Philadelphia: Part 3-We had a hippo-rrific time!

Our "ph-inal" day in Philly was "ph-antastic" (sorry). For reasons unbeknownst to the Mosimans, Philadelphia seems to run on a strict 10-4 schedule. On a happy note, this tendency allowed the Mosiman women to sleep past the typical "We're burning daylight" early wake-up call. Our slow and easy morning eventually led us to Penn's Landing where we counted down the minutes leading to the 10 o'clock tour opening of the Spanish-American War Cruiser Olympia and the World War II Submarine Becuna. 


Brad had a wonderfully enriching experience as he delved into the rich history of the two navel vessels. Savannah, not overly fond of anything associated with water, kept a keen eye out for the exits. Sydney and I spent the bulk of our time inspecting the teeny tiny toilets while making immature comments. Although this will not surprise my friend Sarah at all, I can now say, with utmost sincerity and conviction, that I can cross "submarine crewperson" off my list of potential career paths. I'm not sure what stroke of genius led me to tour a submarine. Sarah and I used to chaperone school trips to Howe Caverns where we descended 156 feet into the dank, dark earth to view a pile of aging cheese. If that wasn't bad enough, we then traversed a whimsical little route called "The Winding Way," a cramped corridor upon where my now-notorious claustrophobia was first chronicled. Picture Pooh Bear's posterior protruding from the bee tree and you can sort of imagine Sarah's trials in trying to wrestle me through "The Winding Way." And now, here I was on an over-sized tub toy with a case of kick-ball knee which hindered my swift and graceful maneuvering through thigh-high thresholds. Nevertheless, I scampered through the sub like a psychotic squirrel and launched myself up the ladder as though I were a contestant for "American Ninja Warrior." 

Having learned much about the nautical history of our great nation during my three-second tour, I was ready to move on to our next adventure. We crossed the Delaware (again) on a little ferry boat to access The Adventure Aquarium in the good company of a thousand third graders. "We're in New Jersey AGAIN," Savannah scowled, shoving a six-year-old out of her way. Despite the sea of schoolkids, we had a magical time. As luck would have it, the aquarium was celebrating "Shark Week" and offered an admission reduction for anyone sporting shark-related items and Savannah was wearing her very-cheerful "Bite Me!" shirt adorned with...you guessed it...a jaw-dropping discount! We boot-kicked a few brats out of our way to touch some small sharks, elbowed our way to the sting rays, and enjoyed the spacious, well-lit glass tunnel that worked as a reverse aquarium, transforming me into a human guppy while sharks swam slowly overhead.  


And finally...my Philadelphia quest was complete. "We're in New Jersey, Mom," Savannah snidely reminded me but I was nonplussed. For right there in front of me was The Adventure Aquarium's star attraction. There she was: Button! While she didn't exactly live up to the Aquarium's description http://www.adventureaquarium.com/What-to-do/Aquarium-animals/Hippos.aspx in that she didn't frolic and jump about (at least, not while we were there), she was magnificent and didn't look a pound over three tons. "I had no idea that you were so passionate about hippos," Sydney said, taking note of Button and her companion's adamant refusal to move for over thirty minutes. "I'm not," I admitted, watching the water cloud mysteriously around the two submerged creatures of the Nile. "But isn't she as cute as a button?" 

We re-boarded the ferry, reflecting about our adventure while we crossed the Delaware (again). When we weren't busy being in New Jersey, the Mosimans were experiencing Philadelphia in all its historic and pop culture glory. It was with great regret that we bid a fond adieu to this "ph-ine" City of Brotherly Love. We look "ph-orward" to visiting Philly again soon. Maybe next time, we'll visit Unna, the hippo housed at the Philadelphia Zoo. "What!" Savannah screeched, "You mean we actually could have seen a hippo IN Philadelphia?"