Advice Sought
Dear Lovely Everyone who is Reading This,
This summer I am planning to take the kids on a road trip which I already know hope will be infinitely better than last summer's. We won't have a dog with us for one thing. And I hoping the car doesn't break down in the middle of nowhere either.
The plan is to go first to Washington DC (probably for about a week), then onto Philadelphia (for about a day, I think), New York City (two, possibly three, days), Boston (haven't decided yet for how long), and finally Montreal (again, I'm undecided on the amount of time.)
I'm not so concerned about looking for the best things to do in Washington DC. I already have a good idea of how we will fill our time. My question is, for those who have lived there or previously visited, (or heck, just feel like doing a little internet-research while they should be working. Yep, I'm looking at you), what is the must-see or must-do thing in Philadelphia?
New York City? (I already know we're going to Ellis Island and the Staute of Liberty because Jesse has told me so.)
Boston?
Montreal?
Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
H.Banana
Comments
I have no advice for you on any of these places as I have only been to NYC (and a short visit at that). I would love to hear what you do and if you like Montréal as Tom, Sofia and I are thinking about going there this autumn.
I don't think you will have any problems making this summer's holiday better than last summer's :)
New York: You guys are book people, right? Go to the Strand, an awesome bookstore that has probably any book you guys could want. There are new and used books and as a bonus, sometimes you can find ARCs (the books they send to reviewers) so you can buy a book sometimes months before it comes out. :)
It's at 12th Street and Broadway. www.strandbooks.com
Also, depending on when you're there, you can get tickets to some Broadway plays at the half price ticket booth at Times Square. (If you guys wanted to see a play while you're there, that's probably the way to go.) It's same-day, though, and the lines can be pretty long.
We were only in Boston for a day, but Cambridge is really nice. We had fun walking around Harvard and Harvard Yard and all that. Not sure if that's very fun for kids, though. We had lobster down by the harbor -- that was cool. We also visited the JFK Museum, which was very interesting, but again, not sure if the kids would like it.
You have DC covered and I haven't been to Montreal or Philly. What a fun trip!
What, your car breaking down in the middle of nowhere wasn't fun?
Being as I've never been to DC, Boston, Philadelphia, or Montreal, I am utterly worthless as far as giving advice. However, should you ever decide to head to southeastern Minnesota (*ahem*) I could recommend the Mall of America and/or the Spam Museum. And my house.
of course i can't remember for the life of me EXACTLY what we did... but we had a good time. hehe...
ooh, have some pizza in NY for me, though. :P
have a great time :) sorry to be of absolutely no assistance. hehe.
If you like history of these great old towns, Boston has a fabulous walking tour lead by a guide in period clothing (I am SUCH a geek) that ends up in a nice lunchy/shoppingy place near the center of town.
From there are several cobblestone streets with little shops and resturaunts and nice people who are more than happy to tell you about the history of their little building.
Like eating a snack at a pub where the revolutionaries planned the attack on the English before the Tea Party. For the life of me I can not recall the name... Green rooster or something.
As for Philly, I agree with Mama-P. Gino's is to DIE for (I am a bit obsessive on my cheesesteaks. Gosh I miss home!)
You can always take pix at the LOVE statue, too.
Pyro-pixie and mama-p are smoking dope. Jim's at 3rd and South has the best cheesesteaks.
Liberty Bell, Constitution Center, Independence Hall -- good 1/2 to 3/4 day. The Franklin Institute is a really fun science museum for kids. The Rodin Musuem on the Ben Franklin Parkway has the best collection outside of Paris (though I don't know how much the kids would dig that...).
Go down into Little Italy in South Philly and walk around to find a place to eat. Just don't sit by the winda'....
Boston - if the kids will go with it, walk the Liberty Trail (either guided or not guided) for some history. If you are baseball fans at all, you should go to Fenway and see the Red Sox (if they're in town and the tickets aren't outrageous). I liked visiting Harvard, but the kids may or may not be interested.
So when in the summer are you going on this trip? I ask not only because if the timing is right you and your kids could help me load my UHaul (ha!) but also because of thinking about what summer events will be afoot in these various cities in the different months. My brother lives in Montreal and is one of those Montrealers who is obsessed with the place, so I'll ask him what he'd do there with kids and let you know.
We enjoyed the underground city in Montreal (can't quite recall what it is called, but I think that is it). We also visited a religious site, but for the life of me, I can not remember it's name! It was up on a hill, I believe. It was quite interesting. I will try to figure out where it is.
You are the best traveled person around! I am super surprised that you haven't been to the places mentioned (except NYC), you little globe trotter, you :)
I will blog about my experiences and you can see for yourself whether the places are worth a visit.
We are definitely book people. Any used book store is like a magnet to me :)
We might catch a show too. I hear that Mary Poppins has most of the original London cast and I wanted to see that when I was in London but tickets were sold out.
Sounds like the stuff in and around Central Park could keep us busy for a long time. Thanks for telling me all this cool stuff -- I would never have known where to go otherwise.
Serendipity? We're there! I have seen it looking yummy in way too many movies to not check it out.
Thanks for mentioning Ground Zero. It hadn't occurred to me to visit. I don't want to feel like a crass tourist but I also want Jesse and Libby to feel the significance of what happened there.
Haha. I would so go to the Spam museum.
Here's where I confess that although Spam smells like cat food, I actually like it. A lot. What can I say in my defense? We lived in Hawaii for four years and they eat a lot of Spam; I developed a taste.
Pyro-pixie and mama-p are smoking dope
Can I get some?
though I don't know how much the kids would dig that
Don't fret, I am raising little geeks. They would dig that very much indeed.
Thanks Steve! :)
Great advice Janette! Thanks! We are baseball fans, at least I am, but last time we went to a game (Chicago Cubs) the kids were ready to leave half way through.
They are, however, more than ready to do anything history related as a) they've been raised on museums and historical sites and b) I think they like to feel smart :)
Sweet, a rollar coaster! I really do love them and the other day my son said he'd never been on one, which, WHAT? I know he has, he just doesn't remember it. I told him we would rectify that this summer.
Thanks for the great advice.
I actually wrote a long post last Friday, but it didn't take. But let me give you a couple of tips:
Getting around. You need to know about Philly Phlash. Will take you from Penn's Landing up to the Art Museum, with lots of stops along the way, for next to nothing. Google it.
Cheesesteak: You've heard about Jim's and Geno's (and perhaps Pat's). Tourist traps, all. If you want the best steak near to Independence Hall, try Sonny's. It's only a few blocks away between 2nd and 3rd and Market. There is the added advantage that there is a great
ice cream fountain just steps away. Not to mention a great used book store called Book Trader.
If you want the best, it's John's Roast Pork. You won't see a single tourist there, and you'll need directions. Suffice it to say it's won a James Beard award. And, as you might imagine, the roast pork is pretty decent as well. There is a cheesesteak contest going on right now on the local sportstalk station, and this is what the DJ running the contest wrote:
1. John’s Roast Pork, 14 East Snyder Avenue, South Philadelphia, 215-463-1951.
I love the smell of onions grilling in the morning. And that’s the best time to get to the classic and famous John’s Roast Pork, because it opens before 7 a.m. and closes down shortly after lunch.
This little shack of a place – nestled between train tracks and an abandoned building or two along Snyder Avenue – hardly needs our endorsement. It has been honored in recent times by Esquire and Gourmet magazines, named the best cheesesteak by the Inquirer’s Craig Laban a few years back and even won a snooty James Beard Foundation Award.
So, of course, we were skeptical. No place can be that good. But, tell you what – one whiff of the aroma wafting from John’s had us enticed. And one bite of the $7.76 cheesesteak, and we were in gastronomic heaven. This, my friends, is ecstasy on a toasted Carangi’s roll.
It’s about a foot long and a thing of beauty, as you unwrap the white paper surrounding it. Loads of molten sharp provolone oozed throughout every crevice of the sandwich. Top quality seasoned beef, sliced into ribbons. Onions that are sweet, while still retaining a little sting. The roll – crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside to hold the juices – even comes with some sesame seeds for flavor.
John’s has been around since 1930, and deserves to be recognized as a civic treasure. The day we went, the customers were a blend of cops and blue-collar guys and a couple of dark-suited attorneys debating a case as melted cheese dripped on their legal briefs. A great cross section of this city’s populace enjoying al fresco dining on a few picnic tables as the semis rumble through South Philly.
This is family-run operation, Momma Bucci and her sons, and everyone behind the counter and on the flat grill is gracious – in other words, they won’t holler if you screw up the ordering code.
I run these food hunts every year in order to tell you which places are the best. Folks, John’s Roast Pork, quite simply, makes the greatest cheesesteak I’ve ever had.
Probably because they're synonomous...but either way it looks great and we'll do it.
Actually, although I'm not sure of the details, we'll be gone for a week in late July and might need a housesitter. So if you are into cheap digs on vacation, we might be your man. If the dates work out.
OK. A few ideas on things to see in Philadelphia that are quintisentially Philadelphian. The obscure museums:
1. Mutter Museum. How are you and the kindlings on the gross-out factor? If they like gross stuff, it's a must.
2. The Mummer Museum. Every New Year's Day, hundreds of blue collar men march down Broad Street in sequins, makeup and feathers. This museum is dedicated to that proposition.
3. The American Swedish Historical Museum. Did you know the Swedes were here before William Penn? This museum is dedicated to that history.
4. Civil War and Underground Railroad Museum of Philadelphia. Any Civil War buffs in the family? If so, the collection here is amazing.
5. University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. One of the world's best museums of this genre. A major exhibition on evolution opens next month.
6. Rosenbach Museum and Library. You love books? You'll love this museum dedicated to books. Sendak exhibit opens next month. The permanent collection includes Joyce's manuscript for Ulysses, a first edition of Don Quixote, and Dylan Thomas's manuscript for Under the Milkwood.
7. The Barnes Foundation. A private museum set, the founder has his own theory of art. This leads to a fascination juxtopositon of pieces. Not to mention they have 181 Renoirs, 69 Cezannes, and 59 Matisses, among other things. You will need to reserve tickets to get in. Certainly not as comprehensive as the Philadelphia Museum of Art, but utterly fascinating. And not crowded, due to the admission policy.
8. National Liberty Museum. Do you like glass sculpture. You'll love this place then. A block away from Independence Hall.
These are just some of the places you might not know about. Of course, the Philadelphia Museum of Art is spectacular, as is the Rodin museum. and the Franklin Institute, with its Omnitheater, is very popular for kids.