|
|
||||
![]() |
![]() |
|||
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
||
![]() |
||||
![]() |
||||
|
|
June 12-18, 2003 cover story Make Way For Ducklings
The newest, oddest way to tour Philly. A lot of the fantasies youll read about in this issue are of the wouldnt-that-be-great variety. I recently experienced one that falls more into the realm of fantasy/sci-fi, during a truly otherworldly day. And on that day, I rode the Duck. The Duck is actually the DUKW, a fancy General Motors code for 1942, the year these amphibious vehicles, used in World War II, were created. Since we no longer need to storm the beaches of Normandy, some of the remaining DUKWs have been refurbished into touring vehicles by a company based in Branson, Mo. The Duck takes tourists around a city (they currently operate in Branson, Boston, Baltimore and Seattle), driving on land and then going into the water for a portion of the ride. Philly's Ducks rolled into town a couple of weeks ago. I rode the Duck at a preview, where, unfortunately, the water portion of the tour was not quite ready for prime time. But there was plenty of craziness on land. The day began at a "christening" ceremony at Sixth and Chestnut, the Ducks' launching point, with local TV personalities slamming champagne bottles into the four assembled Ducks. A person in a duck costume waddled around the proceedings, and, as all mascot-type creatures do, made me very, very afraid. I escaped its clutches onto the DUKW itself, a comfortable bus-like vehicle raised high off the ground (which I guess is a good thing when you're in the Delaware River). Seated among luminaries like weather gal Kathy Orr and the king of wacky experiences, Channel 6's Don Polec, we were taken to major Old City historical spots, with a quick detour to South Street on our way to the river drop-off point on Race Street. Along the way, the passengers were given duckbill-shaped noisemakers to quack at passersby. Our tour guide, Bubba, had a thick Southern accent and revealed to us that he had only been in Philly for a month. The drivers are well trained, though, and he knew plenty about our stops. Supposedly the guides are coached by reps from Comedy Central, which led to many groaners (you'd be surprised how much use "quack" puns can get) and some genuinely funny schtick (mostly the charming Bubba's ad-libbed riffs on the passengers). For my money, the funniest part of the day was when we heard a loud noise and Don Polec exclaimed, "I think we just laid an egg!" You gotta love that guy. If you have visitors in town and want to show them around, the Duck is the way to go -- they'll see the major sites, you won't have to talk to anyone dressed up like a colonial, the kids will be kept busy with the quackers and everybody likes a boat trip, right? By the time our journey ended, I was hatching a plan to kidnap some tourists and go back to experience the full ride. The Ducks will operate between Memorial Day and October, seven days a week. Tickets, $19.95 for adults, $10.95 for kids under 12, are available at the departure point at Sixth and Chestnut sts. For more information call 215-227-DUCK or visit www.phillyducks.com.
-- Respond to this article in our Forums -- click to jump there
Recent Comments
Chew Man Chu `To bad the deev had a bad experience because mine was awesome. The pork belly buns are off the hook and can say by experience that they rival David Changs ` » Get Lit: Win a copy of David Plouffe's The Audacity to Win `Did you ever get your car back?` » NOW OPEN: Joey's Stone Fired Pizza `Got a small, one topping pizza from them today. $13, which I think is a lot for a 12 inch pizza on South Street. It was pretty good. Can't say I would ` » High Point Cafe `Delicious baked goods, but SLOW and horrible service. Most people who work there seem confused and there is no coordination between workers. At peak ` » NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH: Our new street fashion column, at Temple University `Ben H is not stylish, he looks at the pages of
urban outfitters. That is not style, that is just
being another hipster. He is a wanna-be, fake, and ` » Life Without Parole `Please, not another sob story about someone in prison who 'Made a mistake'. Why not do a tale about a soldier in Iraq? No problem gettin' him to call ` » Mechanical leaf collection: service just for the wealthy? `If I bagged all the leaves that my trees produce (and those my neighbor's trees send our way), it would be hard to estimate how many bags that would be. ` » Which Philly pastry chefs would you like to see on Top Chef: Just Desserts? `Danielle Konya, of Vegan Treats. Best - Desserts - Ever!` » Top 10 Spectrum Music Moments
`Didn't Blondie open for Alice Cooper at that '78 show?
-E` »
Popular Articles
The Nutter Special We're not so different from the Iron City. 666 There's slightly demonic stuff everywhere you look. In a Class by Itself THEATER REVIEW: The History Boys Know Your Enemy You, NewFan, have got problems. The Milkmen Cometh
From the barely edited journals of Rodney Anonymous ![]() Cafe Nola | Paddy Whacks Irish Sports Pub | Cheerleaders Gentlemen's Club | Cream and Sugar | Hot Hands Studio: Massage, Skin Care & Body Treatments | Bermuda Tans: Platinum 5 Session Package | UniverSoul Circus: 11/11/09 Performance. Free with shipping! | UniverSoul Circus: 11/07/09 Performance. Free with shipping! | Theatre Exile: Hunter Gatherers, Two Tickets! | Optimal Sport Health Club (GOOD FOR ANY SERVICE GYM OFFERS) HALF OFF DEPOT Why live life at full price? Search Real Estate
Today's Big Deal:
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||