Introduction
Welcome to "Philadelphia in the Life of America," a Junior Enrichment Experience for North Carolina Teaching Fellows. Twenty-four of you signed up for what I believe will be an exhilarating week in one of America's greatest cities. In your study of education, you perhaps already have learned about the power of experiential learning, of immersing oneself in a subject and engaging all the senses possible. During this trip, we will see some spectacular things, including historic Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell, paintings by Claude Monet and Vincent Van Gogh, sculpture by August Rodin, perhaps even some sculls on the Schuylkill River. We will hear the traffic, talk, and hustle and bustle of one of the country's largest cities. We will feel cobblestone streets under our feet, smell wildflowers in colonial John Bartram's meadow, and taste famous Philly steak-and-cheese sandwiches, as well as dishes from around the world.

As you will see in the itinerary below, I have planned a well-rounded experience akin to the liberal-arts education each of you is receiving at your university. On Tuesday, we will immerse ourselves in America's rich cultural heritage with a walking tour of diverse downtown Philadelphia, traditional Dim Sum in Chinatown, and visits to the Afro-American Historical and Cultural Museum and Balch Institute. Wednesday is arts day, when we will learn about Edgar Allan Poe's stay in Philadelphia in the 1840s, visit the Rodin Museum and Philadelphia Museum of Art, and take in some architecture on the Schuylkill. On Thursday, we will explore some of America's most historic places at Independence National Historic Site, home of the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, and many other fascinating sites. On Friday, we will turn to science and take in shows and hands-on exhibits at the Franklin Institute Science Museum. Finally, we will give our minds a break on Saturday and go our separate ways--for the afternoon, at least--to explore the trails in Fairmount Park, take in a Philadelphia Phillies baseball game, or find some other form of recreation.

In addition to a detailed itinerary, this Web site features a list of items to pack and other information you will need to plan and to enjoy your trip. Please read the material here carefully and refer to it when you are preparing for your trip. In particular, please make sure that you sign the agreement, write a check for the cost of the trip, and mail both to me at the address below.

Finally, if you have any questions or concerns, please use the information below to get in touch with me. I am looking forward to meeting all of you. My wife, Lisa, and our daughter, Esprit, will be joining us. In fact, Lisa, who runs a catering business here in Laurinburg, has planned our culinary experiences. If you would like to get to know a little more about us, please visit our personal Web site at the address below.

See you in Philly!

Mark Canada
Assistant Professor of English
118 Dial Building
University of North Carolina at Pembroke
Pembroke, NC 28352-1510
(910) 521-6431
markcanada@excite.com
http://www.uncp.edu/home/canada
 

 Transportation
We will travel in two vans, which we will board at the following location:

Enterprise Rent-a-Car
9005 Glenwood Avenue
Raleigh, NC
(919) 787-8600

Below are the directions that Enterprise sent me:

I-40 West:

Take Exit 283B (I-540 North) to Exit 4A (70 East). Go through the light and we are one mile on the right.

I-40 East:

Take Exit 283 (I-540 North) to Exit 4A (70 East). Go through the light and we are one mile on the right.

Inner Beltline/ 440 North:

Take Exit 7 (Highway 70 - Glenwood Ave) and make a left at the light (70 West). Go through 13 lights (6 miles) and we are located on the left (9005 Glenwood Ave).

Outer Beltline/ 440 South:

Take Exit 7B (Highway 70 West - Glenwood Ave). Go through 13 lights (6 miles) and we are located on the left (9005 Glenwood Ave).

You must arrive at this boarding location no later than 9 a.m. Monday, May 15. Schedule in some extra time for traffic delays in the Triangle. If you are late, I reserve the right to leave without you and keep your payment. I realize that some of you are coming from places several hours away from Raleigh; you may want to make arrangements to spend Sunday night with a friend or at a hotel in Raleigh, Durham, or Chapel Hill so that you don't have to drive a long distance on Monday morning. We will return to this same building around 7 p.m. on Sunday, May 21. If you have a long way to drive to get home, you may want to make sleeping arrangements for Sunday night.
 

 Hotel
We will stay at the Econo Lodge in Mount Laurel, New Jersey, across the Delaware River from Philadelphia.  You may want to pass along the following information to anyone who might need to reach you during our trip:

Econo Lodge
611 Fellowship Road
Mount Laurel, NJ 08054
(856) 722-1919

I have reserved 13 rooms, each with two beds. Most of you will share a room with another student of the same sex. If you would like to room with a specific person, please let me know, and I will do my best to accommodate your preferences.  As I make room assignments, I will post them below.

Room assignments

  1. Cortney Robinson/Kelly Fish
  2. Corrie Davis/Jennifer Stumpf
  3. Jennifer Metz/Nicole Martin
  4. Emily Anthony/Rorie Marlowe
  5. Whit Barrier/Howard Wallace
  6. Lori Wolz/Anna Bess Williams
  7. Donald Barringer/Jeremy Hart
  8. Alycia Crews/Crystal Dixon
  9. Kylie Glover/Jennifer Koch
  10. Crystal Lee/Charisse Lyons
  11. Lori Beiles
  12. Adam Rugg/Brian Smith
  13. Mark, Lisa, and Esprit Canada
 

 Itinerary

Monday, May 15

Tuesday, May 16

Wednesday, May 17

Thursday, May 18

Friday, May 19

Saturday, May 20

Sunday, May 21

 

 Attractions

Arts

Like other large cities, Philadelphia has a lot to offer anyone interested in the arts, particularly painting, sculpture, literature, music, and architecture. We will explore the city's literary side when we visit the Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site, which features the house where Edgar Allan Poe lived while working at magazines in Philadelphia. Other stops include the Rodin Museum, home of the largest collection of art by French sculptor August Rodin anywhere outside Paris, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art, which features a premier and eclectic collection of paintings, sculpture, furniture, and crafts by artists such as Claude Monet, Paul Cezanne, and Vincent Van Gogh, as well as American and Asian artists. Finally, a walking tour of Fairmount Park historic houses will give us a peek at Philadelphia's architecture.

Culture

One of the most diverse cities in the United States, Philadelphia is home to people from an enormous variety of cultural backgrounds: African, Asian, Chinese, English, German, Italian, Jewish, Polish, Swedish, and others. We will immerse ourselves in this diversity, as well as Philadelphia's history with a walking tour of downtown Philadelphia. As we stroll down cobblestone and modern paved streets, we will discuss the founding of the city by William Penn, the meaning of its name, the importance of Quakers in its and the nation's history, the waves of immigration that brought many ethnic groups to the city in the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century, and the current life of the fifth largest city in the United States. Along the way, we will see City Hall, Historical Society of Pennsylvania, the Philadelphia branch of the National Archives, Benjamin Franklin's grave, the Betsy Ross House, Christ Church, and Penn's Landing. Later that morning, we will visit the Balch Institute and take a driving tour with two of their tour guides around the city. After lunch in Chinatown, we will explore the history of African-Americans at theAfro-American Historical and Cultural Museum.  Finally, we will end our day with a visit to the Italian Market and dinner at Ralphs' Italian Restaurant.

History and Politics

Long before New York rose to prominence and before Washington, D.C., even existed, Philadelphia was one of the most important cities in the American colonies. It was here that the Second Continental Congress met in 1775 at the beginning of the Revolutionary War, and it was here that Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence. In fact, from 1790 to 1800, Philadelphia was the capital of the United States, and the U.S. Congress met here. We will explore this history, especially the contributions of Philadelphian Benjamin Franklin, at Independence National Historical Park. The centerpiece of this park is Independence Hall, where Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, John Hancock, and others signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776. Other park highlights include Congress Hall, B. Free Franklin Post Office and Museum, Liberty Bell Pavilion, Franklin Court, and the Second Bank of the United States.

Recreation

You won't have to spend all of your time in Philadelphia thinking. On most evenings and virtually all day on Saturday, you may entertain yourselves in any way you wish, as long as you abide by the guidelines in the agreement. You might choose to breathe some fresh air in Fairmount Park, which occupies 8,579 acres on the Schuylkill River, or at Veterans Stadium, where Major League Baseball's Philadelphia Phillies play. For those of you who don't mind huffing and puffing a little of that fresh air, I have scheduled a Rocky run through the streets of Philadelphia and up the steps of the Philadelphia Art Museum. If you prefer your air to be bit stale, you might browse in Antique Row or just admire the priceless Chippendale furniture at Cliveden estate. If you like water, you might enjoy touring the Delaware River on the Spirit of Philadelphia or visiting the Independence Seaport Museum. There also is plenty of shopping at China Town Mall, Reading Terminal Market, and the Shops at Bellevue. On nights when all you want to do is remain stationary, you can just stay in the hotel for video showings of Philadelphia movies such asPhiladelphia, Rocky, The Young Philadelphians, The Philadelphia Story, orMarnie.

Science

In addition to being the scene of some of the most important political activity of the colonial era, Philadelphia was the home of two leading colonial scientists: botanist John Bartram and Benjamin Franklin, who conducted his famous kite experiment in this city. We will explore both past and present science in our trip to the Franklin Institute Science Museum, which features a memorial to Franklin, movies on a four-story screen at Tuttleman Omniverse Theater, and displays on physics, computers, astronomy, oceanography, meteorology, and math. Later in the day, we will visit Historic Bartram's Garden, where colonial botanist John Bartram once operated a farm. After a leisurely stroll through the botanical garden and wildflower meadow, we will eat a picnic on the banks of the Schuylkill River.
 

 Preparation

What to Do

You don't need to be Rocky Balboa to survive our perambulations, but you should be prepared to walk at least a few miles each day. If you plan to join me on the Rocky run, be prepared to run 5 miles. One-handed push-ups are optional.

As for intellectual preparation, each of you will do a little research so that you can serve as tour guide for the rest of us for a portion of our trip. Below is a list of books related to the various sites we will see.

Arts

Culture

History

Science

Choose a book that relates to your interests, heritage, or the field you expect to teach and let me know which one you have chosen by sending me an e-mail (markcanada@excite.com). When you do, I will put your name in blue in front of the name of the book's author so that we don't wind up with more than one person reading each book. As you read the book you have chosen, make some notes. Use these notes to write a one-page summary of the book's highlights, especially those that would interest someone traveling to Philadelphia. For example, if you read the biography of William Penn, you would want to describe the founding of Pennsylvania and Philadelphia, as well as the early history of these two places. Please e-mail me your report no later than April 15, 2000. With your permission, I would like to post your reports in a travel section of All American, a World Wide Web site I manage. Finally, bring your notes with you to Philadelphia so that you serve as our tour guide for part of our trip.

What to Bring

Because all of us have to pile in two vans, we will need to pack lightly. Please limit yourself to a single piece of carry-on luggage. Here are the essential items you will need: If you plan to buy souvenirs, make sure you leave enough room in your bag to accommodate these items.
 

 Payment
The cost of this trip is $550 per person. Your North Carolina Teaching Fellow scholarship covers $200 of this cost, so you need to come up with only $350. This sum covers travel to, around, and from Philadelphia, as well as hotel accommodations, all but one meal, our expenses for accompanying you, and admission to all attractions on the itinerary, except for optional attractions you choose to attend during recreation time. To cover those optional excursions, as well as incidental expenses such as snacks or souvenirs, you should plan to bring some extra cash with you.

So that I can make our travel and hotel reservations, you will need to send me a check for $350 no later than April 1, 2000. Please make it out to Mark Canada and mail it to the address below:

Mark Canada
Assistant Professor of English
118 Dial Building
University of North Carolina at Pembroke
Pembroke, NC 28352-1510

Updated May 11, 2000 | canada@sassette.uncp.edu | © Mark Canada, 2000
www.uncp.edu/home/canada/work/markport/travel/philly/ | University of North Carolina at Pembroke