Visiting Philadelphia Sept 26 --- the Pope ... really I want to escape!

[vacationhopeful]

There is a LARGE church conference being planned for over a year ... was anticipating a LARGE crowd for the Sept 26, 2015 weekend ... except now the head of this church has decided to attend. The planning has become a 5 minute update on EVERY NEWS cast in the region. There is a daily COUNT DOWN of "DAYS til". Every change is a NEW RESTRICTION on getting from A to B within 50-75 miles of City Hall (the center of Philadelphia according to the master plan of William Penn 400 years ago).

Today's disclosure - ???.

Last week was ALL schools in Philadelphia will be closed from Thur Sept 24 thru Mon Sept 29. Then the security grid was announced ... no in bound vehicles for the same time frame from the Delaware River to the Schuylkill River and from South Street north to Spring Garden street. If you are in the grid, your car can stay & your can drive it; leave the grid and your car will NOT be allowed back in til AFTER SUNDAY Sept 27. The Ben Franklin bridge will be closed to all vehicle - with 3 lanes allowing WALKERS to cross and the other 4 lanes for emergency/police vehicles ONLY. Then all Subways and Patco will have restricted (fewer) station stops --- but if you did NOT WIN in the $10 per day pass lottery held last week, NO TICKET means no riding the SUBWAY.

I came to realize MY Texas sister is totally unaware of the events of this Papal visit ... and the extreme measures being inflicted on a top 10 metro (center city) area here in 44 days 19 hours 59 minute. Yes, there is a count down clock.

This is absurd .... I need to escape to a timeshare for the last 2 weeks of September.... suggestions?

 

[vacationhopeful]

Today's local new broadcast was highlighting how the perthed battleship the USS New Jersey will be renting sleeping space to out of town guests in the crew's bunks - looked to be 18 inch sleeping space stacked 5 or 6 bunks high in metal frames. Showed the mess on the ship - so I guess there will be a breakfast available. Might be under a mile to the Ben Franklin Bridge, 2 miles over the bridge and and 2 miles thru all of center city to the area Ben Franklin Parkway - for the outdoor papal mass.

Currently, there are sleep overs held on the ship for groups - like the Boy Scouts.

For those unfamiliar with the Ben Franklin Parkway .. the movie Rocky ran up the steps of the Art Museum and turned around to raise his arms and JUMP in glee .... he was looking DOWN the parkway to the City Hall which has the William Penn statue sitting on top of the clock tower ... at the time that movie was filmed in 1976 ... no building TALLER than Billy Penn's hat brim could be built in Philadelphia. There are several OLD fountains - installed for the 1876 Centennial and the reason this 45 degree angle blvd was created in the city laid out by William Penn himself.

 

[anne1125]

May daughter lives in center city Philadelphia and is coming to stay with us for that weekend. It will be a mob scene.

 

[rosebud5]

If you're real lucky, the Phillies will be in town. Go see a ballgame.

 

[Free2Roam]

This is absurd .... I need to escape to a timeshare for the last 2 weeks of September.... suggestions?

Massanutten usually has availability... also Poconos. Good luck!

 

[Ty1on]

Today's local new broadcast was highlighting how the perthed battleship the USS New Jersey will be renting sleeping space to out of town guests in the crew's bunks - looked to be 18 inch sleeping space stacked 5 or 6 bunks high in metal frames. Showed the mess on the ship - so I guess there will be a breakfast available. Might be under a mile to the Ben Franklin Bridge, 2 miles over the bridge and and 2 miles thru all of center city to the area Ben Franklin Parkway - for the outdoor papal mass.

Currently, there are sleep overs held on the ship for groups - like the Boy Scouts.

For those unfamiliar with the Ben Franklin Parkway .. the movie Rocky ran up the steps of the Art Museum and turned around to raise his arms and JUMP in glee .... he was looking DOWN the parkway to the City Hall which has the William Penn statue sitting on top of the clock tower ... at the time that movie was filmed in 1976 ... no building TALLER than Billy Penn's hat brim could be built in Philadelphia. There are several OLD fountains - installed for the 1876 Centennial and the reason this 45 degree angle blvd was created in the city laid out by William Penn himself.

It's off-season....You oughta be hitting RCI's Resort Cert listiing :whoopie:

 

[timesharejunkie4]

If you're real lucky, the Phillies will be in town. Go see a ballgame.

Phillies are away that weekend, playing the Nats, maybe we should all go there!

 

[vacationhopeful]

Phillies are away that weekend, playing the Nats, maybe we should all go there!

My sister lives nearby ... I bet there will be a sea of RED in the stadium during that weekend.

I am laughing because last night, the TV guys were saying they are having to meet with the business people today who operate the small food and other shops in the "zone" .. seems their plan is to close down for the long weekend as they will not be able to get deliveries to their shops, make deliveries to their customers or have ANY employees willing to walk miles into and out of the "lock down" area.

And my thought is, who is going to empty all those dumpsters and port-a-potties? "Woodstock" comes to mind. Just need some rain?