There is so much to explore and experience through travel and we LOVE to travel! This trip took us on an adventure to explore and experience Philly and I am excited to share all of the details with you!
To Travel is To Learn
Our FlexSchool fam loves to travel. I mean that is what FlexSchool is: learning outside the proverbial classroom on a plane, train, car ~ in a coffee shop, in a bookstore, on a picnic table!
We have been to Boston and walked the Freedom Trail, been to Williamsburg, Monticello, Washington D.C …so Philly was a natural next trip! I honestly didn’t know much about Philadelphia and didn’t have any expectations, but I am writing this afterward and telling you it was one of the best trips we have ever experienced! We went into the trip with the goal of experiencing history first hand and immersing ourselves in the city from the perspective of a local rather than a tourist, and I truly feel we accomplished our goal!
I am going to walk you through where we stayed, where we ate, who we hired as our history guide, where we shopped, what other activities we enjoyed, and what we had to miss due to a time constraint but WILL definitely be going back to enjoy!
“Travel makes you realize that no matter how much you
know, there’s always more to learn.”
How We Got To Philly
We were staying in Northern Virginia, so we decided to drive as we were only a few hours away and had never seen this part of our gorgeous country! We took the recommended way via maps, and it was primarily interstate, so we decided on the return trip we would take more back roads, and of course, the road less traveled prevailed as the most beautiful! So beautiful, I set many Zillow alerts for the different areas we passed through, including the Eastern side of the Chesapeake Bay…
TIP: Don’t just take the MAPS recommended route… google alternate/scenic routes from Point A to Point B, and even if it adds an hour or so – the joy is in the journey!
Our Accommodations
We travel primarily with Hilton and use a Hilton AMEX for all of our household expenses rather than a debit card so we can bank hotel stays! Pay it off monthly and no harm + tons of benefits!
I searched downtown Philadelphia Hilton hotels as I knew I wanted to park the car and hit the pavement as that is the best way to immerse yourself in all the things! I chose a Hilton on the water, the Delaware River with New Jersey as our view – I mean DUH! It was a fabulous hotel – truly fabulous! Spacious rooms for a family, amazing fitness floor and an inside pool, lots of cool seating, including outside balconies ( I look for seating areas when booking as I need to escape the confines of a room full of noise and steal away to work and read)!
The other neat thing about the Hilton Penn’s Landing was that it was right by the Old City, which is all of the history – I would like to say I planned this, alas a pleasant coincidence! We could park our car and walk everywhere except Citizens Bank Field to watch the Phillies play the Cubs… but more about that in a few!
Another great place to stay would be the area around Rittenhouse Square, and there were some fabulous properties! One property to visit, even if you don’t stay there, is the Bellevue on Broad in the Rittenhouse Square area: google it is all I will say! The stories of the hotel are unreal. You will want to grab a coffee and ask John at the Concierge stand if you can take a walk around to see the pictures on the walls and visit the 19th floor! UNREAL!
Your Stomach Will Thank Me
Food is part of the experience and we did not have one bad or even MEH meal in Philly! The first place we hit was for lunch as soon as we arrived: Campos for a cheesesteak! Soooooo good! Be sure to get the sides too: the pasta salad, cole slaw, macaroni salad, potato salad, and mac and cheese are all homemade by “mama” – any food with mama in front of the name has to be good! There are a lot of touristy cheesesteak restaurants, but Campos has been around since 1947 and is the local’s pick for a good reason! Add Hank’s root beer, too – thank me later!
Dinner our first night was at Parc in Rittenhouse Square, sitting on the sidewalk ( I LOVE SITTING ON THE SIDEWALK, oh the things you see)! This meal was SUPERB… the French Onion Soup is a MUST! I had the Special of the Day, which is the same every week: Daurade Royale En Papillote ( I will now translate )… Daurade is a mild, white, flakey fish and is super buttery! It was cooked in parchment paper with veggies and was divine! I hate we couldn’t squeeze dessert into our full bellies as the coffee looked gorgeous, as did the dessert menu, but alas – next trip!
We walked back to the hotel after our fantastic dinner, and the city was so beautiful and peaceful at night! We felt super safe and were ready for ‘nighty night’ after the 45-minute stroll back to our beds!
The next morning the kids had some school assignments to complete, and I had some work to do, so we nestled into Le Pain Quotidien! The food and coffee were unreal, as were the spacious tables to spread out and get some work done! Another coffee spot we loved was Old City Coffee – so yummy.
The Guide To Experience Philly
After our morning at Le Pain, we met our history guide and proceeded on a 3-hour walking tour of the Old City! I cannot recommend this enough to fully experience Philly: when I say my hubby and I redeemed our education, and our kids learned more in that 3 hours than in a year’s curriculum, I am not kidding – not even one bit! And goodness, history came to life as we walked into the literal buildings where our founding fathers met and wrote the Declaration of Independence. Also, after I learned so much about Benjamin Franklin at his gravesite, I would pick him as my person in history that I would love to have dinner with. It used to be Marilyn Monroe so let’s celebrate my new choice!
Our history guide has his master’s in American History. It was very apparent how much he loves sharing his knowledge – the kids enjoyed this walking tour as much as we did! His name is Adam Clements with phillytourhub.com. You may email him directly at adam@phillytourhub.com or simply book through the website and request him!
He also does a Valley Forge tour and an Amish country tour which we will absolutely be going back to do! Factor in 2 more days if you wish to add these two destinations to your itinerary as Amish country is a good 1.5-hour drive outside the city!
You Can Never Go Wrong With Shopping
Hit the King of Prussia Mall – just do. I feel retail is shifting very quickly, and I am unsure how long actual malls will be around. This one will allow you to get your retail fix! Plan on a good 3-4 hours as there is SO MUCH to choose from and even that amount of time you will need to pick + choose! I always recommend the Nordstrom coffee bar, which is a MUST, as is True Kitchen for lunch! We even test drove a Tesla while there, and of course, now are waiting to place our order – so be picky with your time:) Sticking to the Neiman Marcus shoe dept may be a cheaper investment!
The shops in Rittenhouse Square are another must, as is Boyd’s Department Store ( notice the operating hours of 11-6) – honestly, a day dedicated to shopping is not a bad idea! But is it ever?
So Much To Experience In Philly
If you can squeeze it in, I definitely recommended a few other experiences that won’t let you down!
We went to Citizens Bank Park to watch the Phillies play the Cubs one night, and it was so much fun! Be sure to arrive early for batting practice – you are basically guaranteed to catch a ball behind the outfield! The food alone in the beautiful Citizens Park is worth the trip – I highly recommend Crab Fries from Chickie’s and Pete’s and a milkshake from Shake Shack! Federal Donuts for the chicken sandwich and an order of donuts may not be a bad idea either, just sayin’!
You HAVE to run the Rocky stairs at the Philadelphia Museum of Art after all the great munchies – and about that museum – we will be adding it to the list on our return! The museum boasts 90,000 square feet and will take approximately 4 hours to tour!
Two Days To Experience Philly With The Fam
AND that my friend was two days in PHILLY!
We will be going back to fit in Valley Forge and Amish Country, but otherwise, we feel we did a pretty good job … what says you?
It is the city of brotherly love. Our history guide educated us as to why: William Penn who founded the city, was a Quaker and had experienced religious persecution in England. He wanted his colony to be a place where anyone could worship freely! The literal name of Philadelphia is Greek for brotherly love, with Philos meaning “love” or “friendship” and adelphos “brother.” So get yourself to the City of Brotherly Love and have a BLAST doing all.the.things as you experience Philly!
Where Will Your Travels Take You?
Where will your travels take you next? If you are enjoying the freedom of working from anywhere, it’s time to spruce up your mobile office! With my tips and tricks to mobilize your office, you’ll have everything you need to be productive no matter where you choose to work from!
