Philadelphia Story

Just a short 2-hour ride from New York City and a 3-hour ride from the Washington, D.C., area, Philly is an inexpensive, easy weekend getaway for the people of the mid-Atlantic region. Philadelphia is a wonderful experience to all its visitors: families can enjoy the wonderful museums and restaurants of the Center City and younger visitors can check out the abundant nightlife of the South Street and Penn’s Landing areas.

Quick Tips:

Philadelphia is a bargain compared to the other large Northeast cities, so stay in Center City and soak up what it has to offer. Independence Hall has a great visitor’s bureau that will point you in the direction you need to go as far as activities during your stay.

Best Way To Get Around:

Philadelphia is very much a driver’s city. Although there is a small subway system, it would sorely disappoint regular users of New York’s and Washington's comprehensive rail networks. Taxis are plentiful and reasonably priced for visitors without automobiles.

The Wyndham Franklin Plaza is a very good four-star hotel of the quality one would expect of a downtown hotel in a major American city. It is centrally located, just off the Ben Franklin Parkway in Center City, near many of the city’s museums and restaurants. The hotel staff was responsive and well mannered during our stay, promptly helping us when the hot water in our room went out during our morning shower. All in all, it was a nice lodging experience.

Spaghetti Warehouse lives up to its name, with tasty, distinctive Italian dishes in a high-ceiling, warehouse-style decor setting. The seating space is large, so you aren’t too close and friendly with the fellow diner at the next table. Service is good, with a friendly wait staff. Wine is available for those who like to have some swigs with dinner. Try the chicken parmigiana with manicotti.

Do you love the CSI TV series? Are you interested in the human body on a level that most would find disturbing? Then the Mutter Museum is the place for you. Located at The College of Physicians of Philadelphia, the Mutter is the oldest physicians' museum in the United States. There is a huge display of human skulls, diseased body parts, and medical instruments of different eras. In addition, there is a large public health display and history of the ailments of American presidents. Please note that this is not a place for the squeamish or small children.

Philadelphia is a city steeped in American history: the Declaration of Independence was signed there in 1776, and it served as our nation’s first capital before the construction of Washington, D.C. Bowing to this history, the National Constitution Center opened in 2003. This well-done museum is currently running an exhibit on Benjamin Franklin, signer of the Declaration, founder of the University of Pennsylvania, and famous inventor. They also have a live show discussing the Constitution, an exhibit hall with many constitution-based exhibits, and a founder’s hall with life-size statues of all the signers of the Declaration of independence. If you want to learn about American history and government, add the National Constitution Center to your short list of places to visit, along with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.

Independence Hall houses the most enduring symbol of Philadelphia and one of our country's most important symbols, the Liberty Bell. This 1½-ton bell rang from the top the hall on July 8th, 1776, to summon Philadelphians to the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence. Due to its famous crack, the bell can no longer be ringed without damaging it. It is worth the trip to see this enduring symbol of the ideal of freedom that we should all be striving for as Americans.