You're close to Chinatown there, and the Imperial Inn is a good spot for dinner: usually enough room, nice variety of food. For lunch, there's the Reading Terminal Market right at your door, and there are the chain restaurants Maggiano's (Italian) and The Melting Pot right across from the hotel. If you can venture further afield, though, there are a ton of great restaurants; just let us know your preferences.

For the walking/browsing, again there's the Reading Terminal Market, with its Amish booths and various sellers of both foods and other goods; you can also go to the Wanamaker building (now Macy's department store) and hear an organ concert at noon and 5:30 (check for times to be sure) and see the "iggle; tour City Hall, one of my favorite places in the city for all it's being so over the top: http://www.phila.gov/virtualch/body_pages/visitorinfo.html All of this is within two-three blocks of your hotel. For the historic sites (Independence Hall, et al) you can start at the Visitor Center at 6th and Market; it's walkable for most, but you can also take the el train down or catch a bus if you have an interest in those places.

Enjoy the Flower Show and the rest of your trip!

> places that will not require reservations and aren't too loud

If you'll sacrifice that last requirement, then the Reading Terminal Market is a MUST. Lots of variety of good food at good prices. Problem is, it will be VERY crowded and noisy during this time.

> Any suggestions for places near the hotel for walking/browsing

Take the Market-Frankford Subway Line (aka the "Blue Line") east (ie, towards Frankford) from 13th Street Station and get off at Fifth Street. As you walk out of the station, gaze at the place where the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and the Bill of Rights were all adopted.

> My mother gets tired easily and needs frequent access to bathrooms

Then perhaps the best thing to do is for her to relax at the Independence Visitors Center while you wander around Independence NHP. Do *NOT* tour either the Liberty Bell Pavilion or Independence Hall, as there are NO bathrooms, and not many places to sit, anywhere in either building.

*IF* the weather is nice, wander south on Broad Street to Walnut Street, then turn west (right) to Rittenhouse Square.

You've been given good ideas. I third Reading Terminal Market, but PaulRabe is right that during the Flower Show it will get very, very busy. But it's truly not to be missed and you'll be right there, so find your mother a seat and then wander around and bring her back something yummy.

I also like the idea of wandering down Broad to Walnut and over to Rittenhouse. In case you weren't sure, that's from your hotel that you'd do that, not from the Independence Visitors Center area.

Do tell us a little about your food preferences, we'd be glad to try to help.

Was the second place prize three nights in Philly with Mom. Sorry, a very old joke, I could not control myself.

Adu, not only old but terribly out-of-date. Y'all need to come on down and really explore sometime.

I have cousins and friends who live in Philly and the environs. In fact one goes to Temple and another is getting a PhD at Penn. My cousin was a lawyer for many years in a Philly white shoe law firm.

To the OP, thanks for posting this. We live in the DC area and I've been trying to come up w/a 2 day trip for my daughter's college spring break next wk. After seeing your post, have decided to go to Philly for the flower show and the Van Gogh exhibit at the Philly Art Museum also. Unlike past years, there are some very good hotel deals close to the convention center right now for next wk.

Adu, many of us wish that we could score that second prize and do what the OP is doing w/their Mom. My Mom has advanced Alzheimers and I can't do anything like this w/her any more.

I am just going to throw out this idea since your Mom is getting up there in years. Is your Mom totally adverse to using a portable wheelchair in travel situations like this? Back before my Mom's Alz. got really bad, I got her a very lightweight very portable wheeelchair (wt. 13 lbs, small wheels, must be pushed annot by the person in it, really folded up compact, $129) on Amazon and when we went on these types of excursions where quite a bit of walking was involved, we used it. I doubt it would wrk at the flower show, too crowded?, but it might really help her stamina for the walking involved just getting out of the hotel (that Courtyard hotel is a BIG place), getting to and around Reading Terminal Mkt, to restaurants in the area, etc.

On Amazon, if you put in portable wheelchair and search, it is the 1st one that comes up, and it is now $129.

oops, correction, $139

I think a light wheelchair would be manageable at the flower show. It's crowded, but not quite that bad. I'm trying to remember if I've ever done it with a stroller, and can't, but I think it should be okay.

Reading Terminal Market is really bananas during the Flower show. If you're going, I would try to get in there as early as possible. City Tavern is very pleasant, but it is a cab ride from where you are, and it might not be a bad idea to make a reservation. The Independence visitor's center is a very pleasant building, with lots of seating, good potties, a snack bar, a couple of interesting displays, and a nice gift shop. Not a major attraction, but a perfectly good place to spend a little time, and let your mom rest while you take a peek at something else. They often have interpreters there as well.

Thanks for some great suggestions. I think we can rent a wheelchair at the flower show-I might ask my mom if she would like to do that. We may skip the Independence Hall area since we have toured it many (many) years ago. The Reading Terminal sounds interesting. I'll just find my mom a bathroom and a bench and I'll explore! As for food-I really do like a wide variety as long as it's not fast food! I would like to try some place that is not a chain (although two of my favorite restaurants are Carrabbas and Bonefish Grill). Any good authentic (Japanese owned and run) Japanese restaurants around?

Mixx Fusions and Sushi is at 1002 Arch Street (right down from the Convention Center.) I was just in there the other night and got take-out; I'd been at the CC helping to do set-up of the Flower Show. (By the way, the new layout looks like it might be even easier for wheelchair users; I'm actually not totally thrilled with the layout, myself, but I can see where they are trying to make it a less-crowded experience for everyone.)

What I'd suggest for the Reading Terminal is that you ensconce Mom in your nice hotel room and go on over to do take-out and bring it back! There might not be a place for her to sit, and it is pretty mobbed during the show. There's a decent Japanese place there, too.

By the way, for some ideas on "going native" with your food, here's a list: http://www.fodors.com/community/united-states/and-nowthe-100-best-things-to-eat-in-philadelphia.cfm (Unfortunately--nay, almost tragically--Naked Chocolate is now closed.)

This might give you some ideas on where to go/what to do, and it's just my favorite trip report on Philadelphia ever: http://www.fodors.com/community/united-states/philly-pfriends-pfood-an-overly-verbose-trip-report.cfm

That trip report =

along w/3 of these:

Amy-thanks for the fodors links! Does the flower show take up the whole convention center? I'm really psyched about going especially with the Hawaiian theme!

I looked at the website for Reading Terminal and it looks great. I wonder if grabbing breakfast there would be less crowded, and then a late lunch (about 2?) This would be on Friday.

We might have to get to Macy's as well. We live somewhat in the boondocks and our local department stores are pretty dreadful.

It takes up the main room--the center has been enlarged of late, and there are various rooms. The Hawaii theme is really well done, and there are authentic hula dancers and such as well, along with vendors from Hawaii. If you go to www.philly.com, there are some videos and a lot of pictures; if you're on Facebook, check out the Philadelphia Flower Show page which shows you what it's like from the concrete floor up. It's hard to believe how much goes into it. (I worked with two of the displays, the main one and the one with the "turtle tatoos". Didn't have time to help much, but I love getting my hands in the dirt.)

You could try the Terminal, but I'd be sure to have a back-up; it does get crazy busy Flower Show week, which I'd forgotten. And for Macy's, even if you don't get to shop much, just the store is awesome. Right close to your hotel is the Gallery Mall, as well; Burlington Coat Factory has some nice stuff at decent prices if you're in a shopping mood, and if you are a bargain hunter go further down to Ross. (I realize there are Ross's all over, but as one shopper there once said, "This...is the mother ship.")

I just got back from two days/days in Philly for the Flower Show and also the Van Gogh Exhibition at the Philly art Museum. Thanks to nonthompson for the inspiration for this last minute spring break trip w/my college-age daughter.

We stayed took Amtrak up from Alexandria, VA to Philly and stayed at the Four Points Center City at Race and 12th St. Literally next to the convention center. Booked a few days before we left, $159 a night, two double beds. Couldn't have been a nicer stay at this hotel. Free internet in the rms., w/2 computers and printers in the lobby. Nice little restaurant for breakfast; they are open for dinner but I wouldn't do that here, too many other good options nearby. Bar also, w/happy hr. Rooms nice, foyer w/hardwood floor when you step in, good thermostat/air control, clean, big enough, good bathroom, nice view, nice flat screen TV. And this TV had more GOOD pay per view movies than I have ever seen in any hotel anywhere. We took advantage of that both nights after dinners out, we were so tired from the WALKING.

HIGHLY recommend the Van Gogh exhibit. We got timed tickets on the websirte. There is a good package deal on theFlower Show website - if you buy your flower show tix online then you get a discount on the Van Gogh tix, they send you a link to use for the Van Gogh tix. I have been the the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam and have seen Van Gogh pieces at other museums, but this exhibition was special. It focused on his period at Arles and also his time at the Asylum, thos lovely landscape that he saw from his window. And the piece he painted for Theo's son, cherry blossoms blooming, was marvelous. One thing abt Van Gogh. You can't experience much about his work from seeing it online or in a book, bc he uses SO MUCH texture w/the thick oil paints and so much depth w/his manipulation of the horizons, and those aspects just do not come out except in the original paintings.

This exhibit was moderately crowded, but it never interfered w/me being able to see a painting up close. We wanted to see the Zaha Hadid Art in Motion exhibition but we just didn't have time - it is in a 2nd bldg. and requires a shuttle bus to get there.

The Flower Show: Yes, it is crowded. We went at 10:30 to give the opening rush a chance to get in. Though ti woudl clear out a bit at lunch time, but it didn't. People did have strollers; nonthompson you can navigate a wheelchair for your Mom there, but she might not be able to see some of the exhibits (like the main Hawaiii one w/the volcanoe, waterfall, etc.) from the wheelchair. It was crowded in the main hall, and in the halls outwide that are aprt of the show, where the workshops and more exhibits are, and the part in the area by the main entrance where the "Hawaii Marketplace" is set up.

In spite of the crowds, the show was fun and very very colorful and we enjoyed it. But I was glad we only went one day. Lot of creative "ooo, aaahhhh" exhibits. A fun exhibit on pop-culture. Marketplace area was fun, lots of cool plants and flowers for sale, gardening tools, gardening and flower-themed items. I did buy a wonderful stem of cut orchids ($8 at the ACME flower stand, good values) and some really exotic flowers from Maui at the Maui flower stand right inside the main entrane (Ginger flower, huge and exotic, should last 3 wks = $10). We got some lucky bamboo stalks too.

Reading Terminal Market, went there (it is attached to the Convention Center) both days for lunch. It was A ZOO. Not as bad as Midtown Manhattan close to Christmas, but really crowded. However, we hardly had to wait for food and to get waited on at the stands, they had a lot of help and moved things along at all the booths where we shoopped. Brought back some D'Brunos deli meat sticks and cheeses, Amish foods, etc. noanthompson, I think you might have a really hard time navigating Reading Terminal w/your Mom w/the crowds there. Instead, you might try the Field House for lunch- it is a large restaurant and bar inside the convention center. It was a 20 min. wait the day we were there. Lots of space for your Mom there, pretty good lunch food and a beer hit the spot for me.

My advise is to MAKE RESERVATIONS before you go for dinner. We had reservations at Sampan for dinner on night #1, but we cancelled it since we had opted for Thai food at Reading Terminal for lunch (and what amazing Thai food it was, $2.50 for shrimp coconut soup w/the best fresh lemongrass in it, $5 for vegetarian red curry full of fresh veggies and 3 kinds of mushrooms w/rice, OMG it was good). But this left us without a dinner spot- I tried to get lastminute reservations for several other places in the area that serve tapas and we coudl not get in anywhere. We ended up at Tria on 12th St., they do not take reservations and told us on the phone it woudl be about 20 min., at the door they told us 20 min, and it took 1 hr - they literally seated everyone else who cam ei after us and bc we were only two peole it took an hr to get seeted. Food pretty good but NOT worth the wait and aggravation of being LIED to repeatedly about the wait.

So make dinner reservations BEFORE you leave home! They city is full w/the flower show and the Van Gogh exhibition and everything else.

Consider taking Mom to the Van Gogh exhibit. You can get through it easily in one hr. even listening to the audio tour (which is part fo the ticket), 1.5 hrs to go back and relook at the ones you really like.

Glad you enjoyed your visit.
Hope you return to our fair area soon.