiced and smoked perfectly. It was one of the best breakfasts I had in a long time. The best part was that everyone who works there is so nice. It is so much fun to eat there that I highly recommend it when in Philly.
Don’t miss the Apple Cinnamon French Toast
The Apple French Toast at the Dutch Eating Place is amazing
I got to the Flower Show just as it opened which was nice and the crowds moved quickly through security. It was the first day so people were very excited about it. Once inside, everyone headed left to see all the floral displays while I headed right and walked through the vendor booths. I swear there must have been a record number of people selling everything from gardening supplies to maple syrup. There were even wine merchants sampling local wines. It thought it was a little much for the Flower Show.
Just as the crowds started to shift to the vendors, I made my way through the show and went through the Philadelphia Horticultural Plant Competition where an array of flowers were being displayed, from tulips and orchids bloomed and roses were on parade. They even had a Children’s section where the kids could compete and this was some contest. These gardeners took this very seriously and the blue ribbon meant something.
I finally made my way over to the flower displays which never stopped being crowded. I swear the crowds kept pouring in all day. I was most impressed by the 60’s commune display by Mark Cook Landscape & Nursery and Hunter Hayes Landscape and Design. They must have teamed up to put this display together because it was pretty detailed.
The jeep in the display
Also on display in a spray of flowers and design was elegant bridge by Burke Brothers Landscape Design/Build that was multi layered with flowers and colors. It made quite the statement.
The colorful bridge of flowers
Around the corner from the displays, there were many competitors who were working in teams creating flower design displays and you got to see first hand their creations. People had come from all over the world to compete in this contest so you got to see how the country culture shaped the design with more elaborate displays from the Americans to the simplistic elegance of the Japanese. Many different designs with a multitude of flowers.
Yet it was all about ‘Flower Power’ and I had to take several laps around the displays before the crowds got to me. I swear I spent so much time looking over the merchant vendors that I felt like the displays were being crowded out. There did not seem like as many of the big displays as before. Still I walked this section more slowly getting bumped around by the crowds of people entering the Convention Center that were getting larger.
Still it is about ‘Flower Power’
Tiring of the crowds and having a long trip home, I left the show after about four hours of touring the displays and contests. I went through the travel and tourist areas where a lot of Jersey shore towns were displaying their tour guides. I got some ideas for small trips down the shore before Memorial Day Weekend.
After touring the whole show, I left the convention center before I headed home. I really wanted some lunch. I had had Chinese food the night before and was not much interested about eating it again. There is one annoying fact about Philadelphia’s Chinatown, most restaurants don’t take credit cards and I hate using cash. So it was back to the Dutch Eating Place for lunch and a Hot Turkey Sandwich.
That was delicious! It was layers of freshly cooked turkey on fresh white bread with a side of real mashed potatoes topped with a thick turkey gravy with a side of cranberry sauce and Cole slaw. The waiter and everyone around me could see the joy in my face and the ‘mmms’ I let out with each bite. Lunch there is a pleasure.
The Hot Turkey sandwich at the Dutch Eating Place
After a short walk around Chinatown again to work off lunch, it was time to go home. I had to stop back at the hotel and pick up my luggage. I made one last trip around the Reading Market and stopped at Miller’s Twist (51 North Street) for a fresh pretzel ($1.25). They are so soft and buttery and chewy with each bite. I don’t know where my appetite came from but in the end I think I was more excited about the food at Reading Terminal Market than I was about the Flower Show.
It was a nice overnight trip with great food, wonderful hospitality in the restaurants and lots of beautiful flowers showing their “Flower Power”. Philadelphia is a great walking city and there is lots to do and see in a small space of a few blocks. I will be back in a few months for the Cornell-Penn football game and then, oh darn, I will have to make my way over the Reading Terminal Market for breakfast again.
Sometimes the pleasure of life comes in the small things.
The Philadelphia Flower Show 2025:
I was able to return to Philadelphia in 2025 for the Flower Show with the theme, “Gardens of the Future”. I was looking forward to it. I had just been to Philadelphia at the end of December for the Macy’s Light Show and Dickens Village and really had a nice day visit
I wanted to arrange my hotel through the Flower Show website but the packages were rather expensive and did not offer me the flexibility I wanted. So I looked at the participating hotels and searched the web and a great deal with the Motto Philadelphia. I had never heard of the chain but it was part of the Hilton chain. So I booked the room, bought my flower show tickets for a late visit and went on my way.
When I returned to Philadelphia, Macy’s had announced the closing of the same downtown store I had just enjoyed the Light Show. The Macy’s store, which is the old Wanamaker’s, is on the chopping block of the 66 stores closing across the country.
That morning I ran some earrings and then headed into the City and caught the train down to Philadelphia. The trip was only about and hour and a half and then I walked to the hotel.
What I liked about the Motto Hotel was the concept and price. It was created for people that needed a hotel room but did not plan on spending time in it. On top of the location, which was in Rittenhouse Square which was close to the Convention Center, Chinatown, Old Town and Penn Station, it worked out fine.
The walk from the train station to the hotel
I arranged my Flower Show tickets for Saturday afternoon knowing I would only need two hours at the show (the most you need at the show is less than three hours). Getting the ‘Twilight Tickets’, which you enter the show at 4:00pm is the best advice I can give people. The crowds are less than in the morning and afternoon and the main displays you can see in a half hour.
I settled into my room which was really pleasant. It had a great view of downtown, a comfortable bed and two nice restaurants in the lobby. My game plan was to revisit all the museums, shops and restaurants I had been to on previous trips to Philly and retake all the pictures for the previous blogs. Then I would spend time at the Flower Show Saturday night and then on Sunday after breakfast finish my touring in time to watch the Michigan-Michigan State basketball game before heading home. Organized game plan.
The view from my room at the Motto
The bedroom and view at the Motto were really nice both nights
On Friday my plans were to see the Penn Museum, see what was happening at the Macy’s closing and then go to the Philadelphia Art Museum to tour the galleries and enjoy the Friday night entertainment. It would be a lot of running around for the next three days.
I started my afternoon with a quick lunch at the Reading Terminal Market. I wanted to take more stock pictures for my blog and revisit many of the restaurants I had eaten at in the past. It was not such an awful plan. So I started my afternoon with lunch at the Dutch Eating Place.
I revisited the menu and started with the same meal I had six years earlier, the Chicken Pie. Unlike the one I had in 2019, this was the traditional Chicken Pot Pie in the crust and not the one they normally served with the dumplings. I would sit at lunch time here and watch people order it. Then when it came to the table and most of the customers had this ‘what the hell is this?” look on their faces. It did not make a difference. Both are really good.
The delicious Chicken pie at the Dutch Eating Place
Then for dessert I had to have the Apple Dumpling again.
The Apple Dumpling is a real treat
There is no better dessert on a cold day than a hot Apple Dumpling with whipped cream
Before I headed to the Penn Museum after lunch, I stopped at Macy’s to see what it looked like inside during the Closing Sale. I had not seen something this sad since B. Altman closed in 1991. The store had looked so beautiful at Christmas and now two months later it looked like a fire sale.
Nothing is sadder than a grand department store closing for business
It was so sad outside
It was as sad inside as well
The front of this iconic store
The Grand Atrium which I had just seen the Christmas Light Show two months befor
The fire sale at Macy’s Philadelphia
The first floor was mostly empty by the time J returned to the store
The Christmas decorations that once lined the store at the holidays reduced to sale items
It looked like the opening scene in ‘Mannequin’
Video from ‘Mannequin:
Video on Closing:
The store that John Wanamaker once walked the floor and Kim Cattrall and Andrew McCarthy dance down was reduced to s bargain bin
Me taking my ‘Mannequin’ moment in the store
When I returned in November of 2024, there was a committee to revive it
After lunch and my tour of Macy’s, it was off to the Penn Museum and the evening at the Philadelphia Art Museum. It was a nice walk through the Penn Campus.
Heading past Franklin Stadium where I attended many Cornell-Penn games
Passing the statue of Benjamin Franklin at Penn Stadium
The stadium looks so quiet when there is no football game
I only had about an hour and a half to explore the museum but I quickly went through each floor and gallery and snapped pictures of some of my favorite art objects.
In the Egyptian Gallery:
The Mummies
Artwork from Egypt
The Middle Eastern Galleries:
The famous ‘Ram in the Thicket’
One of the harps from the city of Ur
Queen Puabi outfit and jewels
The Roman and Greek Galleries:
The artwork from Rome
The works in the Greek Galleries
There was so much to see in detail that I would have to wait until my next trip. I did get some great pictures though to update my blog on the museum.
After the Penn Museum closed, I walked to the Philadelphia Museum of Art as I knew they were going to have entertainment that night. Unfortunately K knew most of the big exhibitions had closed so in between relaxing and listening to the musical combo in the main gallery, I wondered the halls of the museum.
The Philadelphia Art Museum at 2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
It was a really nice evening at the museum. I finally got to sit down and relax after the trip from New York to Philly. They had a band performing from 6:00pm to 8:00pm with a bar set up for museum patrons and the main hall was packed with people.
Looking back at downtown from the museum
The famous ‘Rocky’ statue from the movie ‘Rocky’ in front of the museum
I took a seat on the stairs inside the main gallery and listened to the band for the first half hour in the museum. The concert was excellent.
The trio that evening
The musician who led the group
While the concert went on, I wondered the hallways and admired the artwork.
Walking the British Galleries
Admiring the painting ‘Ruins of a Roman Bath’
I thought that ‘Ruins of a Roman Bath’ was one of the nicest paintings I saw that evening
After I toured the main galleries. I went to see the special exhibition by artist Christina Ramberg.
Her works were quite unusual and very unique in a contemporary way
After I finished walking around the museum and the musical combo was finishing for the night, I headed to Chinatown for dinner. I knew where I wanted to go from the last time I was in town, Tom’s Dim Sum at 59 North 11th Street.
I needed some thing to warm me up as it cooled down that evening.
How beautiful the downtown was when I left the museum
Downtown Philadelphia at night
Downtown Philadelphia at night
Tom’s has been my ‘go to’ place in Philadelphia’s Chinatown on my last could have visits because of the quality and price of the food and their selection. Also because they are one of the few restaurants in Chinatown that is not ‘cash only’. I still can’t believe these restaurants are still that archaic.
The dinner was excellent. I started off with their Hot & Sour Soup, which really warmed me up. I kept thinking that a cold was coming on but this was the perfect medicine to ward off anything.
The Hot & Sour Soup was delicious that evening
I next had the Pan-Fried Tiny Pork buds that were popular with a lot of the tables
The Spring Rolls were delicious that evening
I kept dinner light the first evening with all the running around I had to do. The food at Tom’s Dim Sum is really good and there are a lot of Dim Sum choices to make. I picked some delicious items.
I walked back to the hotel and have to say that the views around the Downtown were really spectacular. The walk through Chinatown was pretty interesting with all the new restaurants that have opened. City Hall is just breathtaking at night.
Passing City Hall and its dazzling lights
The Beer Garden area around City Hall
The view of the middle of Downtown Philadelphia at night by City Hall
Even Chinatown looked really nice at night
Philadelphia Chinatown at night
I could not believe how soundly I slept that evening and was ready for a tour of museums and then the Flower Show in the late afternoon. Since this was a picture taking trip for various blogs that I had done on Philadelphia, I had a series of places I wanted to revisit. This started the morning at the Dutch Eating Place at the Reading Terminal Market.
I was thinking about the Apple French Toast platter that I had years earlier the last time I came down so I ordered it again. It was just as good as it was six years earlier.
The Apple French Toast platter the Dutch Eating Place
It was funny that even after this big breakfast I still was hungry (it must have been all the walking the day before) and I went back to Miller’s Pretzels for a buttery pretzel. I swear nothing changed there in five years.
Miller’s Twist Pretzels at the Reading Terminal Market
The selection of Breakfast pretzels at Millers Twist
The delicious soft buttery warm pretzel
These pretzels are made so fast and sold so fast they are still hot out of the oven when you get them. Nothing is better than a soft pretzel in the morning.
After breakfast was done and a quick walk around the marketplace, I was ready for my morning of museum hopping and exploring Old Town Philadelphia again. I had a productive morning going from one museum to the next taking lots of pictures and revisiting museums that I had seen years ago. I started at the Museum of the American Revolution at 101 South Third Street.
The Museum of the American Revolution at 101 South Third Street
I had not been to the museum in a few years and was able to take my time and really visit and walk the museum. Some of my favorite highlights of the museum were the artifacts from the fallen statue of King George from Bowling Green Park.
The story of the fallen statue and the start of the war. I never realized that these pieces still existed.
Pieces of the actual statue still exist
The history of the Boston Tea Party
The Boston Massacre from the eyes of the Americans
General George Washington’s role in the war
I stayed and watched the film on General Washington’s tent and the sacrifices that were made during the war to win freedom and each display gave me more insights on the creation of the country.
The next museum I visited was the Betsy Ross House at 239 Arch Street. This small museum was once home to Betsy Ross and her family and her iconic business that created our original flag of this country. The interesting part of the house is that she did not own it but rented the space.
The museum takes you back in time to before the Revolutionary War when Betsy Ross was running a successful upholstery business. What I learned from my visit is the George Washington had worked with her before and copies of the bills were at the museum. That’s when they approached her on creating the flag.
The story of the creation of the flag
The Parlor where she met General Washington
The family bedroom and the creation of the original flag done in secret
Meeting Betsy herself and hearing her story
Walking the outside grounds of the museum
The next museum that I visited but was closed for the season was Elfreth’s Alley Museum. Still I got to tour this historic block with its unique Federal Houses.
The museum was still closed for the season and would not be opening up until April (it probably is not insulated) but I was able to walk around the neighborhood and take pictures.
The historic homes of Elfreth’s Alley
The historic homes of Elfreth’s Alley
Walking through Bladen’s Court
Walking through Bladen’s Court in-between the homes
The first floor display of Elfreth’s Alley Museum
The second floor bedroom and loft
The last museum in the neighborhood that was on my list was Firemen’s Hall Museum at 147 North Second Street.
The Firemen’s Hall Museum at 147 North Second Street
This is one of the most interesting firefighting museums that I have visited because Philadelphia is the home of the start of the modern volunteer fire department starting with Benjamin Franklin.
Fire fighter Benjamin Franklin, one of the creators of the modern fire service
The former Engine 9 fire house serves as the home for this museum
The Chief’s office at the museum
Fire patches from all the companies in Philadelphia
The fire equipment display with the old Steam engine
Various antique fire engines, ladders and pumpers
For any kid, big or small, the museum is a firefighters dream.
After my tour of the revisit of these four wonderful museums, it was time to tour Old Town Philadelphia and the stores and restaurants that I had shopped and dined at in the past few trips. Old Town Philadelphia is the original part of the City and now houses many boutiques, shops, restaurants and cafes.
The first place I went to was Claudia Mills Carpet shop at 133 North Third Street.
I got to meet Claudia herself on the trip and we talked for a bit in between customers about her career in weaving and about the colorful rugs she creates. She told me she had been creating and designing since college. I love her work.
Claudia Mills Rugs sign
The beautiful and colorful rugs of the showroom
The looms she uses to create the rugs
The colorful rugs and pillows she created
The next store I visited was Shane Confectionary at 110 Market Street which had been around since the late 1800’s.
Shane Confectionary has been in existence for over a 100 years and has that feel of an old fashioned business. The candy is of high quality and is showcased behind glass counters like so many jewels in a case.
The creative selection of candies at Shane Confectionary
The store was decorated with St. Patrick’s Day and Easter merchandise and all the delicious candies that come with it. I was tempted by so many things and decided on four piece chocolate box and some all natural jelly beans. I enjoyed both when I got home.
The back of the store where hot beverages are sold
The clear toy candies
Before I left for the Flower Show that afternoon, I stopped for a cheesesteak at Campos Cheesesteaks at 214 Market Street for lunch. I had not been here in years since my last trip to Philly and the cheesesteak was excellent.
I forgot how good the cheesesteaks were here. I talked with the current owners daughter who is the third generation to work here. When I ordered my lunch she sold me on her mother’s homemade Macaroni Salad. I am glad she did because it was excellent.
The inside of Campos Cheesesteak with the fourth generation manning the counter
My lunch before the show, a Cheesesteak with Wiz and the homemade Macaroni Salad salad
Yum!
After a wonderful lunch and a short walk around the Old Town Philadelphia neighborhood, it was time to head back to the convention center for the Flower Show.
Old Town Philadelphia
The Flower Show’s theme this year was ‘Garden’s of Tomorrow’.
The theme ‘Gardens of Tomorrow’ sign
The entrance of the ‘Garden’s of Tomorrow’ show
I walked through all the displays that the gardening groups had created. Each display was one piece of art after another. The grouping of flowers and plants each had its unique twist.
The first garden at the entrance
Another ‘Garden of the Future’
Beautiful arrangements
The unique arrangements
The dinner guests at this house of flowers
The flower dinner party
The dinner party through the windows of the house
The beautiful array of colors
The City Gardens of the Future
A burst of colors
From another angle
Descending stairs
A walk through the forest
One of the winning displays
Hanging out to dry
A roller coaster ride
Backyard landscaping
Part of the commercial design
Bush people
Backyard landscaping
After I saw the bigger displays by the gardening clubs, I moved onto the flower displays and some of the more commercial aspects of the show. The crowds did not wane even after 6:00pm. They still kept coming.
The crowds never stopped at the show
In the middle of the convention center, there were creative displays of flower arrangement, floral plant competitions and vendors selling both gardening and non gardening products.
Beautiful floral displays
Some of the more unique ways to display flowers
Award winning plants
Unique floral pieces
Colorful lights and sounds
Rows of tulips by the roller coaster
Futuristic garden decorations
The entrance garden sign as I was leavingI
I was at the show for just over two hours admiring all the displays, walking through different retail vendors and admiring the plant and flower competitions, I left for the evening having toured the show twice.
As I left, the crowds were still large but I was able to get better pictures of the entrance garden of the show. You want to see originality, just see the front display of the show.
The ‘Garden of the Future’
The ‘Garden of the Future’
The Flower Chandelier at the entrance of the show
After an enjoyable evening at the Flower Show and great visits to all the small museums and still stuffed from the cheesesteak, I just wanted a light snack to tide me over. So I walked through Chinatown behind the convention center and explored my opinions. I stopped at Asia Bakery for some buns.
I remembered the wonderful Roast Pork Buns they had the last time I was in Philly and ordered one of those and a Cream Bun. They were less than $5.00 and hit the spot.
The Roast Pork and Cream buns at Asia Bakery
After the Flower Show had finished for the evening, I walked around the downtown area again, admiring the lights. There really is a beauty to a city in the evenings and it was funny that I thought Philly was really quiet at night.
Walking around Chinatown after dinner
Walking around Chinatown at night
Finished walking around Chinatown and then I walked through the Business district which was really pretty at night.
City Hall is especially beautiful lit up
Macy’s closed for the night
By the end of March it will join Strawbridge & Clothier and Lit’s as retail memories in Downtown Philadelphia
I got back to the hotel and went straight to bed. It was a long day of running around and revisiting everything from previous trips. I got all my picture taking accomplished and visited every site on my list. With Macy’s closing, I am glad I came down on New Year’s Eve day to take pictures of the decorations and the Lightshow.
The next morning was so relaxing. I did not have to be anywhere or do anything. The Michigan State basketball team was playing Michigan for the end of the season game as we won the Big Ten Championship the week before at Iowa. So I decided to stay in Philly and watch the game here after breakfast.
When I returned to the Reading Market, all the Pennsylvania Dutch businesses were closed for the weekend as they went home. So I went to Pearl’s Oyster where I had dined before for breakfast.
I love the food here as well and had the same breakfast from the last time, the Scrambled Eggs with a side of French Toast. The food and the service here are excellent.
The delicious breakfast that morning
The one thing about Pearl’s Oyster is that the do not skimp on the portion sizes
After breakfast was over, I walked around the Market again to all the places that were open and I love all the sites and smells of all the booths. It’s almost like looking at the food stalls in Singapore. Its so hard when there are so many delicious foods to look at and smell that you want to eat at all these places.
The pastries at the bakeries
The delicious Italian food at another stall
More pastries and cookies
I had to get out of there because I was getting hungry again. So I walked down the bar/restaurant where the Michigan State Alumni met in Old Town Philly. It closed! I checked the Alumni website and there was no alternative, so I looked at the Google map on my phone. I went to a bar restaurant around the corner, The National Mechanics Bar & Grill at 22 South Third Street #24, that had TVs inside and asked to put the game on.
Since I had to order something while I was watching the game and was not really hungry, I took the suggestion from the bartender and ordered a Chicken Quesadilla. What a great suggestion. It was nice to just sit at the bar and watch us kick the Wolverine’s butts!
The National Mechanics Bar & Grill at 22 South Third Street #24
What a nice surprise this bar was to come to that afternoon. Not only was it beautiful inside but the food and the service were excellent as well. The bartender turned the channel for me so that I could watch the Michigan State versus Michigan basketball game and kept it on quiet so I would not annoy the other guests eating. I still offer and tagged with each play.
The inside bar of the National Mechanics Bar & Grill
The ceiling and decorations
Since I was still stuffed from breakfast, I just ordered a Chicken Quesadilla with a Coke. I could not believe how big the thing was that filled up the entire plate. It was enough to share. It was delicious.
The Chicken Quesadilla for lunch
What an enjoyable meal
We were winning at half time and the bar started to get a bit busier. Not wanting to lose my place at the bar and now hungry again, the bartender suggested dessert and I said ‘why not’? Good decision as I ordered the Apple Empanadas topped with Cinnamon ice cream. They were made in house and they were delicious.
The Apple filled Empanadas
I highly recommend this dessert.
The Apple filled Empanadas were so good
The dessert was the perfect way to end the afternoon as we beat Michigan 79-62. Go Green!
After the game was over, I walked back to the hotel, picked up my luggage and left for Penn Station on my way home. I got home before 8:00pm and was able to relax for the rest of the evening. It was another great trip to the Flower Show.
Passing Congress Hall on the way back to the hotel
Passing through Downtown Philly on the way home
It was a great trip! I really enjoyed my three day trip to Philly. I will be back.
My blog on Visiting Philadelphia at Christmas time:
Monday: 10:00am-1:00pm/Tuesday through Friday: 8:30am-4:30pm/Saturday and Sunday: 10:00am-4:30p
Fee: Adults $18.00/Seniors $16.00 (over 65)/Children 17-5 $13.00/Military and Children under 5 and Members Free/Penn Museum Members/Penn Card Holders/HUP/CHOP Employees: Free
I put my walk in Manhattan aside for the day and walked the streets of Philadelphia, PA for my annual trip on the Acela to visit the ‘City of Brotherly Love’. I go down to Philly twice a year on purpose for my cheesesteak fix at Carmen’s Famous Italian Hoagie’s Cheesesteaks and to have Beiler’s Doughnuts and Basset’s Ice Cream, foods that you just can’t replicate in New York City or New Jersey. Not the way they do it. This requires a trip on the Acela to the Reading Terminal Market downtown.
Downtown Philadelphia Christmas Market 2024
During the holiday season, I also like to see the light show at Macy’s (which I still call Wanamaker’s) and visit the tree at City Hall. Philadelphia has its own magic at holidays. There is such a beautiful holiday market that surrounds City Hall with all sorts of artisan crafted foods and handmade products. There was a slew of singers, actors and musicians that were entertaining the public.
Downtown Philadelphia’s Christmas Market in 2024
The City Hall Christmas Tree may not be as big as the one in New York but no less nice. It was beautifully decorated and at twilight, covered with colorful lights. A lot of people were taking pictures around it or were getting ready to skate around the makeshift skating rink. It is not Rockefeller Center, but the affect was just as nice, and it really did put me in the Christmas spirit.
The Christmas tree by City Hall in Center City Philadelphia
The beautiful downtown Christmas tree with Downtown Philadelphia in the distance
The first part of my trip was to see the light show at Macy’s next to City Hall. I still have a hard time calling it Macy’s considering it was the old Wanamaker’s store since its inception. This beautiful grand dame of the department store industry was so much nicer when it was Wanamaker’s.
Macy’s Center City Philadelphia-The old Wanamaker’s Department Store
The Windows at Macy’s Philadelphia were nicely decorated similar to the windows in Manhattan
The Macy’s Windows based on the New York windows
Window Two at Macy’s Philadelphia
Window Three at Macy’s Philadelphia
Window Four at Macy’s Philadelphia
The beginning of “Mannequin”:
There were beautiful restaurants, luxury departments and it was always nicely decorated for the holidays. Macy’s does a nice job, but it was a different store in the 80’s and early 90’s. I still see traces of the old store in the movie “Mannequin”.
The movie trailer for “Mannequin” was shot at the store in 1986
The famous opening scene that was shot in front of the old Wanamaker Department Store
My favorite song from the movie “Mannequin”
The movie “Mannequin”
I can still see traces of the old store here and there. It was beautifully decorated for the holidays and it was really pretty in the store. The displays were very colorful and the main rotunda was so festive. It was not the same as the old Wanamaker’s but more like a Macy’s store in New York.
The Rotunda of Macy’s Philadelphia (former Wanamaker’s)
The beauty of the Rotunda decorated during the holidays
The decorations in the Fine Jewelry Department
The Eagle in the Rotunda
The Women’s Accessories Department during Christmas
The Men’s Department during Christmas
The decorations of the main floor
I have seen the light show about five times now and I know I can see the whole thing on YouTube, but it is still fun to see it live in the store and hear the organist play the famous pipe organ. It really is an exciting show. I love the music and I love the way they display the story line. Julie Andrews does a nice job narrating the story.
It is such a colorful program with all the lights and music. I love it when she says, “Goodbye Frosty” to Frosty the Snowman. The crowds are huge and all over the main level, so if you go see it in the future get there early.
Julie Andrews saying goodbye to Frosty!
The video on the Lightshow with Frosty the Snowman:
The light show is only during the holiday season so take the special trip out to see it. It is only about twenty minutes long but still it is one of the things I look forward to seeing.
This is one of the nicest shots of the show I could find online:
The Macy’s Christmas Show in the rotunda of the store
One of the reasons I came down to Macy’s Philadelphia not just to see the windows, see the Lightshow but I made a reservation to see the Dickens Village, which was a relic of Strawbridge & Clothier created in 1984 by the former rival of Wanamaker’s.
The Macy’s Dickens Village is now located on the Third Floor of the store which was the old Executive Offices
The start of the tour of the “Dickens Tour”
The start of the “Dickens Tour”
The Dickens display with Charles Dickens narrating
The Dickens display with Scrooge confronted by members of the Charities
The Dickens display The Ghost of Christmas Past
The Dickens display of Fuzzywink’s Party scene
The Dickens display Meeting Ghost of Christmas Present
The Dickens display Nephew Fred’s Party
The Dickens display Scrooge meeting the Ghost of Christmas Future
The Dickens display The end of the story with a Revelation by Scrooge
The Dickens Village is a lot of fun to walk through and it is a fun way to learn the story and understand the lessons about the story. It is nice to see that Macy’s is keeping these traditions going (for now). After seeing the Lightshow and walking through Dickens Village and walking around the store to see the decorations and what the store looks like, I wanted to get some lunch.
My main purpose and then I made a B-line to be the Reading Terminal Market for lunch. Somehow there are just regions where you cannot replicate the foods from that area. Philly is one of those places.
The sign for the Reading Terminal Market
I had not been to the city since the spring, and I needed my serious cheesesteak fix and the best place to do that in the downtown area is Carmen’s Famous Italian Hoagies & Cheesesteaks (Closed October 2024).
The Reading Market Terminal for all those wonderful restaurants
Located in the center of the Reading Terminal Market, which is only about two blocks from City Hall, Carmen’s has some of the best sandwiches in the city. I have my usual plain Cheesesteak with Cheese Wiz.
Inside the Reading Market Terminal in the seating area by all the restaurants
My favorite places to eat at the Reading Market, Beiler’s Bakery and Doughnuts and the Dutch Eating Place
Sorry New York City, we do a lot of things great up here but cheesesteaks like this are not one of them. They load a fresh, soft chewy hoagie bun up with thin sliced steaks and then load that up with loads of Cheese Wiz.
The amazing Cheesesteaks from Carmines
Biting into that sandwich is heaven on earth and I enjoy every bite of it. It is always funny to see the staff watch me enjoy my sandwich and the guy that looks like the owner likes it that I enjoy it so much (See TripAdvisor review). It is also fun to talk to the other guests because they come here from all over for the same reason.
When I returned to Philadelphia in December of 2024, Carmines closed in October upon the retirement of the owner to be replaced by Gus’s Cheesesteaks. Now the Cheesesteaks are $17.00. They still look good but a little expensive.
Carmine’s at North 51 12th Street for Cheesesteaks is great! (Closed October 2024)
Carmine’s Cheesesteaks was replaced by Gus’s Cheesesteaks and the cheesesteaks are now $17.00
When I returned to the Reading Terminal Market in 2024, Carmine’s had closed and replaced by Uncle Gus’s Cheesesteaks and their sandwiches were $17.00! I thought this was way too expensive so I went back to the Dutch Eating Place a few rows over whose prices and portion sizes were still close to what they were when I last visited. The food is still excellent.
I had not had a chance to eat a Thanksgiving dinner because of work, I had to have the Roast Turkey platter. This was lots of sliced turkey between thick slices of freshly made white bread served with Mashed Potatoes with lots of thick gravy with a side of Cole slaw and cranberry sauce. I ordered a freshly made Pink Lemonade for a drink with my meal. It was excellent and what was nice was talking with the other patrons. We had a nice conversation about my dining blog, DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com. They got a kick out it.
The Roast Turkey platter at Dutch Eating Place is so good and a very generous portion for lunch
Yum! This was delicious!
My next part of the trip was to Beiler’s Bakery, which has some of the best doughnuts in the world. These little gems are so beautifully displayed and are constantly being refilled that I do not think that there is a stale doughnut ever in that case. The line wrapped around the counter.
Don’t miss the selection of doughnuts at Beiler’s at 51 North 12th Street.
It is fun to watch the doughnuts fried out in front of you and then cooled on the racks. Then each doughnut is hand filled and glazed right in front of the customers behind the glass. All of their fillings are hand-made and are oh so good.
The employees making the fresh fillings and filling the freshly made doughnuts
The fresh fillings of the Beiler’s Doughnuts
I had a strawberry glazed with what tasted like fresh strawberry jelly and I had a peppermint cream filled doughnut that was a specialty for the holidays that had just a hint of the peppermint sweetness. It was a hard choice though. I could have eaten a dozen but you have to be good here (See TripAdvisor review).
When I made a beeline back to Beiler’s in 2024, I wanted to try some of the classic and creative doughnuts. I tried a Glaze Doughnut and a Lemon cream filled Lemon Doughnut which I went outside and devoured pretty quickly. The doughnuts are excellent and I really missed coming here. It had been three years since I had been to Philadelphia and I really missed Beiler’s.
The Glazed doughnuts really impressed me in the case
The Glazed Doughnuts are delicious
The Lemon Cream filled doughnuts are amazing
After lunch was over it was off to the Philadelphia Museum of Art to see the “Paint the Revolution: Mexican Modernism 1910-1950”, which was well-worth the trip. You don’t get to see much of this art in New York museums or just on a smaller scale than this. The exhibition showed such a wide range of art from the traditional landscapes to cubism and the modern person. I liked the way the way that the curator set the exhibit up. It jumped around and as it flowed you saw the art from many perspectives. I advise readers in the New York area to take a trip down to see this exhibition.
Philadelphia Art Museum at 2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
I walked around the city after my museum visit and saw all the different holiday displays downtown. Philly really is a pretty city and the downtown has been much improved in the last ten years. It is so much more vibrant and safer than in years past. I walked down the main shopping district to look at the closed department stores of the past, Strawbridge & Clothier and Lit’s. Downtown Philadelphia is improving but still has a ways to go since you can’t always build office buildings in an economy that is still working remote.
The old Strawbridge & Clothier in Downtown Philadelphia
Before I took the train back up to New York City, I took one more stop at the Reading Market to go to Basset’s Ice Cream for a cone and stop at Beiler’s Bakery across from their doughnut stand to take some baked goods home. I can’t get Shoofly pie or proper moon pies at home.
Again the place was still so busy and I was able to load up on Whoopie Pies, Shoofly Pie and Sweet Rolls for the trip home and some Whoopie Pies for my aunt who needed some cheering up. They are so well-baked and delicious I wanted to eat them there. Everyone at the stand was so patient with me as I had to make my decisions. Add in a few fry pies and I was done for the day (See review on TripAdvisor).
Beiler’s Bakery was fully stocked on New Year’s Eve and was really busy
Next was off to Basset’s Ice Cream for a cone for my walk back to the station. I settled on the holiday Eggnog flavor (Yum) and the Pomegranate and Blueberry flavor (unusual and worked). On a fresh waffle cone there is nothing like it even in the winter. Everyone I passed saw the huge smile on my face and made comments about eating ice cream in the winter. Sorry folks, there is nothing like ice cream with butter fat in it to make a man smile (See review on TripAdvisor). It was a great walk back to the train station. All the lights went on in downtown and the City Hall Market looked even more festive.
Basset’s Ice Cream at 45 North 12th Street at the Reading Terminal Market
The train station was beautifully decorated with lights, wreaths and a huge tree and it was nice to just sit back and relax until the train came. On the way back, the city was all lite in front of me. The boat houses on the river were lit with Christmas lights and boats passed by lit up as well.
The Christmas tree in Penn Station in Penn Station in Philadelphia
The tree was truly beautiful at the end of the Christmas season
The latter part of the evening when I got back to New York City was a quick trip to the Met to see their Christmas Tree and an evening of looking at the windows of Barney’s, Bloomingdale’s, Saks Fifth Avenue and Lord & Taylor.
Saks Fifth Avenue in New York City at 611 Fifth Avenue
The entrance to Saks Fifth Avenue during Christmas holiday
I took a quick trip through the holiday market in Bryant Park and then to Port Authority. It really was the perfect day to get into the holiday mood.
Post Christmas visit during the Philadelphia Flower Show 2025:
What was sad though when I returned two months later for the Flower Show, it was announced that Macy’s was shutting down the downtown store as part of the store cuts as Macy’s was downsizing the company. Almost all the inner city stores like Brooklyn and Philadelphia were going to join stores like Pittsburgh and Minneapolis. It was a sad day for Philly.
Macy’s during my day of touring
Sad day in Philly
It reminded me of when B. Altman closed in New York City
The display windows said it all but had been very festive just two months earlier
The once elegant Men’s Department
The mannequins for sale
Me with the ‘Mannequins’ on the first floor
Me with the decorations that once adorned the first floor during Christmas
It’s so sad to see where John Wanamaker once walked and Andrew McCarthy and Kim Cattrall once danced down the aisles has now been reduced to abargain sale
The empty cases were once filled with beautiful jewels and fancy perfumes
All the Christmas decorations from two months before were all sold
The beautiful atrium where I watched the light show a few months before
The Accessories Department
No one was near the Eagle that day
The back part of the Atrium
The sadness of the Clothing Department
The Cosmetics Department had nothing left
The beautiful embellishments around the Cosmetics Department of the Eastern States. This is of Massachutes
This is the New Jersey emblem
Where Kim Cattrell and Andrew McCarthy danced in the film
The lion guarding the stairs
The actors dancing in the film “Mannequin”
The front of the old Wanamakers store where the opening scene of ‘Mannequin’ was shot
Not what John Wanamaker envisioned for his store
When I returned in November of 2025, they were trying to keep the tradition alive.
It is a sad day as this was once one of the most beautiful and creative stores in the country now reduced to a bargain sale.
I took some time off this weekend to be a supportive Alumni. Michigan State was playing Ohio State at home but I took the train down to Philly to go to the see the Penn vs Cornell game.
I don’t get down to Philly the number of times that I would like to and I take the train when I need my cheese steak fix. New York City is known for so many cuisines but no one I can find can make a cheesesteak like Carmine’s in the Reading Market. You just can’t seem to get a good Cheesesteak in New Jersey or New York City unless someone is from Philly. So, I made my pilgrimage to Philly for a football game and a sandwich.
This blog covers my many trips to Philadelphia for the Cornell-Penn game and the foils of each game. It has been back and forth over the years but in 2025, we finally really clobbered them and proved ourselves with a resurging team. The many great experiences and places to visit and especially the places to eat. I love my cheesesteaks!
In 2015:
In 2015, I lucked out too. The day of the game it was a beautiful warm afternoon and the last time I went to Philly for the Penn vs Cornell game it was cloudy and cold being the end of November. This year we are having a surprisingly warm Fall. In 2015, the game was a complete bust as Penn walked all over us. In 2021, both teams were pathetic but we were able to squeak by with a win of 15-12. Both games were not that good.
Cornell versus Penn in 2015
In both years, what really annoyed the Cornell Alumni was that they closed off the other half of the stadium for “construction purposes”, a fancy way of saying that they did not want to clean up the whole stadium after the game was over with so we had to sit with the Penn Alumni who we outnumbered like we did the Yale Alumni in their own stadium a few months earlier. It did not make much of a difference as our team has had a terrible season coupled with the only win over Columbia and that was with a field goal. Both years we were freezing under the awning of the stadium while the other side of the stadium was nice and sunny.
Penn was no better. Most of our Alumni went to the far reaches of the stadium as the blood-bath started and by the second half, we started to turn things around but it was too little too late. We caught up somewhat in the second half but still lost the game 34-21. So much for another Cornell season.
The Penn side of the stadium is always smaller than ours. This is Homecoming for Penn in 2025
Before the game made up for it. It was nice to walk around Philly in the nice weather. We had an Alumni tailgate a few blocks from the stadium and we have a really good band. Like Michigan State (one of my four Alma Maters), even when the season is at its worst, Cornell Alumni are really supportive, so it was nice to listen to the music before the game. They started to march down to the stadium while I was touring around the Penn campus.
Downtown Philadelphia from the Arts District
Before the game, I got to walk around the Penn Campus which is really nice for a city campus. You would never know you were in a section of downtown Philly. The stadium itself is really nice. One of the more traditional stadiums in the Ivy League which is sadly never filled with Penn students and alumni.
For a team that just shared the Ivy League title they are constantly being outnumbered by supportive Cornell Alumni who out cheer them every season. You should have seen the game two years ago, a nail biter that went down to the last play in which we upset them by one point.
Although not the game of the century, for us at Cornell it was the big game. We filled a big portion of our side of the stadium while the home team seemed to drift in when they wanted to that afternoon. Their Alumni seem to have gotten a little more supportive in the last two years.
The best part of the afternoon was not the game itself or the cheering fans, it was the food vendor located outside Franklin Field in on non-descript truck. These Greek gentleman (as they proudly told me when I asked if they were Italian) made one of the best sandwiches I have ever eaten for only $4.00, compared to the highway robbery of $9.00 in the stadium.
The Chicken Philly Cheese steak and their homemade Meatball subs on a fresh chewy hoagie roll when heaven on earth. Maybe it was the quality of the meat, the freshness of the bread or just the way it all came together with their friendly personalities but that experience really made the game. The truck is located outside the stadium and I don’t know if it is there all the time but if you are in Philly, flock to this truck which is one block from the Penn Museum. The meatballs are so full of flavor and the sauce so rich the sandwich itself is a reason to go to Philly.
Even though we got our butts kicked that afternoon by thirteen points and it ended our season on a low note, it was still fun to walk around and experience Philly on a brisk Fall Day. Very different from New York but unique in its own way.
At least on the way back on the Acela, my best friend, Kris and I exchanged phone calls on the Michigan State-Ohio State game. That nail-biter ended as I exited the train in Penn Station, New York City. That game we won 17-14 on a last-minute field goal.
In 2021:
This was the first time I had been down for the Penn versus Cornell game since 2017 and that time it was freezing cold. I missed the 2019 game because I had to work on Saturday mornings and it was impossible to make the train or even drive down before the game was over. Since class was on Friday night this year, I made sure that all the housework was done before I left, all my class work for the students was done and all the bills were paid before I left. I had a clean conscious and could relax. Even though I was only gone barely twenty-six hours, I got such a good night’s sleep, I felt like I was gone for a week.
I took the Northeast Regional down to Philly which I have to say is a nice ride. I arrived in the City in about an hour and a half and the best part was that the hotel I was staying at downtown was fifteen minutes away walking. It was in the high 50’s when I arrived and ended up being around 63 degrees by the afternoon. It was clear and sunny for the whole day which was a pleasure. Drexel University which is located right next to Penn was having their Parent’s Weekend so both colleges were buzzing with students and parents.
Just north of the Penn campus, the Cornell Alumni had set up their tailgate and when I dropped my luggage off at the Sheraton Downtown at 201 North 17th Street, I double backed to the train station and walked behind it to College Park where both colleges are located.
Sheraton Downtown Philadelphia at 201 North 17th Street
Just as I got onto campus, the band and the cheerleaders showed up and we had a mini pep-rally in the tailgate area. This was really nice because neither had been at the Yale game a few months earlier. It was nice to have some spirit and cheer and I will tell you that the band was in the mood to play for us as well. They played our fight songs and school song and all sorts of traditional ‘pep’ music to get everyone going before the game.
The game itself was a real dud. Both teams looked worse for the wear and neither of us scored until the end of the first quarter when we scored a touchdown. We scored two touchdowns before and they were both called back so it was very frustrating. The whole game was frustrating coupled by sitting in the one section of the stadium that was so cold. The rest of the stadium was lit by the sun and we were in the same section as the Penn Alumni and it was all shade. By the second half, I stood on the other side of the stadium near the bar area they set up and finally got some sun and heat. They were much better.
In the end, we won 15-12 and I have to say that it was not much a match up. The one thing I do like about Franklin Field is the concession stands. They are loaded with all the foods that are bad for you and so good at the same time. I had a cheesesteak, a slice of pizza and a Coke and it did not break the bank and on top of that, everything was delicious. The people at the concession stand know how to make a cheesesteak with provolone.
Now this is lunch at the stadium
After we won, I had about an hour after the game so I ventured over to the Penn Museum that is located across the street.
The entrance to the Penn Museum at 3269 South Street
In the three times that I have visited the museum, I never get to spend the time at this wonderful little gem that I want because there are so many great museums in Philly and it is hard to get over here except during football season.
The “What We Wear” exhibition at the Penn Museum
The museum has extensive Greek, Egyptian and Pre-Columbian Galleries to explore and on a nice day, the gardens and fountains are relaxing to sit by. I got to tour the “What We Wear” exhibition before the museum closed. The day of the game as the museum closed down for the afternoon, I got to watch our team leave the stadium. The parents were all riled up after the win.
Since it was getting late, I decided to tour parts of the Penn and Drexel campuses before it got too dark outside. I loved looking into the quads and older buildings that make up the character of these two campuses. Both campuses were still busy with groups of families but everything else was closing around them. I decided to walk over to the Reading Market for a snack before relaxing at the hotel.
The Reading Market Terminal at 501 North 12th Street
By the time I got there after 6:00pm, the market had already closed for the day. I was bummed but would come back for breakfast the next morning. I walked around Chinatown in search of a small take-out place.
I came across Asia Bakery at 115 North Street in Chinatown. It was a relief to find this place as I was not hungry and it had the most amazing baked products. The Roast Pork Buns here are delicious and the Cream filled Buns are excellent (See review on TripAdvisor). They didn’t even make it back to the hotel as I ate them on the way back to the Sheraton.
I would come back again in 2025 and buy some buns to take back to the room. Their prices are still fair in 2025.
When I returned in 2025, I stopped in for a Pineapple Custard bun as a snack. The quality and freshness of their baked products is excellent.
Yum!
When I got back to the Sheraton, I hit the pillow that evening and I did not wake up until the 8:30am the next morning. I had one of the best night’s sleeps in ages. The beds at the Marriott are the best, so soft yet firm. You will get the best night’s sleep on these beds.
The next day I was refreshed and ready for a long day of touring. My goal was to explore Old Town Philadelphia again and I wanted to start with breakfast at the Reading Market at Pearl’s Oyster Market located right inside the Terminal.
Breakfast at Pearl’s Oyster Bar was the best. I had the most amazing Breakfast platter with French Toast, Scrambled eggs, turkey bacon from a butcher in the Market and a side of Hash Browns and everything was delicious. The portion size was not gargantuan but was enough to cover me until lunch. The French toast was nice pieces of hallah bread dipped in a flavorful cinnamon mixture and cooked until a golden brown.
The breakfast here is delicious
It was some breakfast
I went back the Sunday morning I was leaving in 2025, and the food and service were consistent as usual. I have never had a bad meal here. I wanted something different than just pancakes and eggs. I had a hard time choosing between the Chicken and Waffles and the Crabcake Benedict, but the Benedict won overall.
I ordered the Crab cakes Benedict with hash browns
Everything was delicious and so well made
After breakfast, it was off to explore Old Town Philadelphia. I had been to Philly over the summer and there were places I wanted to revisit and places on the bucket list. My first stop was the Elfreth’s Alley Association Museum at 126 Elfreth’s Alley. This unique little house shows how early merchants ran their businesses and lived.
Elfreth’s Alley Association Museum at 126 Elfreth’s Alley
This interesting little museum lets you experience what it was like to live like a merchant in the late 1700’s. The shop was in the front of the home facing the windows and you would do business with the customers in the front of the house while the family had the kitchen in the back and lived upstairs in the small bedroom.
The front of the museum where the dress makers worked
I could not believe that a family of six once lived here. In the back, there is a small garden to sit outside and relax.
The bedroom area
My next museum on the tour of the neighborhood was the Betsey Ross House at 239 Arch Street. This is one of the last of its kind on the block and barely lasted the chopping block of the 1960’s urban renewal of the area.
What fascinated me about the tour is that Betsy Ross had been married twice and did not even own this house. She rented rooms from the owner and ran her own upholster business from the front of the store and lived in a room in the back with her husband. There were also other people living in the house at the time and it is not that big of a house. She was approached by the Patriots about creating the flag which she had never done before.
It was interesting that she was an independent businesswoman when many women did not have employment. Also, when I reached the last room of the house, the actor playing her was so convincing as Betsy Ross, I felt like I was talking to the real person.
After the tour of the Betsy Ross House, the next museum in the neighborhood I visited was the Fireman’s Hall Museum at 149 North Second Street. This museum is the perfect place for out-of-town firefighters and their families to see how the Philadelphia Fire Department was founded and operates.
I found the museum fascinating in that you have the entire history of the modern fire department from the bucket brigade to the current engines and Trucks that operate today. You can see where Benjamin Franklin organized the first departments to the days when they were run by the insurance companies.
The best part is that the museum is run by the Philadelphia Fire Department and you get to meet several of the firemen when you visit who can answer all sorts of questions about their department.
The last museum on my bucket list to visit on this trip was the Museum of the American Revolution at 101 South 3rd Street.
The Museum of the American Revolution at 101 South 3rd Street
I found this museum not only interesting but very educational. It described the entire Revolutionary War from the acts that England put on the Colonists from the Stamp Act to the Tea Taxes and not even consulting with the Colonial Administration on these decisions.
What I found fascinating about this museum is that they had George Washington’s tent that he used in battle, original weapons from the war and more interestingly is that they had pieces of the King George Statue that was pulled down by New Yorkers in Bowling Green Park. I had thought it had been destroyed and melted down. I even found out that the head had been smuggled back to England.
I was tired of all the museums that I had visited in both the July and October trips and it was time to sample the food of Philadelphia’s Old Town. There was a lot to choose from. My first stop was Big Ass Slices at 224 Market Street.
I love the logo for Big Ass Slices at 224 Market Street
The name does not do the pizza justice. The slices are oversized being the size of two slices and have a delicious pizza sauce that makes the body of the pizza ($5.30 for a Big Ass Slice). What was nice was that I was able to eat it indoors without enduring the cool afternoon.
The pizza here is amazing
Another stop I made on my summer trip was The Franklin Ice Cream Bar for ice cream. The other ice cream shops were either closed at the time of the night or had long lines. The Franklin Ice Cream Bar at 112 Market Street and its sister store,
The menu
The Franklin Fountain at 116 Market Street were both busy that day. The ice cream is homemade and amazing but expensive ($8.50 for a medium cup). I had the Caramelized Banana and the Sea Salt Caramel and I highly recommend them.
The Salted Caramel and Caramelized Banana ice creams
Yum!
The next on the list was Shane’s Confectionary at 110 Market Street. This over 100-year-old candy store was very interesting as it was like taking a step back in time when merchants made a statement not about their product but the way it was presented and sold.
You walk into the store and you are greeted by gas lamps and wooden cases that showcase the chocolates. I have to admit the prices are pretty high but these are homemade candies made inhouse. I bought one of their well-known Lighthouse chocolates and a Chocolate covered Truffle, another specialty they were known for that totaled $7.50 for two pieces of chocolate. Totally worth it! Both tasted so good.
The inside of Shane Confectionary
I walked down some of the side streets and passed many of the boutiques that make up. One store that stood out was Claudia Mills Rugs at 133 North 3rd Street. This interesting store was a standout in that they creating the rugs right inside with the looms working as you walk in.
The finished products lined the walls in all their colorful glory. It is the perfect store for decorators and people looking to add some zing to their home decor.
The inside of Claudia’s Rugs
With all this walking in Old Town Philadelphia, I started to get hungry again and decided instead of heading back to the Reading Market, I wanted to try a new place for a cheesesteak. I went to Campo’s Philly Cheesesteak at 214 Market Street.
I now know why this restaurant has been open since 1947. The cheesesteaks are excellent. I ordered a Cheesesteak w/o (without onions) and Wiz (Cheese Wiz), the only way I will eat a cheesesteak. The hoagie roll was so soft and chewy and the Cheese Wiz pulled the thin steaks together and the taste was amazing. It was nice to eat inside with other people again.
The meal was delicious
The Cheesesteaks are amazing
Yum!
I walked down to the Delaware River and looked at the Camden Waterfront. God has that changed but at least they are trying with the city. There are now parks, hotels and the aquarium and they look like they are building new housing. Rutgers expanded their campus in Camden so that has helped.
I passed the Independence Seaport Museum (for the next trip, it was closing for the day) and walked along the path and watched the cars and boats pass by. It must have been something for those early colonists who saw only woods and a lot of promise when they walked along the same path. I saw Philly coming back to life and that was a good thing. It had been shut down too long before I returned in July and then in November.
I walked back to the now closing Reading Market Terminal and walked through the hallways again watching tourists ordering the last of their meals and taking gifts home with them. It was such a relaxing overnight stay and it was good to revisit the museums and shops I had visited over the summer to get a new perspective on them. I was able to update a lot on MywalkinManhattan.com and LittleShoponMainStreet@Wordpress.com so it was a good working trip.
That and we beat Penn! That made the trip all worth it! I will be back to Philly soon.
Go Spartans and Go Big Red! Go Green Go White! Go Red!
There were no highlights on the Cornell versus Penn game in 2015. We lost 34-21.
Cornell versus Penn 2021: 15-12 (Won)
We Won!
Michigan State versus Ohio State 2015: 17-14 (won)
We won!
Michigan State versus Purdue 2021: 29-40 (lost)
We lost! Badly!
In 2025:
I returned for the Cornell-Penn Game after a four year absence. Two years ago when I was in Grad school, I had two major papers to write for classes at NYU plus the fact that a Nor’easter had come up the coast and down poured all over the game, it would not have been a very pleasant experience.
After a very long week of work and finishing our quizzes and preparing for the upcoming Team Projects and Thanksgiving break, I left for Philly right after classes were over. After a very quick trip from Penn Station in New York, I walked from Penn Station in Philadelphia to my Airbnb on the edge of Chinatown.
What the building lacked in esthetics, made up in price and location. It was one block from Chinatown and just inside the Central Business district.
Arriving in Philadelphia for the game
Penn Station in Philadelphia at night
So I walked through the empty downtown area, admiring the architecture. I could not believe that it was only 6:00pm when I arrived but it felt like 9:30pm! It was so dark out. The downtown was so quiet and elegant at night. It being so empty you could admire its beauty first hand.
Downtown Philadelphia on Market Street at night
Things were already being set up for Christmas. The Uptown Christmas Beer Garden was already set up by City Hall.
I got to the Airbnb and settled in and then walked all of Chinatown in search of the perfect Soup Dumplings. I found the At Lucious Dumplings at 939 Race Street. I think I chose it because it look modern and new from the outside and did not have the old fashioned look from Chinatown standbys. The food and the service were wonderful.
Since it was getting late and zI did want a huge meal sitting in me before I went to bed, I ordered a small bowl on Hot & Sour Soup to start and an order of Pork Soup Dumplings and an order of Fried Pork Dumplings. Everything was freshly made and delicious.
The Hot & Sour Soup was well spiced and full of fresh ingredients
The Soup Dumplings were so juicy when you bit into them. You could tell they were hand made.
The Panfried Pork Dumplings
The meal and the service were wonderful. The prices were very fair and the music they played was a combination of modern jazz and 70’s hits. The whole experience made for a perfect dinner.
My perfect dinner
After dinner was over, I walked around Chinatown, which seemed rather quiet for Friday evening. It really was a warm and beautiful evening out and I thought it would be busier.
Walking around Philadelphia’s Chinatown at night
I was exhausted from work that morning and then traveling on top of the sheer running around from that week and decided to head back to the Airbnb and just relax. It was going to be a long day the next day. I stayed a tiny Airbnb on Wood Street in the up and coming section of Old Town/Northern Liberties section of the downtown just off Chinatown.
The rains passed be the next day and it was a beautiful, warm Fall morning. I could not believe it. It was 60 degrees outside when I went for breakfast. The neighborhood showed it true light, and I could see there was a lot going on both in the night and day here.
I got to see the hipster neighborhood in the light
The neighborhood is just north of Chinatown, giving me excellent access to my favorite sections of the city, Chinatown and City Center.
The Old Town/Northern Liberties neighborhood during the day
I knew exactly where I wanted to go for breakfast, the Dutch Eating place in the Reading Market Terminal. The Airbnb was just three blocks away which made it convenient to everything I wanted to do in my two-day visit to Philly.
It was a beautiful morning in Philly
I love the Reading Market with all its sights and smells. Their food pretzels whole place was waking up when I got there but there was line for the Dutch Eating Place.
The Dutch Eating Place at Reading Terminal
I was able to get a stool pretty quickly and sit down to breakfast. People were coming and going so fast that the counter turned over rapidly. I wanted something different this time and I had a Bacon, Egg and Cheese on Rye Toast with a grilled Raison Sticky Bun. Along with freshly squeezed orange juice, it made the best breakfast on this busy morning.
My breakfast, the Bacon, Egg and Cheese sandwich with a grilled Raison Sticky bun
The breakfast sandwich was excellent
The Grilled Raison Sweet roll
Yum!
Then I needed to walk it all off, so I walked all around the Reading Market Terminal. I love just walking around the Market and looking at all the stalls and the selection of foods available. There is some selection of all sorts of cuisines and many places of dessert. I love all the smells and sounds of the cooking and the fun of watching people push in their faces and loving their meals. There is such a joy to good food.
Walking through the Reading Terminal Market
I enjoy just looking at this and that and making mental notes for the next trip to Philly. There was so much to see and experience from stall to stall. Unfortunately, a lot of stalls are closed on Sunday, so it is a bummer. Still there is a lot to see and do here.
Fresh fruits and vegetables
The Southern cooking
The selection of sandwiches
The salads
The selection of all sorts of fresh produce
Loads of delicious salads
Racks of delicious ribs
I was tempted so many times even though I was still full from breakfast. Then as soon as I walked all the hallways, it was off to Miller’s Twist for a pretzel before I left for the game. I figured I needed to fill up until halftime.
Now I had all the carbs and food in me for the walk down to the Penn campus on the other side of downtown. The Fall had come to Philly, and the foliage was just beautiful on the Penn Campus.
Walking around the Penn Campus
The Penn Campus really was beautiful on this early Fall day. All the foliage had not fallen and there were all sorts of golden hues to it. I had to change clothes and just put on my polo as it went up to 67 degrees that afternoon. A far cry from the 40 degrees days I have experienced in that stadium in earlier years.
Outside the Franklin Stadium
The stadium that morning after the rain storm
It ended up being a clear sunny day and the perfect Fall weather for a football game.
The statue of Benjamin Franklin outside the stadium
Franklin Stadium the morning of the game
I am used to the apathy of the Penn students and Alumni even though it was Homecoming Weekend. The stadium was 2/3rds empty for the whole game. It did fill up for the second and beginning of the third quarters but once we starting to clobber them, the stadium emptied out.
Franklin Stadium right before the start of the game
Cornell’s football team during the morning warmup
The band soon joined from the other side of the stadium
Our band entering the stadium
The game started at 1:00 pm sharp and we could not have asked for a better afternoon. The tickets were more than usual as it was the Penn Homecoming. You would have never known it by the crowds.
Our band doing their Opening number facing the Penn side of the field at the start of the game
The Cornell Band Opening number
The game was really good this year (finally) as Penn was ranked higher than us with a better record, so I was not expecting much. We did much better than I thought we would do.
Our band coming off the field after a great performance
Then heading to the stands
What a great day for a game
Then our team made their entrance to the field and the game began
The video of the Team entering the field to start the game
The first half went back and forth and we looked far better than we did at the Yale game back in September, which was such a pathetic game. We looked like we had some kind of turnaround at the Bucknell game and for the last three games, there was a turn around. Something had changed.
Even the cheerleaders had some pep to them
The girls (and one guy) did a great job leading the cheers but it is easy to do when you are winning.
Even the crowd was larger on our side of the stadium and it was homecoming for Penn. I thought that was pretty bad for the home team.
The cheerleaders performing on the sidelines
We lead 13-10 at half time and I had to go to the Penn side of the stadium to search for a cheesesteak. One side of the concession stand was packed but the cheesesteak side was empty. I breezed past the Penn Alumni who looked annoyed that I got through while they waited in the other line.
My lunch that afternoon at Franklin Stadium. They were not selling cheesesteaks on the Cornell side of the stadium
Yum! It was a good as it looked!
The Penn side of the stands looked pathetic by the second half. I had to charge my phone and we ended up scoring twice quickly. That is when Penn fell apart. They had a slight resurgence with a 75 yard return for touchdown but then that was it for the rest of the game.
Our last play, TOUCHDOWN!!
Our last field goal of the game
This is how bad Penn Stadium is on game day. Their Alumni and students don’t come to the games even when they are having winning season!
We won the game evening our record 4-4 and we looked like we could win the rest of the season! Hopefully!
Our mini pep rally after the game was over with the Alumni, football players, cheerleaders and the band. A far cry from the Yale game and from the Penn Games of the past.
My last glimpse of Penn Stadium
The band was playing outside and having a good time while the cheerleader ms loads the bus snd the players prepared for the bus ride back to Ithaca.
Everyone in good spirits after the win!
The beautiful fall day in Philadelphia
After the game, I walked down Walnut Street to Rittenhouse Square. The park like the rest of the neighborhood was packed with people on this warm Fall evening. It was 65 degrees and locals and tourists alike were outside enjoying this almost Summer evening. It got dark by 5:15pm and the lights came on to show the magic of Philly.
Walking past the old Lit Brothers store on Market Street that night
I was hungry again and stopped by the Reading Market before it closed and got one of the last Whoopee pies at Beiler’s Bakery before it closed for the evening.
Now a Whoopee pie is a snack
I had a nice dinner at a small hole in the wall restaurant in Chinatown before I headed back to the Airbnb at Bahn Mi Cali at 900 Arch Street. I had passed it the night before and decided to check it out for a quick dinner. I was still stuffed from lunch but still in the mood for a sandwich.
The Roast Pork Banh Mi was only $9.00 and was a sizable sandwich. The roast pork had lots of flavor to it and I ate it inside the restaurant.
What the restaurant lacked in esthetics it made up in taste
The delicious Roast Pork Bahn Mi
Yum!
Then I headed back to the hip warehouse neighborhood where I fell asleep as soon as I hit the pillow at 7:30pm. It was pitch black that night. The hipness kicked in.
The artwork on one of the warehouse buildings. Such hippiness!
This was one of the best trips I made to Philly in a long time. I was able to just relax and take it all in. Winning the game was just the icing on the cake. Until the next year!
mywalkinmanhattan 