Gordon Bombay Posted January 12, 2008 Share Posted January 12, 2008 Ok, so my school has a 7 week winter break. This allows me plenty of time to spend at home and doing other stuff to get my mind off stress found at school. Over the break my dad, sisters, and I decided to go visit my uncle and family in New Jersey. We found cheap air fare on Southwest Airlines out of Columbus to Philadelphia. We live closer to, and usually fly out of Cincinnati's CVG, but the thought of driving (10-12 hours weather and traffic pending) to New Jersey was completely out ruled when we found a great price with Southwest. I have flown out of CVG many times since 9/11/01 and was pretty aware of how things with security go and what to be prepared for when going to an airport. I always found the security at CVG to be pretty fair. Every time I've flown out of there the TSA (Transportation Security Administration (part of the Department of Homeland Security)) employees give clear directions and usually keep things moving. At Columbus this was not the case. When I presented my boarding pass at security I had to wait for the TSA employee there to put down his cell phone and stop texting to check my ID. I got through the scanning fine as did the rest of my family but as I was putting on my shoes I noticed and elderly woman was pulled aside for a random inspection. They made the people who get randomly inspected go into this glass box in the middle of the security thing to get "wanded" down with a portable metal detector and patted down by hand. This happened to me at Cincinnati in 2005, but I was pulled to a side area where it wasn't as embarassing or noticeable to everyone there. I'm not trying to start a political topic or get into the politics of the TSA/DHS but the conduct of the employees at the Columbus airport was.....different......from the seriousness and professionalism I had seen at airports like CVG and Orlando. Anyways, we moved down to our gate... -We were flying on the typical Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 -With General Electric engines. Southwest Airlines has this new boarding process where your boarding pass has a number and section on it. You then line according to this ticket at the gate. This prevents people from lining up super, super early to get the "best" seats. By doing this they allow you to board the plain with less hassle since you aren't assigned a specific seat. The system actually works out really well and gets everyone on board with less hassle. -We took off from Columbus where the weather was dismal and cold... -Above the clouds where the sun was shining... -Southwest Airlines is one of the few airlines left that still gives out peanuts. Most have pretzels or crackers these days it seems. An ipod always makes the trip go much faster. -After about a 50 minute flight we arrived in Philadelphia where it was sunny and 50 degrees outside. -This is why you should be very careful about packing anything valuable or fragile in your checked baggage. I took this picture walking from the terminal to the main airport. I stopped for only a second before I was approached by a TSA employee (trusty cell phone in this guys hand too!) who told me to keep it moving and asked to see the pictures. -We left the airport to head for the historical sections of the city. Two of Philadelphia's most prominent historical features are the Liberty Bell: The Liberty Bell, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is an American bell of great historic significance. The Liberty Bell is one of the most prominent symbols associated with the American Revolutionary War. It is one of the most familiar symbols of independence within the United States, and has been described as an international icon of liberty and justice for all. Its most famous ringing, though apocryphal, occurred on July 8, 1776, to summon citizens of Philadelphia for the reading of the Declaration of Independence. And Independence Hall: Independence Hall is a U.S. national landmark located inside Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on Chestnut Street between 5th and 6th Streets. Known primarily as the location where the Declaration of Independence was debated and adopted, the building was completed in 1753 as the Pennsylvania State House for the Province of Pennsylvania. It became the meeting place of the Second Continental Congress. The Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and United States Constitution were all signed at Independence Hall. The building is now part of the larger Independence National Historical Park and listed as a World Heritage Site. Independence National Historical Park was where both are located. I was very surprised at the crowds, given it was a saturday I did know what to expect, but what really surprised me was the diversity of the crowd and amount of international tourism the area brings. -This was the line to see the Liberty Bell exhibit. It was only about a 20 minute wait from this point, the best part was that no tickers were necessary to see the exhibit, its all completely free... -The National Park Service runs the operation and the majority of the security for the park but the place on the weekends is also swarming with privately hired security guards who are just ask knowledgeable about this history and attractions as the park service rangers. The Liberty Bell is kept in a long building that features multiple exhibits about its history before you reach the end where the bell is located. Not only are there static displays of photographs of the Liberty Bell and other artifacts from the colonial era but there are videos as well. The neat thing about these videos is that they are located in rooms off to the side of the static displays, each room features about 5 tv's with a plastic bubble hanging from the ceiling. When you stand under this bubble you can only hear the sound from the tv parallel to it. This allows the videos to be shown in various languages. You progress down the building which details the history of the Liberty Bell from its beginnings to the modern era, after that you reach the bell... -The Liberty Bell is obviously the most popular site to see in the building. However, most of the crowd doesn't realize that you are supposed to walk in a circle around it to keep the crowd moving, so they just kind of all crowd around and fight over who gets to stand in front of it to get their picture taken with it. -However, if you just slide around to the other side like your supposed to do...you get a very nice view of the bell. -The Liberty Bell and everyone crowding to get their picture taken with it. After seeing the Liberty Bell it was time to go check out Independence hall which was also free! -An original Philadelphia cobblestone street (it is blocked off to keep people from walking on it). -A view from Independence hall plaza towards downtown Philadelphia. -Independence Hall. The tower at the top was once home to the Liberty Bell. -This is a statue commemorating Commodore John Barry who is known as "The Father of America's Navy". John Barry (1745 – 13 September 1803) was an officer in the Continental Navy during the American Revolutionary War and later in the United States Navy. Barry was born in Tacumshane, County Wexford, Ireland and appointed a Captain in the Continental Navy 7 December 1775. All in all the trip to Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell was very interesting and enjoyable. I was surprised at just how many people were there. The areas is definitely a great place to take a family for a trip. It's cheap and there are other exhibits to see (which do cost money, but in all fairness is very reasonable). We went into a few of the buildings (the actual Independence Hall was closed for repairs), but were on a time limit to get to New Jersey to meet the family for dinner. My sisters (who are extremely picky eaters) wanted to get some food before the 1.5 hour drive to New Jersey and they hadn't eaten breakfast that day. We tried going to the famous cross street rivalry between Pat's and Geno's cheese steak places. However, these places are pretty popular with locals and famous nationwide (having been featured on numerous national T.V. shows. The lines for both of these places were like the lines for Top Thrill Dragster on a saturday in the summer of 2003. The lines spilled out into the streets and required the police to block off the streets to allow for the crowds. My sisters settled on a local hot dog vendor in a park with my dad while I borrowed the car to see a nearby historical landmark of other sorts... Some of you know that a lot of my photography centers around Urban Exploration, which features the exploration of abandoned places and modern human ruins throughout the country...one of these places I constantly see other photographers visit is this former Philadelphia power plant. Although I didn't have time to take a look inside or get a tour, I did check around the outside to get some exterior pictures. The place is an example of some great architecture. I doubt you can find any power plant built these days that looks as nice as this place once did. I picked up my dad and sisters enjoying their lunch and we made our way to New Jersey. It was great getting to see family I hadn't seen in a long time and share the holidays with them which is really what its all about. However, we did exchange gifts. My uncle's gift to me was his Nikon N80 35mm SLR: -I can't wait to take this thing to Kings Island this summer. My uncle bought this when most people were buying Digital SLR's and he still wanted to use film. He actually ended up never using it once. After spending New Year's in New Jersey we left at about 4 p.m. to head back to Philadelphia to catch our flight. We got introduced to the traffic nightmare that is the New Jersy turnpike. As we returned our rental car and walked to the main terminal of Philadelphia International Airport, it was still fairly nice weather, about 40 degrees and all I had to wear was a sweatshirt. We went through security, I got through ok again but this time they stopped my younger sisters. They claimed that both of them needed to have all liquids (in this case it was their makeup in their purses) in a zip lock bag. They then informed my sisters that they had no zip lock bags to offer them and would have to throw out the makeup unless we left the security line to go find some zip lock bags. My dad asked them about why they didn't have any (noting to them that nearly every other airport hes been too offers them at security). They responded that they never give them out, it was our responsibility. My sisters didn't car enough to argue and just let them throw out the makeup. However once we got past security we realised that they sent us down into the wrong terminal. TSA then pointed us in the right direction, but we had to go through security again. In this line...they were giving out plastic bags. We boarded our flight back to Columbus which went quick. We had a great trip and great weather there but came back to Columbus only to find... -Snow, and lots of it! It was still coming down by the time we got back to our van and it made the 1.5 hour drive back to Cincinnati a 3 hour ordeal. The snow was terrible and falling hard. 71 south the whole way home was a nightmare, we hardly felt safe getting the van to go over 45 mph. Eventually we stopped by Kings Island to get some dinner and take a break from the drive. We got home safely, exhausted, but safely. Hope you all enjoyed this trip report. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avatar Posted January 12, 2008 Share Posted January 12, 2008 Ronny nice report I enjoyed it. It’s nice to make memories with the family. I did notice you left out the part were you where posting your football preference Giants vs. Pats. BTW I noticed you picture of the former Philadelphia power plant needs to be fixed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted January 12, 2008 Share Posted January 12, 2008 Great trip report! Glad you enjoyed your trip. Should you ever get up that way again, you must cross over the river to Cherry Hill, New Jersey and eat at the Cherry Hill Diner formerly known as the Windsor Diner! Truly fantastic place. . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon Bombay Posted January 12, 2008 Author Share Posted January 12, 2008 Thanks Avatar! Ah yeah, the Giants and Pats game! The first night we were there the Giants were playing the Patriots and beating them at the end of the first half. No one in that house was rooting for the patriots and the Giants ended up blowing the game! Not too many people were happy! Power plant picture fixed. Thanks Interpreter, ironically enough that diner was highly recomended by my family in NJ/NY and my dad who is a former New York native, not only that but this past season I had planned to make a trip to Six Flags Great Adventure and eat there with a friend of mine in the area. Hopefully I'll get to try it this summer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cory Butcher Posted January 12, 2008 Share Posted January 12, 2008 Very nice! love the picture above the clouds, looks like you deffinately had fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted January 12, 2008 Share Posted January 12, 2008 It probably will not surprise you that I have a favorite table there, and am always escorted directly to it, by my favorite waitress there, Josephine! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avatar Posted January 12, 2008 Share Posted January 12, 2008 One more thing Ronny…please tell me that the girl crawling under the ropes almost under the Liberty Bell is not one of your sisters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon Bombay Posted January 12, 2008 Author Share Posted January 12, 2008 haha no, my sisters are older than that, and are you sure thats a girl? If you look in the picture under that I think its a boy lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ogrmac Posted January 12, 2008 Share Posted January 12, 2008 Looks like you had a fantastic time! I especially liked the close up photo of the GE Airplane Engine. I X-ray and serialize the individual turbine blades that they are built from. It is neat to see one assembled and installed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest kwindshawne Posted January 12, 2008 Share Posted January 12, 2008 Great pics, as always. Never been to philly, just flown over it. I can't understand the problems with TSA...when I went through there in Columbus they had older guards and they were very personable. That was the only good thing about my whole trip, however, things change. AFter my trip, and your troubles, my flying days are over, permanently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fan of beast Posted January 12, 2008 Share Posted January 12, 2008 great report. i have been to philly's historical section twice. it is something that all should see to understand the building of our nation. my favorite was the first church of christ. it's about 3 blocks down from independence hall. it's one of the oldest churches in america. i have never had a problem in columbus airport. i always set off the metal detector with my hip. they always offer the oppurtunity to have the screening done in private. philadelphia airport is usually a total nightmare, especially in the terminal for southwest. i don't think i ever came thru there without some sort of delay. i flew southwest from columbus to philly and back over 20 times just last year. i just got back from there thurs. night. the morning flights are the best. the evening flights normally end up sitting on the runway in line for around an hour before take-off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KIBeast Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 Nice TR Ronny! I need to get to historical Philadelphia. Not to mention I'd like to check out the Eagles stadium and a game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PKIVortex Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 Southwest has always boarded plans that way. At least since I have flown them, in 2004 and 2005. The boarding # comes from when you check in. I really didn't care for the way it worked, cause if you were the last boarding group, then you always got stuck in a middle seat between 2 people you didn't know, then if you were traveling with someone, the chances you were going to sit next to them were slim to none. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon Bombay Posted January 13, 2008 Author Share Posted January 13, 2008 Southwest has always boarded plans that way. At least since I have flown them, in 2004 and 2005. The boarding # comes from when you check in. I really didn't care for the way it worked, cause if you were the last boarding group, then you always got stuck in a middle seat between 2 people you didn't know, then if you were traveling with someone, the chances you were going to sit next to them were slim to none. No, they haven't always boarded that way, I think you misunderstood me or I wasn't clear. You still board in 3 seperate groups but in each group you have a number then line up in sequential order (You get earlier numbers by claiming your boarding pass at the gate first or by printing it offline). Once you've boarded the plane you are free to sit wherever you went, there are no assigned seats, just boarding sequence numbers. The new policy started on November 8th: http://www.usatoday.com/travel/columnist/g...ly-policy_N.htm Nice TR Ronny! I need to get to historical Philadelphia. Not to mention I'd like to check out the Eagles stadium and a game. Thanks KIBeast! Be careful at those Eagles games, I hear their crowds are really rough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KIBeast Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 From what I understand, they have a holding cell and a court where you can be fined right there in the stadium! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZosoBeast Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 I picked up my dad and sisters enjoying their lunch and we made our way to New Jersey. It was great getting to see family I hadn't seen in a long time and share the holidays with them which is really what its all about. However, we did exchange gifts. My uncle's gift to me was his Nikon N80 35mm SLR: -I can't wait to take this thing to Kings Island this summer. My uncle bought this when most people were buying Digital SLR's and he still wanted to use film. He actually ended up never using it once. Film? What is film? Confused. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon Bombay Posted January 13, 2008 Author Share Posted January 13, 2008 From what I understand, they have a holding cell and a court where you can be fined right there in the stadium! haha, thats what my dad was saying, I knew they had one in Veteran's stadium after some really nasty fights in 1997, not sure if they added one to the new Lincoln Financial Field. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon Bombay Posted January 13, 2008 Author Share Posted January 13, 2008 I picked up my dad and sisters enjoying their lunch and we made our way to New Jersey. It was great getting to see family I hadn't seen in a long time and share the holidays with them which is really what its all about. However, we did exchange gifts. My uncle's gift to me was his Nikon N80 35mm SLR: -I can't wait to take this thing to Kings Island this summer. My uncle bought this when most people were buying Digital SLR's and he still wanted to use film. He actually ended up never using it once. Film? What is film? Confused. Film in most cases still takes sharper, clearer pictures with less grain than most digital cameras. It takes about 11-13 megapixels to get along the same quality of 35mm film. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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