Vacation: Philly again, or Baltimore/Annapolis? (Philadelphia, Pittsburgh: neighborhoods, live in, restaurants)

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by Wordsmith12

Your vibe is right on the money!

I love frequenting museums and historic sites.

To answer the prior poster, we spend so much time stuck in traffic during the work week that when we're on trips, we'd rather use Uber than drive ourselves.

More. Longwood Gardens, Winterthur, the Nemours Estate. All were DuPont properties.

[Wordsmith12]

Originally Posted by kyb01

I would vote for Mt Vernon over Monticello because it's an enormous site with a lot to see. It's not just Washington's mansion.

I want to go there eventually as well!

But in this instance I was actually referring to a neighborhood north of downtown Baltimore that happens to be named Mount Vernon, not to Washington's estate.

[saucephotosphl]

Hey! Philly girl here and there is no contest. You have so much to see and do. Philadelphia has incredible culture and people. I would stay in logan square area or center city. That way you can get anywhere and if too far, uber. Simple - the city is not that big if you're talking just the city limits. I wouldn't go out to Germantown I'd go to chestnut hill but do that after you've done the city!

Philadelphia museum of Art is incredible. if it's nice walk around the shops on Rittenhouse square. I would take public trans, so sense in driving and paying to park. You can uber or lyft anywhere from 30th street station and it's not expensive. Make sure you eat at good places, we are known for incredible food scene and the best hidden gems too. The academy of natural sciences is amazing and having a dinosaur exhibit. philly for sure.

[Wordsmith12]

Originally Posted by saucephotosphl

Hey! Philly girl here and there is no contest. You have so much to see and do. Philadelphia has incredible culture and people. I would stay in logan square area or center city. That way you can get anywhere and if too far, uber. Simple - the city is not that big if you're talking just the city limits. I wouldn't go out to Germantown I'd go to chestnut hill but do that after you've done the city!

Philadelphia museum of Art is incredible. if it's nice walk around the shops on Rittenhouse square. I would take public trans, so sense in driving and paying to park. You can uber or lyft anywhere from 30th street station and it's not expensive. Make sure you eat at good places, we are known for incredible food scene and the best hidden gems too. The academy of natural sciences is amazing and having a dinosaur exhibit. philly for sure.

Thanks for your suggestions.

I'd never heard of Chestnut Hill before. It looks really nice, but is it mostly a shopping/dining district? I don't see any mention of historic sites on their website.

[southbound_295]

Originally Posted by chessimprov

I get the vibe you are history lovers.
I think a great trip would be one based on your group's interests. For example, if you're history "obsessed", you might want to check out Fort Mifflin within the Philadelphia borders. A gem that doesn't get enough attention. It is preserved for its history and definitely not a money maker.

What are your (primary) interests/hobbies?

Fort Mifflin, and the site of the Battle of Red Bank are connected, as is Haddonfield.

Hessians crossed the river from Philadelphia and got to Haddonfield, where they roused the residents and herded them to a bonfire, in the middle of Kings Highway, to spend the night. The next day they marched south to surprise Fort Mercer by the river, on the left bank, which was defended by Colonel Christopher Greene, a cousin of Nathaniel Greene. A young apprentice blacksmith, Jonas Cattell, ran via back roads to alert Fort Mercer and climbed a tree to watch the battle.

The fort is no longer there, but the home of the landowners, James and Ann Whitall, is still standing. Volunteer docents give tours of the house and explain the battle on certain days.

The Battle of Red Bank and Fort Mifflin were part of the defense of the Delaware during the Philadelphia campaign.

Also there is a statue of Hadrosaurus off Kings Highway in honor of the first nearly complete dinosaur remains found in the US, on a Haddonfield farm.

[southbound_295]

Originally Posted by Patmcpsu

A few other sights you might want to see in/around Philly (the last 3 are outside of Philly and require a car):

• Barnes Foundation
• Eastern State penitentiary
• Valley Forge
• Brandywine Battlefield
• Old Dupont family sights - Longwood Gardens, Hagley Museum, and Nemours Mansion come to mind

Baltimore would be more of a new experience, but it's also not that far away. You can even visit Fort Delaware, which isn't far out of the way between Baltimore and Philly (but it is geared more towards kids).

Maybe include some of Virginia into the trip if you do that? You would be able to visit Monticello and lots of civil war battlefields. Of course, at that point, you should consider Gettysburg too.

There's no shortage of history around here. But yeah, I would not recommend on staying in Old City for two trips in a row. Maybe fly into PHL pick up a rental car, spend a couple nights in greater-Philadelphia, see Fort Delaware on the way to Baltimore, drop off the rental car, and spend a few nights there before flying out.

Fort Delaware is on Pea Patch Island in the Delaware River. It housed POWs during the Civil War. The Confederate dead were buried in South Jersey.

[mslhu]

Originally Posted by Wordsmith12

Thanks for your suggestions.

I'd never heard of Chestnut Hill before. It looks really nice, but is it mostly a shopping/dining district? I don't see any mention of historic sites on their website.

The Chestnut Hill Historical Society offers a walking tour. I've never been on it so I can't comment on its value.

https://chestnuthillpa.com/walking-tour/

http://chestnuthillpa.com/wp-content...g-tour-map.pdf

[Wordsmith12]

Originally Posted by kyb01

Inspite of what MarketEl probably said about Germantown, I would suggest you go to Chestnut Hill instead.

Someone else suggested the same. How come? Does Chestnut Hill have as much to see history-wise?

[Wordsmith12]

Originally Posted by mslhu

The Chestnut Hill Historical Society offers a walking tour. I've never been on it so I can't comment on its value.

https://chestnuthillpa.com/walking-tour/

http://chestnuthillpa.com/wp-content...g-tour-map.pdf

Thanks for sharing.

It's interesting how two posters recommended Chestnut Hill over Germantown. The Chestnut Hill site doesn't say much as far as what attractions are in the area beyond shops and restaurants.

[personone]

In terms of the breadth and depth of things to see and absorb in a city, Philadelphia offers a whole lot more than Baltimore and is a much more interesting city, IMO. If you still have things you haven't seen yet seen in Philly, I'd personally choose Philly in a heartbeat; however, if you may not make it back to that region of the country anytime soon and have never been to Baltimore, I can see why you would want to check out Baltimore/Annapolis.