The Morris Arboretum

For architecture studio class, Caitlin needs to design the landscape in the Morris Arboretum in some little way.  I'm not quite sure what the assignment is, but it seems like she needs to act as a landscape architect and model some idea she has to beautify the outdoors.  So what she had to do was visit the Morris Arboretum located just north of the Wissahickon State Park in Philadelphia.  Me, being up for that sort of thing, assumed that I needed to be there as much as she did.  So together we left Philadelphia on our bikes equipped with nothing more than our water bottles, our backpacks, and for the first time our (or rather my roommate's) trusty camera.  The following is a picture show of how our day unfolded:

Caitlin making toast in a pan.

The day started of with a 10AM wake up followed by toast and jelly.  Caitlin and I got our stuff together and were on our way.

The first picture of Caitlin and I to date.  Naturally I made her carry the bookbag.

So then we begun our ride out of the filthy stink of a calm Saturday morning in Philadelphia.

A view of Philadelphia from the Schuylkill River Trial

Our route to the Arboretum

We took the Schuylkill River trail North out of Philly towards Manayunk.

Stadium on the River Trail

 After 5 miles of riding we made it to Manayunk, just in time to fill up Caitlin's dying bike tires.  In Manayunk that day there was some sort of eco-fest going with lots of people hawking green.

Salesman spots me as I enter the eco-fest.

He moves in for the kill.

We wandered through the stalls and eventually made it back on our bikes through the rest of Manayunk. We went up and down the Manayunk hills and finally turned right on Domino street (one large hill).  After making it to the top of the hill, we turn left on Ridge Road heading west.  This was the highest elevation around (there was even road called Summit).  This meant that after we turn right down Bells Mill road, we had about 1/2 a mile of straight downhill to Forbidden Drive in Wissahickon.

Chilling on Forbidden Drive

 Wissahickon is a beautiful place.  If you were blind folded and brought here you would not believe that Philadelphia is just around the corner.  The juxtaposition is intense and very much appreciated.

Beautiful Wissahickon

After 1/2 a mile of walking our bikes down Forbidden Drive we made it to the Northwestern Avenue and a little sandwich shop just on the corner.  Me, with my hungeritis, had to stop for a sandwich.  The view outside was pleasant.

After lunch we continued up Northwestern past Germantown Ave to the arboretum.

Then we went into the arboretum and started exploring.

It was unexpectedly beautiful.