Pennsylvania
Went out to Pennsylvania for a graduation. I flew into Philadelphia on US Airways as it was the closest city to State College. My friend lives out in the suburbs about an hour northwest of the city. After landing, went to visit my friend and was taken to a local cupcakery, Cups N Cakes. It did not compare to Sprinkles but the flavors were interesting. I tried the tequila lime cupcake and tres leches cupcake. If you check-in at Yelp, you will get a free coffee or tea. Afterwards, visited her workplace, Ursinus College, and wandered the small campus. Took a mid-day break and visited the King of Prussia mall. I also needed a meal; cupcakes for breakfast doesn't quite satisfy even for this sweet tooth junkie. After wandering in this gigantic mall reacquainting myself with the local Philly culture, I went back to Royersford.
Being mindful of keeping with the local time zone, I powered through the rest of the day and had dinner at Daddy Mims in Phoenixville. I shared a braised pork dish and found the food salty. I was not surprised as I tend to find foods heavily salted in comparison to west coast cooking. To everyone's suprise, I did not advocate for dessert. The table ordered a chocolate cake and another dessert that escapes my memory. I did find myself looking at what downtown Phoenixville offered after leaving the restaurant. At one point I had looked via google in this area contemplating a job in the area. It was nice to see the local streets and see the town. Checked into the Hampton Inn Valley Forge/Oaks and found the hotel serviceable with pleasant customer service.
The next day, went out to breakfast at Annamarie's on 347 Main Street, Royersford, PA 19468. Primarily a breakfast diner, they serve pancakes the size and depth of dinner plates. I had the banana walnut pancake and found it tasty. No maple syrup needed as the brown sugar made the pancake sweet enough and caramelized the sweet banana chunks. If you can eat three, the pancakes are free. Also, there is a foursquare deal if you check-in. The breakfast managed to keep me full for the rest of the day. I would say that this was the best meal of the trip.
The graduation was at Pennsylvania State University in State College. Drove out for four hours and enjoyed the ceremony inside Bryce Center. Having only seen the athletic area of Penn State from the outside, it was interesting to see the interior. The folks at Penn State was smart to staff the concession stands for all the attendees. The ceremony was relatively efficient nearly ending on time. After the ceremoney, wandered over to American Ale House and Grill and enjoyed a bison burger. Following the same theme as the previous night, I again opted to bypass dessert. :O
Afterwards, checked into the Hampton Inn State College. The lobby had a very modern feel and the hotel felt newly renovated. I assume the hotel gets plenty of business given the proximity to the university.
The next morning, went to the nearest Waffle Shop before heading back to Philadelphia. Had some time to kill before the flight home and decided to cruise through the city center. Grabbed lunch at Tony Luke's. I could not leave Philly before having a cheesesteak! After lunch, went by and saw the Liberty Bell and the historical downtown Philadelphia area.
Returned the Mitsubishi Eclipse to Avis at the airport. During this weekend trip, I found the Eclipse lacking in power. I think a Kia had better acceleration than this car. Overall, I was not that impressed with the vehicle. US Airways also offers wi-fi on the planes. Nice feature but not for $15.95. If I flew US Airways often, the monthly option could be a good deal.
Being mindful of keeping with the local time zone, I powered through the rest of the day and had dinner at Daddy Mims in Phoenixville. I shared a braised pork dish and found the food salty. I was not surprised as I tend to find foods heavily salted in comparison to west coast cooking. To everyone's suprise, I did not advocate for dessert. The table ordered a chocolate cake and another dessert that escapes my memory. I did find myself looking at what downtown Phoenixville offered after leaving the restaurant. At one point I had looked via google in this area contemplating a job in the area. It was nice to see the local streets and see the town. Checked into the Hampton Inn Valley Forge/Oaks and found the hotel serviceable with pleasant customer service.
The next day, went out to breakfast at Annamarie's on 347 Main Street, Royersford, PA 19468. Primarily a breakfast diner, they serve pancakes the size and depth of dinner plates. I had the banana walnut pancake and found it tasty. No maple syrup needed as the brown sugar made the pancake sweet enough and caramelized the sweet banana chunks. If you can eat three, the pancakes are free. Also, there is a foursquare deal if you check-in. The breakfast managed to keep me full for the rest of the day. I would say that this was the best meal of the trip.
The graduation was at Pennsylvania State University in State College. Drove out for four hours and enjoyed the ceremony inside Bryce Center. Having only seen the athletic area of Penn State from the outside, it was interesting to see the interior. The folks at Penn State was smart to staff the concession stands for all the attendees. The ceremony was relatively efficient nearly ending on time. After the ceremoney, wandered over to American Ale House and Grill and enjoyed a bison burger. Following the same theme as the previous night, I again opted to bypass dessert. :O
Afterwards, checked into the Hampton Inn State College. The lobby had a very modern feel and the hotel felt newly renovated. I assume the hotel gets plenty of business given the proximity to the university.
The next morning, went to the nearest Waffle Shop before heading back to Philadelphia. Had some time to kill before the flight home and decided to cruise through the city center. Grabbed lunch at Tony Luke's. I could not leave Philly before having a cheesesteak! After lunch, went by and saw the Liberty Bell and the historical downtown Philadelphia area.
Returned the Mitsubishi Eclipse to Avis at the airport. During this weekend trip, I found the Eclipse lacking in power. I think a Kia had better acceleration than this car. Overall, I was not that impressed with the vehicle. US Airways also offers wi-fi on the planes. Nice feature but not for $15.95. If I flew US Airways often, the monthly option could be a good deal.
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