{Philly Love} Big Bus via CityPass

We were supposed to go to the Outer Banks for our vacation this year. And...well.... we discovered that we couldn't make it this year because we  are suffering from a rare Hawaiian disease and ....lackamulah. Ba dump bump...Hilarious..I know... So, instead we (or I) decided to have a STAYcation. We were planning on going to the Camden Aquarium one day but at 25 bucks a pop we decided to go the City Pass route instead. What is the CityPass, you ask? Well, it's a pass you purchase which allows you to see SIX (in Philly) attractions within 8 days for 50% less than the normal cost. We became tourists for the week. First stop? The Philadelphia Big Bus Tour.

Our lovely tour guide, Ginger. The tour was my favorite stop out of all six things we did. My husband has lived here all his life and said he learned more about the history of Philadelphia on that tour than his whole life...I think that may be an exaggeration..but hey...we still learned tidbits of random knowledge. Like, did you know that before they gave Independence Hall the respect it deserves that there was an animal pound in the basement in the 70s, I believe?  

The Ben Franklin Bridge

Betsy Ross House

City Hall

Here's my favorite building in the entire city! City Hall. Did you know that it's on ten acres and went 34 (ish, I can't remember exactly, lol) over schedule so that the architect was dead before it was finished?

And William Penn at the top  was supposed to be the highest structure in the city? Maybe this stuff doesn't fascinate you, but I'm a big dork who LOVES history and really cool architecture like this. It amazes me every time I drive or go downtown...I really have to be careful when I'm driving because I tend to stare at it as we round City Hall and don't want to get in an accident.

It was pretty cool. Oh, and it went through China Town which is the 3rd largest China Town in a major city in the U.S. We also have a Friendship Gate which is a symbol of the friendship between Philadelphia and Tianjin, China and is the only Friendship Gate outside of China? And it has not nails or glue. Basically it's a big jigsaw puzzle. It's another thing I tend to stare at, which in China Town is not so safe because of all the people walking around...Eyes on the road, eyes on the road...I gotta remember to tell myself that.

So, I would most definitely recommend the Philadelphia Big Bus Tour. If you're going to do the City Pass, then use the Big Bus Tour, otherwise there is actually another bus company which picks up across the street from them and they take you to a few more stops. What's cool about both is that if you start early then you can get off at the stops and get back on. They come around every 15-30 minutes from 9 until 4/4:30 and you can actually use it for 24 hours so if you're staying in Center City then it's a great deal.

**This is NOT a Paid Post...We just had a blast and thought I'd share it with you**