Philly Fun To Dos and Fantastic Foods

Can I just say: I really miss international travel. With cases of coronavirus on the rise again, however, it’s not a risk the family was willing to take. Itching for a change of scenery, we have instead used this summer to explore locally.

Earlier this month, I scheduled a long weekend in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Peloton Singles Group (PSG), a sub-community of Peloton bike riders, was set to meet in the City of Brotherly Love for a Thursday night happy hour. Being a teacher on summer break, I decided to make the most of it and booked the family for a weekend rendezvous.

We stayed at the Logan Hotel and met for drinks upstairs at Assembly, their rooftop bar. The city views were fantastic, especially around the sunset hour. It was so nice to reconnect with familiar faces from our Memorial Day Weekend Cape May camping extravaganza while also becoming acquainted with new PSG friends. Of course I documented all the things in my digital Passion Planner Daily and am sharing a few of the memories below should you want to explore yourself!

Philadelphia Fun – Things to Do

Philly has so much to offer! There is truly something for everyone, young and old. This time around, we decided on what we have dubbed the Nicholas Cage/National Treasure experience. Friday we started with the National Constitution Center, learning constitutional history through hands-on exhibits, inspiring theatrical performances, engaging programs, and special events.

Here we explored two levels of interactive exhibits, my favorite of which was Signers’ Hall. In this room, you’ll find 42 life-size, bronze statues of the Founding Fathers. The exhibit brings to life the final day of the Constitutional Convention in the Assembly Room of the Pennsylvania State House, now known as Independence Hall. Numerous famous faces can be found in the room, including George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, James Madison, and Alexander Hamilton. Pose beside your favorite Founding Father for a great photo op!

From the National Constitution Center, we walked about 1.5 blocks to The President’s House and Liberty Bell Center, both of which are self-guided and free to the public. The President’s House is an outdoor structure showing the remains of our nation’s first executive mansion. FUN FACT: Presidents George Washington and John Adams lived in this home during their terms as well as the nine enslaved people who served the first president prior to the construction of our current White House. The open-air site provides visitors with different perspectives through timelines and dramatic video vignettes.

The Liberty Bell Center can be found just beyond the President’s House in an air-conditioned facility with informational placards, oversized historic documents, and infographics galore.

From the Liberty Bell, we walked across the lush green mall to Independence Hall. Again, you’ll need reservations to access the building and park ranger tour. Tickets are limited, free to the public, and first-come, first serve. Not wanting to run the risk of finding no tickets later in the day, I was able to pay a $1 processing fee per ticket I requested in advance online. I highly recommend going this route if you are a serial planner like myself and lack confidence in your family’s ability to make it out of the house before noon. (Sorry not sorry, my loves. Just keeping it real!)

Our tour time was for 2:15 p.m. and the whole experience maybe took 30 minutes. Be advised there are no restrooms past the security checkpoint at Independence Hall. The interior is something like 70% original, with about 90% of the outside brick dating back to the 18th century. Once inside the air-conditioned building, there are 2 rooms located off of the main corridor: to the left you will find a courtroom and to the right you will find the assembly room.

FUN FACT: Both the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution were signed in the Assembly Room. Talk about major Hamilton vibes… I was nerding out to be in the room where it happened! What an experience. Most of the staged furniture is from the 1700s but not THE original furniture set up in those rooms at that time. The exception to this is the infamous “Rising Sun” chair.

After a full day of walking and exploring in the sun, Independence Hall Beer Garden sits just across the street and has a happy hour menu of booze and bar foods. I’ll be honest and say we were not at all impressed with the menu, especially the fried pickles. I was expecting more of an airy battered crispy dill and instead got a lot of cornmeal falling off soggy pickle slices. It is what it is.

Philadelphia Food – Things to Eat

We returned to the hotel ready for an afternoon nap before Friday dinner. Our PSG fam always dines well. Bank & Bourbon was no exception. If you are a bourbon drinker, definitely get the flight of four! As a starter, I personally recommend the burrata followed by the hanger steak for dinner, though my squad raved over the branzino. Saturday night we found ourselves at Center City’s Fogo de Chao for some fantastic churrasco. The meats were delicious, the drinks were dangerous (Strawberry Hibiscus = 👌), and overall, a great time was had by all.

For the less bougie and more basic foodie, Reading Terminal Market is a must! You’ll find all kinds of grocers, restaurants, and shops inside one of America’s oldest public markets. It is a happening place to beat the heat, as the marketplace IS air-conditioned! My guy enjoyed your typical Philly cheesesteak (because, duh) and I satisfied the sweet tooth with a Nutella/strawberry/banana crepe. No regrets on either end. We also ended up getting a dozen of the Famous 4th Street Cookies, and, for our furry canine friend we left back home, Halteman Family Meats has smoked femurs. This city truly has something for everyone!

ACTIONABLE STEPS: We’re close enough to Pennsylvania that we’ll return for sure! What’s a must-see or to-do for you when in Philly? I’m already planning our next weekend!