2 Fillies in Philly

The city of Brotherly Love seemed like a great second stop on the sister field trip. It’s another museum mecca with no shortage of fun, food, and fabulous art. We rented a car and headed down to taste test cheesesteaks, check out murals, and meander around the historical streets of Philadelphia.

I thought NYC would reign supreme for street art, but Philly is home to over 3600 murals, is packed with public art, and we even found an incredibly cool mosaic park at the Magic Garden. Mural Arts organizes walking tours, but we just googled and wandered to the ones that interested us on the Mural Mile. You also pass some awesome bars and restaurants along the way- so making it a crawl is a win/win/Nguyen. We didn’t eat anything that we’d write home about at Strangelove’s, but their vibe and happy hour were terrific. The proprietor is a badass, and she did a fantastic job suggesting drinks and shots to help us feel festive. It made for an excellent low-key afternoon.

Kyra appreciates museums but wasn’t feeling the need to visit ALL of the ones on my wishlist. She asked me to pick 1 for her to visit, and I could see the rest on my own after she left. I had popped into The Barnes Foundation briefly en route to the airport on a business trip several years prior, and it had haunted my dreams ever since. Even after visiting the array of magnificent museums in NYC and Philly, I still strongly believe this is the most unique art experience available in America. Dr. Albert Barnes curated a prolific collection of modern European art, African tribal art, and Pennsylvania antiques that he meticulously arranged in unique groupings to provoke thought, conversation, and reflection upon commonalities. The museum is now equipped with cutting edge web support. You used to have to use laminated cards to figure out what you are looking at, but now you can use their app to scan any object of interest and it will tell you all of the background information about the piece AND store it in a digital vault. You’ll receive a digest at the end of your visit of every piece that you were curious to learn more about. Kyra and I looked like the Rom-Com couples going crazy with their wedding registries. We were scanning all over the room, delighted by what we were finding. The museum is celebrating its 100th year, and because the foundation was built around art education, there are ALWAYS interesting tours and curations available to help you discover new gems in their collection. I was overwhelmed by how many Matisse masterpieces adorned the walls. I had never seen a Van Gogh nude, and you know I’m always happy to see a member of the Roulin Family. I’m especially fond of the background of their version of the most famous painted postman. Kyra said it was one of her favorite parts of the week. It’s worth noting that students/teachers are eligible for $5 tickets if you call and make a reservation, so I was extra glad it was my pick for my freshly minted graduate/Choir Director.

Rocky fans will want to run to the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, but art enthusiasts of all kinds will want to wander their hallowed halls. The collection is so vast, your ticket is valid for two full days, AND includes the nearby Rodin Museum. The Paris Rodin Museum is still the ultimate, and the San Francisco Legion of Honor Museum and Stanford’s Cantor collections might be a little bigger, but this museum felt like a field trip to France. There were 3 Thinker statues, the Gates of Hell, The Kiss, and and some really unique pieces inside. I’ve seen a half dozen iterations of The Kiss, and this was my first time seeing it in white marble rather than bronze. I now think it’s my favorite Rodin piece. I was in and out in about 30 minutes, so it’s not a long stop, but their gardens were a lovely place to work/people watch. I went to the Philadelphia Museum of Art to visit the Degas Dancer, Aged 14 and was was incredibly impressed by their Impressionist collection. Like the MET and Art Institute of Chicago, their diverse collection has something for everyone. I was honestly more excited about the serendipitous surprises I found while wandering around. The architectural settings from around the world were like a rapid fire adventure, with no passports or layovers. The Temple of the Attainment of Happiness sure did the trick for me, and the Japanese Teahouse, French Cloister, and Zhizhua Ceiling were pretty impressive too. I’ve been to a lot of museums in my life, but I’ve never been to one with such an enthusiastic and helpful staff. A guard offered to take my photo with the Degas Dancer, but we got to chatting and she brought me to some treasures I had completely missed. The Cezanne Seascape was a revelation. I never would have known that tilting your head and looking at the landscape painting in portrait will help you see a painted over portrait of his wife. Her face is floating in the water, and it is CREEPY. I watched docents and guards gladly engage the art enthusiasts to help them find the highlights that would make them the happiest. I couldn’t stop smiling as I wandered around, and am SO glad I took the Philly sit so I could see it.

In addition to being an art geek, I’m a proud Potter fan, and I was THRILLED to see the world premiere of the Potter Exhibit at the Franklin Institute. I pretty much had the museum to myself on a Wednesday night, and it was a magical experience ;) This exhibit features props, costumes, and interactive experiences tracked through a wristband. I can’t help it, but seeing my name on the Marauder’s Map was miraculous to me. The Potter parks and the London studio tour remain the ultimate Potter Fan experiences, but this one is definitely worth visiting. The permanent exhibits were really interesting too. I got to see another part of the meteor that created the crater I visited in Arizona, was enlighted on electricity and learned about Benjamin Franklin’s inventions, played around in Sir Isaac’s Loft to demonstrate the principals of physics, fluttered around the Flight Exhibit, did a deep dive into the human brain, walked through a giant replica of a human heart, explored a fascinating exhibit on jellyfish that built on my new Monterey Aquarium obsession. Math and science are far from my thing, but this museum makes it really fun to dive in and see them in action.

American History Buffs will never get enough of Philadelphia. With 67 National Historical Landmarks, we barely scratched the surface with a trip to the Liberty Bell, a walk by the Betsy Ross House (where the first American Flag was sewn), and a stroll down the absolutely adorable Elfreth’s Alley. It was on our evening walk around the historic district on my first trip that I discovered The Outrage. Sadly, the Philly location did not survive the pandemic, but you can still purchase socially conscious gifts and apparel through their website. I’m especially angry today after the Roe v Wade announcement. I will continue to donate and advocate for the causes that mean so much to me, but this is a fun way to wear more than your heart on your sleeve and support equality and the protection of human rights.

I made a quick trip out to Allentown to visit my clients and continued on to the “oldest craft brewery in America.” This title is by default (the actual oldest went out of business) and there is a little loophole in the language, but the Yuengling tour is fascinating, free, and informative. I had a wonderful time (especially in the beer cave) and enjoyed some fresh off the line $3 brews in their taproom. I’m especially excited that the sixth generation of Yuengling’s future is female.

My sister isn’t into beer, but we’re both really into food. We tried a couple cheesesteaks. I’m still team Tony Luke’s, will put Jim’s South Street as a distant second, and think Geno’s is foul. Reading Terminal Market is just as amazing as everyone says it is. This epic food court/market has incredibly diverse offerings. We had pupusas and gumbo that absolutely rocked our worlds. My favorite food picks in town were the small bites and fishbowls at Graffiti Bar happy hour, the City Tap flight and pretzels, the Love City Biergarten, Crime & Punishment’s sours and pierogies, and the fabulous food/vibe/libations at Louie Louie.

Philadelphia was never really high on my wishlist, but my business trips didn’t leave enough time to truly fall in love with this city. Exploring with my sister and aunt were icing on top of an already fabulous trip. I had originally intended to visit NYC and train to Philly then DC for an epic museum marathon, but I couldn’t quite make it work this time. If you find yourself with some time to kill on the east coast, Philly is quite fun. As The Wonders would say, “Tell everyone in Philadelphia there’s a party going on.”