Philadelphia

On a recent trip to San Francisco , my husband and I wanted to check out the final days of Richard Serra’s exhibition at SFMOMA. We popped in, took a look around the atrium and caught a glimpse high above of a flickering grid of tiny lights before a kind employee politely told us the museum wasn’t open for the day. Lucky for us, the museum’s restaurant was open, and we were starving. We decided to eat an early lunch in Caffé Museo before submerging ourselves in art. After all, one must be properly fueled to fully appreciate art.

Historic waterfronts in many cities transitioned from gritty transportation hubs to dynamic tourist attractions in the latter part of the 20th century. These destinations display their obvious appeal in the summer — gulls squawking overhead, tantalizing food smells, cooling breezes — as the perfect antidote to a sweltering day in the city. But many urban waterfronts deserve a wintertime visit. Though an invigorating bite to the breeze can turn summer’s leisurely stroll into a brisk walk, the crowds thin to congenial proportions and the crisp air makes everything seem more sharply focused.

Whether you’re a loyal iPhone user or you love your Android device, smartphone apps have changed the way we travel. You no longer need to carry around a map, guidebook, bus schedule, and directions to the restaurant you want to try for lunch. You can find all of that, and more, on your phone.

Got a kid in college? No doubt you’ve already received your invitation to the gala event of the season: Parents’ Visiting Weekend. When your student goes to school in a major urban area, this trip is extra-thrilling. Not only do you get to reunite with your child (while reminiscing endlessly and annoyingly about your own days on campus), you get to do it in a big city! How fun is that?

Sure, you love your car – but maybe it deserves some R & R, just like you do. Leave it in the parking garage at the hotel, and take advantage of the futuristic, whimsical and earth-friendly touring options found in CityPASS locales.

Okay, Philadelphia locals and travelers alike, check out this fun read by Brady McDonald from the L.A. Times, and let us know who you think makes the best "frizzled rib-eye steak, melted cheese and grilled onions on an Italian loaf"... otherwise known as the Philly Cheese Steak.

The Philadelphia area offers numerous opportunities for fun, interactive lessons in early American history for kids and adults, very fitting activities for this summer, as the nation commemerates the 150th anniversary of the Civil War.

Looking for a little indoor adventure to help pass the cold winter months? Something exciting – and fun for the kids – that won’t break your budget? Well, take a peek below the waves. There are some thrilling new exhibits making a splash (no pun intended) at these aquariums.

“If you stand quietly, one of them might land on you.” So said “Butterfly Mike,” butterfly keeper for the Butterflies! exhibit at The Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia. Not likely, I thought, with a couple dozen other noisy lookiloos lurking about.

Philadelphia’s vast public art collection offers a no-charge way to soak up culture