ViaggiDiDolce: Pennsylvania

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Philadelphia Museum of Art

Last summer, my law school gang got together in Philadelphia where two members of our gang live. The best part of the trip was obviously spending time with my friends. But, one of my favorite parts when exploring Philadelphia was visiting the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

This is one of the most famous art museums in the United States. It was founded over 125 years ago in conjunction with the Cenntennial Exposition of 1876. Today, the musuem is unfortunately known to most Americans because of the famous scene from "Rocky" where Rocky Balboa jogs up the steps of the museum and triumphantly raises his arms in the air. Many many people run up the stairs like Rocky all day long. There is actually an hysterical video on YouTube of some Catholic monks doing their best Rocky impersonations. My husband grew up watching these movies with his dad, so he made sure to take his turn running like Rocky as well. There is a Rocky statue at the bottom of the museum and an imprint of his footprints at the top of the stairs. So if you are going there as a Rocky fanatic, don't worry, you will definitely get your fix.

However, if you are going to the art museum to, you know, see art, you will not be disappointed. The Philadelphia Museum of Art has a fabulous art collection. There is a reconstruction of an Asian tea house in the museum which is very cool. There are medieval armor exhibits, which you know all the men love. There are even bizarre modern art installations. So, there is pretty much something for everyone. Additionally, the musuem has numerous special exhibitions a year which will not disappoint. We saw a fabulous exhibit on Renoir's Late Period that had a very interesting and informative audioguide.

The museum itself is also beautiful. It is a huge marble building that looks like what you want a museum to look like. It sits at the end of one of the main streets in Philadelphia so you have a very enjoyable walk to the musuem plus a great view from the top.

TIP: You can buy your tickets to the museum online ahead of time, which is especially helpful when you want to see one of the many short-term exhibitions.

When visiting Philadelpia, you will see many historical sites. I would definitely make time in your sight-seeing schedule to spend some time at this famous art museum.

Philadelphia Museum of Art
26th Street and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Philadelphia, PA 19130
(215) 763-8100
www.philamusuem.org

Friday, February 18, 2011

Hershey Hotel and Spa

This week's post is a Valentine's Day themed post. When I think of Valentine's Day, I think of the traditional trappings of the holiday...flowers and chocolate. And when I think of chocolate, I think of Hershey, Pennsylvania, specificially the Hershey Hotel and Spa.

Hershey, Pennsylvania, as you may have deduced, is the home of Hershey's Chocolates. And when you got to Hershey, you will see the entire town has been taken over by the chocolate magnate.

As you would hope, all of the Hershey attractions are filled with chocolate. Free candies as far as the eye can see. Decedant desserts at every restaurant. And even people dressed up like chocolate. You have not lived until you have had your picture taken with a giant Hershey's Kiss!

There is Hershey's Chocolate World, an adorable amusement park called Hersheypark and smaller hotels all with a chocolate theme. But the main attraction for the adults is the very posh Hershey Hotel and Spa.

The Hershey Hotel is a four star hotel created in 1933. It is a large hotel decorated in a very old-fashioned way. This is not a place you will find stark surroundings or hip techno music. It is very elegant, though you will notice the little Hershey touches throughout, like a chocolate Disneyworld. It undertook an expansion in 2009 to update the Hotel. Besides the main Hotel, it now features woodside multi-bedroom cottages.

In the Hotel, the main restaurant is the Circular Dining Room, which an extremely nice restaurant of the type where men have to wear jackets to even walk through the door. It is surrounded in glass and looks out onto the gardens. It is truly lovely and the food is top quality. There is also an Italian restaurant, an American restaurant and a coffee shop. There is also a poolside restaurant and a bar/lounge.

The Spa is also very posh and is well-known for its chocolate treatments. I soaked in a chocolate bath, but you can also get a chocolate massage, a chocolate facial, a Chocolate Bean Polish or a Chocolate Fondue Wrap. It is all extremely decadant.

The Hershey Hotel also offers many recreational acitivities, including golf, a pool, basketball, volleyball, ice-skating, tennis, hiking trails, and a fitness center.

TIP: The Hershey Hotel can be quite expensive, so check out the Hershey Lodge. It is also owned by the Hershey company, but is more reasonably priced. You can still eat at the restaurants at the Hershey Hotel and partake in the Spa.

If you are looking for a get-away with a decadent touch, I would highly recommend travelling to Hershey and immersing yourself in the world of chocolate.