On the 19th, we went to the aquarium. It is directly across the Delaware River from Penn's Landing. During tourist season, a ferry runs back and forth several times a day. It goes once an hour; if you miss it, you're going to be cooling your heels for a while.
We hadn't gotten our act together to catch the Phlash down to the waterfront as early as we'd planned. We waited, and waited, and then it struck me that we were only going a mile, and that there were taxis right there waiting..... We grabbed a cab, and got down to the waterfront in time to catch the ferry. (Throwing money at a problem is not usually our first thought; this was not like us. Maybe we're enlarging our repertoire....)
Here we are, on the ferry, looking north up the Delaware.
Turning 90 degrees clockwise, we are looking east at New Jersey and the aquarium.
This military vessel is just a bit to the right (south) of the previous image.
Looking south at the Pennsylvania side of the Delaware (western shore), here is an interesting group of boats. A large old boat (at least, I assume the sailing ship is old, but I guess I don't know that it is), a large newer boat, and, finally, a bunch of human-pedaled swan boats (far right, just above the railing).
I like the shapes, and the green against nearly-monochrome gray.
We're on our way. So interesting, how long you can see the mark a boat makes on water..... I wonder why......
The temperature on the 19th was at least 10 degrees (F) cooler than the 17th and 18th. The boat ride was very pleasant.
Instead of going straight across, they took us upstream a bit, when we were going east, and downstream a bit, when we were coming back west.
Looking at Philadelphia. Can you spot Billy Penn?
Here he is.
We looked at this blue Penn's Landing sign from the other side, several days ago.
Landmark buildings make it so much easier for ouslanders to orient themselves.....
Here we are on the Jersey side. The ferry was to go between two groups of these pilings. I am pretty sure we had a student driver -- we ran almost straight into one of the groups of pilings. Oops. The pilings gave more than I'd expected them to (I saw that we were going to hit, before it happened), and I don't think any damage was done. The boat bounced off (and it was a 287-passenger ferry!), the older man on the bridge talked to the younger one (who'd been driving, I saw him), and another, more successful attempt was made.
It just goes to show -- the fact that boat drivers so often make it look like a piece of cake to maneuver such a large vehicle up to the dock is because of practice, not because it's an easy thing to do!
Hey. What's that white thing? It's an egg, that's what. Last year, when we were in Grand Rapids for the Michigan Swim Masters' state meet, we found a goose egg in the middle of a baseball field. Not near anything, just lying all alone in the grass. I saw Canada geese on the river; I am betting this is a goose egg.
Some helpful soul put a nickel here to help us judge size.
There are lots of gulls here, but I bet that was a goose egg.
I wonder if the next one and the previous one are the same kind, only different ages?
The wing formation (crossed tips) is the same, but the eye and beak are different colors....
Betting this beautifully speckled one is a juvenile. Love those feathers......
Looking back at Philadelphia.
Waiting in line. How annoying. I'd looked into booking tix from the hotel room, but it said I had to "print them out at home." Hmmm. When we got there, we found out there was will-call (with no line!). Had I known, I would have done that. As it was, we were in line for at least 20 minutes. Annoying.
Ok.
Let it go.
But they are all smoking. Gack.
Right.
Let it go........................
At least it wasn't TOO hot, and it wasn't bright and sunny.......
Concentrating on something less annoying than standing in line when we could have had will-call tix.
Spent roses, transformed into stars.
I have no idea what this is ...
... but it was very popular with bumbles.
.
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