So, I am back from the wonderful city of Philadelphia, PA and I wanted to share with you the things that I have learned for anyone who plans to visit in the future. These are just my opnions and are in no way meant to hurt a business or hurt anyone's feelings who may be in the Philadelphia area.
1. Do bring a good pair of walking shoes.
We walked what felt like a million miles in Philly. In fact, I think everyone walks. We walked to the conference on the first day and decided it was for the birds and took a taxi. We walked a few other places and got plenty of blisters on our feet. We wanted to figure out the bus system, but when we asked for help most people said to just take a taxi! So we did!
 |
| Google Image |
2. Do not stay at the Doubletree.
Okay, really where you stay is your business, but here are my reasons against the Doubletree.
- They did not have a shuttle from the airport to the motel and there were obviously other places that did because they had a spot for you to stand at the airport to wait for the shuttle. The shuttle they had to the airport was $10 a person. That is a bargain considering it cost almost $30 to get to the motel from the airport by taxi.
- It was a long way from anything. The Doubletree is on Broadstreet aka The Avenue of the Arts. Unless you are going to see shows or visit the art institutes on the street, there were a lot of places closer to the convention center and the historic part of Philly.
- The internet was not complimentary in the room! This is a big deal when you have a video chat date with your daughter every night you are away. Down to the lobby I would go!
- The room was very roomy and clean.
- It was across from an art institute and the building had dancing lights that were really neat to watch at night.
- They were very helpful in getting us taxis and accommodating us by letting us have a late checkout.
 |
| Similar to our room that we stayed in. (Google Image) |
 |
| You can see a little of the dancing lights in the background. (Google Image) |
This was not a problem, but a true blessing!
4. Do visit Reading Terminal Market!
Let me just say WOW! This place was a definite highlight of our trip. We went there twice to eat lunch and were not disappointed (except for trying to find a place to sit...he he!) This place has everything. You can get fresh cheese, meat, seafood, veggies, and fruits and handmade chocolate all in one place. There are also booths with cookbooks, fresh baked goods, homemade crafts...you get the picture. The local Amish community came and sold at the market too. There were also places to eat. I walked through there on the first day with my mouth open in shock. I know I looked like the country mouse who came to the big city. Definitely plan a visit here when you come to Philadelphia!
 |
| Google Image |
We paid around $27 to take a trolley tour on the day we didn't have classes and it was well worth the money. It took you all over the city and told you stories about the different sights. We got off at one stop and then completed the tour from the place we got off. If you are going to have multiple days to tour it may be a good idea to get a multi day pass which I am pretty sure they offered. We used Trolley Works of Philadelphia.
6. Visit the Independence Visitor Center.
We booked our tickets through the Independence Visitor Center. I highly recommend visiting there site to get a better idea of what the city has to offer and ordering tickets before hand. Also, if you want to go to Independence Hall, go to recreation.gov to reserve a ticket. It is free to go, but to reserve a ticket is $3. I recommend it because tickets go pretty quick.
7. Pat's and Geno's are not famous for their cheesesteaks.
Okay, I know that may get some arguments, but please let me explain. We were bound and determined to get to Pat's, but after talking to several people from the area, we were told that they were more famous for their rivalry Geno's more than their cheesesteaks and that if you didn't order right at Pat's they would send you to the end of the line. I get nervous enough as it is. I didn't need the "Cheesesteak Nazi" sending me to the back of the line (that was the term our tour guide used). We were told that Campo's was just as good. Although I can't compare them to Pat's, Campo's was great! They weren't far from the historic district and they were fast. They had cute shirts too for which I am now an owner! Pat's was a good distance away and we heard it wasn't in a great neighborhood so we didn't make it to see them.
8. Do eat at The City Tavern.
We kind of found out about this place by accident. We were visiting another historic sight and saw and advertisement for this restaurant. We were not disappointed. The wait staff and host dress in 18th century garb. The food is also supposed to be similar to what they ate in the 18th century. We ordered a soup called West Indies Pepperpot Soup that was a soup George Washington served to his troops. It was wonderful! And the Bread Pudding is out of this world!
9. Do eat at the Perch Pub.
This place was right across the street from our motel. It was a seafood place. I ordered the shrimp and grits. It was delectable. This was the perfect place for anyone going to see a show because it was right across the street from the theaters. They had a huge beer menu if that is your thing and everything tasted fresh.
 |
| Perch Pub Photo Gallery |
The US Mint was closed for tours when we visited, but they should be open this summer. We did go in the gift shop and founds lots of neat souvenirs to take back. The Federal Reserve was open and had an interactive tour dealing with the Federal Reserve's function. We also got a bag of shredded money which was pretty neat!
11. Visit everything historical you can and get their early.
I honestly can't describe the feelings that arise being in the place where our country was born. Knowing that just a few feet away stood Benjamin Franklin or that George Washington and Thomas Jefferson might have walked the same path I walked. Holding the rail that Betsy Ross held while going down the stairs in her house. It just gives me chills! I say visit them all and take lots of pictures! (See my previous post with pictures here!)
A few other places to visit:
- The Rocky statue
- Eastern State Penitentiary
- The Art Museum
- The Please Touch Museum (I didn't personally go, but I have heard it is wonderful.)
- The Franklin Institute (I didn't personally go, but I heard it was great!)
- The LOVE statue! (I saw it several times!)
12. Shop around for souvenirs.
If you can, shop around. I found Sophie a Rocky shirt for cheap when at the visitor center it was $15. It may have not been a true Rocky shirt, but will she really know...NO! Just try to keep an open mind and don't impulse shop.
So there are my recommendations! I loved my visit and hopefully I will go back with my family one day. It is definitely something I want my kids to see!
Happy reading!
No comments:
Post a Comment