It's Always Warm in Philadelphia ... in December?

You may have noticed a distinct lack of world travel blogs lately here at Pop Culture Lunch Box. 

It's true, I haven't been going to excellent places of old like South Africa, Thailand, Tanzania, and Brazil, but you know, I've never spent much time in Philadelphia, a mere 140 miles from Washington D.C. And it's a fun place. Especially on a 70-degree December weekend!

Well, that's if you don't talk about the ridiculous traffic. It took us more than four hours to get there Friday afternoon, much of that at a standstill in the few blocks approaching our hotel.

Rachel, Jackson, me, Zoey on the front steps of the Union League

Me in front of the Union League

And what a hotel. The Union League of Philadelphia, voted "the best city club in the country."It was founded in 1862 "to support the policies of Abe Lincoln." He was a member, as was William Tecumseh Sherman and Ulysses Grant. Today, it is members only and "remains a bastion of the elite." It is the "oldest and most prominent of the remaining loyalty leagues."

It takes a strong man to down a drink in Lincoln's library (during the wedding reception)

Zoey loved the stroll just north of our hotel past the beautiful City Hall, not too far from the "Rocky" steps

The lovely couple Tom and Tara, who know how to throw a wedding party. I never even got tired of dancing!

Saturday we mostly stuck around the downtown district, although the wedding itself was in a Catholic church in the old downtown section near Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell. We made it back over to see those landmarks on Sunday. And Jackson insisted that this part of the trip was pretty boring compared to jumping on the hotel bed and getting candy from a street merchant.

A pretty great photo outside Independence Hall

Capital Bikeshare (on my shirt) hits Philly!

Give the kid some credit. He appreciates himself some Honest Abe.

Pat's. That says it all.

And what would a trip to this legendary town be without stopping in South Philly for Pat's cheesesteak? It's been several years since I had one, but cheesesteak with Cheese Whiz and "wid out" (meaning "no onions") is delicious. It's kind of like Imo's Pizza in St. Louis. You can't possibly imagine why it's so good and why it is so difficult to replicate.