Philadelphia's Mural Mile, Part Three

Mural Mile of Philadelphia, Part 3:

#12 - Spring

#13 - Theater of Life

#14 - Gimme Shelter

#15 - Crystal Snowscape

#16 - Autumn

#17 - Mapping Courage

Philadelphia's Mural Mile, Part Two

Mural Mile of Philadelphia, Part 2:

#6 - Garden of Delight

#7 - Philadelphia Muses

#8 - Women of Progress

#9 - Pride & Progress

#10 - Taste of Summer

#11 - Mural at Dirty Franks

Philadelphia's Mural Mile - Part One

Spending two weeks in Philadelphia turned out to be such a good idea, as there was so much to see, much of it off the beaten track and not the attractions usually touted in the travel guides.  One such treasure was the walking tour of the Mural Mile, 17 of the city's most iconic murals (out of literally hundreds) arranged along a walking route through downtown Philadelphia's commercial and residential streets.  In most of the pictures I posted, if you look closely, you will see parking lots, cars, other buildings, or actual people reminding you these really are paintings on the outside walls of buildings.  These murals were so beautiful and multi-dimensional you could stare at them for hours, forever picking up a bit of detail you hadn't noticed before.  I've divided the 17 pictures up over the next three posts.  In this first post you will find:

#1 - Legacy

#2 - A People's Progression Towards Equality

#3 - Tree of Knowledge

#4 - Finding Home

#5 - Building the City

Philly PrideDay Parade

Little did we know that when we picked June 12, 2011 to tour downtown Philadelphia, we chose the same day the Gay Pride Parade was scheduled.  No problem, we love a parade!  Instead of trying to find our way out of the fray, we decided to just kick back and enjoy the festivities. And it really was much more than the guys in leather bike shorts, drag queens, and flamboyancy. The Philadelphia Gay Pride Parade also celebrated Family Pride, various religious groups and several political and special interest groups. There were AIDS-related groups, ethnic groups, businesses, and talented performances.  What was really nice was seeing so many people, from so many diverse walks of life, joining together to celebrate a great time, regardless of background or affiliation.

Philadelphia June 2011

No trip to the City of Brotherly Love would be complete without a visit to some of the more famous landmarks, including the original Liberty Bell, the famous LOVE sculpture, the Rocky Statue at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and just enjoying the unique architecture sprinkled throughout the city.  We also took the time to visit Longwood Gardens, a beautiful expanse of flowers, fountains, and rolling green hills.

South Street District, Philadelphia

June 2011 found us in the Philadelphia area where we spent a couple of weeks exploring the many faces of this historic city.  One of the more colorful areas in downtown Philly is known as the South Street District, and had we not struck up a conversation with the cashier in the Rite Aid near our RV Park, we might not have had the pleasure of visiting this most interesting area.

South Street is one of Philadelphia's liveliest and eclectic streets. With over 300 stores and restaurants, visitors and residents, teenagers and adults, preppies and punk rockers, artists and attorneys all mix seamlessly together. The street is always buzzing no matter if you visit on a Tuesday afternoon or a Friday night.  Most stores are independently owned and have similarly minded signage.

Nestled throughout the South Street area is Philadelphia's Magic Gardens, a fully mosaiced indoor gallery and a massive outdoor labyrinthine mosaic sculpture.  Consisting of found objects and contributions from the community, the Gardens cover half a city block with myriads of tile, texture, and color. A walk through the labyrinth reveals sculptures from Latin America and Asia, bicycle wheels, hand-made tiles, and mirrors of every shape and size.

South Street District is a must-see part of Philadelphia.  Here are some pictures that hopefully capture a little of the local flavor.

Oriole Park at Camden Yards (Baltimore, Maryland)

Being on the East Coast, where states and cities are situated close together, it has been easy to stay in one location while visiting various attractions.  Catching a baseball game at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Maryland was a quick drive from our RV Park near Washington D.C. Camden Yards was built on land that once served as the rail yard for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad's Camden Station, and the view from much of the park is dominated by the former rail station warehouse behind the right-field wall. The day we attended the Orioles were playing the Washington Nationals, so it was a game between the neighborhood teams.  Orioles won with a final of 2-1.

Dover, Delaware

While staying in Maryland, to visit the Washington D.C. area, we were also very close to Delaware, so we took advantage of our proximity to visit the capital in Dover.  The capitol building is called the Delaware Legislative Hall, and houses the chambers and offices of the Delaware General Assembly.  We were the only two people there on the day we toured, and we were given the option of a personal guided tour, or wandering on our own, which we ultimately elected to do.  A small but charming building, it seems quite a humble abode for the government of "The First State" - the first of the 13 original states to ratify the U.S. Constitution.

Washington D.C, Part 6 - Miscellaneous Shots