#153: Barnes Foundation (Page 700; Listed as Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Barnes Foundation in 2nd Ed, pg 862)

July 9, 2014

The entrance of The Barnes Foundation

The grounds....

The Still Lifes of Paul Cezanne are currently on exhibit until September 22, 2014

It includes 69 works by Cezanne.

In addition to the Cezanne pieces, the Foundation houses 181 works by Renoir, 60 by Matisse and 44 by Picasso.  van Gogh, Degas, Corot, Seurat, Monet, Manet, Goya and El Greco also have pieces of their art on display.  

The Barnes Foundation was established in 1922 and is named after its founder, Dr. Albert C. Barnes.  

There are a total of 23 galleries divided between two floors.  

Hours:  10am - 6pm

Admission:  $22/adults, $10/students, Free Children 0-5

Tip: Free admission is offered on the first Sunday of every month.

Verdict:  This is an impressive museum with many works from many famous artists.  And I'm sure it is a Must Do for artists and art enthusiasts alike.  But for me, who is neither, while a beautiful museum I can appreciate, it is NOT a must-do before you die!

#136: Philadelphia Flower Show (Page 700)

The Philadelphia Flower Show is the World's largest indoor flower show.  It is held for one week (typically the beginning of March) once a year in the Philadelphia Convention Center and is full of beautiful displays like this one.

Each year, there is a different theme.  This year it was entitled "Brilliant" and had a British theme.

The main entrance to the show

The Royal Crown bursting with flowers

My 6-week old baby, Ella and I soaking enjoying the Sunflowers

Verdict:  No.  Definitely not something you need to do before you die.  My husband and I kept walking around thinking we were missing something because neither one of us were getting all that excited about, well, anything.  It was rather underwhelming for both of us.  The cost was $27/adult (if you purchase your tickets in advance online) or $32 if purchased at the door.  Definitely not worth the money, in our opinion.  Maybe if you are passionately involved with flowers/horticulture as a hobby or for a living, it would be worth doing, but not otherwise.  Although, I suspect many people may disagree with me since the place was packed!

#105: Gettysburg National Military Park and Cemetery (Page 698, 2nd Ed pg 859)

June 13, 2011. I have lived just 71 miles from Gettysburg for the past 6 years, and yet, I have never been there..... until today. Here we (me with my 3 kids, ages 4, 2 1/2, 7 months) are at the entrance of the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitor Center. This is a brand new, beautiful building. I highly recommend starting your Gettysburg experience here. After purchasing tickets ($10.50 for adults, $9.50 for Seniors age 65 and over, $6.50 for Youth 6-18 Free for kids 5 and under), you can see a 20 minute video "New Birth of Freedom" in a beautiful theatre followed by viewing the amazing Cyclorama Painting. There is also a Museum in here with interactive exhibits and a "Refreshment Saloon" that includes Civil War-era food on the menu.

The train station where Lincoln arrived, 4 months after the Battle of Gettysburg, to give his famous speech, dedicating the field as a "final resting place..."

The David Wills House. This is where Lincoln was when he put the final touches on his Gettysburg Address and where he stayed the night before giving the Address.

The plaque commemorating the sight of where Lincoln's Address was given.

Verdict: When I came home tonight, my husband asked me whether or not I thought this really should be one of the "1000 Things to do Before You Die." My answer: "Yes. IF you are an American. I don't necessarily think this battlefield is a place you have to see if you don't live in America and have no ties to America. BUT, if you do, it's a must see. It has such significance in our history.

#78: Independence National Historical Park (Page 702, 2nd Ed pg 861)

Update: June 16, 2011. It has been 3 1/2 years since I last visited Philadelphia and about 3 1/2 decades since my parents had, so we decided to head to Phili for a day trip during their visit out here last week and there were a few things I learned. First of all, I would definitely visit Congress Hall. This was a building Dave and I saw from the outside during our 2007 visit, but never bothered to go inside for the tour. It's about a 20-30 minute free tour that doesn't require tickets. It was very interesting and I found it very cool to be sitting in the building where the original Congress and Senate for the United States met for the first 10 years of our country's existance.
Something else we only saw from the outside during our 2007 visit was the Betsy Ross Home. This time, we paid the $4 admission (for adults; only $3 for Seniors age 55 and over) and did the self-guided tour. Worth the $4, in my opinion, especially if Betsy Ross happens to be home making one of her flags!
And another thing we missed the first time around was the Philisophical Society, housed right next to Independence Hall. There is a requested $1 donation. At first, it seemed a little boring when I walked in, but then this document was pointed out to me. The document in and of itself is not important. It is just a letter describing an intended journey of a researcher, which never actually occurred. However, several prominent men signed this document along with the amount of money they pledged to help fund the trip. Four of those men were George Washington, Jon Adams, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. It is the only document in the world that exists with the signatures of the first four Presidents of the United States. And the original document is in the Philisophical Society Building. Pretty cool.

Another Tip: In 2007, we just walked right into the Visitors Center, got our free ticket for Independence Hall and went on our way. I checked out a current Fodor's Guide from the library right before this trip. It haphazardly mentioned that the free Independence Hall tickets were available at the Visitors Center as well as by calling a toll free number or going online. They did not suggest getting the tickets in advance or make any mention of tickets "selling out." So, I didn't worry about it. Big mistake. We got to Phili by 11:30 and all the tickets had already been distributed for the day. The woman told me they were all distributed by 10:30 that day and that is fairly common. So....... my advice to you is this: Get your tickets in advance! They can be reserved up to a year in advance.

October 2007: Dave, Lacey and I traveled to Philadelphia and saw all the sights. Here I am with Lacey in the Bjorn in front of Independence Hall, the place where the Declaration of Independence was voted on and signed on July 4, 1776. This is also the place where the Articles of Confederation were adopted in 1778. You do need to get tickets to tour this building, but tickets are free of charge.
The Betsy Ross House

Benjaman Franklin's burial site

George Washington Monument

Verdict: If you're American, this is an absolute must. Just to be in the same places where all these great men, our founding fathers, lived, conversed and laid the foundation for this great nation is an amazing experience.

#77: Philly Food (Page 701, 2nd Ed pg 863)

October 2007: I had a conferance in Philadelphia, so I brought my husband and my 8-month old daughter along for the ride. And as long as we were there.... we decided to check out the food! Here we are with our cheesesteak.
Two of "Philly's best" mentioned in 1000 Places To See Before You Die are Pat's Steaks...

and "Pat's archival" located across the street, Geno's.

Verdict: I honestly don't see what all the fuss is about. Now, admittedly, "Philly Food" is much more than just the cheesesteak, so maybe that's something you feel you need to experience before you die. But I, for one, am not much of a "foodie" and the cheesesteak was fine, but not something I needed to do before I die!

#10: Pennsylvania Dutch Country (pg 699, 2nd Ed pg 860)

A couple weeks ago, a friend came to visit me from Seattle. As I was telling her about the sights to see in the area, she immediately got excited when I told her I lived within driving distance of "Amish Country." I had been here once before, but it was over 10 years ago, so I was excited to go back! The Amish live all over Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, but we spent the bulk of our time in 2 towns: Bird-In-Hand and Intercourse. Here we are about to take a ride in an Amish buggy throughout the Amish farms and land. These are available for $10 per person.

And what trip to Amish Country is complete without a visit to the actual phone booth used in the famous scene in Witness (with Harrison Ford and Kelly McGillis)? This is located just outside Zimmerman's General Store.

A word to the wise. Don't buy it. We got so excited when we saw this sign for home-made rootbeer since we both love it. But, turns out, they use sassafrass root and yeast to make it instead of dry ice and store-bought rootbeer flavoring and it tastes, well, like yeast.

It is so fun just to see the Amish tilling their lands and working their fields.

We came across this incredible sight: 33 buggies in a row. It turns out, they were on their way to a funeral, so out of respect, I didn't take any more pictures than just this one. But it was very neat to see.

And this is what I call my "National Geographic" picture.

VERDICT: Go, if you can. It's very inexpensive and you get to view beautiful land and people along with eating some very yummy home-made goodies. We ate at "Bird-In-Hand Family Restaurant." I wouldn't do that one again - too touristy. But there are plenty to choose from!