FORGET BEN FRANKLIN, IT’S ALL ABOUT ROCKY HERE

The last time I was in Philadelphia was on July 4, 2021.

Whenever I come to Philadelphia, I stay at the hostel on Bank Street, Apple Hostel.

The hostel is located in the Center City part of the city, better known for all the historical places in the city.

There are two buildings in the hostel, and I usually stay in the older one.

Not this time.

For the two days that I was there, thinking that I would see the Philadelphia Phillies baseball team in the championship game.

It didn’t happen, but I still had a great time.

This time, I stayed in the new building in the “Rocky Wing”, because nothing says Philadelphia like the fictional fighter from South Philadelphia, Rocky Balboa .

When you enter the stairway to either go to or leave your room, you’re serenaded by the song, “Gonna Fly Now”, which is better known as the Theme to Rocky.

The hostel has changed in the years that I had been there and the kitchen itself reminds me of one of those gourmet kitchens that you see on Food Network.

There’s even a cappuccino machine which you pay $1 for latte, coffee, chai tea,and Expresso, not bad if you ask me.

Better yet, it’s 24 hours for tea, coffee and the expresso machine.

All in all, Apple Hostel is my home away from home when I make a 30 Plus Teams Tour of the city of Brotherly Love.

LIBERTY BELL CITY – PHILADELPHIA , PENNSYLVANIA . A PHILADELPHIA STATE OF MIND .

Your  30  Plus  Teams  Tour  has  brought  you  and  your  wife  back  home  to  Philadelphia .

You  brought  along  your  10  year  old  twin  boys .

This  is  their  first  time  back  East .

You  remind  the  boys ,  proudly ,  that  at  one  time ,  Philadelphia  was  the  capital  of  the  United  States .

One  of  them  asks ,  ”  Why  isn’t  it  now ? ”

You  reply  that  you  really  don’t  know  because  you  don’t  have  time  to  give  the  kids  a  history  lesson .

But  truthfully ,  the  Philadelphia  guy  in  you  really  wants  to  say  that  it’s  because ,  ”  People  don’t  like  Philadelphia . ”

You  and  your  wife  can’t  wait  to  show  the  boys  the  places  where  the  two  of  you  would  go  when  you  were  their  age .

The  first  stop  on  any  trip  to  Philadelphia  is  of  course ,  the  Liberty  Bell .

After  that ,  it’s  Independence  Hall .

The  four  of  you  are  standing  in  one  of  the  places  that  you  saw  on  all  those  class  trips .

You  know ,  the  ones  you  found  boring  as  hell .

Your  parents  always  told  you  that  one  day  you  would  appreciate  Philadelphia .

You  just  didn’t  think  it  would  be  when  you  were  grown  up ,  married  with  children  and  living  in  Bismarck ,  North  Dakota .

”  That’s  not  the  real  Liberty  Bell ,  right ? ” ,  one  of  the  twins  asks

Your  wife  shows  them  the  crack  in  the  bell  to  prove  that  it’s  the  real  thing .

The  twins  don’t  seem  to  be  impressed  except  to  say ,  ”  that  thing  is  mad  huge .  ”

The  four  of  you  head  over  to  Independence  Hall  right  behind  the  building  where  the  Liberty  Bell  is  kept .

The  statue  of  President  James  Madison  in  front  of  the  building  looks  very  determined ,  as  though  he’s  standing  guard  or  something .

The  twins  aren’t  impressed  with  the  statue  or  when  you  took  them  into  Independence  Hall  and  they  saw  the  statues  of  all  the  signers  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence .

They  were  too  busy  looking  at  the  cobblestone  streets .

They’ve  never  seen  streets  like  this  before  and  you  and  your  wife  can’t  even  describe  them .

The  twins  just  know  that  they  don’t  like  walking  on  whatever  these  streets  are  made  of .

You  walk  over  to  the  Independence Hall  Visitors  Center  to  get  some  other  ideas .

You’re  going  to  see  some  historical  things  since  that’s  what  Philadelphia  is  famous  for .

The  twins  have  already  told  you  that  they  don’t  want  to  go  to  the  Betsey  Ross  House  because  they  don’t  want  to  see  some  lady  sitting  in  a  rocking  chair  sewing  a  flag .

They  definitely  want  to  go  to  the  basketball  and  football  game ,  but  as for  that  historical  stuff  – .

They  could  have  stayed  in  North  Dakota  to  get  a  history  lesson .

One  of  the  twins  says  that  “all  this  historical  crap  is boring  him  and  when  is  the  real  30  Plus  Teams  Tour  gonna  start ? !  ”

They  tell  you  and  your  wife  that  they  want  to  see  the  ”  real  important  stuff  like  Al Capone ‘  s  jail  cell  at  the   Eastern  Penitentiary  . ”

They  even  want  to  go  to  the  Philadelphia  Museum  of  Art ,  not to  see  some  ugly  old  paintings ,  though .

They want  to  run  up  and  down  the  stairs  just  like  Rocky  did  in  the  movie .