I am a simple IT professional with a dream like all IT folks – to go Onsite…

I was offered a 2 months visit to Unites States and of course I grabbed the opportunity. So this small series is going to be about my experience of USA…

So I left India on Friday the 13th January. Yeah the date did send my mind running but anyway..

After a long 24 hour journey with a 5 hour layover at Frankfurt, I along with two of my colleagues reached Newark, New Jersey. From here we took a cab to our Hotel at Yardley, Pennsylvania(PA). The ride was smooth and we inquisitively looked around. To be frank my first impression was that place was like Mumbai – Wide roads, tall buildings and bridges..

I was going to get a total of 8 weekends and had decided to make the best of my time….

My First Destination: Philadelphia

Phily Streets in the night

Philadelphia (also called Philly) is the largest city of PA. During the American Revolution, Philadelphia played an instrumental role as a meeting place for the Founding Fathers of the United States, who signed the nation’s Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776 and the Constitution on September 17, 1787. Philadelphia served as of the nation’s capitals during the Revolutionary War, and 1790 to 1800.

I went to Philadelphia twice. The city is very beautiful with many historical sites. The streets are lively yet not too crowded. The real fun in visiting these places is to walk around the city and experience its food and culture. Must have from what all I tried here – Falafel at Maoz..

At the heart of the city is the Liberty Bell which is an iconic symbol of American Independence, It originally cracked when first rung after arrival in Philadelphia, and was twice recast. Bells were ringing to mark the reading of the Declaration of Independence on July 8, 1776.

The Liberty Bell

Just opposite to the National Liberty Museum is the Independence Hall, where the bell was initially placed in the Independence Hall is the centerpiece of Independence National Historical Park and is listed as a World Heritage Site. It is known primarily as the location where both the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution were debated and adopted.

Independence Hall

Love Park is a plaza located in Center City and is nicknamed after Robert Indiana’s Love sculpture which overlooks the plaza.

Love Park Fountain

Another famous sight in Philly is the 72 stone steps before the entrance of the Philadelphia Museum of Art known as the “Rocky Steps” as a result of their appearance in the triple-Oscar-winning film Rocky starring Sylvester Stallone. A bronze statue of rocky is also placed near these steps.

At the end I visited The Bourse. It’s a place with a lot of shops where you can get cute souvenirs and a large variety of food. Apart from these, there are many other attractions like the Franklin Square, Museum of art, Valley Forge National Historic Park, Longwood Garden and much more.

The Bourse

I was not able to visit all these places due to severe cold. never mind…next time..:)

So that was Philly…watch out for more…