Philadelphia In A Weekend
Philadelphia is Pennsylvania’s largest city and where I grew up. Philadelphia is notable for its rich history, on display at the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall (where the Declaration of Independence and Constitution were signed), and other American Revolutionary sites. Also iconic are the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, immortalized by Sylvester Stallone’s triumphant run in the film “Rocky.” As a child I remember running up and down the stairs of the beautiful Philadelphia Art Museum imitating the victory Stallone rejoiced in the movie Rocky.
I was thrilled to be back home to see Philadelphia from an adult perspective and experience things in the “City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection” that I was too young to explore. Back then taking the trolley and going to the Galleria or the historic sights of Philadelphia was the most my parents would allow. I made a list of all the things I wanted to share with you guys and was excited to get started on this fun filled festivity of Philadelphia in a weekend.
We drove just 35 minutes from the state of Delaware to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I love staying at hotels that are centrally located when I do weekend trips because you have quick access to main attractions without taking a cab. The old city area of Philadelphia is one of my favorite places to be when I am in Philadelphia, so we decided that our home away from home was going to be at the fabulous Hotel Monaco, a Kimpton Hotel, located right on Chestnut Street next to the Liberty Bell and many, many of the historic sites in the city.
The Kimpton Hotel is absolutely beautiful and the room was absolutely amazing. We had a city view room and the most spectacular view of the city and the Liberty Bell. Checking in was a breeze, and the customer service at the hotel was superb. We valet parked our car for the weekend for just $50 and took Uber everywhere in the city because parking can be very challenging when you are being a tourist. The boutique hotel had its own restaurant and rooftop bar call Stratus Lounge where you can enjoy food, cocktails, music, and the most incredible city views. At night the rooftop lounge was incredible with a live DJ and dancing till 2am in the morning.
After getting situated in our room, we decided to rent a bike and ride around the city with Indego bike share visiting various parts of the city. We biked on the Schuylhill River trails, passing the the 30th Street train station and heading up to Love Park and taking memorable pictures while enjoying the city. What a fun day that was. I felt like a kid on a bike again with freedom to play in the sun and explore a place I once called home. We explored so much until we got exhausted and decided to retire our bikes and go clean up for dinner at one of the favorite Philadelphia eats, Charlie Was a Sinner. I highly recommend this vegan restaurant and bar if you are ever in Philadelphia. They have the most delicious small plates and amazing specialty cocktails. I love that you see people from all walks of life in this eclectic vegan cafe. The cocktails are one of a kind and the presentation is to die for. It would be an absolute sin not to check it out if you are ever in Philadelphia.
After a full fun day of shooting various places in the city for your viewing pleasure, we went back to our fabulous hotel after dinner and relaxed in our king size bed to enjoy a nice nap because like in New York, Philadelphia has an incredible night life worth checking out. We made reservations just two blocks from our hotel at a lounge called the Bleu Martini. For just $200 we got our own VIP table with a bottle of Ciroc and three juices with unlimited refills of the juices for your bottle. They have other options to accommodate your taste, but we wanted to dance the night away far from the crowd and have some friends to join us, so a private section of our own was more ideal. I mean, honestly darlings, someone had to drink all that vodka because I couldn’t do it lol. Overall it was an awesome and memorable night.
The next day we wanted to do something more fancy, so we made brunch reservations at the Mary Cassatt Tea Room and Garden at the Rittenhouse Hotel. It was such a fabulous setup in a beautiful tearoom with elegance written all over it. I got to dress up wearing a fabulous hat and go to “high tea” but this time just a drive away from home and not at the Ritz Carlton in London. Honestly darlings, it was equally just as amazing. Who knew Philadelphia has such elegance and class? This was such a perfect way to spend our afternoon. After tea we drove around Rittenhouse Square of Philadelphia and took in the many views of the area and beautiful parks which we really enjoyed.
On the last day of our staycation we did an editorial shoot for the blog and ordered an incredible selection from the room service menu for breakfast and a toast to a weekend well spent in a place I once called home. It felt so good to be back, and what a fun filled weekend it was. I hope the next time you are in Philadelphia you check out some of the spots mentioned in my blog and enjoy your stay in this incredible city filled with so much history and art.
Darlings, thank y’all so much for always stopping by and showing your support. Please don’t forget to tell a friend about my website and share It on your social media handle. Subscribe or sign up for my newsletter; so much wonderful things are ahead and I want to hear your thoughts on them. Until next time, my loves, Cheers to love, beauty and endless possibilities.
