venturing4th: Grace Kelly's Father

We had googled "bike trails in Philadelphia" and were provided with a nice variety of choices. We chose one that was described as "soaking up all things Philly (the river, the skyline, the Boat House Row) while scoring a workout". The Directions said it began at 1 Boathouse Row. We put the address in the GPS, loaded up the bikes, made our lunch, and off we went.

The directions, when we reached the City, were very familiar; just like the directions for reaching the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Sure enough, when we were directed to turn off Benjamin Franklin Parkway onto Kelly Drive, that is where we entered the PMA parking lot. Boat House Row was just a 1/4 mile from the PMA. Now, where to park. We continued down the Kelly Drive and were just preparing to turn around to go to the PMA parking lot when we saw this small lot just before a bridge. I made two illegal turns ( Oh Officer, I'm so sorry, we're from South Dakota and aren't used to the big city...) and zipped into the lot. Perfect, no signs limiting the parking time or stating any other restrictions. We hopped on our bikes, headed back, south, to Boat House Row and just beyond where the bike path heads into the City, behind the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Great little lot, ten feet from the bike path which runs right along the Schuylkill River. Beautiful day; 70 degrees; white, fluffy clouds.

We rode about two miles south which took us toward the City. There were lots of walkers, roller bladders, people walking their dogs, and Moms with strollers. When we got to Chestnut Street, where the bike path ended/began, we turned around and I took some pictures as we headed north.

This is Alex. She works for a marketing company called "160 Over 90" and she, and a group of co-workers were doing a volunteer project painting some of the sheds along the river trail.

Nice view, the old and the new, of the City skyline.

Rhode Island connection #1. There were interpretive signs along the river providing information on the history of the Schuylkill River. This one says that "In the fall of 1781 Generals Washington and Rochambeau led the Continental (American) and French Army from Rhode Island south to Yorktown, Virginia" crossing the Schuykill River at about this point.

Philadelphia makes good use of their waterfront. That's the bike path in the bottom right corner.

Skate park to the right of the bike path along the River.

There are many small parks between the bike path and the River.

Walkway from the bike path up to the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Just below the PMA is the old Water Works. This is a monument to Frederick Graff, designer of the Water Works, which is now used for private events, many by the PMA which is just up the hill which you can see in the background.

Part of the landscaped grounds behind the PMA which is adjacent to the bike path.

View of the Boat Houses of Boat House Row. Turns out, Philadelphia is crazy about rowing. These are the Boat Houses of various rowing clubs. They have been in existence for over one hundred years.

This bridge underpass is adjacent to the small parking lot where we parked. We stopped to check with these folks to see if they knew of any parking restrictions. They said they didn't know of any. Then we noticed that they were engaged with painting a mural on the wall, just under the overpass.

Rowing mural being painted. When we looked across the river, there was one that they had just finished painting on the other side. That's Boat House Row from the River, in the background of the mural.

A rower, with coach, practicing on the River.

The beautiful bike path heading north from Boat House Row; the River on one side, Kelly Drive, separated by trees, on the other.

General Grant statue on the other side of Kelly Drive.

Nice stone bridge across the River close to Manayunk, northern Philadelphia neighborhood.

The quaint downtown of Manayunk.

The bike path morphs into the Schuylkill River Canal towpath.

We had seen this statue on our way out and stopped to take a picture on our return. Located just north of Boathouse Row, it is of John Kelly. He was the Olympic Gold Medalist in Singles and Doubles 1920 and Doubles in 1924. His son was also an Olympic rower. John Kelly is the father of Grace Kelly. Click on this link for more info - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_B._Kelly,_Sr.

Our bike ride today was twenty miles. When we returned to the car we rode on to the Philadelphia Museum of Art and took advantage of our two-day ticket. We rode our bikes right up to the West Entrance. We were able to check our bike helmets and bike pack in the Museum coat check room. The Museum is open to 8:30 pm on Friday evenings and they also have Music in the Museum at 5:30 on some Friday evenings. Tonight they had Martha Graham Cracker, a drag diva, who has a show called Martha Graham Cracker Cabaret. She is hugely popular and apparently always draws a big crowd. That was certainly the case this evening. By 5:30 tonight the 1st Floor Entry and side corridors were jammed packed with people enjoying her/his show at little round tables served by cocktail waiters.

The back, West, entry to the Museum. I noticed that the capitals and upper trim is painted.

The Grand Front Entry. Another object "jailed". They are doing some type of repair to the wall and there is scaffolding in front of the large, golden statue of Diana, goddess of the hunt. That's a Calder mobile in the foreground.

Musicians setting up for this evening's performance. The acoustics are spectacular similar to the PPL's.

For our return tour of the PMA we used the audio tour. The handout with the Museum's player suggests - "If you have limited time, this handout provides a selection of audio tour stops that encompass some of the Museum's most treasured works of art." Off we went with the Museum map to find these objects.

Teahouse, Japan.

The Crucifixion, Rogier van der Weyden

Saint Francis Receiving the Stigmata, Jan van Eyck

Horse and Man's Armors, Germany

As we were going through the galleries, I spied some pictures that I liked but were not on the "highlights". This is Maternal Caress, Mary Cassatt

Another Mary Cassatt - Mary Ellison Embroidering

The Large Bathers, Cezanne

Three Musicians, Picasso

The Kiss, Brancusi

Also by Brancusi that I liked - Bird in Space

The Large Glass, Duchamp

Also by Marcel Duchamp - Chocolate Grinder (#1) & (#2)

And another by Duchamp - Nude Descending a Staircase (No. 2)

Of course, a Monet

Stunning - Portrait of a Woman, Klimt

As we were going from the galleries to the back entrance, we passed by the Martha Graham Cracker Cabaret.

Entertaining the adoring crowd.

A portion of the largest picture in the Museum - A Wheatfield on a Summer's Afternoon, Marc Chagall

We were on our bikes, heading back to the car, and we passed through the sculpture garden behind the Museum. All the sculptures seemed to be of Revolutionary War heroes. Here's Casimir Pulaski. Remember we talked about him in our Savannah, Georgia days. And remember Fort Pulaski?

General Nathanael Greene 1742 - 1786 (Rhode Island connection #2) Engraved on the front of the pedestal - We fight

Get beat

Rise

and

Fight again

One the dias of the pedestal are carved comments about him by Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton. Click on this link - http://www.dcmemorials.com/index_indiv0006561.htm

After our tour of the Philadelphia Museum of Art it was time to leave Philadelphia, but, not before we had sampled Philadelphia's most famous eating experience - the Philly cheesesteak! We had previously received the recommendation that "Jimmy's" was the place to go when we were in Philadelphia and, when we were on the Big Bus tour, Manny mentioned Jimmy's. So off we went to find Jim's Steaks, as it is formally known. We went to South Street, which is the heart of the restaurant district.

This being Friday night, there was a huge police presence, including these two mounted officers.

The blurb in the local restaurant guide states, "This local tradition features mouthwatering Philadelphia cheesesteaks served cafeteria-style in an art deco atmosphere."