Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52FOCUS - SEPTEMBER 2016 47 Philadelphia Museum of Art. The “Rocky Steps” – better known as the Art Museum Steps – and the Rocky Balboa Statue located at the bottom of the steps, are two of the most popular attractions in Philadelphia. There are so many wonderful cities in North America, and many are within driving distance of Toronto. I had the pleasure of spending a few days in Philadelphia over the 4th of July weekend, and was pleasantly surprised at how enjoyable my stay was. Philadelphia is of course the birth- place of American politics, and the first capital of the 13 states that made up the United States of America. Flying there takes about an hour, but the drive, which takes about eight hours, has some pretty interesting stops along the way. Lanark County in eastern Pennsyl- vania is home to all things Amish, from farmers on horse-drawn carriages, to arts and crafts made by the talented Amish population. The roads are windy and clean, and driving through some of the back roads gives you an amazing opportunity to see wonderful framed houses in various colours, all with me- ticulously landscaped gardens. Farms and pastures dot the coun- tryside with horses, cows, sheep and donkeys lazily grazing in the summer warmth. Many of the homesteads do not have electricity, as the Amish culture, especially the more strict followers, do not believe in modern technology. It is also important to take care when driving along the country roads. Signs warning of horse-drawn carriages are every- where, but they are something most of us are not used to, and could prove to be a bit challenging. Arriving in Philadelphia immediately gives you a sense of a large city. It is well laid out with wide roads and your GPS will direct you to your destination. I stayed at the Sofitel, which is right down- town. There is no shortage of hotels, many of which include breakfast. The one thing to keep in mind is that parking downtown is usually around $30 a day (US dollars, of course), but the conve- nience is worth it. The first thing I do when I go to a city, no matter where in the world I am, is get tickets for the Hop On/Hop Off trolley. Most cities have them (albeit by various names), and the experience offers you a great way to see the entire metropolis in a few hours. From there you can decide where to get off and walk around. Most trolley companies run until 6 p.m. in the summer months, so start your day early. If you plan to do a fair bit of sightseeing take the two-day package, as it is only a few dollars more. ...................... Please turn to page 48 Philadelphia The place where it all began.