Being a big fan of the Rocky movies I had always had Philly on my bucket list! When my husband and I finally checked it off, we had a wonderful time doing so. Philly is a city full of history and full of fun.  We stayed at the Courtyard Philadelphia Downtown and used the SEPTA for all of our transportation. The hotel was located in a great location directly across the street from the City Hall and right in the heart of downtown. Upon check in we were asked if it was our first time to the city and since it was we got upgraded to a room with a fabulous view of the City Hall building. Awesome.  Here is a list of our top six things to do while visiting Philly!

#1 – Rocky Stairs

Running up the “Rocky Steps” has been on my bucket list for at least 5 years. So when we arrived in Philly this was the first thing my husband and I did! We stood in front of the 72 stone steps that lead to the entrance of the Philadelphia Museum of Art and huge smiles came across both of our faces. After a quick glance at each other we took off racing each other up the stairs – laughing and taking pictures of each other as we went.  This was AWESOME. Tons of people filled the stairs all running and jumping and taking photos. We hung out on top of the stairs for a while watching others and taking in the great view of the city. Also, don’t forget to take photos doing your best Rocky pose with the Rocky Statue at the bottom of the steps. This was a big check on my bucket list and a memory that will forever bring a smile to my face.

#2 – Liberty Bell

The Liberty Bell is a pretty obvious must see piece of history in Philadelphia. We had heard quite a bit about how long the lines would be to get in so we expected to have to wait. We arrived in the afternoon and were pleasantly surprised when we only had to wait about 15 min to get into the museum.  Once we were in, we had no problem getting up close to see the bell and take photos. This was pretty cool and something you definitely should not miss.

#3 – Penn’s Landing

Penn’s landing is filled with history and fun things to see and do! I would definitely recommend the paddle boats & kayaks! Also, take time to tour the old ships and submarines! There was so much to learn about and it is also a great place to sit down, relax and unwind!

#4 – McGillins Old Ale House

We were lucky enough to stumble upon this bar and I am so very happy we did! McGillin’s Olde Ale house opened the year Lincoln was elected president! Amazing! It is the oldest bar in Philadelphia. We had a great time here watching soccer and chatting with the regulars and the bartenders. It was a great stop for an ice cold beer on a hot day in Philly!

#5 – Find your favorite Philly cheese steak

My husband made this his goal while we were in Philly and from the moment we arrived he ONLY ate Philly cheese steaks. We started with one from a street vendor, later we headed to the world famous Pats as well as Geno’s. He finally found his favorite at Oscar’s Tavern – where you did not only get a Philly cheese steak but a Philly and a half for a better price than anywhere else in town! Oscars was also just a fun bar to hang out at making the experience by far our favorite on the quest to find the best cheese steak!

#6 – LOVE Park

LOVE Park, which is officially named JFK plaza, is located in Center City, Philadelphia. The park is nicknamed LOVE Park because of Robert Indiana’s LOVE sculpture that is displayed in the plaza. The park was once a very popular location for skateboarders and many professionals, including Bam Margera, made their names in the skateboarding industry being known because of their frequent use of LOVE parks great ledges and stairs. Nowadays, sadly skateboarding is illegal in the park. We enjoyed buying food from street vendors and having a nice relaxing picnic while listening to live music and people watching.

Philly was an excellent weekend adventure full of must see attractions. We had a lovely time and I would recommend that everyone visit this city at least once in their life! A mix of history and fun – nothing beats that!

Much Love & Happy Travels,

Lacey