Independence Hall

Philadelphia was the largest city in British North America at the time. Independence Hall was originally built as Pennsylvania’s colonial seat of power with the governor’s office and the courtroom inside the building. The Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution were signed here. You have to book in advance Read more

Philadelphia, PA

It was the largest settlement in New England at the time of the American Revolution, so there is plenty of history. Elfreth’s Alley is the oldest street in America that is still continuously inhabited in its 18th century form. The Second Empire style city hall can be seen from the Read more

The Jewish Museum

This museum in New York City should be seen in context with Philadelphia’s Weitzman Museum of Jewish Americans. This is the art and culture museum, and that is the history museum. The yellow OY/YO is immediately recognizable in both museums as are the photos of European Jews landing in Coney Read more

Guggenheim Museum

I was fully prepared for the Guggenheim in New York City to be the same experience as the Museum of Modern Art downtown. It’s crowded, caters to the basic mass market, and is massively overhyped. Its interior is structurally similar to the Hirshhorn Museum in Washing D.C. Being a giant Read more

Risk-free money

When interest rates are high, there are plenty of risk-free arbitrage opportunities. Banks entice customers with generous bonus savings rates and credit card issuers do the same with low rates. I spotted one such opportunity in June 2024 with the no-fee MBNA True Line credit card and Wealthsimple’s high-interest savings Read more

Delaware History Museum

Delaware made assisting slave escapes illegal, so participants had to be very clever about the Underground Railroad or risk getting caught. If caught, the penalty included a year in prison, a fine of $100, and being sold into slavery—a high price. Abolitionists sometimes managed to redeem the freedom of their Read more

Dover, DE

On July 1, 1776, Caesar Rodney was called on to break the tie for Delaware’s vote for independence. Delaware’s two other delegates to the Continental Congress disagreed. He rode a horse through the night from Dover to Philadelphia the following afternoon to support independence. Following the defeat of the British Read more