Museums, Mummers & Monaco {A Philly Travel Diary}

I’ve been to Philly once or twice before, but I barely even scratched the surface of all the city has to offer. To be honest, I’d written it off as a lackluster travel location after my last visit a few years ago. But something made me decide to give it another shot in the new year, and I’m SO GLAD I did! We had such a blast during our 3-day stint, and I’m happily adding Philly back to my roster of weekend getaways outside of NYC.

A video posted by Kendra (@closetconfections) on Jan 1, 2015 at 5:23am PST

After painting the town red on New Year’s Eve, we were up bright and early to go museum hopping. Our first stop was the Rodin Museum, followed by a trip to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. And you guys know I just couldn’t resist taking a sprint up those famous steps. I think Rocky Balboa would be proud!

After my last victory lap up the museum steps, it was time to sit back, relax, and enjoy a cup of hot cider (and warm kisses) during Winterfest at Penn’s Landing.

Next up was the Mummers Parade. I’d never heard of this event before, but it was quite the spectacle to behold!

The parade traces its roots back to mid-17th-century England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales and blends elements from other European as well as African heritages. Local clubs compete in one of four categories (comics, fancies, string bands, and fancy brigades) and prepare elaborate costumes and moveable scenery, which take months to complete. I’ve never seen anything quite like it, but it reminded me of Mardi Gras (with more clothes and less drunk people), plus a few Broadway-style productions thrown in for good measure.

{Tommy Hilfiger Coat, H&M Sweater Dress (similar), Uniqlo Leggings, Born Boots}
{Gap ‘Holiday Stripe’ Sweater Dress, Forever 21 Sequin Collar (similar here and here), Born Boots}

While we certainly had a great time parading around town, one of the highlights of our excursion was our stay at Kimpton’s Hotel Monaco.  I’ve stayed at other Kimpton properties in Chicago and Washington, DC, and I’m always enchanted with their top-notch service and fun and innovative hotel designs.  Staying at this hotel was like stepping into a scene from Alice and Wonderland: full of color and whimsical objets d’art at every turn. And did I mention that they host a free wine hour every evening from 5-6pm?!

But seriously, I think my favorite bits were the bathrobes. We had our choice of either cheetah or Rocky-inspired hoodies.

And finally, no trip to the City of Brotherly Love would be complete without a no-holds-barred Philly Cheesesteak Smackdown! Luckily, there were two well-known spots right around the corner from our hotel: Sonny’s and Campo’s Deli.  We stopped by Sonny’s first and ordered up two sandwiches wit’ (that’s “with onions” for all you cheesesteak neophytes). Eric got his with provolone, while I opted for cheese whiz. I typically shy away from cheese-like substances in favor of the real deal.  However, I have to tip my hat to the whiz. The gooey, salty substance permeated my sandwich and added just the right amount of flavor and moisture.  Learning from our first round, Eric and I both ordered whiz wit’ when we made our way to Campo’s the next day.

The final winner: Sonny’s. While Campo’s definitely gave them a run for their money in terms of flavor, Sonny’s won out for their awesome, chewy bread texture (Campo’s was a little too soft) and for their whiz (Campo’s was actually tastier, but a little too runny).

And that, my friends, wraps up our Philly excursion. Let’s see where our travels take us next!