After a year and a half hiatus, I'm back at my blog! We are getting to the home stretch of our Ballpark Chasing, and we made Citizens Bank Park in Philly our 25th park! Might I say we are "rounding 3rd and headed for home" on our chase? We decided to drive to Philly being we are so close to the east coast now. We left on Thursday with that being just a driving day, and headed back home Sunday! Friday and Saturday were going to be fun, and our ballpark sidekick Erin met us there on Friday too! Let's get started, shall we?!
I am a member of a Travel 50 States group on Facebook and people post all the time asking for suggestions on what to do/eat/stay/see. For me, I was curious about the tolls, so I made a post in that group. When mapping out the fastest route, Google Maps said there would be upwards of $50 in tolls on the way to Philly, and the majority of people responded saying that those tolls were highway robbery. So, we mapped out a way where we would only go through about $9 in tolls, but it added another hour and a half to our route. We thought that was OK because all we were doing on Thursday was driving. We left our house at 9:01am and buckled in for a fun road trip! Our route took us 71N out of Cincy to 70E to Columbus, which turned into 76E through West Virginia and into Pennsylvania, to 99N to 80E, and then headed south into Philly using some highways. The drive through PA was uncharted for us, and it was a beautiful drive with a bunch of hills and curves. There weren't many towns to stop in, instead thry had service stations in the middle of nowhere with a gas station and a handful of restaurants. It made me wonder where all these people lived who worked there...? Anyway, we finally made it to our hotel around 8:30pm, and we were exhausted! While it was a pretty drive, we definitely had to pay attention with all the curves and hills! We also noticed along the way that their mile markers were posted every .1 mile? We've never seen that before. We stayed at the Embassy Suites by the airport, but there were trees surrounding the hotel so we didn't have a view of the airports. 😞
Friday morning we woke up and headed downtown by 9:30. Philly had a really good public transportation system called Septa, and there was a stop just down from our hotel, so that was convenient. It took about 25 minutes to get to our downtown stop where all the history was! This particular subway stop was very cool, with the tile depicting several historical pictures!
Our first stop was Old City Hall that held the Revolutionary War Museum. Robbie was really looking forward to all the history that Philly had to offer, and I think he'd say we started off with a bang!
Just next door was Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence was signed. We waited outside of it for Erin, as her flight got in to Philly around noon. There were bunches of kids at Independence Hall on field trips with their school. As I was sitting there and watching these kids, I got jealous that all this history was in their backyard. I'm a very visual learner, so actually SEEING all this history would've made me appreciate it much more when I was learning about it in school. Our plan was to have Erin text us when she was on her way to downtown and then we would get tickets to go into Independence Hall. It turned out that you have to pre-order tickets online, and tickets were sold out for the rest of that day! We were a little bummed, but there was a lady who was working security that told us to get there tomorrow (Saturday) between 9am-9:45am and we could get in for free and without tickets. So that was now our plan!
Erin was a bit delayed getting into Philly, so by the time she arrived, it was around 1pm, and we were all hungry. So, what do you eat when you're in Philadelphia? A Philly Cheesesteak, of course! We went to a deli called Sonny's and Erin and I ordered the original Cheesesteak with cheese whiz, as opposed to provolone. I have a coworker who grew up in the Philly area and he said I had to try the cheesesteak with both provolone and cheese whiz. But since this was the original, I just had to go authentic. The correct way to order is to say "whiz wit" to get a cheesesteak with cheese whiz and onions. So I did, and the cashier knew exactly what I meant! And let me tell you, I've had a bunch of cheesesteaks in my life, and none of them held a candle to this one! The cheese was rich and creamy, the onions were perfectly caramelized, and the main ingredient, the steak, was perfectly cooked, juicy, and had just the right amount of seasoning. It was absolutely delicious, and I wish I had ordered another one! Do yourself a favor and go to any deli in Philly and order one of these sandwiches please!
After lunch, we took the train back to our hotel to rest up before the ball game. Erin had had an early morning and we wanted to make sure we were energized for the night!
So, we almost went to Philly last fall to see the Brewers play the Phillies in the 2nd round of the playoffs, but the Brewers lost Game 3 of the Wildcard Round in heartbreaking fashion, so that trip was nixed. In fact, we were so certain the Brewers were going to advance, we went as far as having our dog sitter set to come that weekend. But I digress. This spring we talked about what away stadium's we want to go to this season, and it worked out to go to the Phillies series at Citizens Bank Park (CBP). The series was over a weekend and it was still springtime! Perfect! CBP marked our 25th stadium, so now we only have 5 left (NY Mets, Baltimore, Texas, Kansas City, and the Athletics. But we are going to wait for the A's until they move to Vegas)!
CBP was in a sports complex along with the football stadium where the Eagles play, and the arena where the Flyers and Sixers play hockey and basketball, respectively. Although those 3 stadium's stand on their own, the area was still very vibrant and had a lot of energy!
Upon doing some research on where to sit, I came to realize that there are views of the skyline if you sat a few levels up and behind homeplate between home and 1st base. So, we made sure to get tickets in one of those sections, and the seats we secured did not disappoint! It was a quintessential view that had everything, including downtown! Just beautiful!
The Brewers had a rough start to the season and dug themselves a hole that took until this series to finally climb out of. Before the Phillies series, we had JUST gotten our first sweep of the season in the Boston Red Sox, and only twice had we won when the opponent scored first. Starting this series we were 2 games up from .500 for the first time all year! We had momentum, and the day before was an off-day for the Brewers, so our pitching staff was rested and fresh, and that means EVERYTHING when your team is in the middle of a long grind! Meanwhile, the Phillies had just played a double-header the day before and used 9 pitchers! Also, Phillies star Bryce Harper was out this series as he was on the tail end of a stint on the IL with an injury. If I had a Mount Rushmore of former and current baseball players I hate, Harper would be right up there with Yadier Molina. I'd say advantage Brewers, but not by a lot. Despite this, the Phillies had the 3rd best record in the NL, so we had our work cut out for us!
On the mound for the Brewers was DL Hall, who was making his first start since coming off an injury. Usually when this happens, that pitcher is on a strict pitch count, and his stuff might just be a little off. So I had no idea what version of DL Hall we would get. I just hoped he went a solid 4 innings.
As it turned out, Hall would be pitching with the lead his first time out that night because the Brewers got 2 manufactured runs in the top of the 1st inning off a fielders choice and a Sal Frelick RBI ! Now, usually when we score early, we stop scoring for the rest of the game. So it was imperative to add on to that lead, and equally as important to not let the Phillies right back in it. The Brewers ended up holding off the Phillies until the 4th inning where Trea Turner scored on a Kyle Schwarber double. Kyle Schwarber used to be a Chicago Cub, so I will always hold resentment towards him; it's engrained in me. BUT, that 1-run Brewers lead ballooned to 4 in the very next inning when Yelich hit a 3-run bomb to left field! Yelich had a very slow start and he just started showing signs of his old self in the 2 weeks leading up to this series. It was so nice to see his confidence at the plate again! The Phillies got a solo homerun in the 7th, and Christian Yelich homered AGAIN in the 9th to seal the win, 6-2! It was awesome to see such a solid game from start to finish for the Brewers! DL Hall only went 3 innings, but being we never gave up the lead, we only had to use 1 reliever as Quinn Priester went 6 solid innings with just 71 pitches! This game could not have gone better for the Brewers!
Saturday morning we were up and at em, arriving around 9am for free admission into Independence Hall! Robbie did not come with us because he wasn't feeling the greatest, so Erin and I were 2 girls on the town that day! It was a similar situation in Toronto a few years ago, and the more I wander without Robbie, the more confident I feel!
Before going into Independence Hall, here is the small amount of what I knew about it: it's where the Declaration of Independence was signed, and it was featured in National Treasure (blame my ignorance on the geography of where I grew up. Remember that I'm a visual learner). I had no idea what was inside or where we could roam. When we stepped inside, we were greeted by a large exposed foyer, with the stairs off to the right, but those were blocked off. Up ahead were 2 rooms, the Supreme Court Room, and then across from that was the Assembly Room. The first room we went into was the Supreme Court Room. This is where the PA Supreme Court gathered during the colonial days of the state.
Then we moved across the hall to the Assembly Room, where the most important American documents were signed, the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution. It was almost surreal being in that room and imagining the Founding Father's creating and signing these documents that shaped the future of our country. According to the tour guide, the room is almost exactly as it was in 1776! Fun fact, Thomas Jefferson didn't physically write the Declaration, he only orated it! Throughout the weekend I often found myself imagining the immense amount of responsibility these men had, and that the documents they created still hold up to this day. It still blows my mind when I actually stop and think about it. It was a really cool experience!
After Independence Hall, we walked across the street to see the Liberty Bell. The Liberty Bell is known for its association with the American Revolution, symbolizing freedom and liberty. The Bell was most importantly rung when the Declaration of Independence was read on July 8th, 1776. The crack formed when it was rung on George Washington's birthday, and it has never been rung since. Inside where the Liberty Bell is located, there were a bunch of educational booths to learn more about the history of the Bell and its significance in our history.
Then the Bell itself! The Liberty Bell looked just as I assumed it would, maybe even a little bigger in person than I had imagined! And, it was more black than I thought; in my head I imagined it being more of a silver color! The one negative thing about this viewing experience was that there was no real line for pictures, so people kept cutting to the front to get their shots. It was slightly annoying, but we just waited until the crowds dwindled down.
One of the tv shows we watch is How I Met Your Mother, and there is a running joke that Barney and Ted go to Philly and lick the Liberty Bell. So of course, I had to try and get this picture! After about 7 tries, I nailed it! And I could only think of what the other people thought when they saw me with my tongue out, haha! I was respectful, though, and did this photo shoot off to the side, and I used a forced perspective, so I was further away from the Bell than what the picture actually looks like!
Just outside of the Liberty Bell Center is the rough blueprint of the house that George Washington and John Adams lived in, so we soaked that in. Parts of the actual brick basement was still preserved, so that was cool to see. Another cool feature was that the sidewalk around the framework of the house had imprints of Washington's shoes! I should've put my foot in the picture to compare, but his shoe imprints looked like toddler feet! All 3 of these attractions (Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell and Washington's house) were all really close in proximity to each other in an area called Independence National Historic Park, so that made it really easy to navigate!
After spending quite a bit of time in the historic Park, we walked to the National Constitution Center. We didn't pay admission but we did go into their atrium, which had flags of all 50 states hung from the ceiling!
From there, we walked to the Betsy Ross House, which was only a few blocks away. Betsy Ross was best known for her seamstress skills during the Revolutionary Era and sewing the American flag. In order to tour the house we needed to pay and we opted not to, but there were still attractions in the courtyard and beyond the entrance. Again I stood there and realized how much more history I could retain after seeing it with my own two eyes!
Our last historic stop of the day took us just down the street to Benjamin Franklin's gravesite.
There were 2 things that Erin and I wanted to do that day. One was to see all the historical stuff, and second was to see the Rocky Statue outside of the art museum. So that's what we set out to do next! The closest subway stop was still a 30-minute walk to the Statue, but it was such a beautiful day, so we decided to walk it. Leading up to the Statue was a pedestrian walkway in the median of the road. On either side were light poles featuring a different countries flag, which was a nice touch! Upon approach of the stairs, the Rocky Statue looked smaller than I envisioned it! In total, there are 72 steps before reaching the Statue. All throughout my time here, the song Gonna Fly Now was running through my head! Erin and I had our picture taken in the iconic pose, and we admired the Statue a little more.
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Then we turned around to a pretty sweet view of downtown, a different vantage point of the skyline! Seriously, the weather could not have been better on this day!
When we decided to leave, we thought about taking one of those city "hop on, hop off" busses, but it was going to cost nearly $35 bucks no matter how long you rode it. No thanks! So we started our walk back to the subway station. On the way, we stopped and got lunch at a brewery, where of course I got another cheesesteak! If I had to choose a better one, Sonny's Deli would win!
We got back to our hotel around 2pm for a little bit of rest. Going into this weekend, we only had tickets to Friday's Brewers/Phillies game, and we were going to play Saturday by ear. This was for a few different reasons: 1) we wanted to see how the Brewers fared on Friday (which turned out to be excellent), and 2) we didn't know how tired we would be come Saturday afternoon (turned out Erin and I were really tired from all our walking). But, Robbie stayed back and slept the whole time that Erin and I were out, and he was feeling up to going to the game. I told him we do it under 2 conditions: I wanted to walk as little as possible, and I didn't want to drive our car there and deal with traffic. So an Uber it was!
Our plan was to go to the ticket window and buy the cheapest ticket we could. So, we get down there and find out the cheapest ticket is $110 for an obstructed view. Uh, pass on that! Robbie ended up purchasing 3 tickets via a 3rd party site for maybe $10 more per ticket, but the seats were on the club level, meaning we had our own access to food vendors, tables and chairs, and bathrooms! And, we were sitting under an overhang, which proved to be valuable when it started raining in the middle of the game! We would've gotten soaked had we been obstructed by the foul pole! This was one of the best decisions of the weekend!
We had plenty of time to get food and settle into our seats for what would be an historic ball game that we were actually on the receiving side of for once! Our tickets were along the 3rd base side, so a different view than the previous night, but still pretty great!
The Brewers again wasted no time getting runs across the plate! It started with a Cheistian Yelich RBI in the tip of the 1st, followed by a Rhys Hoskins 3-run homerun! We were out to a 4 run lead by the end of the 1st inning! Also, Rhys Hoskins signed as a free agent with the Brewers from the Phillies 2 seasons ago, so Phillies fans had a love/hate relationship with him on this day. Oh just you wait, there's more to come on him later! In the 4th inning, the Brewers took advantage of 2 costly Philly errors which plated 3 more runs! Later in that SAME inning, after a William Contreras RBI, Rhys Hoskins hit yet another 3-run homer! The Philly boo-birds were definitely out now! And then, Sal Frelick hit in Daz Cameron later in the 4th (the son of Mike Cameron, who played for the Brewers as well). If you lost track, the Brewers are now up 12-0 after the 4th inning! The Phillies finally got on the scoreboard in the bottom of that same inning after a solo homerun from Alec Bohm. In the top of the 6th the Brewers were at it again, with Brice Turang and Joey Ortiz (who has been riding the struggle bus as of late) bringing in a couple more. Then, yet again in that same inning, our young phenom Jackson Chourio gets in on the action with a 3-run homer of his own, making the score 17 (!!!)-1! The Phillies scored once in the bottom of the 6th, making it 17-2. Then we brought in one of our not-so-great pitchers and he gave up 6 garbage runs in the bottom of the 9th, but they couldn't even touch our lead, and the Brewers ended up cruising to a 17-7 victory!
I could not believe what I had just witnessed! And to think, we almost didn't go to this game??!! It would've been the 2nd biggest baseball regret of my in-person ballpark chasing life! If you want to know the first, it has something to do with a walkoff grand slam, a game in which we left early. That was 3 seasons ago and we still don't talk about it in the Daniels household!
I don't know for certain, but that had to be the highest scoring game we've ever been to. At one point, a Phillies fan turned around and asked us how the Brewers were only 2 games above .500! Oh lady, if you only knew about the first 2 months of the season! We were definitely riding that high all night! When you're hot, you're hot!
And this is where history was made as well! Have a look for yourself and what became of their starting pitcher:
Also, my total step count for the day:
Sadly our time in Philly was coming to a close. On Sunday we were up for breakfast at 7am, and on the road by 7:40am! Erin also had a flight back to MSP that day as well. We decided to take the quick way home and bite the bullet on the tolls. We figured half the tolls were better than tolls both ways. I-76 was a straight shot west, which turned into I-70 into Ohio, then I-71 South to Cincy! On the drive home, we were able to cast the Brewers game on my phone and watch them finish the sweep! It was the best way to end the weekend! We got home about a quarter after 4 in the afternoon, which allowed for a relaxing evening and the best nights sleep I got in a while!
"I love the dignity in the name Philadelphia, but at heart, we're Philly" -Lisa Scottoline
