Bob & Edith’s Diner takes everything good about a traditional diner and distills down it into one small package. They’re in a shopping center that’s within easy walking distance of the Hilton Homewood Suites hotel that I usually stay at when I’m in the area. They’re open 24 hours a day (a requirement for all diners, in my opinion) which makes it a perfect late night stop. When you walk in, you’re greeted by a bright and cheery atmosphere of white tile, chrome and neon. No matter what hour you go, business seems to be booming, yet both times I’ve been there, there were still some free tables for us plus some seats at the counter. The music from the jukebox keeps the place lively. I was last there on a dark rainy night and I can think of no place more warm and inviting.
Of course, they serve breakfast 24 hours a day as all respectable diners should. The menu is not as expansive as some diners back home in New Jersey, but they have all of the standards plus some. Their burgers are delicious but the best menu item I’ve had is the pancakes. They’re some of the lightest, fluffiest pancakes I’ve ever tasted. I haven’t tried their dinner entrees yet, but maybe next time.
I’m a fan of diners in general and Bob & Edith’s formula of doing everything that a good diner should do without all of the excess stuff that some diners try to tack onto their restaurants is a winning formula!
The new observation deck at One Liberty Place has been open for a while now, but too often, you don’t think of going to tourist attractions near home. I finally spent a day heading to the top of the formerly tallest building in Philadelphia to check it out. I was pleasantly surprised. After lunch a little Belgian place in Center City, we went up once during the day and once after dark. The views were impressive and they do a nice job of interpreting all that you can see from the 57th floor. I even learned a few new facts despite living here all my life. We also checked out the ice rink at City Hall’s Dilworth Park which was a nice way to get into the holiday spirit.
We’re always looking for things to do in the Fall since it’s one of the best times of the year to be outside. This year we took a Fall foliage ride through the Red Clay Valley on the Wilmington and Western Railroad. Thanks to the terribly warm weather we’ve been having, there wasn’t too much color but it was a fun trip nonetheless. We upgraded to the open air car which gave me a better opportunity to test out my brand new camera, a Nikon D5700. Yes, I finally replaced my trusty D90. I’m very happy with the new camera and there will be MANY more photos to come!
While looking for someplace to go for a day trip, we stumbled upon a balloon festival in North Jersey. Since hot air balloons always make for great photos, I couldn’t pass it up. We bought tickets and headed to Readington Airport. Unfortunately, the day was pretty overcast and there were scattered showers throughout the day. Some of the traditional balloons were able to launch but all of the larger shaped balloons either inflated and stayed tethered or just didn’t inflate at all. As it turned out, the unexpected part that made the price of admission worth it was all of the companies that were there handing out samples of their products. It was a bizarrely eclectic mix of stuff. From Advil to Minute Rice to flavored milk and on and on, we had to make the long muddy walk to the car twice just to offload all of the stuff we’d been given! It was a fun day and we managed to stay mostly dry while watching the balloons that were brave enough to take off despite the questionable weather.