I'm going next month; me and some friends, just for the hell of it. What should we do/see?

Hopefully, we're skipping the liberty bell. I'm organizing the trip, so maybe I'll get lucky and get to skip it!

Tenative plans to visit the Mutter Museum and the Body Works Exhibit at the Franklin Center. We'll surely partake in activies at the acquarium. I see they have an underwater tunnel where sharks surround. (Posed pic of me to follow. I'll be re-creating Jaws 3D if anybody remembers the horrible sequel with Dennis Quaid).

I'm considering the zoo. I haven't been to a zoo since I was a teenager. I hate seeing a drained concrete pool with a bear in it.

Reservations at an authentic Moroccan restaurant. Belly dancers, dining on floor pillows, eight course vegetarian meal.

Possibly...the whispering bench, Smith Playground, Laurel Hill Cemetary, Rocky Statue...subsequent steps at the art museum, Manyunk Brewery and South Street.

Hope to fit in some clubbing at some time, if we aren't exhausted.

Any suggestions?

Suggestions? Sounds like you've got quite a few already!!

I've been to the mutter museum heather and i think you'll like it. I really did. If you have any questions, PM me. My friend lives there and I visit often.

You may have checked these out already, but here are some links:

Philly Tourism
Philly Clubs
Cityguide

Stay away from any area close to the shipyard.

I say ya gotta go to the brewery. Ya! You betcha!











i've never been and can't help.i have no idea what any of those things mention are. cept the zoo of course HAVE FUN!!

If you're planning to stay overnight, you might want to book the reservations soon. There's a big flower show that occurs in Philly every February, and from what I've heard, it draws people from up and down the East Coast. As much as I'd love to, I've never been - if it draws that many people, I don't want to be there.

It's been years, but I went to a Phillies game once years ago, and afterwards we went to someplace near the stadium where the streets were very narrow and had the BEST Philly Cheesesteak. Maybe somebody can tell you where that was.

South Street...Rock out with your click here out...

Actually the Philadelphia Flower Show runs from March 5-12 this year, so you should be ok.

Definitely make a trip to South Street. There is also a restaurant; unfortunately the name escapes me that served a hugeice cream dessert. It wasn’t on the menu; you had to know to ask for a Gargantuan.

If the body works is the thing where people's skin is removed, and they are posing they had something similar in Cleveland, which was supposed to be very neat. If you are near Independence Hall be careful which street you cross, a policeman almost jumped me for crossing a blocked off street without going through security to access that area.

The Body Worlds exhibit at the Franklin Institute...we have reserved tickets. No photos allowed though.

Do any cheesesteak places have a veg option? Two of us don't eat beef. We're definitely stopping at a brewery sometime. We'll have a big beer drinker with us, although she'll probably just wind up getting a Michelob Ultra as usual.

Heading out tomorrow! Thanks for all your advice!

a vegetarian cheese steak???? wtf????



Uh, yes ma'am, gimme a whole cheese steak and hold the meat.

I dont know how much you want to spend eating but if you like Japanese with a twist:

http://www.morimotorestaurant.com/

You almost have to make reservations if you want to eat there.

Morimoto. Isn't he one of the Iron Chefs on the Food Channel?

yes he is the Iron chef from TV. He used to cook there a lot but since the new US version of Iron Chef aired im thinking he might have scaled back the hours he is there.

Here are two cheese steak shops that have a vegetarian cheese steak:

Jim's Steaks, 400 South St.
http://www.jimssteaks.com/indexb.htm

Rick's Steaks, Reading Terminal Market, 12th and Market
http://www.rickssteaks.com/

You may also want to check out the Philly.com website
http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/living/travel/

They have info on restaurants, things to do, etc. Just scroll down to the Visitors Guide.

I did find a vegetarian restaurant named Govinda"s at 1408 South St (at Broad St), but I don't know anything about it. Check some of the vegetarian websites, there seems to be quite a list.

But nothing beats a Philly Chese Steak, Whiz and wit' (onions that is).

Wow! Thanks for the info, iron horse. I didn't think anyone, (person or food place), would take a veg cheese steak seriously.

I've browsed all the touristy web sites and have planned accordingly, but I thought maybe someone would have input on fun, non-touristy stuff.




By the way, blecht on those onions! Ick. Bring on the garlic and mushrooms, I say.

Thanks so much for the info!

Hey Heather, how was the trip? Give us an update!

Yeah, inquiring minds want to know....

I was waiting to get the pics back so I could show and tell. Oh well, they can come later...

We had veggie cheesesteaks at Jim's Steaks, (thanks for the tip, ironhorse). I thought they'd have veggie style steakumms, but it wasn't like that. It was just meatless. So I had mine with mushrooms, lettuce, marinara sauce, provolone cheese...it was tasty! We took pics of us eating them and looked completely the part of dorky tourist.

We shopped South Street and bought purses. We went to Camden, NJ to Adventure Aquarium. We took the most pics in here, but most won't turn out since the flash bounced off the glass and created a white out. It was fun, but I was concerned for the animals. I didn't bitch about it though. I did poke my lip out and pout a couple times though. I couldn't help it. My friend got some awesome shots of creepy eels. Wait till you see this pic! I love, love it! We got to touch a lil' shark. I think he felt velvety. I shoved my hand in the water to touch him and forgot about my watch. It smells like poopy water now, but it's still ticking! The smell from the vultures made us want to hurl. The hippos and seals didn't have enough room. Saw a penguin that looked like he was on crack. He was freakin' out! By the end of that excursion I was ready to start punting small children out of my way. Who let's their barely walking toddlers mill around in a crowd of adults?

Had lunch at Mace's Crossing or something like that. We had a few drinks there before heading off to The Franklin Institute to see the Body Worlds Exhibit. My friends embarassed me by singing happy birthday to the statue of Ben Franklin...TWICE. Oh yeah, it just so happened it was Ben's 300th birthday and Button, the hippo's birthday too.

Body Worlds was interesting...to a point. After so many bodies they started getting less interesting. And they looked fake and plastic. I was disappointed that the horse and rider weren't there. The drunks I was with were bored and the one was eager to get back to the bartender before his shift ended...so we left.

We went bar hopping with the bartender and his friends for the rest of the night. They play Prince a lot in Philly, who knew? My normally calm and sober friend danced on the bar. Me and my other friend fought a lot. We had hangovers the next day so everyone just wanted to leave and go home.

Didn't get to see and do as much as I wanted. I'll know better to schedule in hangover time next trip.

Overall it was fun. Stay tuned for pics...

That sounds so awesome! I've only been to Philly once, and that was for a huge concert back in 1981 at the stadium. So I didn't get to venture out around the city.

Sounds like the "Aquarium" had a lot more than just fish!

Oh wow! Cool pics, H! The last one looks like a miniature Jaws

I love taking pictures, but a decent photographer I am not.

More to come from my friend's digital...

I'd like to put up some of me with my friends, but they'd kill me.

Here we go...

This probably my favorite one. These guys are so creepy:



That's all I can post. I'd like to share more of me and my friends, but they'd put a hurtin' on me.

Awesome pics, H! The puffer fish are so cool!

And that kissing fish at the end is really hott...oh wait, that's the bartender!

The ray is cool. Such an elemental form...like an alien hovercraft

Did Jim the bartender reveal the significance of wearing the barrette with the plate number?

It's his mug shot, millenium!!

:giggle:

I asked him if he drew that beauty mark on with an eyeliner pencil. He got all macho and pissy and asked if I was making fun, like he was Marilyn Monroe or something.

I had to think quick...told him it looked tres DeNiro. That seemed to puff out his chest a lil bit.