Philly Stay-cation

As you know Disney was postponed…yes we have a date to look forward to which brought me out of depression! I was mentally going on vacation this week, so of course there was no chance of working all five days, we had to do something! So we planned a little Philly Stay-cation. Philadelphia is about an hour and half from our house so most times we just do a day trip, but this time we didn’t have to rush, squeeze things in and didn’t feel over scheduled – we truly got to relax and have fun as a family.

Here are some things we checked off the list…

On the way down, we stopped at LegoLand Discovery Center, this is a new addition to the area and it was great for both kids! They have a big “brick” area for little ones and both Ellie and Hudson loved it. But you can literally build on the walls and little stations through out. They also have an interactive ride, which both kids and parents enjoyed as well. We were there during the week and basically had the place to ourselves, if you go during the week kids under 5 are free…total score for us and great way to save $ and beat the crowds!

We arrived in Center City  and checked into the Sofitel, you can’t  beat the location, price and accommodations. Not to mention we asked for a Pack ‘n Play for the little guy, there was no charge and it arrived with little baby soaps and lotions. Love how they take care of you here, service is just incredible!

We decided to venture to Buddakan for dinner…super early bird special time of 5:15 since the kids were with us. This was a gamble, we knew going into it we had borrowed time until a melt down from someone ensued. Let’s just say it was a stressful yet delicious dinner..but we survived!

After dinner we headed farther down into Old city and found the most adorable old time ice cream shoppe; Franklin Fountain. We were able to grab a little table outside, people watch and take in the charm of Old City. The flavors were great, including lots of classics and the “cup” is take out container…nice touch!

The next day started with juices from Sip N Glo Juicery   then to Federal Donuts for their special six of the day. I know the irony of this is hilarious, but they were both delicious and a must if you are in the area!  I mean a green kale juice and a nutella donut go perfect! There has to be some sort of balance right?

We then met up with my parents, they had their hearts set on seeing the kids for Disney, so they made a last minute flight and hotel and spent their 38th Anniversary with us. The kids were over the moon to see them, Even though they live 6 hours away, we face-time almost everyday making it a little easier however harder to say goodbye.

We headed to The Franklin Institute, which at first I wasn’t sure if was too old for my kids. However we had a blast…although Ellie was intimidated by the neurons of the brain we had a great time. The heart exhibit was was fantastic, it brought back so many memories of going there as a kid myself, The earthquake section was really cool, kids can try out a few different levels of intensity and see what the affects are. The final stop here was The Train Factory, where there is a giant steam train inside the museum. You can walk inside and take a behind the scenes look at the train – for older kids there was a station where you can build your own train too.

We were hungry at this point, but of course on the walk both kids fell fast asleep – we headed to Reading Terminal Market. It’s a giant indoor market that is filled with good food, sweets, flowers and everything in between. It’s loud and always crowded which makes for a great spot for the kids. We finally scoped out a table in the midst of the lunch time rush. The great part about this place, everyone can have something different – Chris and I went with DiNic’s for roast pork sandwiches and brisket. This is a Philly must and oh so good!

The next morning we needed to get some exercise after a few cheat meals – the kids ordered room service with my parents and Chris and I went for a running date to the Art Museum. Great way to connect and work off some of the calories – however Chris kicked my butt as usual!

On the way home we went  to The Please Touch Museum, we received an annual membership this year and it was the greatest gift for us as family. Perfect location for the kids to use their imagination and really play and interact with other kids. Ellie especially the little grocery store – they have done a great job making this life like for the kids. Was hilarious when she picked up Swiss Cheese for mice?!

It was a great few days stay-cation in Philly – we walked, laughed, ate a lot and spent some awesome time with family.  Now back to reality – today’s agenda is working out, meal planning and organizing and maybe planning another NYE getaway?! Grand Cayman? Costa Rica?…stay tuned!