An Early Summer Weekend in Philly

This past weekend, my family and I set off early Saturday morning for a weekend in Philadelphia. The drive there from my hometown is only a couple hours so we planned to get there for a late breakfast, spend the day wandering around the city, and then checking out the Philadelphia Museum of Art the next morning before heading home. Although I have been to Philly before, this was the first trip for a number of years, and I was in charge of planning where we would go. All in all, the trip was relaxing and I certainly have some gems to recommend, however, I will say that there were a number of things I would do differently, as well as a couple destination which are on the list for next time.
(**Links for all places I mention will be at the bottom!)

The morning started out with an easy drive into the city; we headed out at 6:30 AM (you know what they say about the early bird catching the worm), and the car ride through the Pennsylvania was beautiful. I may have some bias for the state I grew up in, but driving in and out of farmland and vibrant forests in the early morning gave me a nice zen vibe for starting out the day.

Around 9 AM we arrived in the seemingly still sleeping city. Our first stop was Reading Terminal Market. The market is in a historical building, and is open seven days a week; there are restaurants, bakeries, and fresh produce available. My brothers were pretty hungry and got egg sandwiches for breakfast, but I opted for a bagel and some Philadelphia cream cheese.

There was a great fresh produce vendor toward the back of the market, as well as some a big deli, so I would definitely recommend buying some fruits, veggies, meats, and a loaf of bread for a picnic lunch later on at on of the parks in the city.


After lunch we headed towards the city center; specifically, Rittenhouse Square. We were pleased to find that there was a arts fest of sorts going on at the Square, so we teetered around looking at the art (which I must admit wasn't my style), and then relaxed in the park for a little, people watching.

A little while before lunch we walked around the streets surrounding Rittenhouse Square (South Street and Walnut Street). It's a lovely area because it's filled with shops, restaurants, and cafes. I was especially pleased to spot H&M, Urban Outfitters, Vans, and Forever 21, and after a little bit of shopping, we began searching for a lunch stop. Many of the eateries that looked good were quite expensive so we ended up landing in a little Indian cafe. While the food was pretty good, it's not a place I would recommend simply due to the fact that I am sure there are many better options in a city like Philly.

After our late lunch, we wandered up to our next destination. The Champions League Final was going on, so my family split up, with my dad and brother going to watch the game at a sports bar, and my mom, other brother, and I went to the Mütter Museum. This museum may not be for everyone, but it was right up my alley. Located in an old building from 1909, the museum has displays of medical history, and a wide array of medical anomalies. I won't lie, some of the things on display were unsavory (so eating directly before going is unadvised), but it was absorbing, whether you're interested in medicine or not!

After we had had our fill of brains, tumors, pickled organs, and more (you're intrigued, aren't you?!), we decided it was about time for some afternoon coffee, so were found a little shop that roasts their own beans. The place is called La Colombe, and has a great relaxed atmosphere inside with mosaic tables, big windows, and a bustling staff trying to get all the orders in. I opted for some iced coffee, and my mom and brothers got lattes.

When we finished getting our caffeine fix, we still had some time before meeting back up with the rest of the family, so we headed to Federal Doughnuts for a snack! This is an absolute must-stop for Philly, however try to get there in the morning!! By the time we arrived, the shop was pretty quiet, and all of the "fancy" specialty doughnuts had been sold out. Regardless, my brother ordered a strawberry lavender doughnut and I got cinnamon brown sugar. What make's their doughnuts phenomenal is the fact that they fry them right when you order, so they're warm when you eat them--my mouth is beginning to salivate as I think about it. The people there were sweethearts and even threw an extra doughnut (vanilla spice) into our bag!

As we walked back to the car, we enjoyed the doughnuts, and the setting sun.

My brother had looked up a park area close to where were planning to have dinner, so we headed over to check it out. Right on the waterfront, Spruce Street Harbor Park is filled with chairs and hammocks, ping-pong and shuffle board, and some scattered food vendors. It was pretty packed when we got there, but that lent to the great festive atmosphere!

We relaxed there for a while before walking on to the old city, where the restaurant was located. My brothers had seen a feature of the restaurant, called Han Dynasty, and thought it would make a good last stop for the day. Located in a stunning building that used to be a bank, the restaurant is relaxed and had a great waitstaff. They serve Szechuan food, and everything on the menu looked great, so we decided to order a couple things and split them all (one appetizer, and five mains between five people). My one note however (or more accurately, warning), on the scale of spicy, their 6 is approximately my 12!! By the end of the meal, I was quite pleasantly in a food coma and contented with the day.

 

 

Despite having no room in our stomachs, we passed a little gelato shop, and my mom and I decided we should split an dish. After some deliberation (i.e. tasting a couple of their flavors) we settled on strawberry and mango. We justified ourselves by stating that it was just a post-dinner treat to cleanse the palate.

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The next morning, we had a quick breakfast at our hotel, checked out, and headed to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. I'll give you guys our sneaky little trick: we always make sure that we plan our visits to Philly so that we're there for the first Sunday of the month, because admission is by donation. The art museum can be pretty pricey, so if you're on a budget, you can go, and just donate however much you can. We spent a couple of hours exploring the museum, and the remarkable art they had.

By the time we were finished, I was ravenous, so we drove a little ways to a little sandwich shop close by called Rybread. I am sorry to say that I was so hungry I failed to take a photo of my panini, but it was delicious; if you ever make it out there, I would certainly recommend the San Diego, which had chicken, sharp provolone, roasted red peppers, pesto, and for the perfect hint of sweetness: caramelized onions.

 

With our appetites satiated, we climbed back into the car, and headed out of the city.
I look forward to the next time we're in the city, now that I feel like I now my way around a little bit better.

xx

Erin

Reading Terminal Market:
12th and Arch Streets, Philadelphia, PA
Open Monday-Saturday 8-6, Sunday 9-5
 Website

Mütter Museum:
19 S 22nd Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19103
Open Monday-Sunday 9-5
Website

La Colombe:
130 S 19th Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19103
Open Monday-Friday 7-7, Saturday-Sunday 8-7
Website

Federal Doughnuts:
1632 Sansom Street, Philadelphia, PA
Open Monday-Sunday 7-7 (or to sold out)
Website

Han Dynesty:
123 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA
Open Monday-Sunday 11:30-varying hours
Website

Philadelphia Museum of Art:
2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, PA 19130
Open Tuesday–Sunday 10-5, closed Monday
Website

Rybread:
2319 Fairmount Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19130
Monday-Friday 6:30-7, Saturday-Sunday 7-3:30
Website