Once Jordan arrived, we headed down to Reading Market in downtown Philadelphia for lunch. We walked through the aisles first, taking in all the sights and smells.
After we had walked the entire market, we each picked food and sat down to enjoy lunch. I had a homemade pretzel dog, Callie had been looking forward to grilled cheese with the fresh cheeses they had to offer, while Jordan selected a Reuben sandwich. It was all so fresh and tasty.
Nestled among the new, architecture of downtown, is the historic district of Philadelphia. The lines were long and appointments for the main attraction (Independence Hall) were hard to come by, so instead, we did our own walking tour of the area, using Jordan as our tour guide (with the assistance of an online tour he found).
Along the way, we saw the outside of Independence Hall . . .
Ben Franklin's house (well, a conceptualized rendering of it since it no longer exists) . . .
historic Christ Church, which is Known as "The Nation's Church" because of the famous Revolutionary-era leaders who worshiped here. It was the first parish of the Church of England (Anglican) in Pennsylvania. It is also the birthplace of the American Episcopal Church.
Did you know that they actually buried people inside the church?? Me either.
and Betsy Ross's house
Our feet finally grew weary and we knew we needed to head back to change clothes and freshen up for the Graduation dinner that night. It was again held at the Eastern library and was a night to relax and enjoy with the urban studies graduates and their families.
Through a comparison of the ideals held by the Timberland shoe company, the head of the Urban Studies Department challenged each graduate to go forth and put the principles emphasized by Eastern University.
Each graduate was given a personal blessing and challenge by the faculty member closest to them.
It was very touching and such a cool thing to witness how well these leaders had gotten to know their students.
and gifts presented to their faculty.
The Eastern University chaplain shared a Franciscan blessing as the benediction. I had never heard it before, but I don't want to forget it.
the Liberty Bell . . .
The Tomb of an Unknown Revolutionary Soldier . . .
We saw the Cemetery of Christ Church where Ben Franklin and his wife are buried. . .
As a parting gift, and a way to remember these values, each student was given a pair of Timberland hiking boots in their size! Afterwards, there were lots of photo ops . . .
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So glad there was a part two... although makes me totally wish I had been there, too!
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