We've been cooped up all winter. Plenty of trips to playground "Ikea" but those were starting to get a bit stale. Time to start exploring the Philadelphia region again. Two months of highlights from the end of March through Memorial Day weekend.
MARCH 29, 2024
The spring season started off with a Philadephia stay-cation. Dad had been checking hotel prices since February, nothing that there seemed to be quite a few good deals through the end of March. He booked a one-night stay at The Logan where we could conveniently take in a few sites and eat a few good meals in the surrounding area. First stop: Pizzeria Salvy in the Comcast Technology Center. Marc Vetri's "ode to his father" restaurant. Great meatballs - perfect blend of veal, beef, and pork. Dad is going to need to up his game next time he cooks spaghetti and meatballs. And a few slices of pizza too. Great start to the trip.
The spring season started off with a Philadephia stay-cation. Dad had been checking hotel prices since February, nothing that there seemed to be quite a few good deals through the end of March. He booked a one-night stay at The Logan where we could conveniently take in a few sites and eat a few good meals in the surrounding area. First stop: Pizzeria Salvy in the Comcast Technology Center. Marc Vetri's "ode to his father" restaurant. Great meatballs - perfect blend of veal, beef, and pork. Dad is going to need to up his game next time he cooks spaghetti and meatballs. And a few slices of pizza too. Great start to the trip.
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Now why was Dad so excited to book The Logan instead of other hotels? For the indoor pool of course. It's been a while since Charlotte has been in the pool but like riding a bike, she had the freestyle and breast stroke movements down to rote. It's as if she'd been practicing swimming all winter. Daddy came in the pool. Mommy came in the pool. It was so much fun. The great trip continues.
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Look at those Parkway views - Charlotte likely would have loved growing up in a Center City condo. In another life. After a quick stop at the Saint Peter's and Paul's Basilica, we had a perfectly timed breakfast at Sabrina's before the crowd showed up.
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And a stroll through Logan Circle on the way to the Franklin Institute.
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Franklin Institute does not charge admission for children under 3 - awesome. Every museum should have this cutoff instead of 2. Are you reading this Academy of Natural Sciences? At under 3, we will be in and out in an hour. Thanks Franklin Institute for the discount.
I count three famous Philadelphian's in the first photo: Benjamin Franklin, Bryce Harper, and Charlotte Hamill. After purchasing the entrance tickets Daddy and Charlotte raced back to the entrance for the best exhibit - the Giant Heart! No crowds so we went through twice - what a fun playground. Up the stairs. Down the stairs. Across the walkway to the left ventricle.
Look at Charlotte Hamill, the fighter pilot.
I count three famous Philadelphian's in the first photo: Benjamin Franklin, Bryce Harper, and Charlotte Hamill. After purchasing the entrance tickets Daddy and Charlotte raced back to the entrance for the best exhibit - the Giant Heart! No crowds so we went through twice - what a fun playground. Up the stairs. Down the stairs. Across the walkway to the left ventricle.
Look at Charlotte Hamill, the fighter pilot.
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A walk back to The Logan. Lunch at Federal Donuts, although Charlotte didn't seem to be the biggest fan. A train ride back home. The start of what should be a very fun spring season.
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APRIL 5, 2024
Even on our "do nothing" weekends, we still do something. A Friday loop starting in Narberth, then down through Lansdowne (for a cappuccino at Camelia cafe), then over to Swarthmore (lunch at the Swarthmore Inn), then back home. What wasn't captured in the photos was this was the day of a New Jersey earthquake. Daddy was getting his physical and everything in the doctor's office was shaking like crazy - Daddy joke that the construction crew on the second floor must have hit a load bearing wall.
Even on our "do nothing" weekends, we still do something. A Friday loop starting in Narberth, then down through Lansdowne (for a cappuccino at Camelia cafe), then over to Swarthmore (lunch at the Swarthmore Inn), then back home. What wasn't captured in the photos was this was the day of a New Jersey earthquake. Daddy was getting his physical and everything in the doctor's office was shaking like crazy - Daddy joke that the construction crew on the second floor must have hit a load bearing wall.
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Saturday morning at Summer Seat, Robert Morris's home in Morrisville. Not much of a tour but still glad we were finally able to check this house out after missing it last fall. The story goes that George Washington arrived at Summer Seat as a downtrodden general in December 1776. He was a bit glum. No one is quite sure what happened but when Washington left Summer Seat we has in a much better mood. A few days later, he crossed the Delaware, surprised the Hessians, and as they say, "the rest is history". A beer and a light lunch at the cat-themed Bitchin' Kittin Brewery and it was back on the turnpike to Conshohocken.
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APRIL 10 - 13, 2024
A short trip to Pittsburgh. See the full details here: Pittsburgh.
A short trip to Pittsburgh. See the full details here: Pittsburgh.
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APRIL 19, 2024
Cocomelon Party! Charlotte met YouTube's biggest stars: JJ and all his friends. Good time. Well run event.
Cocomelon Party! Charlotte met YouTube's biggest stars: JJ and all his friends. Good time. Well run event.
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APRIL 26, 2024
We visited the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, the largest Hindu temple in the world outside of India. The temple complex had it's official opening in October 2023 and Daddy had been looking forward to visiting the temple for the past few months. It's an impressive site although difficult to slot in this temple with other cultural sites solely due to its "youth", for lack of a better word. If the temple was 150 years old, it'd rank on a cultural list in a position similar to The Royal Palace in Bangkok. Despite lacking an historical "weight" the site immediately becomes a "must see" attraction for those living in the surrounding area and for all points between Philadelphia and New York City. The temple complex receives 20,000+ visitors on the weekend (advance registration is required to space out the crowds), thus the best advice is to arrive early on a weekday. An app is available for download to help with navigating the complex.
We visited the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, the largest Hindu temple in the world outside of India. The temple complex had it's official opening in October 2023 and Daddy had been looking forward to visiting the temple for the past few months. It's an impressive site although difficult to slot in this temple with other cultural sites solely due to its "youth", for lack of a better word. If the temple was 150 years old, it'd rank on a cultural list in a position similar to The Royal Palace in Bangkok. Despite lacking an historical "weight" the site immediately becomes a "must see" attraction for those living in the surrounding area and for all points between Philadelphia and New York City. The temple complex receives 20,000+ visitors on the weekend (advance registration is required to space out the crowds), thus the best advice is to arrive early on a weekday. An app is available for download to help with navigating the complex.
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The temple's impressiveness starts as soon as you leave the parking lot. The complex's entrance area is off on the northern/right side thus depending upon where you park, you'll need to walk around Brahm Kund, a traditional step pond, part of the broader Nilkanth Plaza which features a 49-foot statue of Bhagwan Swaminarayan, portrayed as a youthful yogi. Known as Nilkanth Varni during his teenage years, he was the founder of the Swaminarayan Hindu tradition. The entrance hall...the food court...the gift shop...all impressive. Every piece of the complex was well designed and thought out, no shortcuts taken.
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Within the broader complex, the temple's size is a bit deceiving in that it appears smaller than it actually is - once you enter the temple, you realize how large the temple itself is. No photos are allowed inside the temple, which if they were, you'd wind up snapping thousands of photos and never leave. Nothing quite prepares you senses when you walk up the stairs and see the interior of the temple for the first time. Without the photos you'll need to see the interior for yourself. If you believe the exterior is impressive, you won't believe what's on the inside.
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It's not simply the scale/scope of the complex. It's not simply an attraction because it's the "largest Hindu temple outside of India". It's also the delicacy, the intricacy, the details of the site that are impressive. Particularly on the inside of the temple but also throughout the other areas. As mentioned above, even the food court was beautiful and a site to behold. My only complaints, and these are all tongue-in-cheek, is that there weren't any Sahdus, no honking horns or other noises, no monkeys or cows or goats wandering around, no dirt, no smells, no "is this really a bathroom" moments, no swindlers or scammers, no over-engineer disorganization - without these elements, was this even a Hindu temple? It wasn't simply a great site, it was a great experience from start to finish.
We ate a pie of Trenton Pizza at Papa's Tomato Pies in Robbinsville, the oldest, continuously, family-owned pizza restaurant in the U.S. They put a thin coating of mustard between the crust and tomato sauce to give their pizza a bit of zing - worth checking out but not as good as the temple's food court.
We ate a pie of Trenton Pizza at Papa's Tomato Pies in Robbinsville, the oldest, continuously, family-owned pizza restaurant in the U.S. They put a thin coating of mustard between the crust and tomato sauce to give their pizza a bit of zing - worth checking out but not as good as the temple's food court.
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MAY 11, 2024
Spring season brings with it a series of neighborhood festivals across Philadelphia. Daddy was a bit festivaled-out so we limited the spring exploration to Mt. Airy's spring festival along Germantown Avenue. Daddy wanted to check out a new microbrewery that also specializes in Kosovo Cuisine - he said the food was very similar to Bosnian food...whatever that means. The Toska microbrewery is located along one of Daddy's favorite blocks in the city - McMenamin's (Daddy's favorite neighborhood bar) on the North end of the block and the Germantown Acme, a multi-decades neighborhood fixture at the South. In between is a beautiful stretch of buildings highlighting the neighborhood's past glory days. Back on the original Charlotte Hamill used to dance along Germantown Avenue.
Spring season brings with it a series of neighborhood festivals across Philadelphia. Daddy was a bit festivaled-out so we limited the spring exploration to Mt. Airy's spring festival along Germantown Avenue. Daddy wanted to check out a new microbrewery that also specializes in Kosovo Cuisine - he said the food was very similar to Bosnian food...whatever that means. The Toska microbrewery is located along one of Daddy's favorite blocks in the city - McMenamin's (Daddy's favorite neighborhood bar) on the North end of the block and the Germantown Acme, a multi-decades neighborhood fixture at the South. In between is a beautiful stretch of buildings highlighting the neighborhood's past glory days. Back on the original Charlotte Hamill used to dance along Germantown Avenue.
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May 17, 2024
Daddy had been planning a West Chester Day since last fall and we finally made it down here on a Friday in May. First stop, the Malvern Buttery to show Lola and Papa one of our favorite breakfast and pastry spots. We'd be in here every week if it was five minutes away instead of thirty. We were able to roam car-free streets in West Chester thanks to a closure related to a festival that was starting in the town later that day.
Daddy had been planning a West Chester Day since last fall and we finally made it down here on a Friday in May. First stop, the Malvern Buttery to show Lola and Papa one of our favorite breakfast and pastry spots. We'd be in here every week if it was five minutes away instead of thirty. We were able to roam car-free streets in West Chester thanks to a closure related to a festival that was starting in the town later that day.
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We made a few stops - first at Carlino's Bakery where Charlotte got to work pushing the shopping cart. Then help Papa pick out cheeses. Then after initially refusing a pizzelle, she strutted around the market with one in hand.
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On National Pizza Day we had one final stop at Pizza West Chester - supposedly the best pizza in the Suburbs. The Pizzeria Beddia of the burbs. Charlotte ate one-and-a-half slices! So you know it's good.
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MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND 2024
We kicked off Memorial Day weekend with a blitz through King of Prussia Mall to check out the long weekend sales. Then a stop at Conshohocken Brewery on the way home. Daddy's convinced the Brewery switched their watermelon infused beer to a wheat ale from a lighter style two years ago - Charlotte will take Daddy's word for it.
We kicked off Memorial Day weekend with a blitz through King of Prussia Mall to check out the long weekend sales. Then a stop at Conshohocken Brewery on the way home. Daddy's convinced the Brewery switched their watermelon infused beer to a wheat ale from a lighter style two years ago - Charlotte will take Daddy's word for it.
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On Saturday morning we went into Center City - breakfast at Middle Child then a visit to the National Constitution Museum. Photos with the Constitution Signers. Charlotte is nearly as tall as James Madison.
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We then visited the fire house where Charlotte's great, great, grandfather worked several years ago at 4th and Arch. Fire house #2 - also the firehouse with the Ben Frankling sculpture next door.
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On Sunday night we went to a Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs game - they may not have many prospects but it was still a fun time out with Lola and Papa. Dad made a mental note that next time we should eat before arriving, then grab some ice cream when we first arrive until waiting until the later innings - that's fine with Charlotte.
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