Philadelphia Fun
I love to travel, and we missed out on a lot of travel during the pandemic.
Once Bash was born, I didn’t want to waste any time getting back into the swing of our adventures. He traveled several times his first year of life, including Tennessee (2 months old), Myrtle Beach (3 months old), NYC (4 months old), Winston Salem (9 months old), and Atlantic Beach (10 months old).
Each trip had its learning curve, but our first, full-on, independent, kid-friendly trip happened over Spring Break (11.5 months old) to a brand new city for super sized fun.
We picked Philadelphia for reasons you’ll see on Day 3, but we discovered a lot of other gems along the way. In case you and/ or your little ones are making your way to the City of Brotherly Love in the near future, here’s how we spent our time.
(Side note: there are no paid endorsements on this page. Just advice from a mom managing the magical mayhem!)
Day 1: Let’s Go
For this trip, the whole fam traveled: myself, John, Bash, and Elvis. We drove the 6.5 hours, which was our longest car ride to-date. With I-95 traffic, it truly became our longest car ride to-date.
We left around 8:45am and planned to stop for lunch at the halfway point of Fredericksburg, Virginia. We put in a pick-up order at Panera Bread and took it over to Alum Spring Park. This is a cute, quaint area with plenty of picnic tables. The playground was closed (a slight disappointment), but it was a good opportunity to stretch and get some fresh air.
We stopped one other time on the way up, at a Royal Farms Convenience Store. I was very impressed with their merchandising for a convenience store (backlit snacks), and I highly recommend checking it out if you enjoy nerding out on branding (like me).
We made it to Philadelphia around dinner time and checked into the W Philadelphia. I am a Lifetime Titanium Elite Member with Marriott Bonvoy, so I always stay at one of their properties. This was my first time visiting a W, and I appreciated their commitment to their style.
I had some Suite Night Awards (SNAs) that were about to expire, so we were able to use those for an upgrade. SNAs require a bit of strategy, and I’ll write about that in a separate post.
Our space was roomy, fresh, and new. The floor to ceiling windows and the bathtub were major perks. We only had one challenge: Elvis (our dog) is a bit city-sensitive. The nearby grassy areas were minimal, so potty time was a challenge. He preferred staying on the 44th floor.
Once we settled in, we picked up carry out from honeygrow, and I can’t say enough amazing things about their CYO stir fry and fruit bowls. Healthy, fresh, amazing!
Day 2: History
Philadelphia is full of history, and since we had never visited, we wanted to take the time to explore.
We started with the Liberty Bell. There was a bit of a line, and, while it moved quickly, it felt rushed. We attempted to get some strangers to take our picture as a family at the bell, but that plan failed. If we did it again, we’d opt for a selfie.
From there, we went to the food hall The Bourse for lunch. We had lunch at FreeByrd and grabbed a coffee at Menagerie.
After that, we roamed the streets and wound up at the Museum of the American Revolution. If you’re a fan of the musical Hamilton (and/or history), this is a must-do. It is highly informative and well designed AND there is an amazing interactive playspace for kids on the lower level. (Bonus: you receive admission for the day you attend as well as the following day, so if you don’t make it through, you can go back.)
In the afternoon, we cruised through the Reading Market Terminal and grabbed the most delicious cookies from The 4th Street Cookie Company (the sugar cookie and the M&M rainbow cookie were both amazing).
For dinner, we had to find a kid-friendly spot that would be a hit for our energetic child. We ended up at the Hard Rock Cafe. Bash absolutely loved it, and kitschy as it sounds, this was undoubtedly a highlight of the trip.
Day 3: Icons
Since the first time we played Elmo’s Song, Elmo (known as “Mo”, to us) has been an icon in our house. When Sesame Place announced Elmo’s Easter Eggstravaganza, we couldn’t resist. The weekday park hours were only 4 hours long (4-8pm), and we decided we’d do the Elmo & Easter Bunny dining event. This experience was the centerpiece of the trip.
We woke up and picked up Energjuicer for breakfast. Since we didn’t need to leave until a bit later, we had some time to explore. We walked around the City Center Shopping Districts and picked up Real Food Eatery to eat poolside for lunch. After that, we walked to the water and headed back to get ready.
The drive to Sesame Place is only ~20 miles away from downtown Philadelphia, but, with traffic, the drive took about 40 minutes,. The park wasn’t crowded, and we made it in plenty of time. Sesame Place was clearly operating on a “light” mode, which was perfect for us. At the dinner, Elmo, Cookie Monster, and Abby Cadabby visited each individual table while each table went to the stage to visit the Easter Bunny. It was a very well organized experience, and there as a mini show at the end. Cute!
We rode the carousel and walked around the park before leaving. We opted not to stay for the end of day parade.
Once we got back to the hotel we ordered &Pizza, because while the experience was great, the food was what you’d expect.
Theme parking is exhausting for parents, and I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.
Day 4: Animals and Architecture
Our last day in Philadelphia was an unseasonably warm, spring day! We started with a quick run to Dunkin’ Donuts and jumped in the car to head to the Philadelphia Zoo.
On the drive, we rode through the Benjamin Franklin Parkway which was inspired by the Champs-Elysees in Paris (read an article about it here). Fascinating, and gorgeous! The art museum ends the parkway (similarly to the Arc de Triomphe), and the steps are genuinely magnificant. A must-see!
The Philadelphia Zoo was the first zoo in America, and it is fantastic. It was busy, but not overly crowded, and we felt as though we could see all of the exhibits.
Food options were what you’d expect at a zoo, and they were very crowded. We settled for a small serving of chicken tenders and opted for an afternoon snack.
Once we made it back, we decided to stroll around City Center. The festivities of the days had worn us down, and there were tons of dirt bikes buzzing around, so we decided to lay low in the hotel for dinner. Chill vibes were calling our name. We are creatures of habit and returned to honeywell one last time.
Day 5: Headed Home
We hopped up, got organized, and hit the road. We stopped at a Wawa (which will soon be opening in NC) and enjoyed their free coffee Thursday.
Traffic was intense, but our hearts were full of gratitude for the memories we made.
Thank you, Philadelphia, for sharing your history, entertainment, and beauty with us.
