Philly Day Three

Today was another beautiful day in Philly!  We did some nontraditional sight seeing.  We started the day at Wawa (Again).  Their egg sandwiches are addicting.  Also, their iced tea lemonade is becoming a problem for me :)

Our first stop was the Eastern State Penitentiary.  It's an old prison-the first in the US and it because the model for many more to come.  It looks like a British castle and the methodology behind it was fascinating.  It changed a lot over time.  It was originally a place where all inmates were in strict solitary.  However, as the years passed, they were allowed to socialize, watch TV and even do things like cut hair at the barber shop.

Al Capone's prison cell.  He was allowed some liberties.

One of the main corridors where prisoners were held.

The prison held Al Capone for a while too.  It's down right creepy, dark, damp and cold.  The walls are in disrepair.  However, it is preserved so you can see it in it's original state.  Matt was able to procure a photographer's pass so he could use his tripod and take photos.  There are even photographer events all over the prison.  (They also have a Halloween night event!)

Afterwards we walked around and saw the area.  It was adorable with lots of dogs walking and upscale restaurants.  We ate at a place called Urban Saloon and it was a modern and sophisticated version of an old west saloon (swinging doors and all!).  I had a peanut butter, bacon veggie burger.  It's as awesome as it sounds.