Amy and I have enjoyed kid-free mini-vacations in Miami and Richmond this year, but over the Fourth weekend we chose someplace a bit closer: home. Thanks to a cheap hotel downtown, we had an affordable but fun-filled overnighter in Philadelphia. A few highlights (as well as tips for others and for our future selves):Monday 1:00pm. Even taking the bus solo with my wife is a relative luxury. It arrives just as we get to the bus stop a block from our house, and drops us off across the street from Club Quarters, where we'll be spending the night.
2:00pm. We drop our stuff of and set a leisurely pace to the Historic District a mile and change away, people-watching and scoping out retail and restaurants along the way. We take some snaps at Independence Mall and are happily swept up into a street fest with food trucks and ice cream bar giveaways (a refreshing detour in 90+ degree heat!).
3:00pm. We spent a couple of hours taking in the newest addition to the Historic District, the Museum of the American Revolution. It is a well-done museum and the only downside is that it is so popular that it is uncomfortably crowded in parts. But I am reminded of how improbable victory was (against an imposing British navy) and how dissonant it was to fight for ideals while being far from upholding them (all men are created equal, unless you are black, native American, or female).
6:00pm. We double back to our hotel area, change clothes, and take in the 360-degree views at the Observation Deck at One Liberty Place. A beautiful day to take in such nice sight lines.
7:00pm. Dinner and drinks at Continental, ice cream at Ben & Jerry's. It's amazing how different it is to do dinner and dessert with vs. without kids (stating the obvious).
8:00pm. Speaking of which, a subtle but wonderful luxury for us, since we aren't late night folks, is just basking in a little TV in the evening. Shark Tank plus a documentary on an E. coli outbreak at a peanut farm hit the spot. Yeah, we're living it up!
Tuesday 6:00am. A rare morning where I can take my time with my workout. I opt for a long and meandering run to Gray's Ferry Crescent, cutting through the Penn campus on the way out and South Philly and the way back. Despite getting slightly lost a couple of times, I make it back before running out of steam...barely.
8:00am. Breakfast buffet at XIX Nineteen. Lovely setting. The cold breakfast is so good we should've just stuck with that instead paying extra to access the hot breakfast, too. No matter, we got our money's worth either way.
9:00am. A long nap after a long run and a big breakfast is so, so good. If I am ever lucky enough to retire, I would spent every morning this way. Alas, eventually we have to check out of our room and get back to reality. Still, it was a very good getaway. (And a short bus ride home!)
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