For two years, following the birth of our daughter, we had decided to celebrate our wedding anniversaries at home, seeing she was so young and the season we decided to marry in was the dead of winter. All of that changed when she neared 2 years of age. By December 2007, we were rearing to hit the road and explore states adjacent to our own. The first and most logical choice was Philadelphia, because we had never been there, and the fame that surrounded the city was immense, thanks in large part to the Rocky films, among other things.
The wife had gotten me a Zipcar membership for my birthday, so that came in handy when we decided to hit the road. The car we got was a red Toyota Matrix (probably model year 2006), and we did experience a few brake issues during a suspenseful rainy trip along a crowded street, and at night for that matter. Toyota recall anyone?Anyway, so we planned our trip with a great degree of excitement, then packed our belongings, picked up the car and were off to the state of Pennsylvania to celebrate 2 years of marriage bliss, baby in tow. The roads were clear and the weather was cold but non-threatening, so we made it to Philly in a respectable two hours.
FIRST STOP:
We rolled into Philly on a wintry day, bundled up to the neck because the wind was biting in the City of Brotherly Love, but this was the first of many such trips, so we decided to brave the cold and take in the first experience: the Rocky Balboa statue in front of the famous museum.
It was also our first time traveling with our daughter (for the sake of the blog we'll call her "Baby Hog"), and she was a mere 22 months old; a far cry from what she is now -- my, how time flies!
WHERE WE STAYED:
Likes:
The B&B is off on its own at the back of the main house, seclecuded with plenty of privacy. It comes complete with a kitchen, and guests are allowed to make their own breakfast, lunch, or dinner (but who wants to stay in). Also, the owners left us alone, which was convenient. We were free to float in and out as though we were at our own home. Last but not least, they accepted children under 2, unlike many of the other B&Bs in the area.
Dislikes:
The cottage was a little drafty, but manageable. Steps leading up to the cottage are a little steep to navigate with luggage, or during inclement weather. Regular old B&B; no updates.
WHAT WE DID:
The first major thing we took in was Independence Hall, and a brief lecture in the Assembly Room of the Pennsylvania State House recounted the history of our fair nation when the founding fathers made Philly their base of operation. Independence Hall, as many know, is the place where both the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution were debated and adopted in the late 1700s. It was also the home of the famed Liberty Bell at one point, but that now sits in its own building across the street, and we got to see that as well. The highlight of our visit to Independence Hall was probably seeing the joy of "Baby Hog's" face when she ran around like the wild thing she is.
We eventually celebrated The New Year in Philly, at a children's museum called Please Touch, and the rest of the trip was spent knocking around town, dining at a local Italian restaurant, where we sampled the local pizza (was all right; nothin' special), and we tried to go bowling that same night, but the place was too packed, unfortunately.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
The wife, "Mama Hog," really digs Philly, because she goes back as often as she can, and she even ended up dragging grandma and grandpa to the Philly zoo last year (2009), at which time we got to ride the hot air balloon. A really cool, but all too brief experience. I, "Papa Hog," have had my proverbial fill of Philly (no pun intended) and I'm looking to broaden our horizons.
Dislikes:
The cottage was a little drafty, but manageable. Steps leading up to the cottage are a little steep to navigate with luggage, or during inclement weather. Regular old B&B; no updates.
WHAT WE DID:
The first major thing we took in was Independence Hall, and a brief lecture in the Assembly Room of the Pennsylvania State House recounted the history of our fair nation when the founding fathers made Philly their base of operation. Independence Hall, as many know, is the place where both the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution were debated and adopted in the late 1700s. It was also the home of the famed Liberty Bell at one point, but that now sits in its own building across the street, and we got to see that as well. The highlight of our visit to Independence Hall was probably seeing the joy of "Baby Hog's" face when she ran around like the wild thing she is.We eventually celebrated The New Year in Philly, at a children's museum called Please Touch, and the rest of the trip was spent knocking around town, dining at a local Italian restaurant, where we sampled the local pizza (was all right; nothin' special), and we tried to go bowling that same night, but the place was too packed, unfortunately.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
The wife, "Mama Hog," really digs Philly, because she goes back as often as she can, and she even ended up dragging grandma and grandpa to the Philly zoo last year (2009), at which time we got to ride the hot air balloon. A really cool, but all too brief experience. I, "Papa Hog," have had my proverbial fill of Philly (no pun intended) and I'm looking to broaden our horizons.
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