mvg

My family and I will be attending a wedding on New Years in Doylestown, PA. I would like to stay at a B&B for a few days, then drive to Philadelphia for the sights and (most importantly) the Mummers Parade. I have a few problems however: I am not familiar with the area, I have a 6-year old son, and the wedding takes place New Years Eve. I've done some research already but I would like your input on what not to miss this time of the year and the best kid-friendly B&B and city hotel (in the $200 range). We will be arrriving 12/29 and our departure is flexible (1/3-1/6). And yes, we will be renting a car.

Suki

I can't be too helpful to you, but I would suggest that you repost with Philadelphia in the title. The Mummer's Parade is back on Broad Street so you might want to look for a hotel close to there. I know that there is a Doubletree right on Broad. For a B&B in Bucks County, I would do an internet search and then ask about locations or specific properties.

Andrew

Well, Bucks County is beautiful and there are great drives up Upper Bucks County in the farm country, but not so much in the winter. Doylestown is a neat little town, though. Doylestown's Mercer Museum for example is a unique collection of old stuff including old farming stuff, tools, native American stuff, etc. The museum itself is one of the most unusual buildings you will ever see:

www.mercermuseum.org

You could always visit Peddler's Village in Lahaska to do some shopping (Cock N' Bull is a well-regarded restaurant in the heart of PV) or keep going to trendy, quaint New Hope.

There's Washington's Crossing nearby, too. They usually re-enact the crossing on Christmas Day if the weather isn't horrible - but you may not get there in time.

By the way, should you want to stay in Doylestown and want to spare the drive to Philly, there is a SEPTA train from Doylestown to downtown. Or drive to Warminster and take the (quicker) train from there. Try http://www.septa.org .

It sounds like you want to stay in Philly and not Doylestown, perhaps because there are so few hotels in the area (not sure WHY so few!). Willow Grove is probably the closest area with decent hotels - unless you want to try the Court House Inn, a 1-star(?) hotel that isn't even at the Court House. (sigh). The hotel is nothing fancy but it is OK, according to relatives.

Andrew

dbenya

A couple of Mummers Parade tips: The parade can be slowed, or even canceled, because of the weather. Even when the weather is good, there can be long, bathroom-less breaks between the comic brigades, string bands and fancy divisions. The parade begins early in the morning and goes on until after dark and is televised locally. It's a really good idea to book a hotel on or near the parade route where you can either take breaks or watch the parade down below.

Historically the parade steps off in South Philadelphia and ends at City Hall. It's a long, long way. In the last few years there's been a movement to follow a shorter route along Market Street with the fancy divisions performing at the Convention Center. That may happen again this year.

A couple of hotels with good position on Broad Street would be the Park Hyatt at the Bellevue (which has a kid-friendly food court in the lower lobby), the Ritz Carlton and the Doubletree.

Market Street hotels would include a Marriott (which is connected to the Convention Center) and a Loews.

See www.mummers.com for everything you'd like to know -- and more -- about the parade.

KEC

Where is the wedding? I live in Doylestown, so I might be able to help you out with figuring out the location of your B&B compared to where you will be going. There are a couple of cute places to stay right in town (Doylestown Inn - newly renovated, and a brand new B&B - I don't remember the name, but I can look next time I drive by). They both would be in walking distance to the restaurants & museums in D-town. The Mercer museum would be fun for your 6 year-old (take a look at the website) & the Fonthill Museum is pretty cool too.

Peddlers Village is a neat place to go (about 10 minutes from D-Town) & there is a place to stay there too (Golden Plough Inn). http://www.peddlersvillage.com/
Your 6 year-old might like the Giggleberry Fair that they have there (see the website).

If you are interested in the places to stay right in D-town though, let me know & I will check out the names (I literally live right down the street).

And let me know where the wedding is because that might help in determining where you should stay.

kg

I'd like to second the recommendation for the Golden Plough Inn at Peddlers Village. It is close to Doylestown for your wedding, and has a great place for kids with a Carousel. There are 3 or 4 restaurants in Peddlers Village (and shops), but I can't be sure what will be open on New Years.
I'm from Philly and I've been to the Mummers parade only once. the bad weather that time of year usually keeps me indoors.
Be wary of that is you go, and be advised that the string bands don't play until late afternoon- so if you decide to go early morning.... be prepared for a very long day!

Giovanna

You have received excellent advice from Andrew and the person who lives in Doylestown. I have a dear friend who lives in New Hope (this great town sadly had flooding with these recent storms, but should be okay by year's end). Used to visit every year and think you might enjoy New Hope. I loved the Mercer Museum and Peddlar's Village was fun. There's much to do in Bucks County and excellent restaurants abound.

lesliec1

If you're traveling with a 6-year-old, I'd recommend visiting the Academy of Natural Sciences at 19th and the BFranklin Parkway downtown (don't miss their Outside In section for younger kids) and the Franklin Institute Science Museum at 22nd and the Parkway. They have tons of things to see and do, and both places are indoors. The Mummers Parade is boring to many adults, so it could be awful for little kids. Big waits between acts, cold temperatures, crowds. About an hour is sufficient viewing for most people. Also, many of the paraders and parade watchers are seriously intoxicated--kind of a tradition. Your best bet would be to stay in a hotel that overlooks the parade route. Some offer Mummers specials. You can view the parade, but also eat, use the bathroom, watch the Rose Bowl Parade on TV, stay warm, etc. My feeling about B&Bs is that, even if they are kid-friendly, mom and dad end up having to be super-vigilant about noise, breaking things, bothering others, etc. An ideal hotel with a 6-year old is a suite hotel, where the adults can retreat to their own room for privacy and there are kitchen facilities for snacks, refrigerating antibiotics (don't kids always get sick when they travel?), drinks. There are also usually two TVs, so parents don't have to watch cartoons. Philadelphia has lots of transportation that is fun for 6-year olds who don't live in such an urban environment. The train, the Frankford Elevated train, the fabulous old subway surface car can provide great amusement for 6-year olds. Your son is not too young to enjoy seeing the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall and learning a bit about history. From there, you can walk to the waterfront area where there is an old ship (the Olympia) and an old submarine you can tour. There's an excellent (fancy) restaurant there housed in an old ship, the Moshulu. Also, in winter they open an ice skating rink, the Blue Cross RiverRink along the river at Penn's landing, so that is fun for the whole family. Near Independence Hall, you can also get horse-drawn carriage rides around this part of town. They are expensive, but fun. The Phila. Museum of Art (26th St. and the Parkway) is wonderful and has stuff that can interest kids, like armor and various children's activities. Depending on the preferences of your son, he may enjoy the Please Touch Museum for younger kids. Their exhibits typically appeal to toddlers up to young elementary school students, and they often have special events. For something different, you could drive about an hour to the Crayola crayon factory and take a tour. Check out their website for the hours. The Nutcracker ballet will be playing at the Academy of Music, and that is a treat for some kids, but not necessarily 6-year old boys. Only you know that. You must pre-order tickets. If the weather is nice, visit Manayunk, which aside of its parking problems, offers cute shops, nice restaurants and a little canal-path trail that runs along the river and is fun for burning off children's excess energy. You can also rent bikes in Manayunk, though I'm not sure about doing that in winter.

strass

I grew up near Doylestown and went to high school there--just another vote for Peddler's Village (I loved it as a kid!) and New Hope, which I still miss. The Doylestown Inn is a beautiful place to stay. Doylestown itself is just a neat town to walk around in... very picturesque, lots of beautiful old Victorian houses, etc.

KEC

OK, in case this is helpful to anyone...

The new B&B in town is called The Historic 1814 House - Inn on Main. It looks very nice from the outside. It is in town, so you can walk to everything.

lisabees

Check out the Wedgewood Inn - close to Peddler's village and Doylestown. We've stayed there and LOVE it - it is also kid-friendly. At Peddler's Village, there is a place called Giggleberry Fair - carousel and other kid-friendly things. A nice stop after the adults get their fill of shopping in little boutique shops.

My kids love the Franklin Institute and the Academy of Natural Sciences. The Please Touch Museum will probably be too young for your son.

Have fun!

Lisa