Philly was my playground for 4 days last month. I made a similar trip a couple years ago to New York for the experience of taking a trip by myself. I traveled to Denver a few years before that on my own as well, and Dan met me there halfway through my trip. So I guess this counts as trip #3.
There is a lot I like about traveling alone — picking any destination I want, not having to stick to an itinerary, and not having to make sure anybody but me has fun. I kind of like going to museums and exhibits and taking tours by myself. On my own, it just feels more … portable? I don’t know what word I want to use … flexible? … I’ll have to think on it.
The thing I do not like about solo travel, however, is nighttime. This is the first time I’ve really felt the blah of entertaining myself in the evenings while traveling — in Denver, I spent most of the time at a conference, and then drinking at conference parties in the evening (librarians throw decent parties, and most of us aren’t mean drunks). In New York, I spent my first evening at a show I wanted to see (Birbigs!), and two subsequent evenings meeting friends out.
On this trip, I had plans to meet a friend one evening, and I thought that would be sufficient — my brain only recalling that I never had a bad evening traveling alone — so I didn’t really plan any other activities. But I found it difficult to find places I felt comfortable. The bars I wanted to drink at were crowded, and I did not want to stand and drink alone, or sit at a table and drink alone. Or they were so empty they looked kind of sad. Or so dark, I couldn’t read while sipping my cocktail. This is a problem whose solution needs some work.
But the fun stuff: instead of separate posts for each day, as I usually do when writing about my trips, I’m going to boil it all down into one, below.
Wednesday
Early flight, picked up Bossypants (started and finished on trip; recommend) at the airport early afternoon check in at the apartment I rented, stroll through the neighborhood, needed a book that would fit in my bag & stopped to pick up How’s Your Drink? (started and finished on trip; recommend) at B&N and then had lunch and an Aviation at Continental. Home to rest & settle in. First attempt at Village Whiskey; bar is full. Not particularly hungry & still quite tired, I pick up a salad & beer from a nearby deli and head back to the apartment.
Recommended: Continental, Aviation cocktails.
Not recommended: United Airlines. $25 to check a bag: highway robbery. (other than that it was fine; it was just a really unpleasant way to start my day and made me temporarily cranky)
Thursday
Undecided about what to do for the day, I get coffee & a muffin for breakfast at Good Karma Cafe, then decide to try my luck at the National Constitution Center. After that, I head across Market Street to see the Liberty Bell (bizarrely intense security, free). Decide to head to Magic Gardens (awesome — love love loved it — the mosaic extends to quite a few other buildings in the surrounding blocks). Then back north to Reading Terminal Market — did a quick walk-through and decided I needed a day with more time, energy & appetite. After that, headed home. Rested. Met my friend for dinner at Monk’s (most excellent mussels and frites). Second unsuccessful bid for a seat at Village Whiskey’s bar for a nightcap on the way home.
Recommended: Magic Gardens, Monk’s.
Not recommended: National Constitution Center, unless one of these applies to you: you’re a foreign visitor, you’re a relatively recent immigrant, you’re 8, or you failed 3rd grade social studies; the temporary exhibit on espionage & sabotage was excellent though.
Friday
Up early for Independence Hall; stopped for coffee & a sandwich at Saxby’s (a coffee chain we don’t have here), then headed down to get a ticket & join my designated senior citizen group for the tour. Followed with tour of Congress Hall, where U.S. Congress met for 10 years until a building was erected in D.C. After that, I busted out my iPod for a walking tour of public murals I’d downloaded before leaving for my trip and followed it all around the central part of the city. Stopped for iced tea, a stroll through Fabric Row, a stop at a used book shop, and lunch at City Tavern. Then headed back west to take in the Mutter Museum. Home to rest for a bit. Third try and fail for a bar stool at Village Whiskey. Settled for salad & whiskey at Elephant & Castle.
Recommended: Independence Hall (free & awesome), Mutter Museum (Really cool, but I’m not going to lie — it’s f*cking weird), City Tavern (touristy, but in a good way), mural tour (either through the downloaded podcast, or I’d pay the $17 for a guided tour to do it again).
Not recommended: Elephant & Castle (it’s not that it’s bad; but I could go to one here in Chicago).
Saturday
Unintentionally up early for a good wander & breakfast at Reading Terminal Market. Hopped a bus to the art museum to run up the steps like Rocky — found a walk to cure the ‘betes happening. To the Rodin Museum, which, to my great dismay, had closed for renovation a few weeks ago and is set to remain closed until spring. Then spent the rest of the day shopping thrift stores & eating — lunch at Village Whiskey (finally!), snack at Tria, dinner at Rum Bar.
Recommended: all my food stops, Reading Terminal Market.
Not recommended: visiting a museum that’s closed, eating a lot of rich food in one day.
Sunday I got up at 4:30 to catch my 6:44 a.m. flight. Uneventful return trip, home by 9 a.m.
All pictures here if this wasn’t enough.
Sounds like you packed a LOT in your trip in 4 days. Beautiful pictures.
Thanks! I certainly kept busy …
Sounds like a great trip!
It was — I had a really good time.