Tag: Philadelphia
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John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge
Wes and I celebrated the gift of a cloudless 74 degree day in February with a hike around the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge. This sanctuary is free and only a ten minute drive from Center City. It is a remarkable urban oasis. Oasis in Tinicum Hiking the 3 mile loop trail around the Tinicum Marsh can be a serene, immersive experience with nature. That…
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Magic Gardens
For a joyous way to celebrate a sunny day, I recommend a visit to Philadelphia Magic Gardens. The gallery is located at 1020 South Street. The “gardens” are an urban wonderland of everyday recycled stuff like bottles, plates or bicycle wheels. Found Objects These objects are embedded into organic floor-to-sky walls of mosaics. Imagine walking into a courtyard where every square inch is vibrating with color…
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Chinese New Year
This was our first year joining the Chinese New Year celebration in Philadelphia’s Chinatown. Happy Year of the Rooster and Gung Hay Fat Choy. Philadelphia Suns parade We headed to Chinatown to see the Philadelphia Suns‘ annual Lion Dance celebration. We arrived 10:30am on Sunday to an almost deserted street. As we took a walk around the block, the…
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Mummers Parade
This was my second year celebrating New Years Day with the full Mummers Parade experience (minus the morning alcohol). For the best views, head up Broad Street before 11 and stake out a spot on the left side near City Hall. All in the Family The parade features lots of marching Mummer families, with kids in matching costumes and babies in…
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New Year’s Eve Fireworks
Everyone should experience the free New Year’s Eve Fireworks extravaganza at Penns Landing at least once. The 15 minute show was one of the most spectacular displays we’ve seen. Family Friendly Fireworks We opted for the 6 pm, family friendly performance. There’s also the midnight ringing in fireworks. By 5:30, a good-sized crowd had staked out the best…
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Ghost Ship Tour
I’d recommend a Ghost Ship Tour as a uniquely spooky way to celebrate scare season. Battleship Olympia The USS Olympia, commissioned in 1895, is the oldest steel warship still afloat anywhere. It’s part of the Independence Seaport Museum. Our motley tour group was greeted at the Penn’s Landing gangplank by a proclaimed sailor’s daughter who would not share her name. She was…