It wasn’t about losing weight. It was about doing something, anything that was new and out of the ordinary. You see its easy to become predictable and ordinary. Well this year was going to be different. This was the year I was finally going to learn to play the guitar and shed those thirty pounds that had become attached to my mid section. I would even learn another language. By God I was going to do things this year that would make a difference, cause a stir, and make my friends, and my kids take notice.

My plan was to jog the length of Penns Landing for fourty days. I had picked forty days from a story in the bible. Those of you who haven’t been to Penns Landing its one of Philadelphia’s well kept secrets. Its Located along the Delaware River, just North of Washington Avenue and Columbus blvd.. Its the same river George Washington crossed to beat the pants out of the British in the war of 1776. Well actually the Hashings, but  that’s another story. Penns landing offers plenty of parking which in and of its self is special considering the difficulty finding parking in Philadelphia. The view of the river and the fresh breeze coupled with the flat terrain make for an easy run or bike ride. An added plus was the security that Penns landing afforded, it was a perfect fit…Parking , view, security, and fun.

Day one I arrived early, it was still dark and the sun hadn’t kissed the sky yet. I would start at the Chart House Restaurant which I remembered with fondness from many excellent diners.
It sat along the rivers edge and afforded romantic views of river life for diners to enjoy.
Only a few short steps and you were greeted by the “Spirit of Philadelphia” a modern vessel which afforded all of the amenities to those more daring who wished to cruise upon the waters of the Delaware while being pampered with dancing and fine cuisine. But the real land mark that took your imagination to far off places was the famous   floating restaurant and historic ship the”Musulu”which catered to all the pleasures of the gentry along with offering great Sunday brunch specials. I hadn’t even broken into a jog and I was already hungry.

As I moved along the pathway the sea gulls greeted me with a cheer and off across the Delaware along the Jersey side I could see the silhouette of the Battle ship New Jersey.  I made a mental note to take a trip across in the ferry and visit her this summer. As my journey proceeded Northward I passed several vessels with stories of their own. There was the World War 11 submarine “Bacuna” which had operated in wolf packs in the South Pacific during the war. Lying not twenty paces from her was the Flag ship of Admiral Dewey from yet another long ago war. They both now were part of the Penns Landing Nautical museum which made for yet another reason to visit this part of the City. The museum building housed many and varied displays along with a gift shop and catering for corporate events.

The air was cool and I was making good time as the sun peeked up from its sleep affording me with a pink crimson delight. In the back of my mind I remembered the sailors saying. ‘Red sky at night, sailor’s delight, red sky in the morning, sailors warning. A head of me was the only other person that I had seen on my first run. He was a short swat man pulling a crate with wheels, he was poorly dressed and had but one arm and garnered an eye patch, his head he covered with a seamen s wool cap. Thoughts of black beard and treasure Island raised through my head as I slowly gained on him. It was a delight to find that the Blue Cross Blue Shield ice skating ring had been moved and was now located adjacent to the nautical museum. I loved the thought of skating alone and welcoming the morning but this would be another day. The “Pirate” which I referred to the one arm one eyed man had gained on me and I was determined to catch him and strike up a conversation if it pleased him. After a bit I ran along side and took the opportunity to blister a greeting, “Good morning” “Eye that it is Captain”, was his curt but friendly reply.”She looks like were going to be getting a bit of weather,” he continued. After a bit I learned that he was a volunteer crew member on the tall ship Gazela which was docked at the far Northern end of the Penns Landing docks. It was a real Tall ship, which had been used to fish in the grand banks out in the north Atlantic when men of steal sailed wooden ships; and I was cordially invited to visit plus if I wished I could become a crew member and sail this summer. I had found it and on my first day. No longer would I watch life I would live it. I crossed the gang plank of fear and boarded the ship along side “the Pirate.”

the end.

It wasn’t about losing weight. It was about doing something, anything that was new and out of the ordinary. You see its easy to become predictable and ordinary. Well this year was going to be different. This was the year I was finally going to learn to play the guitar and shed those thirty pounds that had become attached to my mid section. I would even learn another language. By God I was going to do things this year that would make a difference, cause a stir, and make my friends, and my kids take notice. My plan was to jog the length of Penns Landing for fourty days. I had picked forty days from a story in the bible. Those of you who haven’t been to Penns Landing its one of Philadelphia’s well kept secrets. Its Located along the Delaware River, just North of Washington Avenue and Columbus blvd.. Its the same river George Washington crossed to beat the pants out of the British in the war of 1776. Well actually the Hashings, but  that’s another story. Penns landing offers plenty of parking which in and of its self is special considering the difficulty finding parking in Philadelphia. The view of the river and the fresh breeze coupled with the flat terrain make for an easy run or bike ride. An added plus was the security that Penns landing afforded, it was a perfect fit…Parking , view, security, and fun. Day one I arrived early, it was still dark and the sun hadn’t kissed the sky yet. I would start at the Chart House Restaurant which I remembered with fondness from many excellent diners. It sat along the rivers edge and afforded romantic views of river life for diners to enjoy. Only a few short steps and you were greeted by the “Spirit of Philadelphia” a modern vessel which afforded all of the amenities to those more daring who wished to cruise upon the waters of the Delaware while being pampered with dancing and fine cuisine. But the real land mark that took your imagination to far off places was the famous   floating restaurant and historic ship the”Musalu” which catered to all the pleasures of the gentry along with offering great Sunday brunch specials. I hadn’t even broken into a jog and I was already hungry. As I moved along the pathway the sea gulls greeted me with a cheer and off across the Delaware along the Jersey side I could see the siluate of the Battle ship New Jersey.  I made a mental note to take a trip across in the ferry and visit her this summer. As my journey proceeded Northward I passed several vessels with stories of their own. There was the World War 11 submarine “Bacuna” which had operated in wolf packs in the South Pacific during the war. Lying not twenty paces from her was the Flag ship of Admiral Dewey from yet another long ago war. They both now were part of the Penns Landing Nautical museum which made for yet another reason to visit this part of the City. The museum building housed many and varied displays along with a gift shop and catering for corporate events. The air was cool and I was making good time as the sun peeked up from its sleep affording me with a pink crimson delight. In the back of my mind I remembered the sailors saying. ‘Red sky at night, sailor’s delight, red sky in the morning, sailors warning. A head of me was the only other person that I had seen on my first run. He was a short swat man pulling a crate with wheels, he was poorly dressed and had but one arm and garnered an eye patch, his head he covered with a seamen s wool cap. Thoughts of black beard and treasure Island raised through my head as I slowly gained on him. It was a delight to find that the Blue Cross Blue Shield ice skating ring had been moved and was now located adjacent to the nautical museum. I loved the thought of skating alone and welcoming the morning but this would be another day. The Pirate which I referred to the one arm one eyed man had gained on me and I was determined to catch him and strike up a conversation if it pleased him. After a bit I ran along side and took the opportunity to blister a greeting, “Good morning” “Eye that it is Captain”, was his curt but friendly reply. “She looks like were going to be getting a bit of weather.”he continued. After a bit I learned that he was a volunteer crew member on the tall ship Gazela which was docked at the far Northern end of the Penns Landing docks. It was a real Tall ship, which had been used to fish in the grand banks out in the north Atlantic when men of steal sailed wooden ships; and I was cordially invited to visit plus if I wished I could become a crew member and sail this summer. I had found it and on my first day. No longer would I watch life I would live it. I crossed the gang plank of fear and boarded the ship along side the Pirate.

Thanks to the “Respect for the Founder” law that probhibited any buildings from being built higher than the brim of Billy Penn’s hat atop City Hall until the 1980’s, Philadelphia has something of a diminutive skyline for one of the biggest cities in the nation.  But that tendancy to build lower to the ground has enabled people to get some great sightlines for photographs, sketches, sightseeing, or just simple quiet contemplation - views that would require climbing to the top of behemoths like the Empire State building to get in New York and other cities.  Here’s are some of the best spots to look down across the City of Brotherly Love from above.  Of course, there are many others, most notably from inside the Zoo Balloon at the Philly Zoo when it reaches its height of 400 feet in the air, and (guess what?) one of the many parking garages in and around old city - hey, there’s no cover and you have a roof to yourself six or seven stories high - but these are what I’d call the best of the best.

1. The Observation Deck at City Hall -  The obvious choice?  Perhaps.  But still enthralling.  The geographic center of William Penn’s city offers great panoramic views facing North, West, and South Philly, as well as out towards the Delaware, from right under Mr. Penn himself (the best view might actually be looking straight up in awe at the nearly 40 foot tall statue). Closed weekends, and on weekdays you need a reservation at the offices in the East courtyard tunnel at the base of the building, so the biggest drawback here is definitely the hassle.  Still, upon taking the elevator up through the clock tower, you’ll understand what all the fuss is about.  Try getting reservations as early after 9:30 AM weekdays as possible; they book quickly, but are free.  With the Noon tour you get to go up afterward, but be warned:  while interesting, the tour takes 2 hours.

2.  Belmont Plateau -  “Back in Philly there’s a place called the Plateau” native Will Smith once professed about this West Philadelphia greenspace that’s home to many a barbeque in the Summertime.  Part of the draw no doubt is the picture-perfect view of the entire skyline from this high point in Fairmount Park, gorgeous anytime of year.  In addition to the old Inquirer building and Liberties one and two, the tallest buildings in the city, you should be able to pick out from here the statues atop the entrance gate to the 1876 Centential Exhibition held just down the hill, not to mention the brand new Cyra building, shimmering (on a clear day) in the sunshine.  Climb the hill towards the Belmont Mansion and turn to face most of the city.  Fire up the grill too if you feel like it.  Plenty here open to the public.

3.  The Benjamin Franklin Bridge -  No one way to tackle this one.  Driving over is nice if your a passenger; otherwise be careful and watch the road instead.  Try walking or riding over if you’re feeling ambitious.  The path is open until about six PM daily, with compelling views of the grittier sides of North Philly and Camden.  Know that the wind can get pretty fierce though some days, and riding up to the crest of that mile-long bridge is no easy feat.  Highly recommended is the Hi-speed Line trains, both as a vantage point and as a way to access the Aquarium, Entertainment Center, battleship, and ballfield on the Camden waterfront.  For a few bucks roundtrip, hop into the very front seat of the front car on the train and look out through a wraparound window at the mighty Delaware and the two cities on either side of it from atop one of the biggest bridges in the country.  A secret few know about, this one.

4.  Top Floor of the Kimmel Center -  Not everyone’s aware that atop the smaller concert hall within the new state-of-the-art Kimmel Center on South Broad Street, there’s a small patio with real trees planted indoors under the beautiful skylight.  Looking out through this skylight is a wonderful 360’s shot of the city in a comfortable temperature any time of year, with especially good looks at the Southern end of town, all the way to the stadium complex.  Best to go before, rather than after, your concert though.  The glare from the lights at night makes visablity nearly impossible after sundown.  Luckily the elevator to level four is open up to the public every day.  If its not Monday, take the free tour of the building at 1 PM while your at it, time permitting.  Its well worth the hour, meeting at the information desk six days a week.

5.  The Art Museum -  Climbing the scores of steps that seperate Eakins Oval and the end of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway from the beautiful Philadelphia Museum of Art may be the indisputable mark of a tourist, but turn around after an ascent and you might see why Stallone chose this location to film such a well-known scene.  This perspective of City Hall and the building surrounding is probably the best one in town at Sunset on a clear day, with great photo opportunities.  Of course, just around the South edge of the museum, you can look down from an old restored 19th century gazebo onto a recently cleaned up bank of the Schulkyll River and the just-restored historic waterworks, in all there Greek Revival glory, not to mention boathouse row just beyond it.