About the Author: Dr. Mahmoud and Iran Fahmy are residents of Masonic Village at Dallas.

Masonic Village residents had the opportunity to explore Philadelphia through an outstanding, well-organized excursion. In two fully loaded Martz travel buses, ninety of us started our venture at 7:45 a.m., departing to Philadelphia, and arriving at 11:30 a.m., when we boarded the Spirit of Philadelphia cruise.

First, the bus ride was very pleasurable and convenient, offering water and snacks (thanks to the Resident Association headed by Bob Boone and the time spent by Jean Carson and Mary Ann Size, and to Noah Davis, our executive director and his dedicated staff, as well as the Martz buses and drivers).

Second, the cruise through Philadelphia Harbor, which lasted three hours, was memorable as well as educational. The weather was fantastic. It seems that some residents who participated in this trip prayed for and ordered this ideal weather. The food on the cruise was delicious, especially the dessert.

At 3 p.m. we were transported to the historic site of the Masonic Temple where we toured the various halls and were introduced to the noble Masonic principles. At 4:30 p.m. we boarded the buses, arriving home at 8:30 p.m. We were well fed on the buses munching on sandwich wraps courtesy of the Masonic Village administration.

In closing, it was a successful excursion, especially since we had the opportunity to chat and interact with each other. It was nice to also enjoy the terrific photos taken throughout the day by our neighbor, resident Al Exter. Looking forward for future trips and we thank the administration for their courtesy and professional arrangements.