Ride The Ducks

I’ve seen them puttering by me for years now…The kids quacking at me…The “Eye Of The Tiger” pulsating while I read at Washington Square…The captain that yelled “Hello, Dude!” to me once while I ate outside at The Race Street Cafe…Now, it was my turn to see Philadelphia in a new light!

Posing as tourists from Cincinatti, Melissa and I boarded one of the “Ride The Duck” tourist boats during the height of Philly tourism: July 4th weekend. I instantly felt highly embarassed as we cruised around Olde City and down to South Street, but it was definitely fun. Many people waved enthusiastically at us, as if we were aliens temporarily visiting the planet. Some people scoffed at us, probably because one of the cheesy songs being blared interrupted their vibes…

If you have A.D.D., this tour is just what you need. The captain / driver changes the songs being blasted constantly, while adding goofy sound effects here and there, all the while spurting out tid bit facts about where James Madison met his wife.

One thing I learned is that Larry Fine of “The Three Stooges” was born at 3rd & South, and that is why his mural is there. Duh, I thought. I’m an idiot…

But for most Philly peeps, most of the tour is common knowledge. When the captain insisted that most Philly residents have no clue that Washington Square is a mass burial ground, I wanted to throw my yellow plastic quacker at him, but maybe he’s right.

The dip into the Delaware River was interesting the best part. I always wanted to see this “boat truck” thing do it’s magic, but it was very short lived.

Next time you want to kill an hour for $20, it’s definitely an experience, but I’d have a drink or two first.