Philadelphia is a historic city on the east coast of the United States. It was the capital of the U.S. before Washington D.C. I spent two and a half  days in and around Philadephia in January 2016.

Day 1

I started the day with Indepence Hall National Historic Site. Liberty Bell Center gives a good overview of this historic American cultural icon.

Liberty Bell, Philadephia
Liberty Bell

From there, I continued onto the tour of Independence Hall. Only a guided tour is permitted inside and it is really good.

Independence Hall
Independence Hall

Then, I checked out the National Constitution Center which shows the history of the evolution of the US constitution, including giving blacks and women right to vote and American civil war. Highly recommended for history lovers.

Whitehouse replica at Constitution Center
Whitehouse replica at Constitution Center

I wanted to check out US Mint but unfortunately, it was closed that day. Betsy Ross House, the house of Betsy Ross, who made America’s star and stripes flag, is located in the vicinity but it was a bit underwhelming. So, if you are short on time, better skip it.

Betsy Ross House
Betsy Ross House

I decided to skip Eastern State Penitentiary and Franklin Institute but others might be interested in them. The last activity of the day was Philly Magic Gardens. It is highly rated on TripAdvisor but I felt the art quality was a bit shoddy. I stayed at Econolodge Conference Center, Allentown since it was close to the Appalachian Trail, I wanted to do the next day. This was the end of my first day.

Day 2 

I started the day with a hike along the historic Appalachian trail route (Lehigh gap). It was a slightly strenuous but enjoyable hike.

Lehigh Gap Appalachian Trail
Lehigh Gap Appalachian Trail

Post-lunch, I followed with a journey to Cornwall Iron Furnace. It’s a hidden gem in inner Pennsylvania. The guided tour of the furnace gives a glimpse into the history of the Iron and Steel industry of the U.S.

 

Cornwall Iron Furnace
Cornwall Iron Furnace

Day 3

I started the journey with Philadephia Museum of Art. It’s a big museum and it can take up to 6 hours to see all the artwork.

IMG_0443From there I headed to Mutter Museum which contains an impressive collection of medical specimens ranging from the tallest skeleton found in North America to slices of Albert Einstein’s brain. Unfortunately, photography is prohibited inside.

Mutter Museum
Mutter Museum

This was the end of my Philadelphia trip.