Today was our day off, and we decided to take a trip into Philadelphia, which is only a little over an hour away from our work exchange. In true nomad style, we decided to ignore the suggestions of our GPS and find our own way into the city through back roads and suburbs. We got really lucky with our zig-zagging route---we ended up driving through a gorgeous suburban area and found several yard sales. I walked away with two free books from a guy who had put a box of free books on his sidewalk, an old pot we're going to use to make crystalized ginger, and a new sweater, under $5 together. 

We also came across Wissahickon Valley Park, which was a real treat. Today was a beautiful 72 degrees, and everything has recently sprung into vibrant green life. The park, part of the Fairmount Park system, was the perfect space for walking, biking, or just enjoying the day. We highly suggest it if you're in the area! 

Bridges and water are such a great combination for photography. 

Watch out for this! There was tons of poison ivy alongside the trails, so keep your eyes peeled if you decide to forge a new path here. We don't have a poison ivy problem like this at our work exchange, thankfully. 

We were really impressed by downtown Philly. It seems very compact; not that wide or long, but built up, with very narrow streets lined with interesting looking shops and places to eat. This was Washington Square, one of five public squares originally designed by William Penn when he envisioned the city. 

Independence Hall. We ended up just looking at the Liberty Bell through a sneaky window because the line to get inside was so long. 

We want to take a moment to thank everyone who is reading our blog----we have over 2,500 views now! At the beginning of our trip, we couldn't have guessed how important and enjoyable keeping this blog would become to us. We are truly appreciative and happy to have so many people along on our adventures. However, we also have bad news. Dave's camera broke. It has an internal mechanical error with the lens and would be more costly to repair than to replace. As you've noticed, photography is a big part of our blog. It is Dave's contribution as well as his artistic expression. We have ordered a new camera, but the cost was pretty hefty because it really needed to be high resolution to continue providing the high quality photos for our blog. We can use our phone camera, but the quality of photos is not the same without the optical zoom and other features of a regular digital camera. If you've been enjoying our blog and would like to help us offset the cost of the new camera, you could make a purchase from our Etsy store---perhaps a photography print or a vintage advertisement to display. We would be eternally grateful for your support. And again, thank you for reading. Have a wonderful weekend!