Wild Releases #367 - #372

Today was a long day of sightseeing and driving, and it was great fun. Sister No. 1 and I took Niece No. 4 into Center City Philadelphia to show her some of the historic sites including the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. I had a few books to leave behind and I started at the Independence Visitor Center where I left a "My America" book--"Five Smooth Stones: Hope's Diary, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1776," by Kristiana Gregory--on a bench outside. After visiting the Liberty Bell, we walked over to Independence Hall where I left Boris Artzybasheff's "Seven Simeons" on a bench under a lovely shady tree.

Sister No. 1 wanted to give Niece No. 4 the true flavor of Philadelphia, so we got pretzels and drinks from a cart on the sidewalk outside of The Curtis Center, where the lovely Dream Garden mosaic by Maxfield Parrish and Tiffany Studio dominates the lobby. We could only peek in the windows to view it because they were setting up for a wedding, but we ate our pretzels on the steps and left Sue Grafton's "E is for Evidence" behind. We went back to the grounds of Independence Hall to hear a story about Commodore John Barry, the Father of the American Navy who is honored with a statue in Independence Plaza, then did some souvenir shopping before heading to the Christ Church Burial Ground to see Benjamin Franklin's final resting place. It's a very simple stone grave visible through an iron gate at the southeast corner of 5th and Arch Streets. I left "The Ghost Next Door," by R.L. Stine, on the sidewalk just outside the iron gate, under the plaque listing his accomplishments.

After our adventures, we returned Sister No. 1 to her house, said our goodbyes, and headed back to southwestern Pennsylvania. We stopped at the Sideling Hill Travel Plaza on the Pennsylvania Turnpike for dinner and I left Dr. Seuss's "I Had Trouble in Getting to Solla Sollew" propped up against the information sign on the sidewalk outside the westbound entrance to the service plaza. Many hours later, after dropping Niece No. 4 at her house, I stopped for gas at the Sheetz in Irwin and left another "Goosebumps" book by R.L. Stine, "Ghost Beach," on top of the gas pump. It's great to be home!