Doing Touristy Things in Philly

Philadelphia went from being a pass-through city to somewhere we’d definitely visit again.  We were pleasantly surprised by how hip and cool the downtown area was and we are looking forward to returning someday soon.

Our choice for accommodations was the Philadelphia South KOA, which technically isn’t in Philadelphia or Pennsylvania at all – it’s in Clarksboro, New Jersey! Anyway, the KOA suited our needs well and it’s only a 30-minute drive to downtown Philly.

As we travel from city to city, we typically do a quick internet search on the best places to eat and points of interest to visit, but when we can get recommendations from a local, it’s always an extra bonus and often better than what we find on the www. Early on in our journey, we met a young lady at a popular vegetarian restaurant in Salt Lake City.  She was our bartender and has also been living the nomad life for a while.  She recently bought a camper van to renovate, and we of course hit it off with her and became fast Instagram friends. We learned that she is a former Philly local, and she sent us all sorts of things for us to do, many of which are listed below. It’s so cool being able to meet fun, like-minded people on our journey as we tend to become wonderful resources for each other along the way.

We spent a couple of days exploring Philadelphia and these were our main highlights / takeaways:

Liberty Bell

The Liberty Bell is one of America’s most iconic symbols, and it’s a must-see for any visitor to Philadelphia. Located in Independence National Historical Park, the Liberty Bell is housed in a pavilion that features an exhibit on its history and significance. It’s located at the corner of Chestnut Street and South 6^th Street across from Independence Hall, close to parking and many other attractions. You can literally spend an entire day here as there is so much to see within a few blocks such as: The National Constitution Center, Museum of Illusions, Benjamin Franklin Museum, Old City Hall, Independence Square, Washington Square, Christ Church Burial Ground (where Benjamin Franklin is buried), and Independence Beer Garden!

Rocky Steps

Total touristy thing to do and of course I had to have Kandace take a video of me running up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, better known as “The Rocky Steps”.  There are some cool fountains and statues and a museum, but like most visitors, we just stopped to take a pic of the statue of Rocky and nerd out running up the steps.  Pretty much every guy who has watched the Rocky movies as a kid and visits Philly for the first time, is obligated to run up the steps and pretend like he is Rocky Balboa for just a moment.  Kandace rolled her eyes, took the video, and laughed at me as I transformed myself into Rocky for a few minutes.  Thank god I didn’t trip and make a fool of myself…. I mean…. Thank god I didn’t trip 😉

Eastern State Penitentiary

A former prison located a short walk away from the Rocky Steps, makes for an easy one two punch tourist attraction combo.  This prison was operational from 1829 to 1971 and is now a National Historic Landmark. It’s unique radial design with cell blocks extending out from a central hub was intended to hold up to 253 prisoners in solitary confinement, but at its peak, it held over 1,700 inmates. It was one of the most expensive and technologically advanced prisons of its time and was also home to Al Capone, who served eight months there in 1929-1930 for carrying a concealed weapon. During his stay, he enjoyed many privileges, including an expensive suite of rooms and a radio. Capone’s cell is now one of the most popular attractions at the prison.

Reading Terminal Market

Reading Terminal Market is a must-visit for any foodie. It’s been around since 1893 and is one of the oldest continuously running public markets in the country. The market has over 70 shops selling everything from fresh produce and meats to baked goods, cheeses, spices and more. One of the popular attractions is Beiler’s Donuts where you can watch donuts being made while standing in line.  We of course enjoyed a couple of fresh, sugary, delicious doughnuts after a hearty breakfast at Molly Malloy’s Kitchen and Bar.

Philly Cheesesteaks!

We only had a couple of days to explore, but still found a way to go on a hunt for the best cheesesteak sandwich with our new “diet starts tomorrow” motto. Pat’s and Geno’s are world famous and even Dalessandro’s gives them a run for their money, but we decided to try some lesser known shops to see if any Philly cheesesteak sando can live up to the hype.  Although our sample size was small, we did settle on a favorite.  It was so good, we ended up going there twice –  Oh Brother was the clear winner for us and it certainly lived up to the hype!  We also tried Ishkabibble’s and Sonny’s Famous Cheesesteaks which were just eh.  Only 3 restaurant visits, so we clearly have more “research” to do :-).  While on the hunt, a friend of ours gave us the tip to order our cheesesteaks “wit wiz” which is essentially cheese wiz… gross! Actually, it was pretty fricking amazing, and we are officially “wit wizzers” from now on!

Did you know……The Philadelphia Cheesesteak was invented in the city in the 1930s and it consisted of thinly sliced beef, melted cheese and onions on an Italian roll. It’s thought that Pat Olivieri created it at his restaurant, Pat’s King of Steaks. The original recipe included chopped steak rather than thinly sliced steak–and no cheese! It wasn’t until later that Olivieri added provolone cheese and onions to create what we know today as “Philly style” cheesesteaks.

The next time we roll through, we made a promise that we would get one from Pat’s and Dalessandro’s and we will be sure to report back if they really are the best.

Tattooed Mom

One of our favorite bars on this trip!  Tattooed Mom is a unique and artsy bar and is located about a 10-minute walk from the Liberty Bell. The walls of the bar are covered in graffiti, stickers everywhere (of course we added ours to the pool table) and there is a collection of old cars and bikes hanging from the ceiling, giving the bar an eclectic atmosphere.  There is also a nude painting on “Mom” hanging from the ceiling on the second floor.  Rumor has it, the painting is a replica of her centerfold photo in Playboy. Fun spot for a drink (or two) and to admire all the crazy decor the bar has to offer.  We highly recommend stopping in if you are in the area.

And of course can’t forget Sato – he enjoyed downtown Philly too!

Cheers,

Tiny Trailer Trips Crew