A Bed and Breakfast Connection
Summer in the "It" City
Philadelphia    
Spring/Summer 2015 Newsletter 
If you are planning a trip for the summer, or even if you decide to go somewhere for fun on the spur of the moment, look no further than Philadelphia. Philadelphia is the current "it" city. Philly received so many accolades over the winter. Here's a little reminder, to name a few:
Philadelphia is the New York Times #3 city to visit in its Top 52 Places to Go in 2015; Philly ranked #2 in Conde Nast Traveler's list of The Best Shopping Cities in the World, and Travel + Leisure declared our City of Brotherly Love "America's Next Great Food City".
While these honors are great, these publications only reinforce what we already know - Philadelphia is a terrific place to live and to visit. 
So, now that the weather is warm, and you begin to think that you want to get away, look no further than Philadelphia.
Philadelphia has much to offer its visitors this year. Here are just a few of the special events in the coming months that you may not want to miss:


Special Events In and Around Philly This Summer    

Some of these special events require tickets. You may want to order the tickets and make your B&B reservations now.    

 

1- The National Constitution Center is featuring a special exhibition, Creating Camelot: The Kennedy Photography of Jacques Lowe  until September 7, 2015. This traveling exhibition features more than 70 photographs taken by Jacques Lowe, the Kennedy's personal photographer, which capture both the public and private moments of the Kennedy family's life from 1958-1961. These photos helped JFK capture the presidency in 1960.  

 

2- The  Brandywine River Museum of Art re-examines the works of Horace Pippin through an exhibition of the artist's bold, colorful, and candid paintings. Pippin's work reflects life in the African American community and provides a commentary on race, religion, war and history. This major Horace Pippin exhibition is the first in more than 20 years. This exhibition will run through July 19, 2015.     

 

3- The Franklin Institute presents The Genghis Khan Exhibition  on display now until January 3, 2016. This exhibition will feature the treasures and stories of the greatest empire ever known, Genghis Khan's 13th Century Mongol Empire.

4- Come to Philadelphia to celebrate America's Best Beer-Drinking City during the 7th annual Philly Beer Week, May 29-June 7, 2015. This 10-day celebration, the first and largest of its kind in America, highlights the region's diverse beer scene and features hundreds of festivals, dinners, tours, tastings, pub crawls, and meet-the-brewer nights held at area bars, restaurants, and other locations throughout the region.  

 

 

5- Beginning June 24 until September 13, 2015, a highly anticipated international exhibition at the  Philadelphia Museum of Art, Discovering the Impressionists: Paul Durand-Ruel and the New Painting, will examine the vital role that Parisian art dealer Paul Durand-Ruel played in the rise of Impressionism during its critical years, 1865-1905. Important works by Monet, Renoir, Manet, Pissarro, Degas and others will be shown with historical photographs and documents to explore this period. Philadelphia is the only U.S stop for this special exhibition. Tickets are required for this exhibition. 

 

6- Kick off summer on the Philadelphia-Camden Waterfront when the Tall Ships Challenge pulls into port on the Delaware River this June 25-28, 2015. Over a dozen magnificent ships are slated to attend this event, Tall Ships Philadelphia-Camden, including L'Hermione, the frigate famous for bringing General Lafayette to the Unites States in 1780. Visitors will be able to catch a glimpse, step aboard, and even set sail on some of these meticulously crafted vessels. An abundance of attractions will accompany the Tall Ships including historical reenactments, live music, dance, youth sail training, delicious food offerings and a craft beer garden.        

 

Wawa Welcome America 7- Mark your calendars now for Philadelphia's Annual Welcome America Celebration from June 27 to July 4, 2015. Plan on celebrating America's Birthday in the city of our nation's birth with exciting live performances, movie nights, delicious food, firework displays, and the ultimate concert and "Party on the

Parkway". Just announced are this year's concert headliners, Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland and Miguel along with our very own house band, The Roots. Check the Welcome America website for the day-to-day schedule of events.   

 

   

8- Philly is fortunate to have one of the great gardens of the world, Longwood Gardens, located in its countryside. Longwood Gardens  features a 4-acre Conservatory, outdoor gardens spanning 1,077 acres, and an 86-acre Meadow Garden. There are special events and magnificent displays during each of the four seasons. Beginning July 1, 2015, Nightscape: A Light and Sound Experience will offer a new way to view the Gardens at night with moving imagery and light set to music against the natural backdrop of the plants and trees. A special ticket is required for Nightscape.  

 

9- Soccer fans will be thrilled to know that the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) Gold Cup Finals will be held in Philadelphia at Lincoln Financial Field this year on July 26, 2015. The CONCACAF Gold Cup takes place every 2 years. For the first time since 2003, the Gold Cup will feature a third place match this year, on July 25, 2015 at PPL Park. It should be a great weekend of international soccer competition.  

   

10- "Good Eats" is a great reason to come to Philadelphia this summer and anytime of the year. The Philadelphia Food Scene is thriving as evidenced by its designation by Travel + Leisure as "America's Next Best Food City". Travel + Leisure notes Philly as an "unsung destination" having a "fierce indie spirit and world-class kitchen talent." There are many wonderful restaurants from which to choose. Here's a list of Philly Mag's 50 Best Restaurants in Philadelphia in 2015.    

While on the topic of food, a visit to Philadelphia would not be  Credit J. Smith for Visit Philadelphia complete without a visit to the Reading Terminal Market, one of the greatest public markets in the country. Established in 1892, it is the nation's oldest, continuously operating farmers' market and has more than 80 unique merchants and sit-down eateries scattered throughout the market.  

 

                      

   Looking Ahead: The World Meeting of Families
Philadelphia is getting ready to welcome  The World Meeting of Families when it convenes here in September. Held every three years, the World Meeting of Families is the largest Catholic gathering of families. The theme for the 2015 Meeting is "Love is our Mission: The Family Fully Alive." The Adult and Youth Congress will take place at the Convention Center from September 22-25, 2015. We are also very excited to welcome Pope Francis to Philadelphia for the World Meeting of Families. The Holy Father is expected to be in our city for the Festival of Families and the Papal Mass September 26-27, 2015.         


With a multitude of reasons to come to Philadelphia this summer, you may need a place to stay while you are here. As always, we are happy to help you find a place to stay in Philadelphia, whether it's a traditional Bed and Breakfast, a smaller homestay, a boutique hotel, or an apartment. We do our best to accommodate you in your desired location and at a rate within your budget. We provide our guests with directions and transportation options. We're here to help, so send us an e-mail or give us call. We'd love to hear from you!   
    

 

Here's to a spectacular summer!

Bridget Cowell
Diana Roe
A Bed and Breakfast Connection
800-448-3619
610-644-8790
www.bnbphiladelphia.com                                                
In This Issue
Summer Events
World Meeting of Families
uwishunu.com
Getting Around Philly
Philly Bike Share
Billy Penn's Birdseye View
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uwishunu.com

If you are looking for a place to find up-to-date information for all sorts of  things to do in Philly, look no further than  uwishunu. This official tourism blog is an all-in-one resource for guests to plan their stay and to keep current on everything fun and exciting going on in Philadelphia.  

On the site you will find an events calendar where you can easily navigate to a specific date or day of the week to find out what's happening.   

Getting Around Philly
Philadelphia is one of the country's most walkable cities. The city layout follows William Penn's easy-to-follow grid street design. The north-south streets are numbered and the east-west streets have tree names. Center City spans just 25 blocks between 2 rivers, the Delaware and the Schuylkill. Philadelphia is easy to navigate on foot and by using the many public transportation options. Septa, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, has a vast network of regional-rail, subway, trolley, and bus commuter services that will get you where you need to go (or at least very close). You can use Septa's site to help you plan your trip.
The Philly Phlash is a purple trolley that runs in a loop with stops at 20 Center City attractions. This is an easy and economical way to travel between all of the popular Philadelphia sites. Check the website for hours of operation. The Phlash does not run in the off-season. 
In addition, taxi cabs can be found all over town if you are in a hurry.
Click for more information on Getting Around Philadelphia.


 
Indego
New! Philly Bike Share

We are excited to report that another mode of transportation is now available in Philadelphia.  Indego, is Philadelphia's bike share program sponsored by Independence Blue Cross. The Indego Bike Share system allows users to check out a bike, ride it, and return it to any station in the system. The system features more than 60 bike stations and 600 bikes serving an area that stretches from the Delaware River into West Philadelphia and from South Philadelphia to North Philadelphia and Temple University's Main Campus.
This convenient, healthy, and affordable way to travel is now available 24/7, 365 days a year.
Looking For A View? 
Credit G.Widman for Visit Philadelphia
This year, Philadelphia will be getting an observation deck on the 57th floor of One Liberty Place located downtown. Residents and visitors will soon get a great bird's-eye view of the City of Brotherly Love from the One Liberty Place Observation Deck that is slated to open sometime after Labor Day. Stay tuned for details when this deck will officially open.  

In the meantime, if you are looking for a great view, you can head over to City Hall where you will find an observation deck, about 500 feet high, at the base of the Statue of William Penn. This deck, open Monday through Friday, offers amazing 360 degree views of Philadelphia and an ideal vantage point for some city skyline photos.