As I’ve recently posted, last weekend I spent with one of my younger sisters in Philadelphia. I had been trying to get down to visit her and tour the city for the past five years. I know, I know. That’s a long time. We finally settled on a weekend and stuck to our plans.

I arrived early in the afternoon on Friday to give ourselves a full day. Melissa showed me around her new apartment and then we were off to explore the neighborhood. We ended up walking through the UPenn campus. This university was founded in 1740 by Benjamin Franklin. The profound buildings really illustrate the beauty of the architecture during that era.

After freshening up, we headed down to Old City for the evening. We started down by the Delaware River at the Spruce Street Harbor Park. This park was set up for the summer, with the past weekend being the last. It was pretty impressive. There were lights hanging from the trees that changed colors, cozy hammocks and comfy lawn chairs for people to relax, food and drink vendors throughout, and my favorite, the oversized game pieces for kids (and adults) to enjoy.

From the park we headed to dinner. Melissa had been yearning to try Talula’s Garden for quite some time so she made a reservation earlier in the day for two. The experience was very enjoyable. I loved the atmosphere of the restaurant, cozy and whimsical. The food was delicious as well. I would like to return during one of my future visits to delve into more of the menu.

Saturday was a full day. We started out at the Farmer’s Market, which Melissa in fact had never been to even though it is not even a block from her apartment. Girl’s crazy! But anyways, after picking up a few things we were off to the city again. Our journey began at the Reading Terminal Market for some breakfast. See my USA Food Tour post for more on the delicious Sticky Buns.

From here we were back in Old City. Melissa took me to all of the traditional landmarks; Independence Hall, Betsy Ross and Benjamin Franklin’s house, a quick view of the Liberty Bell to name a few.

We stopped by Love park and took the classic photo in front of LOVE. We then carried on up Benjamin Franklin Parkway to the infamous Museum of Art. We climbed the iconic steps, maybe not quite as fast as Rocky, but we still made it to the top. The view was spectacular.

Saturday evening we were off to the suburbs to meet Melissa’s friends. They had pre planned a night of painting and wine, so of course I was in. It was a lot of fun. My first “Paint and Sip” type outing. The instructor was very funny and helpful. We all had a great time trying to paint and enjoying some good wine.

Sunday morning we decided to go out for brunch before I hit the road. We attempted to dine at a few different spots, however most were pretty packed. Sunday Brunch is a pretty popular meal in the city. We ended up at a fun cafe not far from Melissa’s apartment.

I had a wonderful weekend with Melissa. It was great to have some one on one time with her as that is few and far between. I am looking forward to visiting again very soon to wander through new parts of the CIty of Brotherly Love.