This week we decided to visit Philadelphia and we decided the best way to tour the city would be in a duck. So we booked our tour on the Ride the Ducks from home since you can save $7 a ticket. I thought the kids would like blowing the duck whistles. But someone who doesn’t like kids blowing annoying duck whistles had complained to the city and they don’t hand out the whistles until you get off the ride. No worries we walked around after the ride and annoyed other visitors with the duck sound. But I did learn why the US flag has 5 pointed stars vs 6 pointed stars, where Will Smith’s dad lives, where MTV filmed one of their reality tv shows and the oldest continual residential houses in the states (300+ years old).

After riding the metro in Paris for a year we decided to compare the Philly subway to the metro and I’m sad to report that the workers in Paris were more willing to help a would be traveler. I also would like to suggest that they install a clock that says how many minutes until the next train. I didn’t see a suggestion box so consider this my formal suggestion. I also couldn’t figure out how much it cost, the more tokens you purchased the less it cost? I also was sad that there were no pocket maps for Joshua to memorize; I think I still have a few of those maps from Paris in my jacket pocket.

But for those of you with children there is a hidden treasure in Philadelphia called Smith. The park is designed for kids 10 and under, it’s in Fairmount Park. The boys had fun playing and climbing the various spider-web like jungle gyms, Jonah wasn’t going to let the bandage on his hand slow him down and Joshua was ready to go down the slide again and again. And best of all this park is FREE!