36 Hours in Philly: Summer Edition

H and I have been biking all over the place and Philadelphia is our most recent conquest. Since her company has an office in Philly and she was invited down for a few days, we decided to take advantage of that and meet up.

My cousin and her husband were gracious enough to host us in their awesome house and the location was a prime spot for our weekend shenanigans. I shared the nitty gritty details of what we ate over on my food blog so take a look if you're into eating.

I left work early on Friday afternoon with a bag packed with summer-appropriate clothes.

I pulled up to the house around 4 or 5 (that's a little tribute to the Fresh Prince) and said hello to Cat, dropped off my bags in the guest room, and then waited for H to leave work.

PHS Pop Up Garden

We started our night at the South Street PHS pop up. A gorgeous little garden where you can eat, drink, and play!

There was some show happening on this particular night so there were performers dressed up in silly costumes.

Rittenhouse Square

This park is super cute and quaint and a great spot for people watching and hanging out.

We attempted to grab a drink at The Library but it was kind of lame so we just took a few photos of the swanky hotel and atrium and then headed on our way.

We ended up getting our party on at Franklin Mortgage and 1 Tippling instead. Like I mentioned above, I detailed all of my adventures as an epicure (and lush) over on my food blog so if you're curious about the booze and the food, click over.

Indego
On Saturday morning, we finally got to try out the bike share. Indego is a slightly different program from what we've dealt with in the past. There are plans that charge $4 per ride, which just seemed like ripoffs to us. So, we signed up for the monthly unlimited plan (unlimited rides under 1 hour each) for $15, which is actually a pretty good deal considering the Toronto, DC, and Boston bike shares were about $7 for a daily pass.

I loved this particular bike share because the bikes themselves were lightweight, the seat heights were lower than the other ones I've tried (which is great for a shortie like me), and the baskets were nicer.

Spruce Street Harbor Park

Our first stop on our bikes was the Spruce Street Harbor. There were tons of fun games, like giant Jenga and giant Connect4.

We walked around, looking at the cozy little hammocks and colorful string lights hanging from the trees. I wish we'd had an opportunity to come by in the evening.

We each grabbed a beer and then sat in the barge area so we could look at the water and intercept as much of the breeze coming off of the water as possible. It was a disgustingly muggy day.

It was so unbearably hot that before we hopped back on our bikes, we popped into the adjacent hotel (the Hilton) and used their restroom to splash water on our faces.

Liberty Bell

Admission to see the infamous cracked bell is completely free but the lines get long as hell. So, I suggest just popping by the window and sneaking a peek from outside.

Shopping on Walnut Street

If you're looking for a little retail therapy, I recommend Walnut Street near Rittenhouse Square. There are a variety of shops, including H&M, Zara, Ulta, Urban Outfitters, Jack Wills, and Free People (just to name a few).

Llama Tooth

Llama Tooth is the cutest little restaurant. I shared what we ate on my food blog but I'm sharing all of the awesome llama art here.

The "Mona Llama" was my favorite.

Subway

We grabbed the subway for one ride and I was pleasantly surprised. Philly is a relatively small city so it's easily walkable but having an easy means of public transportation is great, especially when it's hot out (and also when it's cold out). We hopped on near the house and then hopped off at City Hall.

Tokens are $1.80 each.

And yes, Justin Bieber practices law in PA.

Love Park

Board Game Art Park

This little park across from City Hall is super playful and a great place for photos. Playing with giant game pieces is so much fun, even when it's sweltering hot.

Rocky Steps / Philadelphia Museum of Art

This seems to be a popular area for tourists and runners alike. We actually biked over, stood on the steps for approximately 10 seconds to snap a photo, and then hustled back into the shade. We didn't go to the museum (no time!) but I've heard great things.

I've got to be honest, I think this is possibly the worst place to go for a workout because these stairs get full sunlight and it is boiling hot in the summer. But, it's fun to pretend to be Rocky.

City Hall

I am smitten with Philadelphia's City Hall. The architecture is quite similar to Hôtel de Ville in Paris so it makes me feel like I'm abroad. And there are tons of fun activities out front. In the summer, it's a mini water park which is great on hot days. There were hoards of little kids in their swimsuits having fun and we joined in.

Amelie's Bark Shop

Visiting Amelie's was probably my favorite part of the weekend. My dog is my life and getting to buy him gourmet treats was so much fun. Seriously, these doggy desserts are so beautifully made, they look like they're meant for human consumption.

I left with a box of seven treats (you know, one for each day of the week) and it cost me about $14. Yes, that is a cannoli. There's also a squirrel cookie, a philly cheesesteak wiz wit, peanut butter and banana cupcake, strawberry donut, and an Elvis snack with bacon.

And that was our whole weekend. I drove home early Sunday afternoon in time to edit these photos, have dinner, and then pass out from exhaustion. Riding bikes in 100F weather really wears you out!

I can't wait to go back. See you soon, Philly!