I visited Philadelphia, a favorite city of mine.  A couple of colleagues and I flew in to NYC on Hawaiian Airlines and hired a private driver to take us to Philadelphia. We could have rented a car but since there were three of us who could split the cost, we took the redeye and planned on taking a nap on the car ride. We were there for a conference and stayed at the conference hotel, the Loews Philadelphia Hotel. My room was spacious and comfortable and the location of the hotel is perfect for exploring!

Located in the nation’s first skyscraper, the Loews Philadelphia Hotel combines living history with warm sophistication. The hotel takes full advantage of the historical features of the building. FUN FACT: The once three-story banking room is now a beautiful banquet space that has preserved the historical features, such as the bank’s safe, Cartier clocks, and original marble.

Our hotel was right across the street from Reading Terminal and it was just about lunchtime so my colleagues and I headed to get some food before a tour we booked.  I stopped at Spataro’s and had my first Philly cheesesteak sandwich of the trip.  And tater tots.  I love tater tots!

After lunch, we headed to the meeting spot where we met our Urban Adventures tour guide for our History to Happy Hour tour.  Philadelphia is so full of history and we were so lucky to have Adam as our tour guide. He is a history buff with a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in American History. He loves history and sharing history so much that this is his full-time job. His passion for history came through as we visited sites and learned about Betsy Ross, Ben Franklin, Chief Tamanend, the U.S. Constitution, and slavery. In addition, we stopped at a few places that had great Philadelphia beer and eats.  This is the perfect tour for me!

After our tour, we headed back to the hotel, met the rest of our group and got ready for our conference starting the next day.  More Philly fun to come!  Living Hilo Style in Philly!