A visit to Philly wouldn't be complete without having at least a couple meals at the Reading Terminal Market. Our hotel, The Hilton Garden Inn, was kitty corner from the Market, so it was super convenient to pop over for a quick breakfast or lunch.
I love indoor markets! They are so fun and so full of so many yummy possibilities!
During our first visit to the market, a bunch of us chose to eat at a family owned Middle Eastern place, called Kamal's. I was eating Keto at the time of this trip, so I got a grilled chicken salad with a tzatziki dressing, it tasted just like a gyro but with out the carbs!
To drink, I got a lemonade with mint and rosewater and it was one of the best things I have ever had. The flavors melded perfectly into the most refreshing drink that wasn't too sweet.
After lunch, we walked to Besty Ross' house. I often like to choose walking over taking an Uber or a cab because you get to see so much more and get a better feel for the city. However, sometimes there is nothing better than catching a ride after a long day of sight seeing.
On our way to Betsy's house, we passed by Christ Church Burial Ground which is where Benjamin Franklin is buried.
The Betsy Ross house is in the cutest, little neighborhood, and her small brick house blends right in.
The building at 239 Arch Street, now known as the Betsy Ross House, was built over 250 years ago. The front portion was built around 1740, with the stair hall (or piazza) and the rear section added 10 to 20 years later. Betsy Ross never owned this home, she just rented a room here from 1776-1786, it is rumored to be the place she created the new American flag.
This fountain has the names of the 13 original colonies inscribed along it's base. The kitties are a nice, serene touch but they were only added in by the sculptor, they don't have any significance to Betsy Ross.
In 2018, the director of the Betsy Ross house had the idea to add some contemporary art to the historic home, to make it more relevant with the bustling arts and culture district, and to help bring history to life for the younger generation. The street artist, Ambrella was approached about this project, but she wasn't immediately sold on the idea, and wasn't sure how her work could connect with this historic hero.
“Then I heard that Ross’s nickname was ‘Little Rebel’ and I started learning about her life, and felt like, ‘I love her,'” Amberella explains. “She was a woman who was doing things that she was passionate about. . . . She was building the flag in the dark in her room. I connect to her.”
Another one of Ambrella's hearts is inside the walk way of the house with another message that embodies who Besty Ross was.
The raging Revolutionary War created many widows. Betsy Griscom Ross Ashburn Claypool ultimately lost three husbands (two during the war), but unlike many widows who were left without resources, her skills as a seamstress enabled her to support herself and her seven children. Betsy ran an upholstery business and would repair uniforms and make tents, blankets, and stuff paper tube cartridges with musket balls for prepared packaged ammunition for the Continental Army.
Betsy was approached by George Washington and a couple other founding fathers about making a new flag design. Betsy accepted the job to manufacture the flag, her main contribution to the project was altering the committee's design by replacing the six-pointed stars with five-pointed stars, because they were easier to cut out and sew.
The kids had fun making a couple of traditional colonial meals in the kitchen
Betsy, along with her third husband and long time friend, John Claypool are buried in the courtyard of this house.
The gift shop here along with most gift shops in Philadelphia are filled with all sorts of American flag merchandise, and I was so there for it!
After our time at The Besty Ross house, it was time for lunch! Karin had researched and found this cute little eatery that was in walking distance called, High Street.
The food here was amazing, it was all so fresh and healthy and had wonderful flavor combinations. I got a bowl of their Gazpacho as an appetizer. It had tomatoes, jalapeños, watermelon and mint all blended perfectly together into a cool, smooth, refreshing soup. Most gazpacho aren't blended into a smooth soup like this, so it took us by a little surprise, but it was delicious.
For my main course I got the avocado toast. It was piled high with oranges, feta cheese and herbs and topped with an over easy egg. It was so light and refreshing but also very satisfying.
After lunch, we headed to Franklin Court.
The court is the site of the house which Benjamin Franklin had built in 1763, which he owned until his death in 1790. Though Franklin was overseas during a significant portion of that time, he was in Philadelphia during much of his tenure and involvement with both the Second Continental Congress and the United States Constitutional Convention. Franklin permanently moved into the house in 1785.
The house itself was built within a large courtyard in the middle of the block, accessed through an alleyway from Market Street. In 1787, Franklin built a print shop within the lot for his grandson Benjamin Franklin Bache, who would publish the Philadelphia Aurora there. Franklin died at the site in 1790.
The house (and with it, it is suspected, the print shop) was demolished in 1812 during a redevelopment of the courtyard to an income-producing property.[1] From 1950 on, the Park Service began purchasing and assembling the lots, and in the 1950s and 60s conducted archaeological excavations there in search of what remained of the Franklin-era structures.
In 1986, these "ghost structures" where built as outlines of where Franklin's home and print shop would have stood.
There were inscriptions on the ground explaining which room you would have been standing in, it created a sort of self guided tour through Franklin's ghost house.
In other places around the courtyard, there were quotes from Benjamin Franklin along with his friends and family carved into the tiles, about the era these structures represented.
The Benjamin Franklin Museum explores the life and legacy of Philadelphia’s most famous citizen. Located in Franklin Court and part of Independence National Historical Park, the museum invites visitors to explore a variety of interactive exhibitions, personal artifacts, computer animations and hands-on displays, examining Franklin’s life both as a private citizen and a statesman.
The kids had a blast in the museum. Benjamin Franklin was such a fascinating historic figure, his endless search for knowledge lead to a lot of discoveries and creations that we still use and value today.
I found this musical instrument that Ben Franklin created especially interesting, I hadn't ever seen one or even heard of it before. Franklin liked the sound of crystal glasses being played, but he wanted to find a way to make it easier to play and not have to deal with water tuning and make it so players could play more that two notes at a night. Thus, he created the armanica, that can kind of be played similar to a piano with several chords and notes being played at once. It kind of sounds like bells when it is played.
As we were leaving Franklin Court, we happened by a printing press demonstration. I am still blown away by how each letter was placed by hand to create these long and important documents. It makes me appreciate how easy computers have made my life, all the letters and words are literally at my fingertips.
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