Phili - upcoming

Lee Laird

Member
Messages
405
Location
Austin TX
Hello All,

First off, I wasn't sure where this type post should reside, so feel free to move it if I missed the mark.

Looks like I'm going to be traveling up to Phili for about a week and a half beginning of next month. Any members know enough about the area to perhaps provide me with ideas of places, primarily relating to woodworking, that I might check out while I'm there? Since I just retired :D , I'm just traveling along with my spouse and will just be messing around while she's working. I'm interested in seeing historical locations, too, like the Liberty Bell et al. If there are any sources for old hand tools, I'd enjoy checking them out as well. Seems many types of the old tools just never make it down to the Austin TX area.

Hope all has been well for everyone. Been a while since I had the opportunity to check out all that's going on within our site. Now I should have more time to do so, if the honey-do list drops off a bit. <grin>

Regards,

Lee
 
Austin is too far south for northerners like us. We'd probably melt. :)

Enjoy your cheesesteak! Also, I hear the midwest is having a glut in the maple market at the moment, so you might be able to get some nice wood at a good price.
 
Yeah, weekend before last it actually felt more like we were up in your neck of the woods as we had some temps down in the teens (quite unusual for our area).

Maybe I'll have to make a separate trip to the midwest, after we get back.
 
If you're Driving to philly, and want to haul back some lumber, there's a great lumber mill off of I-81 in MD called Hicksville Lumber. No coffee yet this morning, so the exact directions escape me at the moment, but they are known for high quality and very reasonable costs. However, Saturdays are their busiest day. Oh, also, No cussing allowed, and be aware of the guys on the forklifts, they don't slow down for Anyone.

If you want directions, let me know I'll scare some up for you.
 
Ned,

Thanks for the info. Unfortunately, (or is that fortunately) we're flying into Philly. We'll have a car to get around, but alas, no way to transport the lumber.

Regards,
 
This talk about a trip to Philly is nice and all, but everyone seems to be missing the major stealth gloat in this thread...

Congrats on the retirement, Lee! :congrats: From what I hear about retirement, you're gonna be busier that ever before. :D
 
Thanks Vaughn! Good catch. Funny how I felt like I must just be on annual leave, at first. But, it was GREAT when I realized that my leave will never end. Wahooo!

Regards,

Lee
 
Lee:

I'm from New Jersey and live about 90 minutes from Philly.

If you are a turner Penn State Industries is around Philly. I've never been and would be interested in any feedback from others on whether it's a Destination Location.

Winterthur is in Delaware, not very far from Philly (30 miles S/E ). http://www.winterthur.org That's like going to the corner store for you Texas folks. It's a museum founded/funded by one of the DuPont's . I went there years ago - before the woodworking bug burrowed in.

I'm going to watch this thread to see who else piles on with some more attractions.

Jim
 
Philly

Jim - Thanks for the site. I'll check them out to see where exactly they're located and all the particulars.

Don & Mike - Also appreciate the site.

I'll likely be somewhat tethered to the Ben Salem area (wife told me that's where the hotel is located :dunno: ) since the car is a Govt rental. Wife's up for running around and seeing stuff on the weekend, but know I won't get away with JUST woodworking :D .

Thanks again to everyone, keep 'em coming.
 
With the talk about the weather, in the other thread, thought I'd toss my 2 cents in. Since we are here in Philly until next Wednesday, sounds like we might get to play in the snow! Certainly an odity for those of use from Austin, TX. Shoot, if we have 2 inches the city is shut down. No experience driving on the snow, so the wife and I will just hang around the hotel. So much for the weekend trip to NY.

Regards,
 
Sorry to see your intended tour was stifled by the snow. You're probably wise in staying put if you're not used to dealing with it.

When I was a kid we went to go visit relatives in Austin and they got hit by a Blue Norther that left a couple inches of snow on the ground and ice on the roads. I remember my dad getting a kick out of all the locals who couldn't drive on the slick streets. At the time, we lived in Los Alamos NM, which is at about 7300 feet in elevation and gets hit with pretty substantial snowfall every year. Our car had snow tires, and my dad was used to snow driving, so he had no problems getting around. I also remember the Texas cousin who was SO proud of the bucket of snowballs he was hoping to save on the back porch. I had a foot or so of snow in my own backyard, so I wasn't all that impressed. :rolleyes: :D
 
Philly - Wanamaker Organ

Vaughn,

At least I was able to get downtown (Center City for those locals) yesterday to meet with a super nice guy, Scott Kip, who has been involved with restoring a huge old organ (originally made in 1904), the Wanamaker organ housed in the Macy's building. I just couldn't fathom the size and scope of this instrument, until seeing it. It has 28,482 sound pipes associated with all of the different types of sounds. We climbed up through the levels getting to see from 30ft long pipes to the smallest at around 1/4" long. The woods they used to make the wind boxes along with the sturdy dovetails were just amazing. Chris Schwarz pointed me to Scott, who was so very kind taking the time to show me their shop, breaking down the components and how they work, to the above mentioned tour. I've never been that interested in organs, but the woodworking and electro-mechanical works to the huge blowers required to bring the organist's touch of a key into an audible tone truly are just amazing!

I'd highly recommend this for anyone finding themselves in Philly. :thumb::thumb:

Yeah, my father in law was from South Dakota so he was like your dad. He'd just tool around when it would snow, not having any trouble navigating the mess.
 
Regarding snow driving:

I was stationed in Norfolk, Va. for a time when I was in the Navy. Went to Philly every weekend to be with my soon to be wife. On one trip back to base, in, I believe, January, We had snow the whole way and got in to Norfolk at 5:00 AM. While driving through town, a Cop gets on our tail and turns on the Cherries.

When he got to the window, I asked him what was wrong, he said "What are you doing driving in this snow." I answered, "What snow - this is just a dusting" (1 inch). He said,"you're crazy" to which I stated, "we came down from Philly, where there was 12 inches on the roads and progressively lighter on the way here. If you're so worried about the snow, maybe you need to end your shift and drive carefully back to the station and stay there." Having the last word but not laught, He said" We'll be pickin' up your wreaked car." Actually, I have driven when the snow was 18 inches deep and blowing snow, Didn't like it but had to.

Bruce
 
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