CHILLY IN PHILLY
Happy President's Day weekend everyone! It kind of seems perfect that I got to visit Philadelphia this weekend since after all, that's where the original capital was supposed to be. :) Also, as you probably noticed it was also Valentine's Day, but what you may not know is that Philly is nicknamed the city of "brotherly love" for the Quakers that lived there. Romantic? Not at all. Ironic? Definitely. Although, the reason I was visiting Philadelphia in the dead of winter (9° is NOT acceptable) is because I was going to see my brother who goes to college nearby. In this case, "brotherly love" is to be taken in the literal sense. ;)
My family and I arrived in the morning, which means we were EXTREMELY hungry. We headed to Reading (pronounced Redding) Terminal to grab some breakfast. We took a lap around the whole place to check out the specs. They've got everything from freshly made donuts and pastries to decadent pork pot roast sandwiches and grilled cheeses. What's so unique about this place is that lots of the stalls are still owned by the Amish families that have been there for generations. We decided to go the more traditional route and get an apple dumpling from the famous Dutch Eating Place. Wondering what an apple dumpling is? Here, let me explain. It's essentially a whole baked and spiced apple covered in a thick crust of pastry with a side of either whipped cream or as seen above pure cream. It tastes as delicious as it sounds, and yes I did have this for breakfast and I feel no shame. ;)
After buying a few goodies from Reading Terminal (you know cookies, donuts, sticky buns and such) we headed over to the Barnes Foundation. Philly is known for having some of the greatest art collections in the US, and that includes the Barnes's French impressionist and post-impressionist collection. Back in the old days, Mr. Albert C. Barnes collected art after making a fortune co-developing Argryol, a medicine that prevents blindness in infants. Pretty interesting right? What makes this museum special is that it's set up exactly how Mr. Barnes had the paintings in his home. The paintings are set up gallery-wall style, unlike traditional museums. I don't think I've ever seen so many Renoirs in my life, but now I can say I have.
Day two let's go! I got to reunite with my brother and finally see his college campus (and his dorm). Funny enough, my brother goes to my dad's alma mater Haverford, which is 20 minutes outside of Philly. Since my dad lived around this area for awhile, he has a few favorite hole-in-the-walls that he went to in his college days. The holy grail of them being Mama's. I kid you not when I say that my family has described the Philly cheesesteak from Mama's as a "religious experience." We apparently went here when I was really little but I couldn't remember it at all. My family decided we needed to take a trip to Mama's so I could finally understand the importance of this sandwich. I can confidentally say that this glorious combination of bread, steak, cheese, and grilled onions has changed me for the better. :)
I didn't realize how much of a foodie city Philly was until I witnessed it myself. We pretty much went on a culinary tour considering how much we ate. But it was totally worth it! I blame it on the cold, because it was honestly too freezing to walk anywhere. On our third day we got breakfast at the critically-aclaimed Federal Donuts, which was conveniently located around the corner from our hotel. They serve only two things: fried chicken and donuts. I learned that these two foods are amazing separately but better together. Who can say no to crispy fried chicken and hot and fresh honey donuts? No one, that's who. I also highly recommend the Coffee and Milk donut as well if you every find yourself there.
After gorging on donuts and fried chicken, we headed down to the Italian Market in South Philly. This little strip is filled with fresh meat markets, traditional Italian bakeries, and delis stocked with handmade pasta. It's any Italian chef's heaven. It's nice to walk around even if you aren't planning on buying anything.
After meandering about the Italian Market, we took a short drive over to Society Hill. This part of town is where all the old 18th century houses and cobblestone streets are still intact. To me, it's the most beautiful neghborhood in Philly.
There was still some powder left over from the morning's snowfall!
Next, we headed over near Philadelphia City Hall. It's a gorgeous building in Penn Square that stands out among the skyscrapers surrounding it. A statue of William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania, stands on top of the clock tower. I think he has a pretty nice view. ;) We also drove near the Liberty Bell and Constitution Hall but they were both pretty busy since it was President's Day weekend. It's alright I had seen it before when I was little.
Our last day we visited the One Liberty Observartion Deck so we could see Philly from above (the first photo in this post was taken from up there). Then we spent some time with my brother in Haverford. While my brother was studying for a little we walked around the pretty campus, but not for long because of the cold.
It was so nice seeing him again because I hadn't since December and of course I missed him a lot! What was great about this trip was that I also got to see his school, which he loves to talk about all the time! Now I can FINALLY understand what he's talking about whenever he references something about Haverford and even Philly. Plus, it's always nice to get away on a trip with my family. ;) It was also fun to experience cold weather firsthand, since being an LA girl has spoiled me with 90° filled winters! Philadelphia is a wonderful city and I definitely recommend you visit sometime soon (preferably when it's a little warmer). ;)
xoxo,
Emma