May will be a great time to do some walking. Check out the azalea gardens behind the Museum of Art. They should be beautiful around 1st to 2nd week of May.

After giving your predicament some thought, I feel that you should bite the bullet and stay in town. For what you would save being out of town and getting into town for the convention it's probably a wash. Center city has so much to see and experience, it could be considered one of the best cities for walking around the business district, in America-old and new all meshed together. I'm sure with all the hotels in downtown Philly there have got to be some bargains to be had, by the way as I type this reply the average gas prices are creaping over $1.30 a gallon . Must see and must do.... Phila. Art Museum-free admission Sunday mornings-you can stay till closing, also as mention in earlier posts the Barnes Foundation-just outside Philly-has one of the best collections of impressionist art in the world-must make appointment..the new Kimmel Center is home to the Phila. Orchestra, Lancaster county is worth a day trip to see-Amish history still going on. If your interested in archeology there's the Penn Museum on U of P campus a great place to visit. Just wandering around center city, whether it be Rittenhouse Square or Society Hill there's beautiful old architecture; there are plenty of bargain restaurants around, china town, penn campus area, south philly. Come and enjoy

Absolutely fantastic helpful replies, thank you. I know that I am going to have a wonderful time and I know that H is going to play hooky from the conference so that he can come too ( that excludes shopping though.
Sounds as though Philly has some really nice people in it.
Liz

In May, the gardens at Winterthur, another du Pont family estate just outside of Wilmington (a 35-mile drive from Phila) are absolutely breathtaking.
Plus, there's no sales tax on anything in Delaware!

There is a Courtyard by Marriott in Devon. Also one in Valley Forge. The Devon one is just down the road from the Septa train line that goes into Philly. Its on the Paoli line. Devon is in the Main Line area. A very nice area with good shopping, restaurants, etc. You can check rates at www.marriott.com Have fun.

Longwood gardens is a must, You leave the gardens with a renewed appreciation for nature and beauty. Try and go when the water fountains are on though.

Jean, the original poster has already been back home from her trip for 5 months.