Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

A main highlight of my trip to visit the kids was the long weekend we all spent in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I’ve wanted to check out the city for quite some time so when Breck mentioned the possibility of going, I jumped at the opportunity! It was everything I had imagined and more! The city is so steeped in history you feel like you’re apart of something big when you’re there! It’s large and bustling with traffic laden streets and modern skyscrapers, yet quaint because of all the historical sites, rowhouses, and cobble-stone streets. I had such a great time and it’s definitely a place I’m going to re-visit in the future!

By the time we made it to Philly it was already dark, which made the city pop, as it suddenly appeared before our eyes 🤩

Breck booked our AirB&B in historic downtown Philly on Brandywine Street, which was super convenient to many places we wanted to visit. Our AirB&B was also super awesome because it was a converted dance studio with an entire wall of mirrors, and original dance bar.

The owner was a retired dancer and dance instructor, and you could tell she took a lot of pride in that dance studio apartment (her personal residence was above the apartment).

I loved the quaint streets of Philly but one of the reasons I probably couldn’t live (or work) there is my inability to parallel park! Each car was extremely close to the curbside, and to each other! Breck, However, did a great job parking in the tight little space assigned to our AirB&B.

After dropping off our luggage, we walked just a few blocks to McCrossen’s Tavern, a quaint little bar that had really good food. We sat outside because the weather was perfect, and inside was very crowded and noisy…a very happening place!

Since our AirB&B was so close to major historic sites, I was itching to see a little more before turning in for the night. Breck and I dropped off Iris, who chose to stay behind (wise decision) and we headed towards Benjamin Franklin Pkwy.

Unfortunately we got turned around and it took us much longer than anticipated, which was a little disconcerting considering all the lighting flashing in the distance. We walked past the amazing Eastern State Penitentiary building (which I want to go through next visit) and I was determined to beat the rain and get a picture next to the Rocky Statue (growing up I loved watching all the Rocky movies) and run the Rocky Steps since we were so close!

I got my beloved picture next to Rocky just as it started to sprinkle, so I handed my phone to Breck and told him to take pictures as I took off running as fast as I could…

I’m pretty sure I ran, the 72 steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, faster than Rocky!

Reaching the top I did the Rocky yell! It was all quite surreal, until the downpour brought me back to reality! Breck and I then walked/ran back to our AirB&B as fast as we could.

We were completely soaked, from head to toe!! So, would I do it again? Even in the pouring rain? Of course I would (but maybe Breck feels differently). And if it hadn’t been raining, I probably wouldn’t have ran the steps that fast, therefore it wouldn’t have been in true Rocky fashion!

Unfortunately, Breck and I only brought one pair of shoes, so the next morning we had to think fast on how to dry our shoes before another long day of sight-seeing.

Our plan worked pretty darn good until I started smelling burning rubber! My shoes were not only dry, but they were starting to melt, so I quickly pulled Iris’ blow dryer out and all was well!

Luckily, the rain held off most of Saturday so that we could see the majority of the city sites without worrying about getting soaked!

Our first stop was the LDS Temple where we would park and walk to the bus stop. We went back later in the day to shop and take pictures.

On our way to the bus stop we walked through Logan Square to get some pictures in front of the iconic Swann Memorial Fountain. From there we hopped on the City Sightseeing bus to further explore the city!

Can I say again how relieved I was that it wasn’t raining?! The bus was the perfect way to see the whole city, especially since we were down to one day to see it all (but, we’ll be back!). During the initial tour, we took note of the places where we wanted to spend more time, and then just hopped off the bus, or took another bus to our desired location. Some of the main sites we saw via bus were…

The massive Eastern State Penitentiary, was one of the most famous prisons in the world, some infamous inmates included bank robber “Slick Willie” Sutton, and gangster Al Capone. It opened in 1829 and closed in 1971. The structure is massive, and was one of the most expensive prisons in the world. Today it’s a museum, even offering special Haunted tours around Halloween (so cool!). It’s a place I’m definitely coming back to, in the future!

More views of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, only this time in the daylight, and under clear(ish) skies. The Run Like Rocky race is something I need to research further!

The backside of the Philadelphia Museum of Art with gold Joan of Arc statue (gilded bronze on granite base) purchased by the Fairmount Park Art Association (now the Association for Public Art)

Close by was The Oval with Ericsson Fountain, Washington Monument, and Washington Monument Fountain

From The Oval were views of the Iroquois Sculpture and St. Francis Xavier Roman Catholic Church

Next up was the National Liberty Museum

And the Benjamin Franklin Museum

Backside of 30th Street Station

Comcast Innovation and Technology Center

Busy city center with views of City Hall

Modern skyscrapers intermingled with more historic buildings like the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul.

Philly’s art scene, which is pretty amazing in and of itself…

The Avenue of the Arts

Kimmel Center

The Academy of Arts

Perelman Theater

(This mural is Reach High and You Will Go Far, by Josh Sarantitis, 20th and Arch Streets)

Apparently Philly has over 4,000 murals, these were just a few I saw in passing…

Aretha Franklin, Pope Francis, and Frank Sinatra, are just a few of the “Frank” murals you’ll see on the outside of Dirty Franks Bar. The next time I’m in Philly, I’m adding a Mural Art tour to my list of things to do!

Next we headed to historic residential Philadelphia, with it’s iconic rowhouses and cobblestone streets…

The number of steps leading to a home represented how wealthy the family was

This narrow rowhouse recently sold for over 1.5 million, which gives you an idea of how expensive it would be live here! In the distance is a peek of Society Hill Towers.

One downside of taking a bus tour in this area is space! The roads are so narrow that if anyone parks on the street, it’s difficult to get around them!

Our tour bus was held up, for quite some time, by a moving truck parked on the street. After waiting and honking, waiting and more honking, the driver of the moving truck finally came out and put in his mirrors (which he should have done right after parking, our guide told us). He then guided our bus carefully past his truck which was just inches from us. Luckily, we made it through, and were able to finish the rest of the tour.

The original cobblestone streets

Views of Cherry Street Pier and New Jersey the Delaware River

The Benjamin Franklin Bridge leading to New Jersey

After driving along Penn’s Landing into Old City, our tour finally came to an end, and it was time for us to find some food!

Mine and Breck’s pick for lunch was an authentic Philly cheesesteak sandwich. Our tour guide recommended Oh Brother (picture of the outside with old cobblestone street in front) so that’s where we went.

While waiting for our sandwiches inside, you could just feel the history of that old building!

Iris opted for breakfast from Eggcellent, since we hadn’t officially eaten breakfast yet. Obviously she did her research because it was a very popular place!

Once we had our food-in-hand we walked to nearby Korean War Park to eat.

I was told that the official Philly cheesesteak sandwich was made with cheese whiz and grilled onions, so that’s what we got.

We later heard that the official Philly sandwich is made with Provolone cheese and not cheese whiz…so who knows, but it was sure tasty!!

Iris’ eggcellent omelette…it did not disappoint!

We then walked across the street to Harbor Park and look at the historical boats docked at Penn’s Landing.

We then jumped on the bus to Chinatown

And walked through Reading Terminal Market, it was quite the happenin place!

Breck and Iris trying to decide what kind of smoothie to order

From there we walked through Center City, looking at all the interesting statues and government buildings (in the distance you can see the One Liberty Center and Comcast Technology Center)

Other sites of interest…

Government of the People statue by Jacques Lipchitz

One City historical apartment building

Single random historical apartment building in the middle of the city

Benjamin Franklin, Craftsman (or Young Ben Franklin)

The Bond, Benjamin Franklin and George Washington statue outside the Masonic Temple

Masonic Temple

And one of my favorite buildings in the city is Philadelphia City Hall at Penn Square. The statue on top is William Penn by Alexander Milne Calder, it is over thirty-six feet tall, and weighs more than 53,000 pounds!

I really wanted to get a picture of me standing in front but it was a very busy street so I had to keep looking both ways!

Finally, Iris was able to get a great picture!😅

Next to city hall we walked through LOVE Park, or the John F. Kennedy Plaza

The park had some kind of Latina festival going on with performers and lively music!

And of course we needed to get our picture taken in front of the iconic Love Sculpture, since Philadelphia is also the City of Brotherly Love!

We then picked up our car and drove back to Old City, where we spent the rest of the afternoon at Independence National Historic Park…

Visiting The President’s House: Freedom and Slavery in the Making of a New Nation, and Benjamin Franklin Museum

Under the same roof was the Liberty Bell Center (pretty awesome!)

Last but not least, we took a tour of Independence Hall

I was starting to get a little nervous because dark clouds were moving in!

Breck photo-bombing us by walking very slowly in front of me while Iris was trying to hurry and take my picture (before the rain came)😆

As we walked to the tour line, it began to sprinkle, so we all took cover under the gables…

The heavens then opened up and it just poured…It gave me flashbacks of the previous night at the Rocky statue!

Breck and Iris were prepared with a rain poncho. Iris was kind enough to share it with me as we sprinted, under one poncho, from the side of Independence Hall to the front doors! I was just glad the tour was inside!

The room where delegates debated over everything government. Our tour guide also mentioned that the building which housed these famous rooms was appropriately called, the Pennsylvania State House, and not Independence Hall!😆

In the middle of our tour everyone’s phones started going off like crazy (at least everyone who wasn’t obedient and didn’t turn their phones off!) due to an emergency alert form the weather center for torrential rain and flash flooding!

The other famous room where the Second Continental Congress signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776. In this same room, eleven years later, the delegates signed the United States Constitution.

Everyone jammed in the foyer (in all it’s beauty I might add) waiting for the rain to let up.

Iris resting her legs while Breck, took one for the team, and went to get the car. When he pulled onto the road right in front of the building he texted Iris to let her know he was close by. We then sprinted to the car maneuvering around barriers, praying no one would catch us (and they didn’t😅).

Despite the crazy traffic and flash-flooding, we made it safely out of the city. We celebrated our escape by stopping in Millersburg, Delaware for Mexican Ice Cream (for Iris and me), and the local Dairy Queen for a Blizzard for Breck (which he totally earned!).

I can’t thank Breck and Iris enough for going out of their way to make my visit so memorable!! I just can’t wait to return the favor when they come and visit us over Thanksgiving!!!