Run Fox Run

When the weather is foul, it’s best to take in new experiences in far away lands. When those far flung locales may be hard to attain, Philadelphia will fill in nicely. We had a weekend away from home to see a couple of special exhibits as well as explore the with wide-eyed wonderment the dazzling capabilities of the hotel (pool access 19 hours a day, room service, watching TV in your bed). By staying in a hotel, we were able to secure “VIP” tickets to the Cezanne and Beyond exhibit at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and to the Chronicles of Narnia experience at the Franklin Institute. The VIP means that you can show up any time you please instead of having timed tickets (and with kids, this is a big plus). Also a day-trip to Philadelphia is pretty arduous, so staying overnight is the right thing to do and a tasty way to do it. At the Cezanne exhibit, the girls liked the artwork, especially all the apples/pears/oranges from the still lifes, the purple mountain (Mont Sainte Victoire), and the trees with branches. They also liked the cafe in the basement for lunch. Then we were off to the Constitution center to get a good dose of “We the People”. After an Italian dinner and an evening swim, we collapsed into a late bed-time. 

The next morning saw us at the Franklin Institute. We enjoyed planes, train, and mythical lands courtesy of C.S. Lewis. Science museum are like candy stores to engineering faculty. We’re often elbowing the kids out of the way so we can “experience” the physics first hand. Daddy did let Cleo sit on his lap in the fighter plane, grudgingly though. 

Before departing, we had *another* swim and a trip to the decadent Naked Chocolate for some serious hot chocolates and chocolate dip. Many many wipes were harmed after the taking of this picture. Leda and Cleo made out fine after the enormous sugar rush, slept most of the way home. These sisters will see you again, city of brotherly love.