It’s Mostly Sunny in Philadelphia

I lived in Philadelphia for 2 years, from 2011 to 2013, and I was inspired by the Eagles Super Bowl win to put together a list of some of my favorite places to eat and visit while in the City of Brotherly Love.

 

Me and Brian in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art (Yes I highly recommend you run up the steps and throw your hands up like Rocky!)

 

 

Me and Rachel in front of the Barnes Foundation

I’ll primarily be writing about Center City which is where I lived and which is flanked by the Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers. However, there are other great neighborhoods worth checking out when you’re in town.

 

Philadelphia was settled by the Quaker William Penn in the British colony of Pennsylvania. The other important man of the city is Benjamin Franklin. His lasting impact over Philly is felt everywhere- from his name on nearly every neighborhood, building and square and his forward-thinking ideas of starting the first American hospital, fire department and library to name a few. Philadelphia played a pivotal role in the Revolutionary War as it hosted both the First and Second Continental Congresses and then the Continental Convention as the Constitution was being written. The city was the temporary capital of the United States from 1790-1800.

 

Hanging with some of the Founding Fathers at the Constitution Center

 

 

My poppy, mom and brother in the National Museum of Jewish American History

 

Where to Eat

There are so many amazing places to eat in Philly and in the 5 years since I’ve lived there even more places have popped up. Here’s a list of a few that I loved when I lived there:

Vernick Food and Drink

Laura enjoying a hoagie at Reading Terminal

 

Zahav

Laurel

Will BYOB

Barbuzzo

Sampan

Federal Donuts

Amada

Tinto

Green Eggs

Sabrina’s

You’ll need to get a cheesesteak but I would actually recommend John’s Roast Pork for both their cheesesteak and their roast pork sandwich. Also, the pretzels in Philadelphia are amazing! Check out Reading Terminal if you want to try a variety of foods from delicious stalls.

Exploring the Betsy Ross home in Old City

Remy doing her best impression at the Rodin Museum

 

 

Where to Visit

Philadelphia Museum of Art

Barnes Foundation

Mural Arts Tour

Independence Hall and Liberty Bell

Keith in front of the Liberty Bell

Constitution Center

Betsy Ross House

Franklin Institute

Eastern State Penitentiary

Magic Gardens

National Museum of Jewish American History

Also if you have time check out one of my favorite stores, Open House, on 13th street which is one of my favorite streets in the city.

The best city blog I’ve ever read is Uwishunu. Before visiting Philly check it out to see what’s going on in all the neighborhoods in the city.

If you have a weekend and feel like taking a trip to Philadelphia, do it and enjoy every moment of history and food!

 

Que Te Vaya Bonito COLOMBIA 2

We took a short flight north from Bogota to Cartagena. Originally called Cartagena de India (to distinguish it as Cartagena in the West Indies rather than Cartagena in Spain), the city has a lot of personality and when we were there in December it was brutally hot. Cartagena is distinguished by the old city, surrounded by 11km of walls with squares dotted throughout the interior, and growing high rises outside the walls.

Where We Stayed

Sofitel Legend Santa Clara– Formerly a convent, the hotel is centrally located and full of historical details. The rooms are big, the pool area was great to relax by and they had gluten free bread at breakfast.  

Where to Eat

Don Juan– Delicious and a great vibe. La Vitrola- Cuban inspired cuisine and live music made this a must go to spot. Carmen– Asian inspired dishes. Alma– traditional Colombian cuisine. Monte Sacro– lunch spot that had fresh fish.

What We Did

Rosario Islands– The 60-minute motorboat ride to the islands was a breeze and it brought us to the Rosario Island archipelago. The 27 islands are protected by the Natural National Parks of Colombia and you have a plethora of activities to choose from. We opted to snorkel and enjoy the spectacular coral reefs. There’s a restaurant where we ate locally caught fish and then lounged by the beach. The boat ride back was not as smooth sailing as the trip over but I would suggest staying towards the back of the boat to handle the swells.

Castillo de San Felipe– It’s a bit of a hike up to the top of the fort but it’s worth it for the views. Due to Cartagena’s strategic location on the Caribbean Sea, the city built a fort in order to protect it from attacks. Did you know that Cartagena was attacked 11 times by pirates including Sir Francis Drake? You’ll see the Colombian flag in my photographs from the fort. We learned that the blue represents the water of the oceans that surround the country, yellow represents gold and the red represents the blood spilled for Colombian independence.

Convento de la Popa– You cannot walk up to the convent and instead must drive but you wouldn’t want to walk anyways since you really would be climbing up a mountain. You’ll get another spectacular view and learn about this beautiful convent. I particularly loved the interior courtyard with hanging gardens.

Church San Pedro Claver– After walking around the old city in the blazing heat, we walked into the Church and felt both a respite from the sun and tranquility from the city. The church is named after Saint Peter Claver who died in Cartagena and spent his life working with the slaves that were traded from Africa to the New World.

Palace of the Inquisition– The terrors of the Inquisition were not limited to Spain and Portugal in the 15th Century. In fact, the Court of the Holy Office carried out the work of the Inquisition until 1821 in Cartagena. Many innocent men and women were tortured and killed in the halls of what is a now a museum dedicated to their injustice.

We spent a morning walking through a local marketplace and this was the real deal. It was an eye-opening experience for me because there was every imaginable fruit, vegetable, and protein just out there in the open. Truthfully it was a little much for me but everyone else in my family really enjoyed walking through the stalls and picking out ingredients. We then had an unforgettable meal that we cooked with a local chef!

I highly recommend getting on a plane and heading to Colombia as soon as possible! It’s a wonderful country and I can’t wait to go back!

Que Te Vaya Bonito COLOMBIA

My absolute favorite travel article was published this week- The New York Times’ 52 Places to Go. I thought it would be fun to share some past blog posts and create new ones based on the list’s recommendations. Check out my Instagram account @theprimarysource1 where I’ll repost previous destinations from the list that I’ve already blogged about. For now, here’s a rundown of my trip to Colombia in December 2015 which was ranked #2 on the list!

 

On the top of Monserrate with Bogota below

 

History

Start by watching Netflix’s hit show Narcos. It will give you a comprehensive understanding of how Pablo Escobar rose to power as a drug lord and how his influence dominated all aspects of life in Colombia- from the violence that arose on the streets to the turmoil he caused in government. Prior to Escobar’s rise, the country’s history begins with a culturally diverse indigenous population that was razed by Spain’s colonization of the land. In 1819 Simon Bolivar defeated the Spanish leading to the independence of the Republic of Gran Colombia which included Ecuador, Panama, and Venezuela in addition to Colombia. By 1903 the country’s borders became defined as we know it today. Pretty much all of the 20th century was riddled with violence throughout the nation as it dealt with a civil war and nationalist groups formed. However, in the past few years Colombia has experienced relative peace specifically in the cities we chose to visit and we felt safe as American tourists.

A Few Tips

• English is not readily spoken throughout the country. Learn some Spanish or be prepared with important phrases before you go.
• Keep toilet paper with you in your purse. Bathrooms are not always updated and sometimes you have to pay for toilet paper so just bring plenty along with you.
• Your trip can be affordable as airfare and restaurants tend to be much more reasonably priced than other tropical getaways (ie Miami and the islands in the Caribbean).
• We really did feel very safe, especially in Cartagena where I felt comfortable walking the streets on my own during the day. We took cabs in the evening.

Bogota

We took a JetBlue flight from NYC and connected through Miami to land in Bogota, the nation’s capital. The city is located in the Andes Mountains towards the interior of the country and we felt cooler temperatures in December. The graffiti in the city is a treasure unto itself and you can take a tour of the wall murals (see below for some of my favorites that my mom snapped during her tour of the city the day before we arrived).

Where We Stayed

Four Seasons Casa Medina– The hotel had just opened when we were there. The rooms were large and the hotel had a lot of character with Spanish colonial accents.

Where We Ate

El Son de Los Grillos– Local spot on a side street not far from Plaza Bolivar. A must try is

Ajiaco Soup

the famous Bogota ajiaco soup. It’s hearty and full of flavor.

Andre Carne de Res– A once in a lifetime experience. It’s at least a 60 minute drive out of town, but it will absolutely blow your mind. It’s been described as Alice In Wonderland meets Moulin Rouge but multiply that image in your mind by 1,000 and consider that the menu is 68 pages long and the restaurant itself is 2.76 square miles. Come hungry and thirsty and ready to dance. The pictures below really don’t do the space justice. Check out the link to have your mind blown.

What We Did

Museo Del Oro– Better known as The Gold Museum. I absolutely loved the history and artifacts in this museum because it highlighted the importance of the element not for wealth but for its spiritual importance. Salt, in fact, was considered much more valuable to the indigenous peoples of Colombia. You’ll see gold in many forms but my favorite was the Pachamama which is the spiritual embodiment of mother earth revered as the most important female deity.  

Museo De Botero– A must visit. Botero’s full-figured portraits are easily recognizable and the museum pays tribute to the Colombian born artist. For those living in New York, you’re likely familiar with his sculptures at the main entrance of the Time Warner Center at Columbus Circle. The museum also includes artwork from other notable artists and the space itself is quite beautiful.

Cerro Monserrate– We took the cable car up and the funicular down from the top of the mountain that overlooks the capital, at an elevation of 10,341 ft. We visited the Sanctuary that requires you to walk up a wide set of stairs with the many others making a pilgrimage to the holy sight. There is also a restaurant and bathrooms on the top. The best part was the views!

Mom a little scared of the funicular!

With my husband, dad and mom with the beautiful church on top of Monserrate in background

Next time I’ll continue this post with our second stop in Colombia- Cartagena!

Debbie and Brooke Do Dallas

 

In front of my 8th Presidential Library- George W. Bush!

 

In true mama daughter tradition, we hopped on a plane in January 2016 for a long weekend and headed south to the Big D…Dallas, Texas! Dallas is the whole (Heidecorn) girls trip package- good food, good history and good shopping! You do not need to rent a car while visiting Dallas. Just use Uber!

Accommodations

We decided to be super chic and stay at The Joule. The location is perfect as a jumping off point to get to most destinations in the city. We found the rooms to be spacious and stylish however fashion was sometimes put before function as light switches were hard to find and electronics in the room were not intuitive to use. The hotel boasts a fabulous art collection worthy of a viewing. Across the street from the hotel is Dallas’ strangest and most voyeuristic art sculpture, The Giant Eye, which stares at you longingly while you enjoy breakfast at their in-hotel restaurant, CBD Provision. After snapping a photo with the sculpture, head next door If you want some high end shopping at Forty Five Ten.

Food

Filament– The restaurant has since closed (which is a bummer because it was our favorite meal) but I wanted to include it on the blog because it’s located in a great neighborhood with other noteworthy restaurants. Check out this list to find out where to eat in Deep Ellum.

Veracruz Cafe– While walking around the Bishop Art District we stumbled upon Veracruz and we had a most delicious meal. Traditional Mexican and Meso-American cuisine hit the spot for lunch! After lunch, we wandered the district that we heard had great shopping and art but, truthfully, we were underwhelmed.

Smoke– It’s in a random location and for some reason, the place was empty when we ate there. It was pretty good but we weren’t blown away. I’d eat at Knife, Top Chef alum John Tesar’s steakhouse, instead.

The Theodore– Our flight to New York got canceled so we got an extra night in Dallas. We decided to head to the infamous NorthPark Center to have dinner. The Theodore turned out to be delicious and I would highly recommend!

Things to Do

 

If it’s a beautiful day and you have some time to spare check out Klyde Warren Park. Think of it as Dallas’ version of NYC’s Highline.

 

Arts District Architecture Tour– This is the tour we had booked in advance and I’m happy we didn’t miss it! Our docent was fabulous and she pointed out the architecture that we surely would have missed if we had been rambling around the neighborhood. She also told us how the neighborhood was designated for the arts has transformed as the city blossomed.

George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum– Honestly, it was very strange to visit

Father, Son. Mother, Daughter.

my EIGHTH presidential library on Trump’s Inauguration Day. The museum wasn’t afraid to showcase uncomfortable moments during his presidency, such as the attacks of September 11th, nor did it sugarcoat some of his missteps, like those during Hurricane Katrina, and in doing so, I found the museum to have a lot of integrity. In fact, I believe it paid tribute to Bush in a way that allowed for me to respect him more than I previously had. I also found the museum to give insight into Bush as a person and First Lady Laura Bush’s education initiatives which were often overshadowed during his presidency. We enjoyed a yummy, albeit it pricey lunch, at the restaurant Cafe 43 since the museum is located on the SMU campus without many food options.

 

 

Ready to be sworn in. A replica of the Oval Office when Bush was in office is in the museum and it makes for a great photo op!

 

Nasher Sculpture Center– A spectacular museum of Raymond and Patsy Nasher’s private collection. The building is very manageable but the highlight is the sculpture garden out back which is filled with Picassos, Calders, and Serras, to name a few. Do not miss this museum and plan to spend some quality time.

The Sixth Floor Museum– Book your tickets ahead of time for this sobering museum which is located inside the former Texas School Book Depository and chronicles the assassination of President Kennedy. I highly recommend getting the audio guide. The museum does an excellent job giving you the history leading up to the assassination and what occurred afterward as well. You can even get a first-person point of view where assassin Lee Harvey Oswald shot from. After leaving the museum, walk along Dealey Plaza to see the “X” where Kennedy was shot and stand on the Grassy Knoll. You can walk about 5 minutes from the museum to the JFK Memorial.

Dallas Holocaust Museum– Though small, this museum was impactful and impressive. It didn’t take us long to wind our way through the exhibits but we were glad to support an important museum devoted to the victims of the Holocaust and the survivors that made their way to the Dallas area.

Perot Museum of Science and Nature– With our extra day in Dallas we decided to head over to this spectacular museum. It’s large and new, and although it caters to children we still had a great time checking out the exhibits on the solar system and prehistoric animals.

NorthPark Center– Truthfully, it’s not just a mall. Developed by Raymond Nasher (see Sculpture Center above) the mall was ahead of its time when it was built in 1965. While the shopping is great, the art collection is even better!

All in all, I would highly recommend Dallas as a long weekend getaway. My mom and I had a great time exploring and eating in true Big D fashion!