Harrisburg, PA to Mount Laurel, NJ – 3/21/2017
March 21, 2017 (Tuesday)
We got up and drove the few miles to the State Capitol. It was a lovely drive and went close to the river where we saw statues and other fun things.
We figured we would get something to eat on the way or somewhere close to the Capitol. We ended up not finding anything around the Capitol after we found parking so we decided to eat in the cafeteria downstairs – but that didn’t work out either.
Once we got inside, and through the horrible security officer (he was definitely having a bad day or needs to find another job), we went to the tour desk and were told they had a tour starting in about ten minutes. Then the nice lady whispered to us that if we took that tour, there were no school groups. We said we would wait on the food and take the tour.
So glad we decided to hold off on the food because the tour guide, Karen, was excellent. She sure knew her stuff. This Capitol was huge and beautiful – over the top beautiful – stunningly beautiful. It is now my number 2 favorite (Lincoln, Nebraska is still our 1st). The Capitol dome is green on the outside and reminds me of peacock feathers; inside there is gold everywhere; and the murals are huge and lovely. Karen, the guide, took us into the Senate chambers, the Supreme Court, and the House (which was in session and we couldn’t take pictures). I liked that they had “locals” do the murals and statues, and Karen explained how long it took. They even hired a woman to do some art work, which was kinda unheard of because women didn’t even have the right to vote at that time. Very, very beautiful Capitol.
When we were heading down to the cafeteria, we saw a large group of cheerleaders taking photographs near the stairs. I was surprised the grouchy security guard was letting them do their gymnastics (including the one where they go up two or three people in the air) so close to the stairs. It looked very unsafe to me. I figured I couldn’t say anything but I would not want my child doing that.
We got downstairs and it was busy – lots and lots of things going on. I guess it was Pitt Day and they had booths and music and lots of things happening right as you enter the cafeteria. Once inside the cafeteria, they had many choices and lines to go to. Michael and I opted for sandwiches and coffee, very good and not too expensive. As with everywhere else in the Capitol complex, the cafeteria was packed and getting more crowded.
We finished and left to go back upstairs to exit. We got to the grand front doors and exited onto the stairs overlooking the downtown street where we parked. It was at that point that we saw several fire trucks, police cars with their lights flashing, several news vans, and a bus that looked like it had “slumped” to the side and was falling over. The area was roped off and people were being told to leave the area. Apparently there was a sink hole that happened when the bus drove by. Not sure how they were going to get the bus out of there. What a mess.
We left and were able to drive more of the way along the river. So beautiful. Harrisburg is a very cute town. Loved the feel of it.
The drive to our new “home” for the next two nights was a little over 100 miles and took almost two hours. Most of the drive was on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Pretty good roads until we got into Philadelphia. Once into Philadelphia, the potholes and man cover areas were pretty darn bad.
We wanted to stop in Philadelphia on our way to Mount Laurel because when we were in Williamsburg, Virginia at the Duck Donuts, we got to talking to some ladies from Philadelphia and they told us some pretty neat sounding places we should try to see while in Philadelphia. We knew we only had today (and maybe tomorrow if we’re up to it) and wanted to get one out of the way – The Curtis Building. They told us about a Tiffany tile mural inside the building. They were right in that it was so beautiful and so glad we got to see it. Also, The Curtis Building is just a nice building to enjoy and look around.
We got into our “home,” the Wyndham Philadelphia in Mount Laurel, New Jersey. Very large high rise complex with spacious and lovely rooms.
We got settled in and then left to go visit our friends, Beth and John, who lived nearby. We met them from our blog and have enjoyed meeting up with them in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, and then again in Orlando, Florida. Fun people that we enjoy a lot. But first we needed to get a fruit platter and some wine and beer to take (they were cooking pizza). We went to a nearby store and were told they don’t sell liquor. We then had to go to another town and find a liquor store. Got to see quite a bit of the area, which was nice.
We got to John and Beth’s beautiful home and got to spend several hours catching up and eating great food! In addition to the pizza, they had made a wonderful salad and some green beans. Beth had also made a killer cake with some fruit and yogurt. So good. We were totally stuffed.
Hated to leave we were having such a good time but we were tired and Beth had to work the next day. They also gave us some very good tips on hotels and places to eat.
We left and got home around 10:00 PM. That was our day. Hope yours was great!