national pleasure

I realize that title could also double as the pun name for a porn movie, but in this case it has to do with being in Philadelphia and my desire to live out the movie "National Treasure". We were out seeing the sights today and movie scenes began rapidly coming back to me. More on that in a moment, but a few random pictures first.

In West Philadelphia, born and raised, on this playground is where Will Smith used to play basketball before being bullied and forced to move to Bel Air, CA. I don't actually think it's this one, but that was running through my mind all afternoon.

I've decided to leave Crocs, move to the late 1800's and switch to the Liberty Bell marketing tour. The bell actually did go on tour and was used for marketing - look it up.

Streets of Philadelphia. Now I understand why Bruce Springsteen wrote that song. Well, not really, but they made me think about what it used to be like when horse-drawn carriages roamed the bumpy, stone streets. Almost everything thing I saw today made me think back and wonder what life was like then. It's fascinating.

And now, on with the "show"! Imagine, if you will, the series of scenes after Nicholas Cage and his counterparts discovered - while at Urban Outfitters - the next clue in Philadelphia. That clue stated that another clue would be unveiled by the shadow passing in front of the house of Pass and Stow - Independence Hall, where the bell was originally held.

Of course, the bad guys didn't understand at first and went to view the actual Liberty Bell, not the house where it was kept. It was this view where he looked out the window across the street and called himself an idiot.

This is the staircase that they went up to view the shadow, passing across the next clue at 3:22pm. We were standing outside here today at exactly 3:22pm - awesome.

The short, brick columns on the right is where the clue - Benjamin Franklin's glasses - was found by viewing the shadow from the bell tower.

They proceeded to take the Declaration of Independence into the signing room to view the map on the back using the glasses. As they are about to view the map, Nicholas Cage reacts and says, "The last time (the Declaration of Independence) was here...it was being signed." Great acting.

After viewing only a portion of the map, they realize the bad guys are right on their tail and decide to split up. Nicholas Cage walks briskly across the adjoining park then crosses the street into the park. In an attempt to elude his pursuers, Cage waits for a bus to pass between them and then is shown to be running through this park.

The other two actually are in possession of the document and are forced to run as well. They enter the Reading Market (which is right next to our hotel for this weekend) and the woman jumps behind the meat counter to hide.

I have no idea why I thought this was so cool today, I'm sure Molly and Adam were annoyed. However, even as I was caught up in giving my own movie tour, I took time to realize the true significance of these locations. It's phenomenal to imagine standing in the same place where our country was born. A shiver ascended my spine as our tour guide proceeded to tell us today was Constitution Day - 221 years ago to this day, 55 men signed one of the world's most influential documents. They filed into the room at 4pm, the exact moment we were being described the events. An unanticipated, surreal experience.