USA 2017

Philadelphia & Amish County

Off to Philadelphia!

But first, perhaps a hearty American breakfast. A quick search on the internet – et voilà, Angelo's Diner. A few pancakes with maple syrup and a small Western omelet. Accompanied, of course, by thin filter coffee. Now we're really ready to go.

Philadelphia

In Philadelphia, we park our car in a parking garage at the Visitor Center, which is located in the immediate vicinity of Independence Hall. The downtown area is easy to explore on foot. We take a guided tour of Independence Hall and then stroll through the city. Unfortunately, the weather is still a bit uncertain. It's not raining, but it's not sunny either, and it's not really warm or cold. We walk through small cobblestone streets and eventually end up at City Hall. It is very impressive, if only because of its sheer size.

Next, we want to visit the Philadelphia Museum of Art. You know, the one where Rocky Balboa runs up the steps. But since it's still quite a long way to walk, we decide to go to the car and drive there. Unfortunately, this turns out to be a bad idea, as there is an event going on around the museum and everything is closed off to traffic. There are traffic jams everywhere, and after about an hour, we give up and leave Philadelphia.

The city certainly has a lot more to offer, especially for those interested in history, but since we still have Washington to visit after New York, this little glimpse is enough for us.

Amish County

Meanwhile, the sun is shining and we are on our way to Lancaster. Of course, we want to take a look at the Amish way of life here and hope to see the famous horse-drawn carriages. So we drive a little off the main highways and before we know it, we see the first horse-drawn carriage coming towards us. There are also signs along the road warning drivers to watch out for slow-moving carriages. It quickly becomes clear that these carriages are not just exotic curiosities here, but are used extensively by the Amish. The area is hilly and dotted with farmland.

We stop briefly at an Amish farmhouse, but it feels very much like a tourist trap. Various Amish products made in China are on offer, as well as rides in the typical carriages.

Around 5 p.m., we arrive in Lancaster. It is a really beautiful small town and looks particularly good in the evening sun.

Before we drive to our hotel near Lancaster, we go out for a few burritos.