As the Philadelphians Do

This past weekend I attended my final wedding until 2016, and the 5th wedding of my 13 MercyWorks roommates. (Numbers 6 and 7 are next year, and are also coincidentally the same wedding!) It was in Philly, which means I flew to the East Coast three times this year (Boston, Baltimore, Philadelphia). This time I took a few days off work and made a vacation out of it with Jesus and several other MercyWorkers.

While I didn't eat a cheesesteak, I had plenty of other great food (not to mention drinks!) to make the weekend memorable. By chance, I reenacted several scenes of National Treasure (and by plan, one very important scene of Rocky). I did it all with my person, Jesus, and we marked our 4th anniversary with a romantic breakfast date at Jamba Juice in the airport before I napped pre- and during flight.

Travel Recommendations:

Do:
Liberty Bell / Independence Hall - One of Philadelphia's most well known landmarks/historical sites. Both are free, though Independence Hall does require tickets for the guided tour.

Reading Terminal Market - Part food court, part indoor farmer's market, part dream store for all event coordinators. Featured in one of National Treasure's chase scenes, RTM is a humming hub of happenings close to Center City. Go for lunch, stay for people watching!

Mütter Museum - There's a wall of skulls. Need I say more? This museum is perfect for those with morbid curiosities, American Horror Story fans, aspiring doctors, and anyone with curious imaginations.

Map of Philadelphia, with major roadways as neurons

Rodin's Thinker - If we had had more time, we planned on visiting the Rodin Museum to see the largest collection of Auguste Rodin's sculpture outside of Paris. Instead, we stopped by The Thinker outside, took a stroll around the garden pool, and gazed on The Gates of Hell.

"Rocky Steps" - We didn't go to the museum attached (Philadelphia Museum of Art), nor did we run all the up, but we did take our picture by the statue and climb to the top of Rocky's iconic steps for its sweeping view of Philadelphia.

Eat/Drink:
Tria Taproom - We happened to meet the owner of this trio of bars, and on his recommendation stopped by the Taproom (not a bottle to be found - even the wine is on tap!) for a few drinks and appetizers before dinner one night. It was classy, yet comfortable. And the cheese curds were satisfying, even to this Wisconsin girl!

Irish Pub - Yes, it's really called that. We hung around here for the extended happy hour, and chatted with our bartender (who was also attending a wedding that weekend). She gave us the rundown of the neighborhood, and where to go the next time we're in town.

Dinic's @ Reading Terminal - After this roast pork sandwich, I didn't even want a Philly cheesesteak. Dinic's doesn't offer all the extras, just roasted meat, a few choice toppings, and a sandwich to hold you over until a late dinner.

La Colombe - Tasty, no-nonsense coffee. Not native to Philly, but a great addition to our morning routine!

Stay:
Dom's Loft in Rittenhouse Square - Perhaps the defining aspect of the trip was our lodging, a truly quaint Airbnb in the Rittenhouse Square neighborhood. This loft, a renovated dining room of a large mansion, was all things Philadelphia: historic, artistic, classic, and a little gritty. We loved the intricate details of the woodwork, the wrought iron spiral staircase, and the literally "off the path" entryway.