Philly and Shenandoah NP
Posted By: sm on 2008-03-12
In Reply to: Best places to visit on the East coast - CRB
It sounds like you enjoy U.S. history. If so, you shouldn't miss my hometown of Philadelphia. See Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, and all the other sites run by the national park service. Olde City is the part of town that Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams walked through. Philly is a very walkable city, easy to get around. In addition, we have a great food culture here; everything from street food to haute cuisine. The Phila Museum of Art is pretty amazing. (It's not just the place where Rocky ran the steps.)
If you're looking for some beautiful vistas and you plan on being in DC anyway, it's not a very long drive to Shenandoah National Park, the first national park on the east coast. Geographically, the park is a long narrow strip through the Blue Ridge Mountains. You can camp, hike or stay at one of the lodges. Big Meadows is my favorite lodge, but stay in one of the annex rooms there, and pay a little extra for a room with a view/balcony. I love a little wine and cheese on the balcony while watching the sunset behind Masanutten Mountain. Be sure to try the buckwheat pancakes and blackberry syrup for breakfast. You can hike part of the famed Appalachian Trail if you'd like, or take part in some of the ranger programs. The place is full of history, as well. You can hike to, or ride the ranger van down to Camp Hoover, President Hoover's "Camp David". The new visitor's center at Big Meadows tells about the role of the CCC in the park during the Depression, and also the controversy about moving the local people out of the park to make way for the national park. There are beautiful waterfalls to hike to. (I'm not crazy about Dark Hollow Falls, which is the closest to the road and can be crowded during the summer.)You can also do some horseback riding in the park, as well. Shenandoah's Skyline Drive is also very, very popular with bikers (motorcycle and the pedal crowd). The drive is 100 miles long, with vistas, wayside cafes, campgrounds and two lodges along the way.
While you're on the east coast, be sure to have at least one breakfast at a diner!
These are my top two suggestions, but I have lots more. Email me if you'd like to hear more.
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Love it. That's where I'm from (Philly) and can spot a Philly one a mile away!
!!
I am in PA. I would like to go to the New River Gorge in W. Va. and do some of the Shenandoah on
the way. Neat area. I love W. VA but the roads are unbelievably winding.
There were a lot of albino deer in Shenandoah Natl Park.
I don't know if they are still a "problem". A while back, hunters were asked to specifically look for and thin them from the herds -- something to do with weakening the gene pool. I don't know anything about wildlife management, but I know that I've seen a good number of albino deer in SNP. It is exciting to see them!
Where in Philly? From there and ...
miss it terribly! My whole family is there. 
Home for me is Philly....
I live in Oregon now, don't fly well, and all my family is there. The DH and I drive cross country every year to see them. I would give just about anyting to be with my sister, brother, and their families at this time of year! Our dad just passed a year ago, mother many years ago, so we are all that's left. If my DH did not have such a great job here we would be there!
Agree w/Philly...
what can you say: Cheesesteaks, Italian water ice, pretzels, TastyKakes, Hogies, pizza, Wise potato chips, Amoroso rolls...the list goes on! 
Some snow in Philly
It's been snowing lightly for hours, but ground is barely covered. Expecting about 5 inches tonight, though. Haven't had any real snow this winter.
Philly cheescake !!!!
x
It's snowing just outside of Philly.
We'll see what happens tonight.
You Give Philly a Bad Name
Her life is not perfect. If it was she wouldn't be so full of venom. Don't let her cavalier attitude fool you. She is a spineless little whiner hiding behind her anonymity. She is the one I pity.
What's the best cut of meat for homemade philly...
steak subs? Our family loves them and we usually buy the frozen philly cheese steak meat...but I just can't stomach the smell of it even cooking anymore because it is sooooo greasy. I want to try to make some homemade from a fresh cut of meat. Any suggestions? Thanks!!
Philly Cheese Steak
I saw them making Philly Cheese Steak on the Food Network the other day and they used New York steak. Kind of expensive, but it looked really good. They said you could freeze it and then slice it thin while it was still slightly frozen (to make it easier), but I can't see why you couldn't have the butcher do it.
There was a baby born in Philly
Me too....in the suburbs, outskirt of Philly. sm
Grew up in Philly, moved about 15 minutes out of the city. Love it here!!
Philly is #1....now live in the Pacific Northwest...
would give anything to live on the East Coast. This is like a time warp, still see blue eyeshadow, Farah Fawcett hair, and more flannel than I care to think about!
How to make a REAL Philly cheesesteak
Sorry! I sent this to the OP by email. My brain was turned off, and I didn't realize I wasn't posting to the board.
-------------------
I understand... if you are using those Steak-Umm type pressed and formed meat things, the smell is atrocious, and you end up with loads of grease. They smell oddly like fish to me. I don't know why.
I live in the Philly area, and when we want a cheesesteak (we don't call any sandwich a "sub" here), we generally just go down the street to our local cheesesteak and hoagie place and buy one. But, on occasion, I will make them at home. A top or bottom round roast makes the best steak meat. (I've used both and it doesn't seem to matter. The meat should be reasonably lean.) If you have a butcher who'll do the work for you, that's great. (In this area, you just say "sliced for cheesesteak" and they know what you want.) But you can buy the roast, partially freeze it, and then slice it very, very thinly. If you want to give it a real authentic Philly taste, just a tiny bit of oregano and garlic powder (very tiny bit) tossed in with the meat when you're cooking gives it just a boost. I never use cheez-whiz here. The big tourist trap cheesesteak place, Pat's, uses cheez-whiz, and that's an abomination! Ick! American cheese is the usual, but I really like provolone. I also like fried onions, and sometimes mushrooms on mine. If you use onions, take a good long time frying them so that they are carmelized and almost syrupy, not quick-fried to a crisp.
I didn't even comment on the rolls! That's a whole other topic!
I hope this helps. Enjoy your cheesesteak.
Nope, Missoui, Philly and New York
NM
thank you, anon. And this, Philly, is why your posts are inappropriate.
nm
GO PHILS! Forever a Philly phanatic!...nm
//
I live on the very edge of Philly, just into the suburbs.
Lots of people, lots to do. The weather changes a lot, which is good because I have a very short attention span. :) I love it here.
Philly/South Jersey accent
I have a Philly accent, though not as pronounced as some. I definitely say "wooder" for "water". But I don't have that over-long "Oh" sound that you hear around Philly. I do say certain phrases that are Philly-distinct. Like, "I'm gone downa shore," which means that I plan on going to the New Jersey seaside. And we tend to say "yiz" for the plural "you", using it the same way as southerners say y'all and New Yorkers say yooze.
Oh! And I do shout out, "Yo!" when I want to get someone's attention.
My home is Philly also. Love it, born and raised here. nm
x
I'm from Philly so I love hoagies and steak sandwiches! nm
x
I knew it was a matter of time before Philly started spewing about sm
how good she has it and how dumb other people are. *rolling eyes*
Search foodtv for Philly cheese steak and several recipes come up. They're all
s
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