Ever driven 4 hours for a Philly Cheesesteak?

We have!

To be honest... we didn't decide that we were going until 10:00 pm on Friday. We tossed the idea around 2 weeks ago, but I was the "voice of reason" telling Zeke how we really need to relax, get ready for visitors, save some $$ for the upcoming move {more on that later}. I also said it's ridiculous to drive 4 states to eat, sight see, and bike ride for 24 hours only.

Something must have bit me Friday, because I was suddenly hell bent on going. My poor husband {and my best friends/family} know that once I get an idea in my head, there's no turning back. The fact that Zeke was able to do a cool ride in in PA helped by case juuuuuust a tad ;)

We woke up, worked out, threw clothes in a bag, and left Virginia around noon on Saturday. Donna {our GPS} said we would be there at 3:00. Ha! 4 states, 4 hours, and several curse words later, we fought the traffic and finally made it to Philly in one piece. Since I uploaded the pics on Facebook already, I'll post the highlights:

First stop- grub.

Highly recommended by Zeke's Philly co-workers

As seen on MVF and Throwdown with Bobby Flay

Classic cheesesteak with Whiz, Onions, Hot Peppers

Second Stop: Old City

Liberty Bell
Fun fact: the crack was caused by trying to fix a tiny imperfection!

Independence Hall:
Room where Declaration of Independence was signed

Ben Franklin's grave

Oldest bar in the US, burned down and re-built.

Presidential Beer Sampler

Saturday night: Bar

Jameson and Pickle Juice- a Philly delicacy  

Sunday: Brunch at The Continental

Best. Brunch. Ever.

Love Park on JFK:

Last Stop: Philadelphia Museum of Art for Rocky Pics

Rocky photo

Skyline kissy pic

And there you have it! Our 24 hours rendezvous in PA. Overall impression? Cool historical stops, but more homeless people than I've ever seen in my life, it's dirty, and it smells like a zoo. Then again, we only saw a few parts of town, and I'm not one to judge, so I'm excited to give it a whirl when we plan more than one night in advance. The cheesesteak and eggs benedict made it totally worth the trip, though.