Road Trip to Philly

My girlfriend Christine and her family invited me and munch to Philly last month. I was so ecstatic (probably too much) that I agreed because I wasn’t driving. I was riding. Now, the disclaimer. My girlfriend has two 5-year-old twins and a 1-year-old. So, three kids of her own and munch, her husband and me. Yippee!

We mapped out our plan of things we would do:

• We would see the Rocky Statue at the Philadelphia Museum of Art
• See the Liberty Bell
• Visit Independence Hall
• Get cheesesteaks
• And anything else we had time for

Everything was scheduled and my girlfriend sends me a text to say that she would be at my house by 8:30 am on Saturday. Okay, cool. I got up at 6 am to get myself together. I started cleaning, doing laundry and fixing munch breakfast. I wake him up at 7 am because it takes him 45 minutes to an hour to eat breakfast and I don’t want them to wait on us. Munch complains and says that he’s not hungry because he knows it is Saturday and I don’t usually wake him. I tell him about our trip and he gets excited and says, “I get to see the twins.” “Yep” I replied. He eats.

I get him dressed and it’s 8 am. I tell him he can go into his room and play until they arrive and begin to vacuum and fold clothes. It’s about 9:30 and I’m getting tired. I decided to shower and get dressed so that I can be ready to walk outside when they pull up. My girlfriend was texting her apologies and I told her no worries because as I told munch, “It’s 3 of them and 1 one of you. It takes a lot less time.”

She pulls up and munch and I are waiting outside. It’s now a little after 10:00 am. We hop in their beautiful mini-van and head to Philly. Philly is normally a 2 hour trip from my house. However, we made a couple of stops and didn’t get there until after 2 pm. Traffic sucked major butt. A four-hour trip for something that normally takes two hours was not a good thing.

But, the kids were good. Actively playing and my munch was working my last nerves. Her kids were awesome. Why? Because munch isn’t used to being around other children and he feels the need to tattle when he doesn’t get his way. It was a lot of tattling! Sigh.

Due to the delayed time, our first stop was to the Philadelphia Museum of Art to see the Rocky statue which was awesome, but the parking situation wasn’t. We parked behind the museum and paid $36.00. We didn’t know. We were truly tourists. It was so hot so we took a couple of pictures and let the kids play in the fountain across from the museum. It’s now after 3 pm and we’re all getting hungry. Christine’s friends (who live outside of Philadelphia) suggested that we go to the Reading Market Terminal for lunch. Lots of choices and good food.

We agreed and headed over there. We found a great parking lot in Chinatown for $7.00 and went to eat. By this time it was almost 4 pm and I told Christine that the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall may close at 5 pm. We were disappointed, but being parents we knew the kids had to eat first. We went in and loved it. If you’ve never been, you should definitely check it out. Lots of good food and restaurant choices plus independent shops selling everything including books, chocolate, cookies, etc. There’s even a farmer’s market inside.

We all ate and then decided we were exhausted. It was after 6 pm and the kids were getting antsy. So, we headed back to the car to get back down the road. But, not before we decided to head over and get our cheesesteaks from Campo’s and Sonny’s because they are a couple of stores away from each other on Market Street. I prefer Sonny’s, but suggested that they try one from each and decide which they prefer. They preferred Campo’s.

We head back south and the kids fall asleep which brings a few minutes of peace and quiet. I love road trips and I love hanging with my girl and her family. Even though I threatened to slit my writs with a rusty nail file, I can’t imagine munch and I not having them around. Our next trip will hopefully be a camping one to Jellystone National Reserve. Before you get it twisted…it will be a log cabin with wi-fi and a waterpark for the kids. Not a tent on the ground. LOL!

Ah the joys of parenting!