One of the perks of my job as a student ambassador at the business school is that I get to travel to some of the MBA Admissions events around North America.  In October I took a weekend trip to Toronto, Canada, to sit in on an MBA fair there.  I wanted to get to Niagara Falls but unfortunately didn’t find the time, and the city didn’t seem to have much going for it (sorry to any Canadians out there reading this!).

A few weeks later I flew to Philadelphia for a Berkeley MBA event at an alum’s offices in the city.  With that event out of the way I spent the rest of the weekend exploring the city: all the Constitution stuff there, the Liberty Bell etc., the old town and the waterfront etc.  I went over to the University of Pennsylvania to catch up with a mate doing his MBA at Wharton.  After cathing up with him over lunch I wandered back across the river and found a little gem: the Eastern State Penitentiary, a Quaker prison built in the early 19th century that emphasised doing penitence instead of just time.  The old buildings are now derelict but it makes for a fascinating and eerie tour.

   
I think the US Constitution was signed in this hall.  Philadelphia had lots of “firsts” like that.

   
The Eastern State Penitentiary, the first of its kind in the world.  Other notirious prisons around the world (like Alcatraz) were based on this model.  The cell on the left was Al Capone’s – luxurious!

Adriana and I took the opportunity of some fantastic Autumn weather and drove up to Mendocino on the northern California coast.  Mendocino was lovely: a small town atop the sea cliffs with many cafes, artist’s studios etc.  It was great to walk around the headland, spot for sea lions and watch the huge waves crash against the rocks.  On Sunday we drove back to San Francisco along Hwy 1, the coastal road.  It was an incredible drive with some great views along the way.