metoo

When would you consider the best time for 5 adults (who are interested in history and museums as well as discovering local culture) to plan a visit to the eastern half of Pennsylvania? Right now we are thinking of spending 10 days or so in late May or early June. Fall is, unfortunately, not an option as one of us is a college student. We'd prefer to minimize crowds yet have relatively good weather.

We are currently considering visiting Gettysburg, Lancaster and historic Philly areas. What would you recommend as "don't miss" experiences?

We would also appreciate housing suggestions particularly if you have information beyond what we can find in AAA TourBooks.

Thank you!

J_Correa

I would think May would be better to avoid the summer heat and humidity. We were there several years ago in mid June and it was really hot. Coming from California, we could handle the hot, but it was the high humidity that did us in.

Corbin

I think that late May would be a better time to vist PA. The weather in May is nicer, June can be a bit himid. Also in May you won't have to contend with kids who are out of school.

There's a lot of history in Philadelphia, so that is definitely a do not miss. I have not been to other places on your list. I do know that Lancaster is in the Amish area, which is an intersting place to visit. I will have to get out there sometime.

In Philly the best place to stay would be downtown (Center City). Thre are a number of nice hotels along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Rittenhouse Square, Old City, and Society Hill areas of downtown. If you could provide a price range and type of hotel I could give you more specifics.

www.gophila.com

metoo

Thank you for the fast feedback!

As for accomodations, we prefer *** but are okay with ** if clean. It does have to be nonsmoking. I generally prefer to keep housing costs under $100/night though I understand that may not be possible in the city.

What is public transportation/parking like in the Center City area of Philly? I'm not a big fan of doing a lot of driving around unfamiliar cities, preferring public transportation or hotel shuttles whenever possible.

GailLK

I'd go in May since everything is usually still blooming at this time. I love Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, PA in May. It's really beautiful, if you like gardens. Not that far from Philly and Wilmington, DE, which also has some interesting DUPONT Mansions....

Corbin

Public transportation is great in Philadelphia. Cabs are also plentiful. There's a SEPTA (Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority) train (R1) which you can take from Philadelphia Airport to Center City for $5.50 each way.

Some hotels to look into:

Old City:

Holiday Inn Philadelphia Historic District

http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/hi/...phlim?irs=null

Best Western Independence Park Hotel

http://www.independenceparkhotel.com/Default.htm



Benjamin Franklin Parkway/Museums District:

Embassy Suites

http://www.embassysuites.com/en/es/h...tyhocn=PHLDTES

Hotel Windsor

http://www.windsorhotel.com/index_ho...dsor&fr=fp-top



Avenue of the Arts/South Broad Street:

DoubleTree Hotel

http://www.doubletree.com/en/dt/hote...tyhocn=PHLBLDT



City Hall area:

Courtyard by Marriott

http://www.marriott.com/courtyard/dp...VCEC=InProcess


During the spring and summer the hotels often have a deal during the weekends where you can get 2 night for the price of one with parking included.

For a great overvies of Philadelphia I highly recommend taking a guided tour. There is a Big Bus double decker and a Philadelphia Trolley tour.

http://www.bigbus.co.uk/phila/html/phila_home.html

http://www.phillytour.com/

Linda0515

I live in Lancaster and both May and June are beautiful here. There's always the risk of an unseasonably cold spell in May and an unseasonably hot spell in June, of course.

When people visit me, I usually simply take them on a drive through the Amish area, which is basically the eastern half of the county. If you like upscale shopping, Donecker's in Ephrata has beautiful clothes, furniture, and a restaurant. If you prefer discount shopping, Route 30 east of Lancaster (we all call it Route 30 East) has two huge outlet shopping centers: Rockvale Square and Tanger Outlets.

Outside of Lancaster County but nearby, Longwood Gardens (southwest of Philadelphia) is always beautiful, and nearby is a real find: the Herr's snack food plant with real factory tours, including potato chips fresh out of the oven and out of this world. We take people there a lot.

West of Lancaster is Hershey, another nice stop. Chocolate World is a free ride that demonstrates how chocolate is made, the Hershey Museum is interesting, and the Hershey Gardens are beautiful. (If you want to splurge, the Hotel Hershey is magnificent.)

Hope you have a great trip!

saglassman

Public transportation in Philly is excellent. If you stay in the Old City area - 4th, 5th, 6th St. - you will be walking distance of most of the historic sights. Otherwise, it would be a very short bus ride.

Our new Constitution Center is a must. Allow at least a few hours.
In fact, make sure you have at least a few days here. There is so much to see and do! There is an excellent Visitor's Center at 6th and Market.

If you are seniors, your Medicare card allows you to ride public transportation free except during rush hour.

Enjoy our wonderful city!

Sylvia

BTilke

I suggest you also consider doing a day trip to historic Bethlehem. It's a beautiful, compact area and a historically important area (there's more to eastern PA than Philadelphia and the Amish country).

Linda0515

I had a couple more thoughts after my first post...

Near Longwood Gardens is Chadds Ford, home of the Wyeths' museum. It's beautiful and well worth a stop.

In Ephrata (Lancaster County) is the Cloisters--the buildings used by an austere sect in the 19th century. Very interesting.

Strasburg (Lancaster County) is something of a railroad mecca--the state railroad museum is there, as well as the Strasburg Railroad (a charming 1-hour ride on an old train, with lunch or dinner a nice option), and several museums featuring miniature railroads. All a lot of fun.

Adamstown, in northern Lancaster County, and New Oxford, in Adams County near Gettysburg, are both major antique meccas. Adamstown has several "malls" of dealers, usually featuring collectibles more than furniture. New Oxford tends more toward furniture.

metoo

Thank you all so much for your very helpful replies and suggestions. They are greatly appreciated--you have made a difference!