Weekend Shot: Win, Rocky, Win
Win, Rocky, Win
On Saturday, I took all three of my kids down to Philadelphia for the day. I lived in Philly for 10 years back in the late ’80s to late ’90s and the city always special affection for me. I enjoy my travels, but it’s in Philly where I feel like I’m home and never left (I grew up in Northeast Pennsylvania so that’s always my TRUE home, but Philly is where I became independent as an adult.)
My only plan for the day was to take the kids down Boathouse Row, along Kelly Drive. (Trivia: Kelly Drive is named after John B Kelly, Jr, an Olympic rower in the 20’s. His sister is the famous movie actress and princess, Grace Kelly. They were all Philadelphia blue-bloods.)
It was a mild day. We started with a visit to the Betsy Ross House in Olde City, had some lunch at a local Greek diner, then made our way over to Kelly Drive. We eventually worked our way to the Art Museum.
I was amazed to see how many people queued up to take their photo with the Rocky statue. The 8’6″ statue has always been a bit of an oddity in Philadelphia. Is it art? Is it just a movie prop? Where should it “live”? It used to be down outside of the old Spectrum, where the fictional Rocky fought Apollo Creed. Then it was moved to the top of the Art Museum steps, to mimick Rock’s famous run up those same steps – something millions of tourists still do every year.
Eventually, it founds it’s final home just to the right of the steps. I wanted to get a different shot of it, so while everyone was taking head-on shots, I went behind it for this one.
The kids are too little to know the Rocky Balboa story. Too little to understand what’s housed inside the Art Museum (though Liv does want to go back and in, just with me and without her little brothers.) Still, I remember, when I was five years old and it was my first time visiting Philadelphia. I recently came across a photo from that family trip. I hope my kids remember this little jaunt when they get older too.
By the way…in a little melding of fact and fiction, scrawled on the stone that supports the statue is RIP Mr. Frazier, and nod to Smokin’ Joe Frazier, the Philadelphia native who passed away in 2011. I was surprised to see the graffitti wasn’t scrubbed off.
© Mark V. Krajnak | JerseyStyle Photography | All rights Reserved 2013
JerseyStyle Photography 
That statue has moved quite a bit. Do love the perspective!