Weekend Getaway to Philly

On labor day weekend, my best friend and I decided to go on a nice long weekend getaway to Philadelphia. It was the perfect opportunity to escape our daily routine and go on a short adventure. We had both previously been to Philadelphia with other friends or family and really liked it because it's a nice small town with a lot of history behind it and it's only a 2 hour drive from home. It was just the perfect spot. We ended up spending 3 and a half days there; we left on Thursday night and came back Monday afternoon. 

Before our trip, we planned out our days with things we wanted to do and places we wanted to visit. Of course, everything doesn't always go as planned so there were a few bumps on the road. For one, we went on the same weekend that Made in America was happening so of course that was hectic and a portion of the city was blocked off. Second, some places needed to be booked in advance and we didn't know so unfortunately we didn't get to go to them. Despite all that however, we still managed to do many other things and had an amazing time. Check out our little adventure below! :)

Day 1

On our first full day there, we woke up early and headed to Reading Terminal for breakfast. We stopped at "Smucker's" and got a breakfast sandwich to share along with a side of fries. To be honest it wasn't the best breakfast sandwich but the fries were pretty good. We also got a delicious fresh lemonade from the stand next to them (whose name I don't remember unfortunately). 

After breakfast, we took an UberPool from Reading Terminal to the Philadelphia Zoo. UberPool was actually our main form of transportation during our trip because it was super cheap (all our trips cost $3.75 - $5.50) and it's also the easiest way to get around if you don't know the subway or bus systems. 

We had an amazing time at the zoo looking at all the animals and even getting to go on the swan pedal boats. We had been dying to go on a pedal boat all summer and we finally got to do it. It costs $6.00/person for 2 rounds and it was a lot of fun. We really wanted to go on the hot air balloon, however, when we got there the wait to go on it was 1-2 hours. Because we left that for the end of our zoo trip, we didn't want to wait so unfortunately we didn't get on. So, if you ever get a chance to go, I would recommend you ride the hot air balloon first and then see all the other zoo attractions and animals which we loved. 

OOTD
Overalls: Buffalo Exchange
Top: Forever 21
Shoes: Converse 

Pit stop at the petting zoo because you are never too old to play with furry friends!

One of the things I loved about this zoo is that you get to see the animals up close! I mean the Bronx Zoo here is great and all but some animals are so far that you can barely see them. Here, you got a clear and close look at them which was awesome!

The swan pedal boats!

After the zoo, we went back to where we were staying to shower and relax for a bit before we went to Spruce Street Harbor Park. This has got to be one the coolest parks I have been to. The park is known for its colorful hammocks tied around the trees and the multi colored lights that come on at night time. The hammocks are popular and usually always taken but if you keep an eye out and are patient, you can find one to lay on. When we went, Summer Fest was still going on so it was a bit crowded since they had a fair going on and also the park stays open until 11pm and 1:00 am on the weekends. They also have food stands that I'm pretty sure are there year round, an arcade, and a great view of the Delaware River overlooking New Jersey.

OOTD
Crop Sweater: Zara
Jeans: Zara
Shoes: Converse

Day 2

On our second day, we treated ourselves to sleep in a little, got ready, and then headed to On Point Bistro for brunch. We found this place while looking at cool food spots on Instagram. My friend ordered "the clucker," which is a sweet potato waffle that came with fried chicken and eggs and I ordered myself a breakfast burger. They were both so delicious and perfect. Even thinking about it now makes my mouth water. 

After brunch, we headed back to where we were staying to take a little rest and also because it started to rain so we wanted it to stop a little before we went out again. We really wanted to go see the rocky steps, the rocky statue, and the love sign at the Love Park. Unfortunately, the Love Park was under construction and the museum where the rocky steps are located was blocked off because of the Made In America Festival. We decided to just stay in the area, do a little exploring, and take some pictures. While walking around, we found a version of the love sign we wanted to see except this one was in Spanish. 

Later that night, we really wanted to go to an Italian restaurant called Giorgio On Pine but when we got there the place was super busy and the wait time was more than an hour. I would really suggest making a reservation before going there. Anyway, because we were super hungry, we went to another Italian restaurant next door called "Bocconcini." This place was small but cute and no waiting line so it was perfect. We didn't know that this place was BYOB (bring your own bottle) until we had already sat down so that was a bummer. The food was still delicious though. I noticed that many of the restaurants in Philly were BYOB which I thought was pretty cool because I had never seen that before. I wish we had more places like that here so we didn't have to pay $10-$15 for a drink!

Swing in the apartment!

Many of the streets in Philly are cute cobble stone alleys.

Channeling my inner Gene Kelly in Singing in the Rain.

Day 3

The area that we were staying at was called the Gayborhood and I absolutely loved everything about it! There were a lot of cool restaurants and bars including a gay bar called Woody's where you can go to get a few drinks and dance. I also loved seeing the rainbow flag painted on the street and on some of the street signs. 

On our third day we tried to go to the Philadelphia Magic Gardens which is a museum entirely made out of random recycled objects like glass bottles, plates, bricks, etc., all made into mosaic style displays. It's pretty amazing; however, when we got there they told us they sold tickets in time slots and the next one wouldn't be for another 2 hours. We decided not to wait and just take pictures of the walls outside which was also part of the museum and it gave a sneak peak as to what the inside looks like. Again, for this attraction I would suggest booking in advance or going to get your tickets first and then come back for your time slot. Tickets cost $10 and $8 if you have a student ID.

OOTD
Top: TJ Max
Jeans: Hollister
Jacket: CrossRoads

Later in the day, we went back to Spruce Street Harbor Park because we had loved it that much. This time it was different because we went earlier in the day and got to see what it looked like in the day time. It honestly looked so beautiful with all the colorful hammocks all around. We were able to get one hammock to share and sat there enjoying the beautiful weather and great view. 

We began to get a little hungry so we went to one of the food stands called Chickie's and Pete's and got the most amazing fries I have ever had in my entire life. They put this specific seasoning in it which was old bay seasoning and it was just delicious. Plus the cheese made it even more amazing. It cost about $9.00 for the little bucket but it is soooo worth it I promise!

After that, we walked down a little further to Penn's Landing where Summer Fest was happening. This was like a small festival/carnival where there was a roller rink, ferris wheel, carnival games, and arcade games. We played in the arcade and we also rode the ferris wheel. That was so much fun.

For dinner, we went to this Mexican placed called Lolita. We were really excited about it because we love Mexican food but it wasn't that great. At least, I personally hated it. My friend got the enchilada and she liked it; however the tacos that I ordered were terrible. It was literally just a piece of fried chicken or a tortilla with some radish. It tasted so bad I couldn't even eat it. The only thing I actually enjoyed were the chips and the guac. Other than that I wouldn't recommend this place if you're looking for good Mexican food. We left the place pretty quick and then treated ourselves to a huge waffle with ice cream. That made me quite happy lol.

That was pretty much it for our Philly adventure! I hope you enjoyed it and got some good tips if you ever want to make a small trip there. Like I said, it is a perfect spot and it's not too far if you're from the tri-state. Everyone deserves a little getaway sometimes ;) I wonder what our next one will be.....

You can also check out my previous trip to Philly here. 

-xoxo, Diana