Family Vacation: Overnight in Philadelphia, PA

We loved going to the Chinese Lantern Festival last summer so I made a point to buy tickets to see it again this summer (they change out the theme and lanterns every year).  We were originally supposed to go for 1-2 nights mid-July but the morning we were set to leave we discovered that smoke from the wildfires in Ontario were engulfing the city.  We made the decision to reschedule because we didn't think we'd be able to enjoy the sites while struggling to breathe.  We were able to change our dates for the hotel and festival for a night in August.  

We arrived at check-in time, 3pm, for our one night at Kimpton Hotel Monaco Philadelphia.  We dropped our things off, took a quick bathroom break, and then set off!

The location of our hotel was amazing.  We were within walking distance to Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, the Betsy Ross House, and of course, the Chinese Lantern Festival.  Once we gave our car over to the valet we didn't see it again until the next day when we were ready to leave.  

Even though everything was relatively close it was quite humid so we were all pretty sweaty and sticky for the remainder of the afternoon and evening.  That was the only downside to walking everywhere.

Our first stop was the Betsy Ross House.  On the way we took a peek at Benjamin Franklin's gravesite, which we saw through iron bars because it costs $5 to enter Christ Church Burial Grounds.  

I learned a lot about Betsy Ross that I didn't know prior to our visit.  For one thing, she was asked to sew the flag by George Washington (and a couple other guys) and secondly, by doing so she endangered her freedom - she could've been charged with treason.  I like that the girls got to learn about a strong American woman and her history-making role in the birth of our nation.  Not sure they actually absorbed any of that but I did!

This cat fountain was donated to the site but there's no verifiable proof that badass Betsy was also a cat lady.

From there we continued on to Elfreth's Alley which is supposed to be the most continuously inhabited street in our country.  People have been living there since 1713 and people live there now.  That surprised me.  I hope they've done renovations...  

One of the things that I love about traveling with the kids (minus the drama) is that they expose you to new things.  I've been to Philadelphia many times but I've never visited these sites and I might not have had I not wanted to expose my kids to these significant monuments to American history.

From there we lined up to see the Liberty Bell.  We didn't get to absorb much there because the kids were not interested in the facts, they just wanted to see the Bell.  From the pictures I was able to see, the Liberty Bell has represented freedom to so many - indigenous tribes, suffragettes, civil rights activists, etc.  It's "just a bell" but it symbolizes so more.  

By that point it was basically 5pm so we lost our chance to see Independence Hall.  

We returned to the hotel to cool off and rehydrate then we set out for the grand finale of the night and the impetus for the trip - the Chinese Lantern Festival!

This statue was in a small park across from our hotel.  The Signer represents the men who, via the Declaration of Independence and Constitution, signed our nation into being.

Last year we saw the lanterns, ate, and watched the fountain show all in the span of 90 minutes or so.  We were staying outside Philly, in NJ, and so we were more limited for time.  On this evening, however, we arrived just after 6pm and left around 10.  We certainly made the most of it - the kids rode the carousel three times, we had dinner (SquareBurger again), watched the 30 minute performance of Chinese artists (an illusionist, acrobats, and jugglers), watched the fountain show every chance we got, popped smoke-filled bubbles, had dessert (cotton candy for the kids and milkshakes for the adults) and of course, did the rounds and admired the intricate and beautiful lantern work.  Just like last year, this was a core memory for our family.  Already planning to go again next summer.

After a crazy night of sugar highs and then crashes we checked out of our room and then left our bags with the bellhop.We had one final stop before our departure - Independence Hall.  Between 9 and 9:50 every morning there is an open house, no tickets required.  So we got to wander the hallowed halls where our nation was born or more specifically, where the Declaration of Independence and Constitution were signed into law.

There were helpful park rangers at every turn, happy to answer questions and educate the public.  I would've liked to have learned more but the kids still aren't quite there with their limited attention spans.  I hope we'll return later as they start studying this material in school and it's more relevant to them.  

All in all, it was a very full less than 24 hours in Philadelphia.  We missed some things I wanted us to do so we might be going back sooner than next summer.  Great city, great fun!

Family Vacation: Cape Charles, Virginia

Prior to a couple months ago I had never heard of Cape Charles.  I believe (because I can never be sure of anything, thanks brain fog) I read an article about it in Northern Virginia magazine and was intrigued.  Having lived in Virginia my entire adult life I'm familiar with Virginia Beach, though I've never been there, Chincoteague, Assateague, and the Eastern Shore (more so Maryland).  

The article won me over with its descriptions of small town charm, a calm and wave-free beach for kids, and good, quality food.  Sold!  We rented a two bedroom 1.5 bathroom condo for three nights at the end of July.  

It was a pleasant, less than four hour drive from our home and on the way south we stopped in Richmond for a fun, kitschy tuk-tuk ride and then lunch at Secret Sandwich Society.  The kids loved the novelty of the tuk-tuk ride and for me, it was nostalgic as I spent five years of my childhood riding tuk-tuks in Bangkok, Thailand.  They're a lot more zippy and noisy overseas.  This tuk-tuk was electric.  

We signed up for a "family scavenger hunt".  I was a little disappointed in that I expected we'd be getting out and actually looking for and finding things.  We were driven by a few places of note and told, for example, to look for x thing.  One of those things was big and obvious, a globe in front of the Science Museum of Virginia.  But on another occasion we were supposed to spot three minuscule gnomes on Cary Street as we whizzed by.  What a joke.  Needless to say, we didn't spot one.  Also, while our guide was extremely nice and a safe driver, I felt like we didn't get a lot of information out of her. It would've been nice to learn more about the city without having to ask.  Overall, it felt rushed and it left me wanting more. The upside to that is that we all discussed returning to Richmond for a long weekend to discover more like "Breakfast with the Bears" at Maymont.  I saw a sign advertising it and asked our driver about it but she had no idea.  I googled it and it sounds like a lot of fun, especially for kids - you can buy tickets to watch them feed their resident black bears.  

The aforementioned globe:

There's so much great public art.  I'd love to see more or take a mural tour the next time we're in town.

The beach!  We drove over open water for part of the time and it reminded me of driving to Key West from Miami thirty-some years ago.  Really cool.  We could not have stayed in a better, centrally located place.  Our rental was on the main drag, Mason Avenue, which meant we were in walking distance, sometimes steps away, from food, shopping, and just a couple blocks from the beach.  If we hadn't needed some bottled water from a grocery store outside of town and played mini golf, we wouldn't have used the car at all.

The beach was as kid-friendly as described.  The kids mostly played in the sand but the water was so shallow I didn't feel like I had to watch them like hawks.  You had to walk out quite a ways for it to even reach mid-thigh.  I stepped into the water a few times and it was lovely.  We saw ghost crabs, hermit crabs, and (mini) moon jelly fish.  There were seagulls galore and an osprey nest off the fishing pier.  

Osprey nest:

I called Aura over to see these cool shells thinking we'd pick them up and take them home but then discovered they were occupied!

I was partial to these black and white seagulls because they made me think of Godiva.  Also, is it just me or do seagulls sound like laughing hyenas with wings? 

We also spent time playing mini-golf and very serendipitously, while walking to the beach, I noticed a sign in the library advertising a free magic show at the Civic Center ON Aura's birthday!  I feel like it was fated because one) I could've not turned my head and seen the sign, no one else in our group did and two) it was a magic show on Aura's birthday - we hired a magician for Aura's birthday party with her friends earlier in the summer so obviously, this is someone who likes magic.  It couldn't have been more perfect.  And it was a great show.  So glad that worked out.  

All the food (and dessert) we had was great.  Honestly.  Not a bad meal.  We ate at Deadrise Italian Kitchen, AJ's Bar & Grill (looks rough on the surface but the service is great and the burgers, fries, and macaroni & cheese are delicious - Aura liked it so much we returned for her birthday dinner), Mason Avenue Bakery (we had a quick bite of sandwiches and bagels before hitting the beach but didn't get to enjoy their sweet baked goods because almost everything is a danger to someone with nut allergies), Cowlick's Creamery, and Brown Dog Ice Cream.  Brown Dog gets quite a write-up and there was always a long line whenever we looked over there (we finally sampled it for dessert on Aura's birthday, her choice) but I thought Cowlick's was the winner.  There was a soft serve place we couldn't get to and a few restaurants we wanted to try but didn't get to either.  Our time flew by.  But just like our quick jaunt in Richmond, it inspired us to plan a return.

How cute is this water tower painted like a lighthouse?

There are some magnificent homes reminiscent of the Victorian homes of Cape May and they're on streets with adorable names like Plum, Peach, Strawberry, and Fig, to name a few.

This was a rented "store" front that I don't think was a store at all.  I believe their message is clear.

 

This glimpse into the Handmaid's Tale scared the kids...they have no idea.  

On the way home we stopped in Williamsburg and had lunch at the Cheese Shop. And we discovered The Meadows where we had a very decadent dessert.  I got the cookie dough topping not realizing how indulgent it would be.  These were not little bite-sized cookie dough balls, it was a giant scoop of cookie dough placed on top of the custard.  I loved it but even I have a limit.  I couldn't finish it so everyone else helped me.  We found out there's one in Reston so we might be in trouble! 

I'd be remiss if I didn't include that our family badly needed this trip.  It's been a very difficult year with my health problems and diagnosis and then right before our trip the last, but certainly not least of our cats, Godiva, passed away. We needed to get away from our house that felt empty and wrong without her.  Our trip soundtrack was Queen's "Don't Stop Me Now" because they reference Lady Godiva.  She was always in our thoughts.