Where is your happy place?  Is it a place, a person, a destination or a fleeting moment in time?  I’m sure your happy place changes every day depending on the drama and stress levels of life. In today’s world full of selfies galore which capture a moment in time, a fleeting moment, there’s a new popup experience called Happy Place with locations in Las Vegas (perfect fit) and this holiday season in King of Prussia Mall (KoP Mall) in Pennsylvania, outside of Philadelphia.  Happy Place in King of Prussia will provide the backdrop to escape the drama of life and/or escape the hectic holiday shopping season to find a happy (or silly) moment with friends and family to share on social media to your heart’s content.

Tip: Plan your outfit accordingly!  

Strike a pose!  This place is all about the photo shoot – posing, framing and striking the right balance to generate likes, comments and shares.  Need a bright pink wall? There’s a wall for you.  Need a room full of flowers?  They have that too.  And if you want to fall into a ball pit (boomerang moment) there’s a set up for you to do that too.  For my niece, who is seventeen now (yikes it was only yesterday for our tween tour of Paris and London), this was a fun experience that takes about an hour (or less) to go through each set up and pose perfectly.  If you are solo, no worries, there is a staff member who can take your photo as well as lots of folks helping each other to make sure the whole family was in the photo.

I will say that it’s quite a creative experience and on trend to go to one location and take all the cool photos with your friends, family or loved one and share the photos with the world.  Happy Place photos are just fun. Don’t overthink it.  Family photos are no longer stuck at the Sears Portrait Studio (we all have those family photos don’t we?).  Nowadays you can create the fun photos with colorful backdrops and props.

The “Your Kiss is on My List” red room had a wall full of kisses, a massive glitter XO that you can sit inside the O and a lip shaped couch – this was a popular area and there is often a staff member to assist with photos.  Many will contort to sit inside the O, while others will sit on the couch in the back of the O and take photos through the O.  Everyone was nice to take turns and make sure not to photobomb each other.  This was a fun room.

The yellow flowers have picture spots marked so you can easily pose – the lighting was an issue for me.  A staff member took our photo in the spot she told us to stand and unfortunately while my niece looked lovely (as always), I had bright light on me (maybe I’m too tall for this, I’m definitely already too pale).  So make sure you take a few photos here and if needed bend down or kneel to make the light work for you.

After you leave these front areas, there is a small play area with confetti (boomerang this) – small kids make angels and big kids pick up and throw confetti in the air.

The main attraction was yet to come as we entered a new area staged with a pool filled with yellow balls.  There is a ladder to the rainbow backed platform and you can choose to jump into the pool filled with the balls or fall backwards into it (the staff member manning this area said no one had done that yet).  He was there to ensure all shoes, jackets and jewelry was removed as well as take photos for people and watch timing so no one overstayed their welcome.

When it was my niece’s turn, I had the cameras ready to go – one on boomerang (hers) and one for video/photos (mine).  Well she jumped and I messed up because I didn’t hold the button to boomerang.  She managed to get back on the platform and jump again, this time the staff member did the boomerang and gave back to me and I didn’t save it.  So the third time she jumped (she’s a good sport) I wasn’t allowed to hold her phone.  It worked out perfectly. I did better with the ducky room.

The last room is a big snow globe filled with confetti.  Each group enters separately and the staff member will activate the air so the confetti can fly.  You can also pick up confetti to throw.  They need more confetti in this feature as well as stronger air but am sure for little ones this is fine.  We both did this and it was fun.  The staff member took our photo. We exited laughing as we picked confetti off of ourselves and out of our hair.

This is a fun time for those who enjoy photos, selfies and snapping their “happy” in the moment to share on Instagram or other social media.  If that’s not you, you probably won’t like it here or will need to play photographer only.  The Happy Place King of Prussia is open daily through January 5, 2020. So this holiday season when the family needs a distraction from shopping, take them to Happy Place and escape for an hour into a world of fun moments. Tickets are $30 adult (13 yrs+), $20 children (4-12 years old) – best to buy in advance and select your time.   Popup fun comes at a cost, of course.

Thank you to Happy Place King of Prussia for the press/media invitation to view the exhibit. We had fun. As always, my opinion is uniquely mine.

I fell down a rabbit hole of Marvel Super Heroes recently which started with the movie Spiderman: Homecoming.  From there, I went to the movie theatre to see Spiderman, Far From Home (yes, I know out of order) which led me to Avengers: Endgame which led me to the only East Coast exhibition of Marvel, Universe of Super Heroes at the Franklin Institute in my hometown of Philadelphia (there’s still some time left to visit as the exhibit is ongoing until September 2nd).  The Franklin Institute Science museum is a must for any Philly visit and often has really fun and cool special exhibits like the Science Behind Pixar and the Lego exhibit, The Art of the Brick.

My Marvel Superheroes History

I grew up reading comics of all kinds including Marvel superheroes. I think my dad was initially more interested in the comics but at some point I fell into the world where a boy gets bit by a spider and has powers and then on television I watched the super hero shows of the 70’s/80’s.  The Marvel universe was all around me as well as the DC Superhero universe (Wonder Woman, Batman, Superman, Justice League, etc.) and of course Star Trek: The Next Generation and the original three Star Wars movies. My dad had two girls so we grew up with superheroes, science fiction and sports.

When the Marvel movies started eons ago, I still remember my friend making me sit through what felt like a forever and a day’s worth of credits along with two other people in the theater for the special clip, a spoiler in some cases for what was to come. Little did I know then how many movies were yet to come and how our secret geek group of four who sat through the credits would slowly grow as more learned of the bonus scene(s).

The Franklin Institute – Philadelphia’s Science Museum

One of my favorite “Philly” iconic views is at the Franklin Institute.  Between the front entrance and ticket area is Ben Franklin statue in the soaring domed atrium.  I’ve been visiting Ben for over thirty years now, he doesn’t age and frankly my sense of adventure doesn’t either – I’m still a kid discovering something new in the science museum. I wonder what he would think of the science, imagination and the storytelling that Marvel begat.

Visiting Marvel, Universe of Super Heroes

The timed ticket is good for a 30 minute window so my 9:30 entrance ticket sold at 9:45 was good to enter the Marvel exhibit up to 10 am. The ramp up to the entrance is a bit long and during peak time will be filled with folks waiting to enter. As it was early Sunday morning, there was no line and my only wait was a few minutes as there is controlled entry to view the short film before beginning your visit.

And with that I was led into the Marvel universe,

Did you Know? The Marvel universe was created in less than two years primarily by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. 

The short film gives you a peek into the early days when Stan took over a fledgling paper.   Once the 12 minute film ends you can begin the visit. There tends to be a bit of a bottleneck here to read the panels and see the first comic book produced (worth millions!).  Once you get past this hallway the exhibit opens up and gives you the freedom to wander about.

Marvel Superheroes – The Photo Options

Fancy a picture with a superhero?  There are a few to choose from – The Thing, Spiderman, Black Panther and The Hulk.  A few folks planned ahead – kids in Spiderman masks, kids with hulk hands, etc. Such creativity on display for the perfect social media post. But it was the adults having a bit too much fun with their superhero t-shirts and multiple selfies with the characters.

A Marvel Walk Through Comic Books History

Each superhero is given his or her area with detailed boards and a few bonuses like comic books, original art, art mock ups and movie costume and props.

Did you know?  Stan Lee has had a cameo in every Marvel movie made until his recent death earlier this year.

Entering the World of Marvel is falling down a rabbit hole of your childhood, teenage years and adulthood.  How you relate depends on your age – did you grow up with the comic book stories spending your allowance on the next story?  Or did you dive into the film and streaming world?  Either way, there’s something for every fan and non-fans too. The toughest question of my visit was “Who is your favorite superhero?”

Captain America Comics and Movie Props

Captain America was born out of war time as a super solider and appeared in the first comic in March 1941 by Timely Comics, the comics before they became Marvel Comics.  He became popular during World War II and then faded in the early 50’s and reemerged in Avengers #4 in March 1964.

Spiderman

We all know the story of Peter Parker and have probably watched some (if not all) of the movies with different actors portraying the web slinger.  The displays at Marvel Universe of Super Heroes highlights Spiderman over the years in the comics, art, props and newest entrant, Spiderman, Entering the Spiderverse, which received an Academy Award for animated feature.  The Spiderverse introduces us to Miles Morales and the many universes of Spiderman. Spiderman continues to be a fan favorite and new movies are planned for the future.

The X-Men Comics and Artwork

The X-Men created in the 1960’s are primarily mutants born with an “X” gene which gives them superhuman abilities.  They fight for a world of acceptance for all humans and mutants.

The Avengers Art and Movie Props

The Avengers were brought together as a team in the 1960’s (September 1963) to fight against Loki, the brother of Thor. The original Avengers were Thor, Hulk, Iron Man, Ant Man and the Wasp.

Did you Know? The Wasp was originally a housewife who divorces The Ant and becomes a powerful heroine for feminism in the 1960’s.  She named the group “The Avengers”.

The Avengers continued to add to the roster as you’ve seen in Infinity War which includes Dr. Strange, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Captain America and many others.

Marvel – Wall of Aliens

The world of superheroes needs not only villains but a world of aliens to encounter and potentially fight off world destruction.  The map of alien worlds along with threat level and background information is truly for the superfan.  You need to know which aliens are which.  For me, after recently seeing Captain Marvel, I focused on the Kree because frankly that’s all I could remember. For the guy behind me with his Gen-X friends, they got a bit more intense into the deep dive of the aliens and didn’t need to read the boards.

Marvel Superheroes – New to Me

There are a few Marvel superheroes I’ve not heard of – the Street Level Heroes – Luke Cage, Iron Fist, Misty Knight, Jessica Jones and the Punisher.  All of whom have found their stories come to life on television and streaming services like Netflix.  The X-Men spawned the New Mutants in 1982 (never heard of them either). The Runaways was created in 2003 which follows the children of super villains and their struggles with their inherited powers (that sounds like an interesting story to follow)

Did you know The Hulk had a cousin? SheHulk decides to incorporate her inner Hulk into her outer appearance (leave it to a woman to decide this is who I am).  I’m sure it was about all the ripped clothes and budget, right?  Who wants to buy so many great clothes only to rip them apart every time you get angry?

Final Thoughts – Marvel, Universe of Superheroes Exhibit

If you are a fan of the comics, you’ll enjoy the exhibit. Love the movies? Then the props and costumes will make you happy.  Know nothing and are along for the ride with your passionate partner or kids? No worries, I think you can enjoy the show too.

If you do a drive by with highlights and selfies, you can do both rooms in an hour.  If you want to read everything and view it thoroughly then allow two hours at least. If you are in your 40s/50s and come wearing your Captain America tshirt and bring your friends, well, let’s say you might want to bring snacks with you as you discuss who is the best superhero and villan.

While your wristband allows you to come back into the Science Museum, the Marvel exhibit doesn’t allow you to exit and reenter.  As it is spread across two rooms, same thing there, once you say goodbye to The Hulk to go to the other room you can’t go back.  The ticket price of $35 is a bit steep but totally worth it in my opinion as it also includes access to the science museum and a few extras like Planetarium, live shows and demonstrations (IMAX and Take Flight Simulator are additional).

So I leave you with words from Stan Lee…..

A Philadelphia Staycation? How often are you a tourist in your hometown? Would you even think to stay overnight in a hotel and visit the popular and offbeat attractions?  The staycation, a term that I’m not a fan of to be honest, has become more popular as folks look to define the fact that they are not doing the “big trip” whether due to schedules, money or kids activities near home.   However you define a staycation, there’s surprisingly lots to do in your hometown and within driving distance that you’ve always said “we should visit that sometime” well now is sometime.  It’s almost embarrassing that I had never visited the Rodin Museum until recently when I stayed at the Logan Hotel.  It’s an amazing collection, the largest outside of Paris, and for years I kept saying “someday”. So while you aren’t at work, let’s plan to get you out and about in Philadelphia.

So how to make the most of your staycation and not do “the honey do” list?  A few ideas to share for folks in the Philadelphia area and for those visiting Philadelphia for a day trip from NYC, D.C. or elsewhere.

Staycation Step #1 – Plan and/or Schedule (accordingly as this is still vacation time)

Plan the day out so you don’t get off track by errands or other home tasks. Don’t get too structured so you can have time to wander and discover something new. The only hard time is when to leave the house.

Staycation Step #2 –Define a Budget

Will you do day trips and sleep at home or splurge for hotel/airbnb? Check out Hotel Tonight, UWishUKnew and VisitPhilly for overnight stays and staycation packages.  Don’t park at the hotel as that could add up to $50 a night to the bill.  Look for local parking lots by PPA or book online advance with your favorite parking provider. If the package offers a choice of food or parking, take the parking!

Staycation Step #3 –Plan Your Meals – You might curate by neighborhood.

Food in Philly – You won’t go hungry in this city. Reading Terminal Market is a must see, do, eat.  After that, the new kid on the food scene is The Bourse Food Hall (across from the Liberty Bell). Throughout the city, there are a plethora of food carts on the corners of the Center City streets (popular before the evolution to the food truck) and food trucks serving all types of cuisine.  Your staycation might include trying the newest, popular or iconic restaurant in the city, for that you’ll need to use Open Table for reservations (maybe this is good time to redeem your points to save money on dining).

Staycation Step #4 –Pick a Theme (Instagram theme day)

There’s so much to do in Philadelphia that it can be overwhelming to think you can do it all.  You can’t.  What you can do though is plan a theme to your day(s).

A few Philadelphia Staycation theme examples:

Art Galleries – Old City First Friday (of the month) when the Art Galleries open to all to wander in/out.

Dinner: The Continental, Spasso Italian or Amada.  You could try your luck at the bar of Zahav, recently named the Best Restaurant in the U.S. (reservations are tough since the awards announcement).

History – One Day in Historic Philadelphia

Liberty Bell – Independence Hall – Second Bank of the US  – Ben Franklin Museum –Elfreth’s Alley – Visitor Center with the Hershey Kitchen Café – Revolution Museum – Constitution Center – US Mint – Betsy Ross House – Christ Church.

Lunch break at The Bourse Food Hall, The Continental or Campo’s (best meatball sandwich)

Mural Arts/Street Art –

Mural Arts Tours – Walking and Trolley Tours – The Love Letter by the El (Fall only).

Philadelphia Street Art Tour by StreetsDept (Conrad Benner) – a different neighborhood each month.

Museums – Too many to list – pick one and explore the nearby neighborhood.

[Parkway Neighborhood] Parkway Museums – Dinosaurs at Natural History – Marvel Heroes at The Franklin Institute – Impressionists at the Barnes – Sculpture at The Rodin – Rocky Steps – Art Museum

Food/Drink (create your own) –

Iconic Philadelphia foods (Jim’s Steaks on South, Rita’s Water Ice, Philly Soft Pretzel Factory, Wawa and Reading Terminal Market for Termini’s Cannoli, Basset’s Ice Cream and DiNic’s Roast Pork Sandwich)

South Philadelphia  – Passyunk Avenue Restaurants from tomato pie to Barcelona tapas.

Beer Gardens and Yards Brewery

Philadelphia Distillery Trail – visit the many PA based distilleries (make sure you have a sober driver or Uber planned out if drinking)

Shopping in Philadelphia – Philadelphia and Pennsylvania has no sales tax on shopping for clothes and shoes.  Sales tax on other purchases is 6% for State of PA and additional 1% in city of Philadelphia.

• Shopping on Walnut Street has a mix of chain stores as well as boutiques.
• Coming Soon (Fall), Philadelphia Fashion District will open near the Convention Center.
• For those venturing outside the city limits, the King of Prussia Mall is a behemoth on the East Coast. It is also surrounded by restaurants, experiences and shops outside the mall.  The mall has an app, make sure to download it to plan your visit.  Comfortable walking shoes are a MUST.
• A bit further away in Oaks, PA is the Philadelphia Premium Outlets, an outdoor mall filled with outlet shops.
• For those QVC fans, you know who you are, you can go to Studio Park and take various tours of QVC studios from the basic tour to a VIP tour (fees vary). They also have a Studio Outlet store in Frazer, PA and Lancaster, PA

Factory Tours – times and costs vary

• Herr’s Snack Factory (Nottingham, PA)
• Crayola Crayons Factory (Easton, PA)
• Asher’s Chocolates (Souderton, PA)
• Harley Davidson Factory (York, PA)
• Hershey World which includes Hershey Park amusements

Staycation Step #6 – Special Events in/around Philadelphia

• Free First Sunday at the Barnes Foundation [combine with The Rodin museum next door, Rocky Steps, photos and stroll along Boathouse Row].
• Marvel Universe of Super Heroes at Franklin Institute
  • Go to Urban Farmer Philadelphia for food followed by drinks with a view at Assembly, the Logan Hotel’s rooftop bar overlooking Logan Circle and the Parkway
• Giraffes in the Suburbs at Elmwood Park Zoo (Norristown)
• Did you know you can stay overnight on the Battleship New Jersey? Fun for kids of all ages.
• Summer on Penn’s Landing –  RiverRink roller skating – Spruce Street Harbor Park – Cherry Street Pier
• Summer Movie Night in the City (time/day varies)
  • Laurel Hill Cemetery $12 – july (Coco), august (Beetlejuice), sept (Gremlins)
  • Mann at the Movies – Philly Orchestra (fee)
  • Philly Parks
    • Moonlight Movies Mt. Airy
    • Dilworth Park
  • Charity Movies – Cira Green (Wed)
  • La Peg Beer Garden (Wed)
  • King of Prussia Towne Center (Thurs)
  • Schulykill River Park (Thurs)
  • Manayunk (Thurs)
  • NE Philly (Thurs)
  • Bartham’s Garden (Friday)
  • Betsy Ross House $5 (Friday)

Philadelphia Staycation Step #7 Walking Everywhere

Comfortable walking shoes are key to visiting Philadelphia. If you’d rather there is the Hop On/Hop Off Tourist Bus as well as the Flash Bus.

• Walking from City Hall/Dilworth Park – LOVE Park – Sisters Park – Logan Fountain – Parkway – Ekins Oval – Rocky Steps – Boathouse Row and back.
• Play a Game – Flags on the Parkway with Photos (Scavenger Hunt)
• Art Museum to South Street Bridge to The Magic Gardens and Jim’s South Street

Philadelphia Staycation Step #8 Have Fun

Discover the City – Go Home to Sleep – Rinse – Repeat for each day of Staycation

Hopefully these provide you with a starting point for how to spend your Philadelphia Staycation. For those wanting to jump on a bus, train or in the car to go to New York, Baltimore Inner Harbor, Washington, D.C. or the Jersey Shore that’s for another post.  Because being in Philadelphia gives us so many options to explore the East Coast in one day or more that we rarely have reason to leave the city.

What do you like to do in the Philadelphia area for a staycation?

Check out my “Staycations” travel segment on WHYY’s You Oughta Know, airing July 4th.

There’s a new food hall in Philadelphia and it’s at The Bourse in Old City’s Historic District across from Independence Mall and Liberty Bell Pavilion and next to the Hotel Monaco Philadelphia on 5th Street.  The newest entry in the Philadelphia dining scene is hitting on all cylinders to satisfy the food cravings of locals and tourists.  I visited The Bourse Food Hall after lunch on a Saturday and it was better that way because otherwise I would have been paralyzed with too many food decisions because I wanted to eat everything!  The curation of the food vendors and international food offerings is quite good in my opinion.  Plus there a new chocolate shop, Chocodiem, for me to indulge in (the owner is from Antwerp) authentic Belgian Chocolate goodness which is sorely needed in the city.

The History of the Bourse Building

The Bourse building, like so many in Old City, began its life serving a different purpose, in this case as a commodities exchange.  Old City was closer to the water in the early days and ships would arrive with products that found their way to the many exchange buildings in the neighborhood. The building was designed and modeled after The Bourse in Hamburg, Germany.  The terra cotta coloring outside is what you will notice first, in my opinion, at the Victorian building then the columns and the carving of Philadelphia Bourse name above the entrance.

The building, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, has housed offices for years and the lobby level at one point had some luxury shopping vendors before the souvenir shops moved in to serve the tourists visiting across the street. I’ve not been inside The Bourse in over twenty years if not longer. For years, it fell out of favor until the new owner (from D.C.) poured money into the building to upgrade the offices, add co-working space and add this food hall to serve more than tourists.

The Philly Food Hall at the Bourse

As we entered the food hall, I looked up and remembered visiting in my youth and appreciating the interior design and architecture.  Look up to see the architectural detail and the railings on the stairs are lovely. It’s a building that was in need of love and through food, it’s found it.

I entered from 4^th Street (the more popular entrance is on 5th street across from Independence Hall Park) and was met with the directory pointing to Bourse food vendors right and left. With the various food vendors in the food hall at the Bourse, I think you can satisfy your fast casual food needs and those of your family, including the picky ones!

**Note that Caviar is the delivery service so you can order from your hotel room or house to satisfy food cravings. If you order with the link below I may earn an affiliate commission**

Desserts at the Bourse Food Hall Philadelphia

Of course, dessert is my favorite in any food hall around the world.  At the Bourse Food Hall Philadelphia, there are three dessert options – chocolate, bakery and ice cream – all ready to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Chocodiem at the Bourse – Luxury Belgian Chocolate in Philly

We started walking on the right and didn’t get too far when I saw the Chocodiem shop with displays full of chocolate truffles which looked (almost) too good to eat. On the other side were the colorful French macarons that are from a French vendor in New York City.

Next to the counters, I saw the bar serving chocolate martinis with a liquid chocolate wall display in the center.  I already knew I was going to like it here.  I met the owner, Jean-Paul Hepp, who was happy to talk about his background (PhD in Science who left the Pharma industry) and how he opened his chocolate shop and in four years had won acclaim (Top Ten Chocolatiers in North America list in Dessert Professional Magazine) and my recent chocolate trip to Bruges where he and I agreed that Pierre Marcolini Chocolates are fantastic.

Jean-Paul uses locally sourced ingredients (where applicable) from Pennsylvania and New Jersey farms.  The chocolates are gorgeous – really pretty and my favorites included sea salt caramel and wine truffle (wine + chocolate = LOVE).  The stall has two walls filled with chocolates in small packages which are easy to buy and quick to consume (so buy a few extra).  Chocodiem has an online store for chocolate gifts, business gifts and offers special event chocolates to order.  If you can’t visit their Philly location, online is the next best thing.

 Barry’s Buns – Bakery at The Bourse

This all natural from scratch bakery got our attention with the gourmet sticky buns (my friends favorite), cinnamon rolls and my favorite, coffee cake (seriously could you walk past this display and not stop to at least look?).  The cakes on display were a sugar fantasy and I didn’t even have time to peruse the other display filled with cookies.  This is the only bakery in the Bourse Food Hall and in the neighborhood so find your favorite cake or cookie and indulge.

 Scoop DeVille – Ice Cream near the Liberty Bell

Scoop DeVille has been a local Philly favorite for over twenty years (they have a store on Chestnut Street).  When I worked in the city, my co-workers and I would visit a few times a week for sweet treats – they enjoyed the ice cream and I would often find a chocolate covered something to enjoy.  This location is easy to find when entering from the Liberty Bell/Independence side of the Bourse (5^th Street), it’s the first stall on the left.  So if you have kids with you and they are screaming for ice cream or milkshakes, Scoop De Ville is the place to go.  The brownie bowl ice cream is out of this world.

Food at The Bourse Food Hall Philadelphia

As we wandered about we marveled at the specificity of the vendors, they have limited menu options and focus on pretty much one theme (similar to a food truck concept)– there is a chicken soup shop called Prescription Chicken (from Washington, D.C.) and they only sell chicken soup in a variety of options.

There’s #GetFried Fry Cafe that focuses on fries (four types – hand cut, coated straight cut, waffle and sweet potato) and fried foods like the Mac N Cheese Crunch rolls. I will take issue with the Cheesesteak bowl (Rocky Balboa) as cheesesteaks DO NOT have peppers and mushrooms (see my Philly Cheesesteak post).  Another family friendly option is Mighty Melt Shop which specializes in Grilled Cheese.  Think you know grilled cheese?  Think again as they assemble a plethora of flavor on sourdough (note: the beef fat fries with parmesean, garlic and sea salt sound fantastic, sorry GetFried).

As for the other vendors?  Travel the world with your taste buds and choice.

• Italian at Bronze Table and Rustica Rosticceria
• Tacos at – Rebel Taco and the Korean Taco shop
• Indian Street Food – Hawaiian Poke – Egyptian Food (kiosk ordering) – Filipino Comfort Food
• Ramen – Chinese Dumplings – Fried Chicken
• Grubhouse (All Day Breakfast in Old City)
• Cheesesteak shop to taste the iconic Philly sandwich (but why oh why are there green peppers and mushrooms?)

Drinks at The Bourse Food Hall

There are three bars inside the Bourse Food Hall – a small bar at Chocodiem (chocolate martinis anyone?), the Bar by Bluebird Distilling with craft cocktails and full bar and the Taps Fill Station which has kegs full of beer, cider, wine and other (bring your own growler or buy one here).

There is a specialty tea bar, coffee shop and juicer for your non-alcoholic drink needs.

Specialty Gifts at the Bourse Food Hall

When you enter the Bourse Food Hall from 4^th street, you will be welcomed by the floral displays of Bonatsos for fresh flowers and plants.  If you fancy olive oils and vinegars then Olive with a Twist is the place to go for specialty cheese and charcuterie as well as the signature olive oils (I did an Olive Oil tasting in Barcelona and it was quite interesting).  Now that you have flowers to set the table and charcuterie and olive oils for the appetizers, your next stop should be Penzey’s Spices to add some flavor to your cooking.

Final Thoughts – Bourse Food Hall Philadelphia

My friend remarked that she didn’t see a salad only place.  Don’t worry, you can get your lettuce on at a number of spots as many vendors offer their own salad options.  We also didn’t see soft pretzels which are a fantastic Philly snack staple (for those go to Philly Pretzel Factory on 7^th & Chestnut).  Other than those two items, the Bourse Food Hall has pretty much everything you can want to enjoy a fast casual meal with friends and family in Philadelphia.

The only concern I have is that it opened in late fall/winter (slow season) and the tourists won’t really arrive en masse until May so its quiet now as local residents and workers in the area continue to learn about it.  I’ve seen so many other iterations of the space fail over the years so hopefully this will be the successful venture the building and neighborhood needed. Fingers crossed.

There was a bit of local grumblings about the lack of Philly vendors (and rent pricing) but honestly, it was nice to learn about other vendors from D.C., Baltimore and elsewhere (I think Reading Terminal covers the Philly only scene quite nicely).  Philly has so much food to taste, enjoy and experience that we have room to welcome everyone to the city.  That’s kind of our thing anyway right?  City of Brotherly Love.

Visiting:

Building Hours (individual vendor hours may differ)

Monday-Thursday 7 a.m. – 10 p.m.

Friday/Saturday 7 a.m. – midnight

Sunday 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Parking – On Street Meters (meterUP app) or Bourse Parking Garage (enter on 4th street)

Delivery Service – Caviar delivers from a few (six)  of the 30 vendors at the Bourse Food Hall

I was swooning over the Spanish shoes by Jungla in a variety of colors (green, blue, red and purple) and hoping that they came in size 42 (European) because my big size 11 feet needed a bit of color for the fall/winter travel season.  My closet was full of black shoes (flats and heels), black boots, black rain boots and black snow boots.  The only shoes with a sliver of color were my workout sneakers and those were limited to the gym only because neon green has a place and that’s on the treadmill only.  So while I was mentally adding the cute comfy Spanish shoes to my shoe wish list at Benjamin Lovell Shoes in Philadelphia, I had another shoe calling out to me – the suede shoes from the newly launched women’s shoe line by Samuel Hubbard (I’ve loved the men’s collection for years).  The pale blue and crème oxford as well as the luxury look of the black suede shoes with tan shoelaces were also saying “pick me, pick me”. In the land of shoes, I was swimming in shoe brand choice – Taos boots, Fly London, Waldlaufer (last year’s winning German shoe brand), Regarde Le Ciel, Ara and Pikolinos in my search for the best winter travel shoes for women.

Visiting Benjamin Lovell Shoe Store

For a Tuesday at 3pm the store was humming, I expected the post lunch period to be slow to allow me time to luxuriate in shoes but the staff were all busy with engaged customers who were surrounded by a plethora of shoe boxes. Benjamin Lovell Shoes is not the place to ask about only one pair of shoes, it’s a shoe buying experience that introduces you to new brands, styles and comfort.

As I walked past the women’s shoe sections to the back of the store near the complimentary coffee and wine station to the men’s section which was empty, I saw a woman trying on the same Waldlaufer shoes I was wearing and I commented on how much I really enjoyed the comfort and how easy they were to travel with as I walked a lot in Europe. She told me she was off to the South of France for a month to visit friends (I was jealous that I don’t have friend who live in France to visit and stay with) so I stopped to chat for a few minutes about my two loves – travel and shoes.  She bought those shoes and I think they may owe me a commission (haha).

The best travel memories good and bad can often trace back to the shoes you are wearing.  How many of us have had to endure blisters while traveling from our shoes or lament that we brought the wrong shoes in our bag or just cry over the shoes left behind at home that didn’t fit in our carryon?

The Shoe Experience – Winter Travel Shoes for Women

So while I waited for Chris, the assistant manager, to return with a plethora of shoes in size 11 (EU 42), I closed my eyes and wished for color – glorious colors to welcome the fall and winter weather with – colorful shoes to provide a spark of personality from the ground up or from my head down.  Just color.

Chris arrived with the sad puppy dog face and I knew my world would be awash in black this season.  If only my feet were size 10, if only…..  The Spanish shoes stopped at size 10, they didn’t make anything bigger (where are my tall Spanish ladies with big feet?).  As for the Samuel Hubbard suede oxfords, a nod to my youth when I wore similar shoes?  They do make size 11 but the store didn’t have any – they might be able to order them.

I was crushed of course but then I saw the dozen (yes, a dozen boxes in size 11) and my feet were ready to be dazzled by a new winter travel shoe, a new brand to fall in love with, a new reason to have happy feet for all the walking I do on travel. To be fair, there were three options in grey-ish.  But not the red, blue, green or purple shoes that first caught my eye.

I tried on suede boots from Fly London which were quite stylish, almost a bit too fashionable for my life right now so I passed on those as I wasn’t feeling Instagram fashionable which these boots definitely were.  They were comfortable to walk in and could easily go from day to night with any outfit. Did I mention they were size 11 (42)?  Fashionable size 11 boots are like unicorns.

I would test drive the Waldlaufers loafers and sneaker like comfortable shoes.

Finding the Right Fit at Benjamin Lovell Shoes

There would be a few Cinderella moments where my big foot didn’t fit the shoes or the shoes were a bit big – those are never fun times especially when you are hoping your feet glide into the glass slipper.  I had thin socks on that day and funny enough a shoe I liked was slightly big so that when I walked my heel was lifting.  That’s when you know better but need a good salesperson to tell you the truth.  “I like this but my heel is lifting maybe a thicker sock would work” I told Chris, he replied “if it’s not a good fit, it’s not a good fit”.  Applying logic back at me definitely deflates the “I really like this shoe” moment but in the long run you don’t want a shoe that sorta fits.  You spend too much money to have good shoes and no shoe should be relegated to the back of the closet never to be worn again due to poor fit. The tagline of Benjamin Lovell Shoes is “Where Style Fits You Perfectly” and the staff definitely ensures a perfect fit.

The winning shoe this season is from another German brand, Remonte.  The Farbe style of shoe has an easy in/out feature, a zipper on the side which means you can keep the shoes laced up and just do the side zip (yes, I’m lazy most days not wanting to deal with shoelaces).  The shoes were black but with a metallic shine to them and the zipper added a creative fashion twist.  The soles are a thick rubber but with a grooved pattern that adds comfort to the steps.

Comfortable Travel Shoes for Men

Men, don’t fret, there’s a good selection for you too.  You can be as stylish too – long gone are the days of sneakers 24/7 – upgrade to these soft leather options.  The Samuel Hubbards are fantastic!

Final Thoughts – Fall Winter Travel Shoes for Women

As you can tell in this review and others of Benjamin Lovell Shoes in Philadelphia, I really love shoes especially when I get choice (even if all black) in size 11.  Since I began shopping and reviewing Benjamin Lovell Shoes, I’ve had to hide out from my Nordstrom shoe guy – he waves at me every time I walk through the store and stops me to ask me how I’m doing.  I can’t admit my feet are cheating on him but in truth, my local Nordstrom doesn’t carry the brands that Benjamin Lovell does so I’m not technically cheating. Plus Nordstrom never has my size in stock so I need to order and wait for the UPS guy.  At Benjamin Lovell, I can find a pair (or a dozen pair) of shoes ready to try on and leave with (depending on how generous my credit cards are feeling). Who doesn’t like instant shoe gratification?

So for your fall – winter travel shoes for women (and men), it’s time to get thee to Benjamin Lovell in person or online and see what shoes will make you swoon this season – maybe you’ll have pops of color for your feet.  Get the green ones!  Or purple!  Or red!  Or just one in every color…

I’m not quite the “festival in the field” kinda of girl – it doesn’t matter which field or what festival, chances are if there are porta potties, there’s a high chance that I’ll say no. Festivals all day in the sun just sound exhausting with lots of downtime, too many people and traffic aggravation – frankly it’s just never been my thing even when I was young.  Now I get to be that old, crabby lady without having to explain myself. So when my friends asked me to go to the field in the middle of nowhere to light a fire in a lantern and send it into the sky as part of The Lights Festival Philadelphia on a Saturday night, they were surprised when I said “yes”.  I was surprised I said “yes” because it seemed like a lot of wasted time for a few minutes of social media fun. For the instagram crowd, this was gold. But when the song Hallelujah began and thousands of lanterns lit up the sky, for a few minutes, I could enjoy the beauty of it all.

Finding The Lights Festival in Philadelphia

My friend Maria and I set the GPS coordinates in Waze and began our trek to The Lights Festival field in Kennett Square, PA (about an hour from Philadelphia, way out in the open field/farming suburbs) which led us down back roads, neighborhoods streets, dirt roads and finally to the road that led to the open field hosting 3,000 people (and their cars) at the Lights Festival.  With rain in the forecast and some dark and foreboding clouds, I hesitantly parked up the hill on the grass field hopeful for no rain because I wasn’t quite sure how we get through the mud.

Walking through the knee high grasses to the ankle high grass field we checked in and received our rice paper lantern bag (with instructions printed) and a bag containing a pen and wristband.  The large field was portioned out by tiki torches not yet lit in rows and aisles.  At the bottom of the hill was a stage with an acoustic musician singing popular songs with some children dancing in front of the stage.  Our friends had arrived earlier than we had and found a square flanked by four torches on the corners to call their own. They set up a table with foods and a blanket on the ground.  Maria and I brought our chairs and more foods to enjoy.

Food & Souvenirs at The Lights Festival

In the distance by the row of porta potties, there were long lines for the six food trucks.  Given the waits of the people walking with food (nearly an hour), I’d suggest packing your own picnic like we had and so many others had done.  Six food trucks and nearly 3,000 people?  Definitely not enough to count on. There were enough porta potties so the wait was minimal.  Do bring a flashlight with you as the tiki torches only light the launch area, the surrounding common walkways, porta potties and fields were dark and uneven terrain.

If you had forgotten your chair or blanket, they were selling blow up couches embossed with the “Light Festival name and logo”.  For kids, there was a children’s play area and for those who “need” to shop there were a few kiosks with jewelry and photos to buy in addition to the event merchandise.

Hopes, Dreams and Wishes on Paper Lanterns

The main event though would need to wait until after sunset, until it was dark enough to set the thousands of lanterns drifting up to the sky, after the local fire officials deemed it safe enough. There was a chance that the hours of waiting (or socializing I believe it’s called) might result in a “no go” if the weather didn’t cooperate.

During our wait, we each took our sharpies provided to write messages, wishes and hopes on our lanterns.  For me, my mind could only think of “Peace, Love, Cookies” and then “I need a job” and then shifted to my wishes “I’d like to hit the lottery and retire on an island” and find “love with an EU work permit” – you know all the fun stuff.

Lighting the Lanterns at The Lights Festival

With the torches lit throughout the field and the speaker on the stage to demonstrate what to do, there was the stray lantern lit ahead of time and sent up into the dark night that elicited a rousing “boo” from the crowd as the fire captain didn’t give the go ahead yet.

Video – [embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVN15h2GjBg[/embedyt]

Once we did get the “all clear”, it became interesting. 3,000+ people don’t always follow directions or execute the same.  A few folks didn’t wait until the entire bottom was aglow with fire so their lanterns quickly fell to the ground and started small fires that had to be stepped on or doused with water bottles.  The two man process was a test of patience because two minutes is longer than you imagine trying to get the bottom lit with the torch fire.  Once the lantern felt a bit full we started letting go and watching the field of lanterns gently and slowly float into the night sky.  Many would travel to the adjacent field (the targeted landing spot) and fizzle out.  As for the others, the wind wasn’t carrying them too far so I’m not sure where my hopes and dreams written on the lantern drifted to or fell.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZ6VgQCRfO8[/embedyt]

Environmental Concerns at The Lights Festival

For many critics, it’s about the environment.  The lanterns were made with bio-degradable rice paper. Lights Festival officials map out the landing field area for the low flying lanterns to fall to the ground. Volunteers were set up to clear the trash and pick up lanterns.  As for the bulk of the lanterns, many could have just gone up in smoke.  I would hope that the local authorities prior to issuing permits for such an event had figured out all the trash logistics. Each aisle had a trash box for the plastic wrappers and event trash.

I do know that I have a Facebook friend with horses that abhors these events as the stray lanterns land in her field and the horses and other animals try to eat them.  So when you do post about your Lights Festival experience, do understand that while the Festival has a leave no trace policy and tries to be environmental, there will be stray lanterns that get away and folks who have valid environmental concerns about these types of events.  I know that I had some disapproving comments on my social media accounts.

Leaving the Lights Festival

When our lanterns were done ascending, we waited and watched for about 1/2 hour before we began the crazy rush to the parking lot as thousands of cars were now all intent on exiting at the same time down the one lane road. Unlike a sporting event, there was only one way out.  Somehow for me, parking on top of the hill, I had this gut feeling that I needed to follow the stray car going in the opposite direction down the dirt and hay covered road.  I followed slowly and began a bit of off-roading through the field and to the open gate, thereby escaping the throngs of cars in only 10 minutes.  Good things like that don’t usually happen to me (my friends waited nearly two plus hours in the car exit line). Maybe the lantern wish “hit the lottery” was a bit vague and I hit the parking lot lottery to avoid the intolerable wait.

Overall Thoughts – The Lights Festival in Philadelphia

That’s the thing with hopes, dreams and wishes, you may need to be quite specific rather than vague.  Either way, it was a fun night out with friends in a random field in Pennsylvania launching our dreams, hopes and wishes into the air.  We wrote down fun, silly and serious statements on our lanterns to represent us in that moment and then we let it out (and up) into the universe if only for a few minutes of spectacular wonder.  It was a stunning spectacle and now that I’ve done it once, I’m good.

The Lights Festival is international and happening in cities around the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.  To find your local Lights Festival check out the festival of light schedule on the event page.  It’s scheduled back to Philly in October if you want to go, sign up early for discounted tickets.

The smell was familiar as I exited the elevator to the lobby, I had arrived at the Westin Philadelphia.  The distinctive smell was courtesy of the candles surrounding the floral arrangement on the entry table.  I was now instantly relaxed, the hell of the commute quickly recessing from my mind, as I knew my Heavenly Bed was only minutes away.  With all the brands in the Starwood (SPG) portfolio of hotels, now owned by Marriott, the Westin seems to fit my lifestyle the best.  Don’t be fooled, the travel industry has created and marketed lifestyle brands to align to your life (or the life you want to lead).

Location

The Westin Philadelphia location, just a few blocks from Rittenhouse Square, is fantastic on 17^th street between the business buildings of Market Street and the shopping on Chestnut Street. 17th Street hosts the Westin, Kimpton Palomar, Sofitel Philadelphia, Club Quarters and the Radisson making it a great location from which to explore the city. City Hall’s Dilworth Park, with the famous “Love” statue is two blocks away as is the Comcast Center and Suburban Station.  Reading Terminal Market (a must for any visit to Philly) is ten minutes’ walk to 12^th & Filbert streets.

Shopping & Food

Pennsylvania is tax-free for clothes and shoes (sadly not handbags, Apple items or jewelry) so the Westin Philadelphia is in a perfect location to take advantage of the shopping nearby in Rittenhouse, along Walnut Street (Apple Store, Stuart Weitzman, Urban Outfitters, Zara, Lagos Jewelry, BlueMercury to name a few) and Chestnut Street (famous Philly boutiques such as Boyd’s, Joan Shepp and Knit Wit). The hotel entrance is next to the Shops at Liberty Place entrance, step inside to find Bloomingdale’s Outlet, a food court and the new Liberty Observation Tower in Two Liberty Place. Chestnut Street is anchored at 17^th Street by Nordstrom Rack, Davio’s Steakhouse and a Rite Aid Pharmacy.  Walk further down 17^th street and turn onto Sansom Street for a plethora of food (Federal Donuts, Philly Soft Pretzels, Dizengoff Hummus, and Dandelion British Pub), spa (Adolph Biecker), craft beer (The Foodery) and wine (Tria Wine Bar) options.

Westin Philadelphia Parking

I drove to the hotel and chose to valet park ($54 – ridiculous I know but so convenient in this part of town).  I was instantly greeted and welcomed to the hotel by staff.  Normally, I’d park a few blocks away for less but with a tight time schedule and traffic upon arrival (note 17^th is notorious for backups and it once took me more than an hour to go one block).  There is self-parking in the building for about $41 but it’s my least favorite parking garages in the city so I go out of my way to avoid it.  To retrieve your car from valet, you send a text with your ticket number and get a reply with the wait time.  My reply was immediate and my car was waiting for me at check out.

Arrival

I’ve stayed at the Westin Philadelphia many times over the years so am familiar with the building (plus it was the Ritz Carlton eons ago when my firm used it for events).  Upon arrival, you walk through the doors to the elevators to go up one floor to the hotel lobby. There are bellmen to greet you and assist with luggage.

Upon exiting the elevator, the smell as mentioned above greets you first as you walk to the desk.  My check in was quick (photo ID check, credit card swipe), my SPG gold status recognized (I picked the points over drinks) and my room preference verified (quiet away from elevator, king bed).  I was assigned a corner room on the 10^th Floor (SPG Preferred Floor).

The Lobby – Lounge Area

The hotel hit “refresh” recently and the décor and color palette were updated along with the art to present a modern, affordable luxury hotel (I do miss the wood-paneled and fireplace of the best hidden bar in the city).  If you didn’t know better you’d think the hotel stole a designer from the stylish boutique Kimpton Hotels (the Palomar is one block away).  The artwork captures the history of the city through the founding fathers and a colorful, modern interpretation making this a departure from the other Westins I’ve stayed at.   The lobby has three distinct areas – Winthrop & Valentine (a nod to the movie Trading Places but not my favorite name) restaurant and bar, a piano area and a separate seating area to meet, east and drink comfortably. The lobby provides free wi-fi, sadly, it costs $15.95 a night otherwise.

Westin Philadelphia – Standard King Room

The Preferred Floor has a set of standard rooms all about the same size based on the floor map.  When I entered the room, a large closet is on the left with a bathroom on the right.  The room has an entry table with a lamp and coffee machine (Starbucks coffee), television, minibar above and below, storage drawers and a desk on the left side of the room.  On the right side of the room is the Westin Heavenly Bed (a bit lumpy upon arrival as you can see), side tables (each with outlets) as well as a reading chair and small table with overhead light.  The views from the hotel aren’t great as its surrounded by buildings.

While I’m usually citing hotels for lack of style and personality as they are missing pictures and color, this room did not have those issues – it had personality and style and wasn’t a cookie cutter Westin.   The rounded mirror, the wandering eyes of the bolster pillow, the script of the declaration of independence on the chair and the colors and print of the floor and accessories were quite pleasing for me.

The Heavenly Bed is really that heavenly.  Westin is one of the pioneers of the hotel bed that folks want to buy and take home (Four Seasons I think was the first and now the Sofitel So Bed is also in the game), the Westin has created a crave-able home product.  I can’t afford the whole bed (I’d never leave home) but have bought Heavenly Pillows and the Heavenly Sheet Set for just a bit of the luxury sleep experience at home.  It’s really hard to leave the comfortable bed especially with the room darkening curtains and the quiet as I was at the end of the hall.

Heavenly Bathroom

The bathroom has been updated many times over the years, the layout hasn’t changed (I wish they would move the toilet quite frankly) but the décor is all Heavenly Bath – the robe, the towels and the waterfall shower (again, all available for purchase online).  I was a bit taken aback at first that my favorite green leaf White Tea soap was gone, but relieved to see it only changed colors – from green to white and the packaging had a makeover too.

Welcome Surprise

Moments after swiping the keycard to enter the room, I had a knock on the door.  When I opened the door, I was greeted by a hotel delivery of chocolate covered strawberries, a bottle of water and a personal welcome note that included my PhilaTravelGirl information and the hashtag #spglife.  This was quite the surprise because I’d never received a welcome gift before. I was staying on points and had not contacted the hotel in advance. When I returned from dinner, a bottle of wine (white) was waiting for me on the front side table in a bucket of ice.  Again a surprise.  I appreciated this type of recognition but wasn’t sure if related to my profile or my interactions with the SPG twitter team on an issue for my upcoming London stay or part of the #spglife program.  Either way, it’s always good to feel special (**note for the future – my perfect combo is Red Wine & Chocolate Chip Cookies).

Breakfast at Winthrop & Valentine

The on site hotel restaurant is fine to satisfy your food needs and late night cravings but it’s not a destination restaurant.  Frankly, there are too many amazing Philly food finds right outside the hotel so go explore.  For me, I enjoyed my American Breakfast ($14) which included: coffee (which I don’t drink), juice, two eggs any style, one meat (of course bacon!) with hash browns and toast.  There isn’t much open in the area for breakfast at 6:30 a.m. when I was eating so this was fine choice.

Westin Philadelphia Rates

The Westin Philadelphia is a category 5 Marriott hotel now.  Since this is a heavily booked business travel hotel in Philly for conferences, the prices do fluctuate during the week and surprisingly you might see them on Hotel Tonight (app only so use my referral code SWOLKO1 for $25 off your first booking of $135+) with an extra room or two on slower nights.  The base rate is in the low $200 + tax per night but during events, I’ve seen it over $500 a night!

Overall Impression

The Westin Philadelphia continues to be one of my favorite hotels in the city.  I always recommend it to visitors as the location is wonderful and the staff so very friendly.  It’s consistent, quiet and relaxing in the center of all that I need in Philadelphia.  Its modern luxury décor, Heavenly Bed/Bath and excellent staff are a winning combination for your travel needs.

It’s funny how people will have an opinion on all things solo and often reply “I could never do that alone” or the dreaded “you’re so brave”. While I’ve done so many things solo, going to concerts is always a tricky one for me.  If it’s a larger stadium arena, I won’t go by myself but if a smaller venue (like Broadway, Las Vegas showrooms, theatres, etc.) I have no problem.  So when I saw that Sarah McLachlan was coming to Parx Casino XCite Center in Bensalem, I figured that’s easy enough to do alone – a concert at Parx Casino.  It was actually even easier than I thought.

The new Xcite Center at Parx Casino is set up for 1,500 people, which is a nice size and yet didn’t feel too big or small. It opened earlier this year and has hosted musicians and comedians as well as events.  The room was arranged in three sections for the concert and the folding chair like padded seats each had a beverage holder set up (plastic only in the room).  The one downside without tiered seating is that you could get a tall person or someone with a big head or hat in front of you so pick your seat carefully.  For a concert venue, I was surprised by the gold fabric walls and the crystal chandeliers in the room – it was fancy – Las Vegas fancy in Bensalem.  Seriously, you wouldn’t think a local casino would spend the money on the decor but Parx Casino definitely invested in this wonderful venue.

The sound was fantastic as were the sight lines.  The Xcite Center had two large video screens on either side of the stage to enhance the experience.  I was seated near the back on the far right side and could see well and hear each song quite clearly, except for the person next to me singing along to every song – singing every single word along with Sarah – he was a super fan! I’m not sure how you avoid the sing-a-long super fan so I tried my best to ignore him but did laugh when people in front and behind him were commenting about his singing.

Snippet of “I Will Remember You”

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VVvVNiCpig[/embedyt]

Sarah McLachlan, in the smaller venue, had the opportunity to take time for a conversation with the audience.  She talked about her kids, her inspirations for the songs (painful relationships and drama) and joked about getting older and dating.  I guess for each miserable date and/or relationship she has, the fans get amazing new music as she works out her emotions.  Her concert was also raising awareness for her non-profit Sarah McLachlan School of Music, which “provides top quality music instruction at no cost, in a safe and nurturing environment, for at-risk and underserved children and youth”.

The concert started at 7:30 p.m. with no opening act (I know I’m getting old when I think this is awesome timing!) and the doors opened one hour early.  The Xcite Center has a bar outside the venue to buy drinks or you can bring them with you from the nearby XLounge.  The box office was selling a few concert souvenirs (t-shirts, CDs, etc.). This was really a concert about the music and the crowd reflected that – it was a room full of Gen Xers and Baby Boomer fans, for the most part, who wanted to listen to good music in a great room.  Think about the days going to stadium concerts and large venues and how far you were from the entertainer.  Now imagine how this Xcite Center experience is almost like having a private concert with less people than at your high school assembly.

When the concert was over, the crowd easily dispersed into the casino opting to fill up the bars, restaurants and find seats at slot machines and table games. I chose to try my luck at the slots with my $40 budget and ended up surprising myself with a bit of fun and a winning bonus round. I texted a friend “I won” and she replied “Run away and cash out now because you aren’t lucky”. My mom texted the same thing “cash out now!”  Oh how my friends and family know me (and my luck) so well.

I was lucky this night to have a fantastic dinner at Liberty Bell Gastropub and enjoy a concert at Parx Casino and still be home for bed at my normal time.  How awesome is that?  A lovely night out after work and still make your bedtime.  When I was fresh out of college, my nights out started at 10pm and now that I’m older, my night is ending at 10pm and that really makes me quite happy.  I’m laughing at having just typed that!  That said, Parx Casino is a fantastic night out for dinner and a show in the Philadelphia area – it was the first of many more to come for me as I look at a few of the upcoming list of performers (comedians and musicians).  https://www.parxcasino.com/xcitecenter

Upcoming – Comedians at the Xcite Center at Parx Casino

Trevor Noah       Larry the Cable Guy        Patton Oswalt   Tracy Morgan    Craig Ferguson

Upcoming – Musicians at the Xcite Center at Parx Casino

Chris Isaak           Gavin De Graw & Phillip Phillips                 Alison Kruass                     Snow Patrol

Boz Scaggs                          Grand Funk Railroad                       Jamey Johnson                 Cole Swindell

Have you visited the Xcite Center for a concert at Parx Casino?  What did you like best? Who are you excited to see live in this small venue?

I attended the Sarah McLachlan concert at Parx Casino with a press pass, as always all opinions are mine.  Thank you to the team at Parx Casino for the invitation – I had a lot of fun and will be back soon!

“They don’t wear sneakers except to the gym” my friend said she learned the hard way when traveling in Europe recently.  I had to laugh when she told me this – I really thought everyone knew that you DON’T WEAR SNEAKERS in Europe. Tour operators and writers really should mention this to American travelers – especially the white sneakers – NO, NO, NO!  White sneakers scream “American” and in my opinion you don’t need any added attention toward you as a tourist. Sneakers (or trainers as they are called) are strictly for the gym. Prior to my trip with my Mom to Paris & London, I had to issue the missive that no white sneaker was to be worn or packed (my sister confiscated the fanny pack to save me from that conversation).  So what are the best summer travel shoes for women when traveling to Europe this summer?  I made a trip to Philadelphia to Benjamin Lovell Shoes on Chestnut Street to find out.

For my fall trip out to West in November (Zion National Park, Antelope Canyon and Las Vegas), I found a comfortable pair of Waldlaufers, German shoes, at Benjamin Lovell Shoes, that I’ve wore practically every day since then.  The shoes are so comfy and easy to travel in that they are now my go to travel shoes (easy to remove at security if needed).  So this time for my trip to Rotterdam & London where I would be socializing and walking a lot, it was time to upgrade my footwear to cute, stylish and comfortable (with arch support and padded insoles) in size 11 (Europe 42).

I managed to peruse the store racks to tease myself but figured I’d leave it up to the universe as to what shoes would materialize for me.  As you can see, it is a shoe shopping wonderland of style, color and brands.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19ZXkFG4C_c[/embedyt]

Shoe Shopping for the Best Summer Travel Shoes for Women

When I met the assistant manager, Chris, I laughed and said “just bring me out all the size 11’s you have and hopefully there’s a few with color”.  See, for my big feet, the majority of shoes are cute but in black. When I see navy shoes I make a beeline to them as they are the unicorn of colors (in size 11) in the shoe world in my experience.

If your feet are normal size (i.e. under size 11) you have a plethora of cute shoes to choose from at Benjamin Lovell from a variety of brands you’ve likely never heard of but need to know about. Vionic are Australian, FlyLondon are UK, Earth Shoes will plant a tree for each pair of shoes sold, Waldlaufer are comfortable German shoes to name just a few brands.

Taos and Pikolinos had tables of really cute shoes in a variety of styles – sandals, flats, heels and even an oxford.

In Search of…the Best Summer Travel Shoes for Me

Chris returned with arms loaded and boxes piled above his head for the first round.  I was thrilled that there would be a second round of shoes.  Seriously what girl doesn’t love SHOES, SHOES and more SHOES to pick from?  He opened each box and removed all the packaging to present me a shoe to whet my shoe obsessed appetite. He then helped me into the shoe and let me walk around the store.  The personalized service was observed throughout the store as guests were seated with multiple boxes around them having their own bespoke shoe shopping experience.

With each new pair of shoes I tried on, I had to make the hard decision to cull a few from the “yes” pile.  There were actually a few shoes that were too big!  Yes, too big for my already big feet.  That was a surprise.  Chris was very helpful to confirm that the shoe was already a bit big and would only get bigger as the leather stretched with wearing.  There were also a few pairs that I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED but were just a tiny bit too small for my feet.  Sadly, Chris had to break the news to me that in this case with these shoes, there was no give and my foot didn’t fit properly.  It really is about proper fit and feel.

Benjamin Lovell Shoes – Summer Collection

So here’s a peek at a few more of the fabulous Spring/Summer collection that you need to know about.  These are available in store at Benjamin Lovell’s Philadelphia locations (1728 Chestnut Street in Rittenhouse Square and 60 North 3rd Street in Old City Historic District) and at their online shop which offers free priority 2-3 day shipping.    Most of these lovely shoes will require you keep a standing pedicure appointment to ensure that your toes are ready to show off in these wonderful shoes. For additonal tempation, follow the Benjamin Lovell instagram account.

The Winning Travel Shoes for Me

Of the more than ten pair of shoes that I tried on, I managed to narrow the selection down to three contenders.  I then had to consider my travel needs for walking and with that the winner was Earth Shoes!  The black (of course) sandals had arch support that felt weird at first because my shoes I wore into the store did not have the support.  The shoes could be adjusted with the Velcro closure (always good for when your feet might swell in the heat) and had good traction on the soles plus a bit of sparkle in the top band.  As the company plants a tree which each sale, I could feel good about my shoes.

The Best Summer Travel Shoes for Women Have Been Found!

If you want to upgrade your summer styles, definitely pop into one of the two Benjamin Lovell Shoe Stores in Philadelphia (Rittenhouse Square or Old City) to find the best summer shoes for you and toss those sneakers out of your suitcase (unless you are going to the gym in Europe and let’s be honest, we never make it there – good intentions).

Thank you to the staff at Benjamin Lovell for hosting me on my Best Summer Travel Shoes for Women research trip.  I loved trying on all the shoes and will put my Earth Shoes to the test walking around Rotterdam & London soon.

A grown woman should not cry in a shoe store but I was tearing up in Benjamin Lovell Shoes in Philly when not one, but eleven boxes of shoes emerged from the stock room in my size.  To understand this, you’d need to have size 11 feet like I do and forever hear “we don’t carry size your size” or “we can order that for you”.  I was in search of the best travel shoes to bring with me on my adventures out West (Utah, Arizona, Las Vegas) and then to London.  Almost every day in travel forums, I see women asking for the “best travel shoes” only to get a plethora of answers from the flimsy cheap flip flop (seriously?) to the ultra-expensive heels (who can walk cobblestones in those?).  So what I’m saying is that everybody’s idea of best travel shoes is subjective.  For me, as you’ve read, I walk A LOT – hours and hours – when I travel so I need sturdy travel shoes that are easy to pack and comfortable and it doesn’t hurt to hope for stylish.

In Search of the Best Travel Shoes for Me

I’ve fractured my foot in Malta, over exercised to cause planter fasciitis and walked so much at the Expo in Milan that I needed to book a massage at the Westin Milan to feel my feet again.  With all the travels I’ve done, one thing I’ve learned is that shoes are an investment in comfort, health and long term happiness.   You only need to hurt your foot/feet once to realize how key good shoes with support are for your health.  Imagine my surprise when I was invited to the media preview of Benjamin Lovell Shoes in Philadelphia and later asked to test drive their shoe shopping experience in search of the best travel shoes for me.  My first question was “do you have these in size 11 (European size 42)”?

Benjamin Lovell New Store Location

The fabulous new Chestnut Street location has Benjamin Lovell Shoes joining iconic Philadelphia clothing stores such as Boyd’s, Joan Shepp, Sophy Curson, South Moon Under and Skirt in the area.  Di Bruno’s Italian Market is next door and The Continental Midtown across the street for pre/post shoe shopping drinks/foods. Chestnut Street is constantly evolving as a lifestyle center – one stop shopping for quality boutique fashions.

Welcome to Shoe Nirvana – Style, Brand, Choice – Best Travel Shoes

On my first visit to the store, I was overcome with happiness – happiness to see so many great travel shoe brands from around the world – fly London, Vionic (Australian brand and a recent Oprah favorite things), Waldlaufer and Rieker.  This was in addition to the popular Uggs, Dansko, Ecco and Hunter brands.  On my second visit, I would learn about new (to me) brands like Taos, Naot, A’rcopedico, L’Amour Des Pieds, each offering stylish shoe designs.

Men: Don’t worry there’s a small but fabulous men’s section of shoes in the back, highlighted by Samuel Hubbard shoes which give men a stylish comfortable shoe with plenty of options. Hey ladies, now you can both shop for fablous shoes together!

I wanted every shoe I picked up because the curation was on point – stylish and refreshing, shoes I probably won’t see my friends wearing but shoes my sister would definitely want to steal.  To be honest, I was cheating on my Nordstrom shoe salesman the minute I entered the store.  What I would quickly learn is that there is a place for both shoes stores in my life as each feature different brands.  Benjamin Lovell showcases brands I should know about and their staff is quite happy to provide background into why.  There’s also a higher chance of me walking into Benjamin Lovell and out the door with shoes in hand. Don’t underestimate a woman’s need for instant shoe gratification.

The Shoe Shopping Experience at Benjamin Lovell

I’ve long forgotten about what the shoe shopping experience should be as most stores don’t carry size 11 or have to order them, so I leave emptyhanded and wait on the FedEx man to deliver my shoes to try at home.  The staff at Benjamin Lovell reminded me what I was missing as they embraced service from the minute I was welcomed to the store until the minute I left. The service was not intrusive so I was able to browse the shelves on my own and when it seemed I needed assistance, a salesperson approached me and motioned me to sit.

I was offered a drink before being asked to put my foot in the sizer (this is the point when I pray my big feet haven’t gotten bigger) which returned the size 11M that I had indicated when asked (they like to double check).  Rather than go around the store and pick all the shoes I was interested in (I’m used to disappointment), I offered a challenge to my salesperson “I need a comfortable, durable walking shoe in black, size 11 for travel – basically the best travel shoe you have”.  I figured he would return with two pair of black shoes and a brown pair to “try and we can order in black”.  So when he came out with two arms full of boxes over his head, I was giddy.

He unlaced each shoe and placed my foot in each before lacing them up and ensuring fit. At first a bit weird because I’m long used to trying shoes on my own without assistance.  It then quickly became “ok put that beautiful shoe on my foot please”.  I was then asked to walk around the store for comfort.  A few shoes ended up being too big!  Imagine that?!

I was introduced to many brands I was unfamiliar with and the store is full of stylish travel shoes that are curated from well-known brands in the boutique shoe space.  The shoes at Benjamin Lovell are an investment in your feet and your feet deserve quality materials and comfort with a dash of style. Even in black, shoes can differentiate themselves.

Top Three Best Travel Shoes

So out of the eleven shoe choices I had, I managed to narrow the choices down to three contenders – yes, three! It was a hard choice to make and a new place for me –stuck with choice!  Were they stylish? Yes.  Could they withstand all my walking? Yes.  Easy to pack/fold? Yes. Were they the best travel shoes for me?  Yes.

For my trip out West, I knew that I would be in a lot of sand, dirt and dust and the Taos boots were too pretty for me to subject them to that.  Could they handle the hiking, the dirt and dust? Absolutely.  I would need to wear them as packing would have been tough with carry on only luggage. It was me that didn’t want to get the gorgeous (and comfortable) boots dirty.

The vegan shoes from Portugal by A’rcopedico, fit like a glove, literally encasing my feet in comfort. They could easily fit in my purse but with the hours of walking planned over the two trips, I wasn’t sure about the rain and the torture I would subject them too.  They would have been fine, again it was in my head. On the shelf, I wasn’t initially drawn to them so this is where a good salesperson comes into play.  He understood my want for best travel shoes and included these in the mix.  Good call on his part.

The Waldlaufer (German brand) shoe choices were plentiful so I tried a few pairs.  They seemed like a casual sneaker with a punch of style. I don’t wear sneakers so it was an odd option for me to put in the top three for me. They were comfortable, the suede definitely put them in a “winter shoe” category (I was corrected and told they could be worn all year long) and the laces seemed like they might annoy me. Again, on the shelf, not a shoe I was initially drawn to so the salesperson again came through on this one too.

The Winner – Best Travel Shoes for Me

The German brand, Waldlaufer, was the winner.  I chose the Waldlaufer Jasmine Black Nubuck shoes (I would double knot the laces).  I was a bit apprehensive about the suede and the rain but after being caught in a deluge of rain in London, my feet were dry, the rest of me not so much.  I easily packed the shoes in my suitcase and wore the shoes for a week’s worth of walking throughout London – on the streets, through the parks, up/down the stairs to the underground and through the tunnels to/from the trains.  At the end of the day, my feet weren’t sore, which was a pleasant surprise.  If you can pass the London test, you are a real winner and my feet thank you for that!  When I left the Benjamin Lovell shoe store in Philly, I left a new customer carrying a bag with my first pair (not my last) of the best travel shoes for me.

Have you visited Benjamin Lovell shoes in Philly or online yet?  Do you have a pair of favorite travel shoes you swear by?

Thank you to the staff of Benjamin Lovell Shoes in Philadelphia for their kindness in hosting me both at the media preview and during my test drive of the shoe shopping experience. I don’t joke when it comes to shoes so, as always, opinions are mine.