The Philadelphia Story - Completed 2/18 About This Page:

[BostonTeaParty]

AMISH WOMEN AND MISTER WHISKIE!!!

When we left off, we were hanging out in our hotel room, gabbing and gossiping, when Tara suddenly appeared wearing her new shower cap and sleep mask. This was so out of left field and unexpected, you can imagine how funny it was! It was then we learned from Tara about the little gift bags from the hotel with lavender scent, and a relaxation cd. Now I gather this was only for the folks in the "quiet zone." I'm wondering what guests of the hotel in other "zones" may have received? Anyway, we were itching to get outside and see a bit of the town. But before we headed out, Tara called "Goofymom Donna" from our room, just to say hi! We all just get such a kick out of her, I thought it was an awesome idea. After a brief conversation, which basically we all could hear, we all yelled "HI DONNA!!!!!!!" and then we were ready to hit the town.

For the remainder of the afternoon we took a walking tour. We stopped in the Hard Rock Cafe, where I picked out a new Hard Rock pin to add to my small collection. Marie got a cute top for Jennie, which I just know she is going to love. I want to say Janine got something too, but my memory isn't cooperating right now. I'll have to get back to you on this. Tara was searching all over the place for a pink "Eagles" cap. We tried a few places with no luck, when finally, we found a street vendor selling them. Marie and I decided to get them too. We figured they would go great with our "Pats" tops. How to be ambiguous and totally confuse people, eh? Tara did mention to the hat vendor that we were from Boston and New Hampshire, you should have seen this guy's face. It was priceless! First he looked astonished, then this great big grin spread across his face as we put our Eagles caps on. "God bless you" I believe, was what he said to us. That smile was infectious. We couldn't help but smile back and wish him and his team well.

From there we headed over to the Reading Terminal Market. I have only three words for this place: "FAB - U - LOUS!! I would describe this place as similar to Boston's Faneuil Hall market place. This place had every type of food you could imagine, and probably some you couldn't. They also had - and I'm not kidding - butchers, bakers, and candle stick makers. Everything looked so fresh I wish I could have spent a LOT more time there. I'm kicking myself for not buying some beeswax candles. I wish I had more time to spend looking at all the beeswax products. I'm fascinated by bees (from a distance of course). I have a friend who lives on Cape Cod who became a beekeeper. Whoops, I'm getting sidetracked again! I stopped at an Amish craft stand. I knew immediately that I must have one of their beautiful potholders. They look like a quilt square, and the handiwork is impecable! They also had small cookbooks, which I collect, so I decided I would get one of those too. But since we had so many other shops to investigate I made the decision to buy the Amish items on the way out, in case I wanted to buy other stuff and not have to carry it all around with me. That was a big mistake on my part. Why? All will be revealed eventually gentle reader. I think at this point Tara needed to use the ladies room. We found one and as we walked up to it, I saw my first ever Amish person. I am such a rube! I whispered to the others "look! an Amish lady!" It's one thing to see Kelly McGillis play one in a movie (Witness), but to be standing in the company of a real live, honest-to-goodness Amish person in frock and cap, well, I was really excited. I thought it was so cool, and I now have to go back to Pennsylvania to visit Amish country! While we waited for Tara I was mentioning to the others about how trim the figures were of the Amish girls, due, in my estimation, to the fact they don't eat all the processed food and junk that we do. Someone pointed out, I can't remember who, that there are various sects of Amish, with varying degrees of strictness, and then there are the Menonites. So I got the Amish 101 speed course. Right about then, to completely discredit my theory on Amish eating habits, a rather chubby girl walked by holding a can of coke! Oh well, we're not all so different, are we. So on we went, looking in various shops at all the lovely items. We stopped at a gourmet kitchen shop called "Fosters." I just had to stop in there as cooking is one of my favorite things to do. This shop was fantastic for the person who loves to cook. I walked around savoring everything, but the item that caught my eye, and made me laugh out loud, was Mr. Whiskie!!! A smallish whisk, attached to a smiling egg (the handle), I just had to have him as a souvenir of this trip. I'm sure the other gals thought I was nuts (I am), but it's the little things that make me happy. Mr. Whiskie, I am happy to say occupies the honorable position of the top of my breadbox in the kitchen. I see him every morning, and it makes me smile every day remembering our visit to Reading Terminal Market. Okay! It was time to move on. Before we left I ran over to the Amish craft stall to pick up my potholder and cookbook (gotta try shoofly pie afterall), and...it was closed!!! Whaaaaaaaaat? Noooooo, this can't be! How can all the other shops still be open, and the Amish not? It was only like, 4 o'clock. I was so dejected! I think Tara couldn't stop laughing at me. Well, just another reason why I have to pay a return visit to Philly. We started walking back towards our hotel, and on the way we took a bunch of pictures at a plaza that had these really cool, giant-sized game pieces. Tara and Marie were using the timer feature on their cameras so they could run over and jump in the picture with all of us. It was hilarious! We posed in front of all kinds of chess pieces, Monopoly pieces and I can't remember what all. Oh yes, we did pass a very unusual sculpture of - get this - a GIANT clothespin! Philly is a very arts oriented city, and I just loved all the sculptures, and artwork that surrounded us. But now it was time to get back to the hotel to clean up for our girl's night out. We had dinner reservations for 7:30 that evening at an Italian restaurant. A couple of drinks might be on the menu too.

Coming up: CORONAS AND RALPHS

[OffKilter_Lynn]

Come on, Nancy! They need a picture of Mr. Whiskie!

[img]http://smileys.*************.com/cat/3/3_13_8.gif[/img]

[JoanW]

I have to laugh, Rachel got a Mr. Whiskie for Christmas and we hung him on the tree. I think I may have stored him with the ornaments. I guess I have to go save him!

[Tara O'Hara]

Well, Donna said that she was thrilled to hear from us, but could hardly understand me because everyone was giggling so much!! I also wanted to add that Lynn did not wear her shoes next door, so on the way back to our room, she made me take mine off to feel how weird the carpet was!! If people had seen us in the hall, they would've thought we were nuts!!

Sad to say, I did not get a picture of Mr Whiskie! Nancy also forgot to mention that she called me from outside the bathroom while I was in there! The Reading Terminal Market is indeed a really cool place to take visitors. It is very impressive and if anyone else ever gets over here, you should put it on your to do list! It's loads of fun!

Here are some more pics from our adventures of the afternoon! I d jumping in the photos!!


Marie, Me and Nancy


Nancy, Lynn, Marie, Janine and Me!

[crystalloubear]

That is so funny!! We see Amish people all the time and think nothing of it. Wait until you visit Lancaster County in the heart of the PA Dutch and see the kids rollerblading off a cable attached to a horse and buggy!!
Gee, I was sure that Mr. Whiskie was gonna have something to do with Tara's "illness" on Sunday!! Glad to hear it was something cooler!!
Can't wait for the next installment - you are sooooo good at this TR stuff.

[GoofyMom]

Aw, Nancy, that's so sad the Amish store was closed! I hope you get back there someday to pick up those special Amish items! Good thing you found Mr. Whiskie!

That phonecall was so much fun! All I could hear was a LOT of giggling, something about Tara picking up a guy in the bar and mothering him - but it was ok because he was a construction worker and wasn't driving home and a huge "HI DONNA!" Let me just say I was soooo wishing I could have been there too because it sounds like you had a blast! (of course, after finding out about that case of PassPorteritis, I'm happy enough I couldn't go! )

Hurry back with the details of that evening! <I need to find me an 'impatient' smilie!>

[luvnwdwgal]

Nancy, my DH and I visit Amish country alot, we live about 60 minutes away. I love their horse and buggy parking lots! Hope you're able to get back there someday and buy your goodies! I think Mr. Whiskie sounds very cute!
Can't wait for the next update!! Hurry!!

[loobyoxlip]

Oh, you teases! Where is Saturday NIGHT?!?

Nancy, when I worked on Mackinac Island there were tons of Amish that came there. There are no cars allowed on Mackinac Island, only horse drawn vehicles.

[FanOfMickey]

Sorry guys, have not been on the boards much this week. After being sick Sunday nite and Monday, I started to come down with a cold Tuesday nite Not a good week for me unfortunatly.
Nancy, I did not get anything at Hard Rock, I just kept knocking things over on the counter lol. I went to get a pamplet from the counter and the whole container of them fell over, as I was picking those up, I knocked over the display of mints they had lol I could not get away from that counter fast enough lol.

[DrDolphin]

[ QUOTE ]
That's a lovely picture!! Which I richly deserve after putting you through that night with me!

[/ QUOTE ]

Uhhh - Lynn - is there something I should know about being Tara's roomie??????

[wdwlovers]

I just got caught up! I am sooooo jealous! You ladies look like you had an awesome time!! Can't wait to read more!!

[JoanW]

Oh Terri, Scott is sooo tall!

[chezp]

Nancy, you are such a great storyteller - I am loving every word of this. In particular, I could just picture the look on that street vendor's face!

And if the Reading Terminal Market is like Boston's Faneuil Hall market place, then I can't wait to visit that when we come to Boston!

I love those photos Tara - it brings back lots of fond memories of our visit.

[Luv2plan]

Just caught up with this TR - sooo fun & funny

Looking forward to more!! You ladies know how to have fun!!

[CRCrazy]

Okay guys - Sorry it took me so long! It's been a crazy week home - I got in at 1:30 Monday morning, and by Monday night, developed quite a case of Passporteritis!

So - here's my additions!!

We planned to fly out Saturday morning from Manchester, and I had one additional detail to take care of before we left - I had an 8 year old girl to deliver to her aunt's house! Since Sarah had a basketball tournament that weekend - she planned to play in her game Friday night, and then go to her aunt's VERY early Saturday morning. Well - Sarah also had a game on Thursday - and she broke her middle finger on her right hand. NOO basketball game for her!!! I was going to let her cheer her team on from the bench, but she was raring to go see her favorite cousins! We booked home from school and threw some stuff into our duffle bags (I took the WDW one!!!), and off we went! Unfortunately - in my hasty packing - I left Tara's birthday card out of her gift bag - It's on my kitchen counter!!

This is only important to the trip report because I made a quick stop at the Mall at Rockingham, much to Sarah's chagrin. I needed Foo for my trip!! For those of you who are recently arrived Passporters - Foo is a specially chosen fragrance of bath products specific to your trip, Nate, aka Aerobics, started the trend in his NASTEE trip report, which I believe NancyW bumped up for the uninitiated! I went to Bath and Body Works, and stocked up on a yummy citrusy scent - Mango Mandarin - which will feature in a future installment!

Anyway - Foo bought - I delivered my baby to her aunt, and spent the night to get to the airport nice and early the next day.

Bright and early Saturday morning - aka 4:30 am - (I couldn't sleep - too excited!!) I printed out our boarding passes - Yay! The Coveted A's! I had pm'd Janine and Nancy, asking them to meet me by the Moose near the Southwest counter. We always meet here - and I'd never noticed that HE was anatomically correct...sorry guys - I didn't get a picture. I'd forgotten that I put my camera into my pocket for easy access - TILL the buzzer went off on the scanner! Of course - Nancy hadn't flown recently, so she was all worried about taking off shoes,etc, and yep - I was the one that beeped!!!

Well - you've heard all about the flight - and how we met up with Tara and Lynn outside the baggage claim area! It really just felt like saying hello to two old friends - not to people who I've never met!! We happily gabbed all the way into Philly, and Nancy & I noticed that the city of Philadelphia has the most unusual art all over the place! I think that was the thing that got me most about this beautiful city. On every corner - there are just all kinds of funky murals, mosaics, statues, etc - for no apparent reason!

We pulled up onto a little side street and parked the Suburban - and I got a picture of Tara's Passportermobile - PRE May 5th (It's even the right bumper!!!)
little did I know....


Well - I've gotta go take Sarah to dance and basketball now - but when I get back - It's off to Pat's King of Steaks, complete with pictures!