My parents have been big fans of Philly my whole life. We’ve been taking hour long car rides for overnight stays in this pretty city forever, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that now that I actually live here, things really haven’t changed. My parents recently came up to spend the weekend in Philadelphia, and instead of winging it and/or hitting up our favorite places like we normally do, we put together a few plans that provided us with an awesome weekend itinerary. First stop: boozing it up with my buddies!
We headed over to Yards Brewing (901 North Delaware Avenue) with a few of my girlfriends to tour the brewery. Yards offers free tours on the weekends, and even if you only have a tiny interest in beer, this stuff is pretty cool to see.
We ended our tour from Frank (thank you!) by spending some time in the Tasting Room. There was a beer for everyone and the crowd was great on a Saturday! As my mom said: “every man in here has a beard, you should be able to find someone!” (I was unsuccessful)
After a day of drinking, we were hungry, so we made a reservation at one of my favorites, Amada (217 Chestnut Street). We ordered a ton of different dishes for the table, and everyone, specifically my parents, were loving the meal. While my girlfriends headed out, I went back to my parents’ hotel and hung with them at the bar for a glass of wine and some catching up. The perfect ending to a very happy day.
The next morning, I met my fam over at Alla Spina (1410 Mt. Vernon Street) for brunch. We arrived right at 10am on Sunday and had the place to ourselves. It was my first time there, and it’s really awesome inside. The menu was a little unique, but everything we had was great, specifically these doughnuts. Holy.
Afterwards, we took a little stroll over to The Barnes Foundation (2025 Benjamin Franklin Parkway) to take in a little bit (but really a lot) of art. My parents have had trouble getting in before as walk ups, so we booked our tickets ahead of time. This building is truly gorgeous – everything from the grounds outside to the floors, stairs, bathrooms, etc. of the inside. It was beautiful.
Our tickets came with a free audio guide, which corresponds to a few of the paintings or general themes of each room. There are no photos allowed of the artwork, so just don’t be that girl. Now, I enjoy art as much as the next person. I actually was way more intrigued than I thought I would be, due to all of the Renoirs we saw of my scantily clad curvy sisters. It was amazing to see works by Van Gogh, like The Postman (below) and The Smoker, as well as some gems by Glackens and Matisse. But it was a lot. My heels were low and my clothes were layered, but after we got through the first floor, I was beat. If you’re going for the first time, my advice is this: get there early, take a lunch break, and be prepared for a lot of standing, walking, listening, and learning.
With tired feet and full brains, my rents and I parted ways for the weekend. We had a really great time doing activities we don’t normally get a chance to do and had a super special weekend. What are some of your favorite places to take your parents when they come to town? I may need new suggestions. xx
