A Weekend Getaway - 18 August 2015 - Tuesday - Philadelphia to Pittsburgh

Today was our last day in Philadelphia and the first that we didn't have to set an alarm. Still woke up early, had breakfast, and then went for a walk through the Reading Terminal Market. The place is full of restaurant, meat and produce stalls, and specialized grocery stalls. Because the weather was so warm and we only had a little cooler with us, we hesitated to buy anything there. But we were filled with great olfactory sensations!

Back to the hotel to load the car and head out for the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Impressionism exhibit. It was only a couple of miles away and would have been walkable save for the heat and the fact that we would have had to have retrieved the car from hotel parking by 3 p.m. The lack of signage for the parking garage had us circling the museum much like National Lampoon's European Vacation. We didn't go to the other side of the museum to see the Rocky statue.

The museum is a treasure trove of masterpieces. I even remembered some of the paintings from Art 101 at Wilson. Thank you Miss Harris. We could take pictures of the permanent collection, but not the special exhibit.

The Impressionism Exhibit told the history of Pierre Durand-Ruel and how he built his galleries and helped the artists of the Impressionism era. It was spectacular and took about 2 hours to see it all. I am anxious to do some more in-depth reading about Durand-Ruel since he also had exhibitions here in Pittsburgh at Gillespie Galleries.

We then visited the other parts of the museum where I discovered two painting by Lucas Cranach the Elder, who just happens to be my 12th great grandfather. He and his son were both painters and very close friends of Martin Luther. It's always fun to search out his paintings.

Cupid, part of a larger painting

Portrait of Joachim II, Elector of Brandenburg

3.92 miles later we got into the car and headed home. Got to listen to the Bucs on the way. It was a great game until the errors caught up with them and sent the game into extra innings. Finally, in the bottom of the 15th we pulled it out and I could go to sleep.

It was a great trip full of different activities and experiences.

A Weekend Getaway - 17 August 2015 - Monday - Philadelphia

Today was a genealogy day.  It was really a very warm day with temperatures in the mid 90s and bright sunlight.

We started out in Glens Mills where I did some investigating and picture taking for a client. Unfortunately, the staff at the site were not particularly helpful and I came away with just a few bits of new information.

Then it was on to East Goshen where we discovered the Friends Meeting House and Burial Grounds. The Goshen Meeting was the meeting attended by early Ashbridges before they moved to the Chester Meeting.

We saw the cemetery right next to the meeting house and were disappointed not to find any of Earle's relatives there. However, once we walked around to the back and other side, we found many graves of Ashbridges, including his 3rd great grandparents. There were many Hoopes and Sharpless graves also and so will have to locate them on our family tree. 

From Goshen we headed to Swarthmore College. I was on the quest to find a burial spot for an ancestor of a client. The librarians at the Friends Historical Library are so nice and helpful. We looked through the original meeting minute books and through some microfilm of the cemetery records, but didn't find anything to solve our problem. It would be so great to work in a place like that. I could be librarian and genealogist!

Back to the hotel through horrendous traffic to clean up a bit before dinner. We met a classmate from Wilson and her husband in Gloucester City at Max's Seafood Cafe. We have been working on a project scanning Wilson Reunion photos and I needed to give back her photo albums. It was a delightful evening filled with good conversation and food. Sue and Tom knew just the right place for dinner.

Back at the hotel we listened to the Pirates game. It was a very disappointing loss 4-1 to the Diamondbacks. Hopefully, tomorrow we will recover.

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A Weekend Getaway - 16 August 2015 - Sunday - Philadelphia to NYC to Philadelphia

It was a comfortable ride with lots of leg room, wifi and electrical outlets. We got to Penn Station, purchased tickets on the LIRR to Mets-Willetts Point Station. It was just a short 15 minute ride and we were at Citi Field. This was a very impressive stadium, very new and nicely appointed. The floors of the bathrooms were finished in a blue and orange pebbled texture, seat holders even in the cheap seats, and a good array of food. The scoreboards were large and readable and kept everyone apprised of questionable scoring decisions. Especially impressive was the entrance rotunda.

Pirates and Mets line up for the National Anthem. There was a brief rain delay where the stands were evacuated because of some very close lightning strikes. But after the delay, the Pirate bats came alive, chased Matt Harvey, and won a great game!

It was an easy ride back to Penn Station because so many of the Mets fans had left the game. By the bottom of the 9th more Pirate fans were in the stadium than Mets fans. We had time for dinner at TGIF in Penn station and then Amtrak to SEPTA and to the hotel in Philadelphia.

 

 

Great day in New York and a stunning Bucco win.

 

 

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A Getaway Weekend - 15 August - Saturday - Philadelphi

Once you enter Liberty Bell Hall, there is a very interesting display of posters, newspapers, and biographies of those who have helped achieve liberty for all citizens of the United States. Very nicely done and well choreographed. At the end of the exhibition you finally get to the main attraction.

We had reservations for a 10:00 tour for and it began precisely then. I have always been very impressed with the NPS Rangers. They are knowledgeable, articulate, and personable. Our guide this morning was no exception. Lots of history about the hall, the PA legislature, and of course the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Couldn't believe that when he asked about 17 September 1787 that no one else knew that it was Constitution Day. It's so interesting to hear again about the founding of our country and to marvel at how men from 13 different colonies could come together and work together without any knowledge of each other and manage to form what would become the greatest nation in the world.

 

 

Back to the hotel for a bit of a respite and some water before we headed out to Longwood Gardens. It probably wasn't the best of planning to go to the gardens with temperatures in the 90s and bright sunshine, but we forged on, lathered with sun screen. About the only thing one can say about the gardens, the home of Pierre Samuel DuPont, is that they are magnificent and photos do the scenery and grounds justice. I have never been to Longwood, but really want to return to see them in another season, preferably in cooler weather. The conservancy covers about 4 acres and even has a ball room, organ room, and piano room. The exhibits in the house are extensive and interesting. Even allowing 4 hours, we didn't get to see everything.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We ended the day with a delightful dinner with two of Earle's grand nephews and their families at Casey's in Ridley Park. Great conversation and a chance to see how a couple of boys have turned into men. They both promised to come visit in Pittsburgh.

 

Back to the hotel and catch some shut eye for a very early morning tomorrow.

That would have been great in theory except it took the Pirates 14 innings to beat the Mets tonight. But, they pulled it out 5-3 and we hope for a sweep tomorrow.

 

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A Get Away Weekend - Friday, 14 August - Philadelphia, PA

Before the summer got away from us, we wanted to come to Philadelphia to see the massive Impressionism exhibit at the Philadelphia Art Museum. And so, squeezed between painting, book club, and Pirate games, this is the weekend. We left Mars and headed to Downingtown. Earle had made an appointment with the archivist at the Downingtown Historical Association to tour the Ashbridge House. We had seen the house over 15 years ago and it was in a sorry state of disrepair. The Historical Association stepped in and saved the house and now uses it as their headquarters. They are doing remarkable work not only with the house, but also with the preservation of records and newspaper clippings.

The first record of the house was in 1709 when it was sold by a John Baldwin. The house passed down through the families until it was left to Elizabeth Sharpless and Abraham Ashbridge when it became known as the Ashbridge House. Abraham was Earle's 2nd cousin 3rd removed. A distant relative, but still in the family. We did discover some connections about which we had not known to the Downings, for which Downingtown was names. Fascinating history and more to research.

You know you are obsessed with family history and genealogy when you are driving down a major road and you spot a cemetery. I immediately announce that the cemetery was where a number of relatives were buried and, of course, the car turned in. Cumberland Cemetery is fairly well kept and so we set off in the 90 degree heat looking for graves. Although I had plot numbers, I had not been prepared to find this cemetery so had not contacted the manager for exact locations. We did find some cousins there in one family that were all buried together.

We would have spent more time, but it was time to meet Earle's brother and two sister-in-laws for dinner. Had a nice time chatting and getting caught up on all things Ashbridge from the Philly area. After dinner we went back to the house where Earle grew up and where his brother lives. They are putting the house on the market so it was time for a last walk through and some reminiscing.

On to our hotel in Center City for the night. Tomorrow we'll do some sightseeing. I haven't been in Philadelphia to take in the sights in about 45 years. Should be fun and HOT.

 

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