Summertime in Philadelphia
Philadelphia in summer is hot.
Philadelphia Skyline
When packing my suitcase I vaguely remember considering just how hot it would be and then deciding it must be somewhat similar to the British description of ‘hot’ which means you only need one light cardigan. Needless to say, nowhere else abides by the British definition of temperature, so as I stepped out of the airport in my trench coat I nearly passed out with the wave of humidity that greeted me.
My trip to Philadelphia was marked by frequent stops to get this life saving creation called ice water. Ice water, also known as Italian ice, is typically fruit flavoured and tastes similar to sorbert. It is sold all over Philadelphia in the summer, including right outside my hotel!
Mango Ice Water
I stayed at the Hyatt Regency in Penn’s Landing. The majority of the hotels are located in the historical district, about a 15 minute walk from Penn’s Landing. I personally preferred staying by the water as there was a nice festival like atmosphere with many stalls being dotted along the waterfront.
Waterfront by Penn’s Landing
Hammock Hangout
My room was a king room that for some reason came with two double beds. It was very comfortable and spacious so I can’t complain.
Hyatt Regency at Penn’s Landing
The best feature of the room was by far the view which looked great both day and night!
View from my room
The only downside was the lack of plug for the bath, a bit unusual for a 4 star hotel but nothing that a bit of innovation can’t fix.
I used a glass cup as a bath plug replacement – worked surprisingly well
For those of you who don’t know, Philadelphia is a big deal in American history. One could spend weeks visiting the numerous museums and significant sites. However, if you are like myself, and are not an American history buff I have 5 fast facts about Philadelphia to help get you up to speed:
Independence Hall
1. The first brick house was built in here in 1682 and was home to William Penn, the city’s founder. 2. Philadelphia is home to Independence Hall where both the United States Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution were signed. 3. Philadelphia was the US capital from 1790-1800 and was where Washington served as president. 4. The first American flag was designed here by Betsy Ross. 5. The Philadelphia stock exchange founded in 1790 is the oldest in the US.
After walking around the beautiful historical district I met up with a friend and we headed towards the city’s commercial centre. The city was impressive with it’s clean wide streets and the many gleaming modern buildings that mark it’s skyline.
City Hall – the tallest municipal building in the US
Philadelphia Skyline
Of course there was a quick pitstop for food in the Reading Terminal Market, the oldest indoor food market in the US. The market did not disappoint as it had everything from fresh fruit and veg to lobster dinners!
Romantic
Reading Terminal Market
After walking around all morning a famous Philly Cheesesteak was definitely in order!
Philly Cheesesteak
Past City Hall is Benjamin Franklin Parkway, a gorgeous tree lined boulevard that runs diagonally across the city’s grid plan. The Parkway is a mile long and boasts several of the city’s most famous attractions including the Franklin Institute and the Free Library of Philadelphia.
The Parkway ends just before the Philadelphia Museum of Art. In the Oscar winning film ‘Rocky’, the boxer runs up the 72 stone steps to the song “Gonna Fly Now”.
When visiting I noticed that a surprising number of people seem to think it is as good idea to run up the steps as Rocky did…
Survived the steps!
Sadly my visit to Philadelphia was very brief, I would love to have spent longer checking out the restaurants and nightlife. At least now I have a reason to go back!
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