Monday, August 8, 2011

William Penn Fire Tower


A fun afternoon with kids can be spent, relatively cheaply by driving up Mt. Penn in Reading and touring both the Pagoda and the William Penn Fire Tower. To climb to the top of the Pagoda is only $1 per person and the Fire Tower is by donation. Both give you beautiful views of the city and neighboring communities.

At the Fire Tower, you'll find picnic tables, perfect for eating lunch in the afternoon, and behind, in front and around both sites are well maintained trails.


As you begin your climb up the Fire Tower, make sure to check out this inlay (you'll miss it if you don't look for it). It's towards the bottom of the stairs and above your head as you begin the climb. The coat of arms is that of William Penn.

The William Penn Fire Tower is only open on the third Saturday of each month from noon until 5 p.m.

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Lucy the Elephant


Lucy the Elephant is a 6-story elephant next to the beach in Margate City, NJ. For a nominal fee, visitors can climb the stairs into Lucy, passing by the original ticket booth (where tickets were sold for 10 cents!) and into the main part of Lucy's body.

Here, visitors get to watch a short documentary on the history of the elephant of the Jersey Shore, including the two other elephants, one in Cape May, NJ and one in Coney Island, NY. Lucy, the only remaining elephant, was built in 1881 and in 1976 was designated a National Historic Landmark.

From the documentary and the tour guides, visitors learn that Lucy was originally built to be a real estate office, then transformed into a summer home and was a tavern for a while (until she was nearly burnt down!).


While Lucy was moved down the block during her restoration, her eyes have seen the world change a great deal since 1881. Lucy looks out onto the Atlantic Ocean, at families and beach-goers, as she has done for the past 130 years. From the main room in Lucy, visitors can look out her eyes and see what she sees. Visitors can also look around at some of the original pieces to Lucy, as well as souvenirs and knick-knacks sold of Lucy.


Climbing further up the spiral staircase, the tour culminates atop Lucy's "howdah," an exact replica of her original. From the howdah, visitors get beautiful, sweeping views of the Atlantic Ocean and Margate, as well as beautiful, panoramic views of neighboring Atlantic City.