Since it was costly to stay longer in New York hotels, I decided we do road trip. Besides, I thought it was gonna be more fun. My husband drove a Ford Transit Wagon, a 12-passenger van, we rented at carrentals.com. It was so easy to book with them. Once I got into their website, I filled in some personal information. There was no need to give credit card details. We settled the payment upon pick up.
It was my husband’s first time to drive outside our home country. He did a very a good job, to think maneuvering a huge van was quite challenging. Philippine driver’s license can be used in the United States for not longer than 30 days.
This is the summary of our road trip from New York City;
Philadelphia – 2 nights/2 days
Washington DC – 3 nights/3 days
Atlantic City – 2 nights/2 days
For this post I will be sharing our Philadelphia itinerary.
For any trip, staying in a centrally located hotel is an advantage. It means less travel time and more explore time. Check out Home 2 Suites by Hilton Philadelphia Convention Centre through booking.com.
We left the van in a public parking nearby. Please refer to the photo below for the parking rates.
By our foot power, we first went to see the largest and tallest city hall in the United States. With almost 700 rooms, Philadelphia City Hall is in fact the largest municipal building in the world. Not only that as the building is topped by 37-feet, 27-ton bronze statue of William Penn, the founder of Philadelphia. The statue is the tallest atop any building in the world. The City Hall’s Observation Deck is located directly below the base of the statue, about 500 feet above street level. Yes, the City Hall has Observation Deck. At the ground floor of the East Central Portal is where the Tour and Visitor Center is. We purchased timed tour tickets at USD 8 (PHP 400) per adult. It is not your typical observation deck. The deck is reached by a 4-person capacity old elevator whose glass panels allow guests to see the wooden structures that support the tower. It made the experience more exciting. The observation deck is simple, without the shops you would normally see. It has small pathway enough to walk around the tower to get that 360 degree view. Definitely, it was worth going up there.
Around the complex, there was a Christmas Village. Running from Thanksgiving through Christmas Eve, it is an outside Holiday market event modeled after the traditional Christmas Markets in Germany. Vendors in wooden booths sell food, drinks, holiday gifts, ornaments, accessories, and arts and crafts. You will surely find interesting stuff here.
Just before it closes at 6 pm (except on Sundays which is 5 pm), we were able to catch up at the Reading Terminal Market, which is by the way adjacent our hotel. Based on my readings, most people would go here in the morning. I think that’s why there was not much crowd as I was expecting. You will find local produce, meats, seafood, cheeses, sweets, flowers, and a variety of eating establishments.
Philadelphia is Pennsylvania’s largest city and one of the most historic cities in America. It was the nation’s capital from the start of the Revolutionary War until 1790. Head to the Independence Hall where The Declaration of Independence and Constitution was signed. Timed tickets are free and available at the ranger’s desk in the Independence Visitor Center. Bring only small bag during your visit. Do not forget to check the Congress Hall and the West Wing, too. Both are also part of Independence National Historical Park.
Just a short walk from the Independence Hall is the Liberty Bell. It first rung out from the tower of Independence Hall summoning the citizens of Philadelphia to hear the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence. The bell is now kept in the Liberty Bell Center. Ticket is not required here.
The first thing that came my mind on the thought of going to Philadelphia was actually the cheese steak. Yes, food! We went to one of the local favorites, Jim’s Steaks on South Street. For USD 9 (PHP 440) you will get a mouthwatering pepper steak with (means onions) whiz (means the plastic orange cheese). If you have time you may walk around the neighborhood as there are nice shops and wall arts around.
To lose a few calories, we climbed the iconic Rocky Steps immortalized by Sylvester Stallone’s triumphant run in the film “Rocky“.
Shortly after we reached the top facing the Philadelphia Museum of Art, there was a guy (I think American) who greeted us and volunteered to take a photo of us. We refused a couple of times, but he was persistent so we let him. After that he asked for a tip. WTF! Just to avoid a fight we gave him a dollar. So if you happen to encounter this kind of gesture, do not pay any attention. Ignore. Ignore.
At the base of the museum’s steps is the 8’6″ statue of Rocky, another Philadelphia landmark. Make sure to pay him a visit.
Thank you for reading.
With love,
Sugar
