PA: How to start a work week...

We woke up bright and early the next morning. This was our last day in Nicholson at Judy's. She said goodbye with a breakfast. Was fun to see everyone for one final time. Was so nice to get together and get to know them better and see their home. I know the miles are there but it's wonderful to see the relationship that Matt has with his family and how easy it is to pick up where everything was left off.

After taking off, we headed to Clarks Summit and saw Grandpa Dave's place. Was so picturesque, especially with all the work he's put into his garden and flowers. Was fun to see where Michele grew up and I wondered which window she crawled out of to sneak off to her showings of Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Matt also pointed out the creek that he played on when he was young with his cousin Natalie. Their creeks in PA are so peaceful and babbling. I thought this about Judy's too.

We left there and headed to Philly. I returned the car back to the airport so Matt could start his conference sessions. Translation: I drove in downtown Philadelphia. It was a bit nerve wrecking, especially because I didn't have my GPS set correctly and struggled a bit before figuring it out. I also struggled at the airport to ensure I was going to the right place and the right away. There were no tears but a bit of swearing!

When I got back, I checked into the hotel and we took in the neighborhood before going off to Dinner with Mead & Hunt. Philly's history is what captivated me. There is so much happening with the Quakers, Ben Franklin, Independence Hall, Liberty Bell....it really impressed me. I also feel in love with the city hall building, While I know it's been a thorn in the city's side, the statue of William Penn on top continued to draw me to it. So much detail and energy into a lovely landmark.

We met up with some of Matt's consultant who had found a local place, The Dandelion. So cute, so fun! I loved the style and decorating. I love the charm and it had so many unique spaces. We don't see things like that at home. It's an English pub, which was a fun spin on the Irish Pub scene.
For drinks, I got the apricot smash, which had mint, lemonade, and apricot with a bourbon. I'll admit I was so taken with this drink that I didn't pay attention to what Matt got. He did say it was the smoothest beer he's ever had but in my opinion, it didn't hold a candle to my cocktail!  For our meals I got the pork belly with cabbage. Matt had the bangers and mash. It was everything I expected and more when ordering a pork belly. The crispy top, the hefty portion, mmmmm. I was happy to share with Scraper and Matt who equally appreciated the beauty! They did share back with me and I thought Jon's fish and chips were so light! Add that meal to fun conversation, was so good!

From there, we took a walk... a long walk from the Dandelion to the Stratus Rooftop Bar. This was hosted by Clear Channel and I was disappointed that I missed the contortionist BUT we did see the cutie-petutie girls that were carrying around glitter filled truffles, jugglers, and magicians. Was a fun party, that's for sure. Kim and I were even wowed by the magician who let me keep my 6 of hearts, which kept popping up despite my attempts to bury it in the deck!

Upon leaving the party
MJR: Uh, the music, it's so loud.
ALR: Oh boy, you are getting old.
MJR: What?!