Win A Dream Trip To Philadelphia - Enter The Sweepstakes For A Chance To Win A Luxury Overnight Stay, Free Airfare And Much More!

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PHILADELPHIA

Win a 3 night dream trip for 2 to the City of Brotherly Love. Step back in time at Independence Hall. Eat you way through Reading Terminal Market or down hip East Passyunk Avenue. stand like Rocky, arms outstretched, at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Win this trip to enjoy Philadelphia, from the historic sites and museums to the city's trendy neighborhoods and nightlife scene. Prize includes airfare and luxury accommodations for two, plus so much more. Must be 21 to enter. Open to U.S. residents only. Enter daily until August 31, 2014.

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Travelore News: Philadelphia Hotels Best Rated In US

Overnight visitors to Philadelphia are usually very happy with their hotel choices. In fact, according to a recent survey from TravelMag.com, hotels in Pennsylvania's largest city have earned the distinction of being the best rated in the United States.

The survey compared 30 main destinations in the United States using the customer reviews their hotels have received over the past 12 months as the basis of comparison. Specifically, all reviews of 3- and 4-star hotels posted by guests on the hotel booking site Expedia following their stay were taken into account and were categorized into either positive, neutral or negative assessments.

In Philadelphia, 71% of all 3-star and 83% of all 4-star hotel reviews have been positive over the last year. On the other hand, only 11% of 3-star and 5% of 4-star Philadelphia guests have been disappointed with their accommodations. Overall, hotels in the City of Brotherly Love have achieved the best evaluation among all 30 destinations analyzed by the survey.

Among the other destinations on the survey with top hotel ratings are Chicago, Seattle, Boston and Washington, DC. Meanwhile, Las Vegas ranks at the very bottom of the list. Indeed, less than 50% of customers have been happy with their Sin City hotel over the past 12 months, while more than 25% of these guests awarded their accommodations a negative rating.

Interestingly, for certain destinations such as Charlotte, Indianapolis and New York City, there is no significant difference between the average rating for 3-star hotels and 4-star hotels. Given that the price for a 4-star hotel can sometimes be up to 50% higher, budget-conscious travelers might be better served by opting for a 3-star hotel in these locale.

National Museum of American Jewish History Explores America’s Favorite Pastime in Chasing Dreams, The Groundbreaking Exhibition Opens in Philadelphia March 13, 2014

There are people whose contributions to baseball history went far beyond mere batting averages or stolen bases. They didn’t just play the game, they changed the game. For generations of American Jews and other minorities, they served as athletic, cultural, and ethical role models.

 On March 13, 2014, just in time for the start of baseball season, the National Museum of American Jewish History (NMAJH) will open a groundbreaking new exhibition highlighting these game changers and—just as importantly—the fans, ideals, and culture they inspired. Chasing Dreams: Baseball and Becoming American is the first large-scale exhibition to use the story of Jews and baseball as an opportunity to highlight ways in which our national pastime is part of the history, and ongoing story, of how immigrants and minorities of many different backgrounds—including Italians, Asians, Latinos, African-Americans, and many others—become American, to feel a part of the society in which they might otherwise be on the margins.

 The exhibition is co-curated by Dr. Josh Perelman, chief curator and director of collections and exhibitions at NMAJH, and Ivy Weingram, associate curator. It will be on view at the Museum through October 26, 2014.

With major support from the National Endowment for the Humanities, in close collaboration with Major League Baseball, and featuring important loans from the Baseball Hall of Fame, Chasing Dreams features more than 130 original objects, including game-worn uniforms, game-used objects, correspondence, newspaper accounts, board games, awards, baseball cards, signed baseballs, Jewish ritual objects, ballpark giveaways, stadium seats, Little League memorabilia, and more. Objects from the Museum’s collection will be complemented by loans from public and private collections, as well as the Museum’s public collecting initiative on Tumblr. Original films feature interviews with baseball executives and everyday fans. Interactive displays will offer visitors various opportunities to play, participate, and learn.

“Since the nineteenth century, baseball has been an exhilarating metaphor for America, a land of so much promise and opportunity,” says Perelman. “And for minority communities in this country, the sport has long served as a path to learning and understanding American values, representing a shared American identity and sometimes highlighting our differences. It is, in short, a mirror of America.”

Visitors to Chasing Dreams will explore baseball’s legends and myths, its heroes and flops, its struggles and its moments of triumph. The exhibition will celebrate well-known Jewish heroes such as Hank Greenberg and Sandy Koufax and iconic baseball pioneers like Jackie Robinson, Joe DiMaggio, Roberto Clemente, and Ichiro Suzuki, as well as baseball’s extended family of vendors, team owners, minor leaguers, amateur
players, scouts, broadcasters, journalists, novelists—and especially, fans. Chasing Dreams explores how baseball has served as an arena in which values, identity, ethnicity, and race have been projected, contested, and occasionally solidified. It poses questions such as: Why have so many immigrant groups and minority communities identified with, taken pride in, and felt connected to the nation’s pastime? Did baseball impact how American Jews established affinities with other racial and ethnic minorities? What does it mean that Jews consider Jackie Robinson to be one of their own heroes?

Chasing Dreams addresses these questions through the exhibition’s four key sections:
Introduction to the exhibition and early baseball history: Establishes the exhibition’s principal themes and immerses visitors in the early history of the game and its key figures, from Lipman Pike to Helen Dauvray and Barney Dreyfuss, co-inventor of the World Series.

Shaping Identity: Examines baseball as a lens through which to learn and understand the values of a rapidly changing nation. Features players such as Hank Greenberg and Joe DiMaggio, who proved their mettle on the field and in their conspicuous patriotism. Highlights Moe Berg, who showed that a catcher could also be a spy and Thelma “Tiby” Eisen of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, who proved that women could play at a competitive level.

Overcoming Adversity: Explores how baseball has been intertwined with the history of racial, ethnic, and gender integration, as well as the complexities of Jewish racial identity. Beginning with Jackie Robinson’s debut, this gallery features notable barrier-breakers such as Hank Aaron, Roberto Clemente, Ichiro Suzuki, and Justine Siegal, the first woman to pitch major league batting practice. Special attention will be paid to
Sandy Koufax, whose unparalleled athleticism yielded millions of flashbulb memories and whose decision not to pitch the first game of the 1965 World Series because it fell on Yom Kippur unexpectedly made him a hero

Family and Community: Examines how baseball has impacted communities, shaped relationships within families and established new, personal meanings for each generation of fans in Little League, at camp, or through ballpark concessions. This section will feature memorabilia culled from the Museum’s Tumblr-based public collecting initiative, objects related to broadcasters and journalists such as Mel Allen, more recent players like Shawn Green and Brad Ausmus, and an illustrated timeline of notable events in baseball history.
Within this thematic exploration, Chasing Dreams also provides several opportunities for pure, playful fun. Museum-goers are invited to interact with a simulation game created specifically for Chasing Dreams called Catching History. Visitors are invited to “field” balls hit by a variety of baseball greats and are rewarded with facts and trivia for every play. An interactive, touchscreen database entitled People of the Game will provide an encyclopedic exploration of approximately 200 Jews in the major leagues—each represented by a baseball card, as well as biographical and statistical information—and an opportunity to build one’s own virtual “dream team” which visitors can then e-mail to themselves. The Museum’s concourse level will feature Koufax on the Koncourse, an interactive experience complete with Koufax’s rookie jersey and a pitcher’s mound that invites baseball fans of all ages to don a reproduction jersey, then pick up a ball and try their hand at pitching like the indomitable Dodgers’ ace. As a celebration of passionate fandom, the Museum’s first floor will feature nearly 100 original baseball cards, along with some of their stories.

Chasing Dreams will be complemented by a dedicated website, educational and public programming, school curricula, and a family guide. Title I schools are eligible to bring their students to the exhibition free of charge and additional funding is available to subsidize other schools and camp groups. A fully illustrated, 256-page companion book will also be available. The book includes original pieces by more than 40 notable
authors, including John Thorn, the Official Historian of Major League Baseball who often appears on ESPN, MLB, The History Channel, and other television outlets as a sports authority and commentator; Ira Berkow, former New York Times sports columnist and recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting; Doug Glanville, retired major league player for the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, and Texas Rangers, an ESPN baseball analyst, and a regular contributor to ESPN.com and The New York Times. The book and related exhibition merchandise, including a set of baseball cards developed by Jewish Major Leaguers, Inc. for the Museum and the American Jewish Historical Society, will be available at the Museum Store onsite and online.

After closing in Philadelphia, Chasing Dreams will tour to museums nationwide. A panel version of the exhibition (without artifacts) will also travel to ballparks, historical societies, libraries, community centers, and synagogues.


Chasing Dreams has received the endorsement of MLB Commissioner Allan “Bud” Selig. The full project team in addition to Mr. Selig includes John Thorn (chief historian for Major League Baseball, Daniel Okrent (author of the baseball classic Nine Innings and first public editor of the New York Times), Josh Perelman (chief curator and director of collections and exhibitions at NMAJH), Martin Abramowitz (founding president of Jewish Major Leaguers, Inc.), Rabbi Rebecca Alpert (author and professor of religion at Temple University), Adrian Burgos, Jr., (author and director of graduate studies and professor of history at the University of Illinois), Jeffrey S. Gurock (Libby M. Klaperman Professor of Jewish History at Yeshiva University, as well as author and past-chair of the Academic Council of American Jewish Historical Society), Jane Leavy (journalist and Sandy Koufax biographer), Peter Levine (author and sports historian), William Ressler (assistant professor of strategic communication at Ithaca College), Steven A. Reiss (author and sports historian), Justine Siegal (barrier-breaking pitcher, coach and founder of the non-profit organization Baseball for All), Scott Simon (author, journalist, and host of NPR’s Weekend Edition), Ivy Weingram (NMAJH associate curator and co-curator of Chasing Dreams) and Beth Wenger (director of the University of Pennsylvania’s History Department and Jewish Studies program).



The National Museum of American Jewish History, located on historic Independence Mall in Philadelphia, brings to life the 360-year history of Jews in America. Tracing the stories of how Jewish immigrants became Jewish Americans, the Museum invites visitors of all backgrounds to share their own stories and reflect on how their histories and identities shape and are shaped by the American experience. An open door for all, NMAJH honors the past and contributes to a better future by sharing the power of imagination and ideas, culture and community, leadership and service, in ways that turn inspiration into action.

The National Museum of American Jewish History is located at 101 South Independence Mall East at the corner of Fifth and Market Streets in Philadelphia. Museum hours are Tuesday to Friday, 10:00 am - 5:00 pm, and Saturday and Sunday 10:00 am - 5:30 pm. NMAJH is closed most Mondays, including federal holidays and some Jewish holidays. Museum admission is $12.00 for adults, $11.00 for senior citizens and youth, free for children 12 and under, Museum Members, and active military with ID.

 For information on the Museum please call 215.923.3811 or visit the website at NMAJH.org.

Travelore Tips: 31 Reasons Philadelphia Is The Most Underrated City In America

The City of Brotherly Love doesn't actually seem to get much brotherly love from its east coast neighbors, New York City and Washington D.C. Meanwhile Los Angeles and San Francisco steal the glory on the opposite coast, and Chicago dominates the midwest. Being ranked the fattest and the ugliest big city in America probably doesn't help matters.

But when you're looking for an exciting American city to explore, Philadelphia deserves a second look. Whether you're into punk music or Impressionist art, competitive eating or fine dining, bike riding or marathon running, here's why Philly should be your next travel destination.

It has over 200 BYOB restaurants -- and almost none of them have corkage fees.

An unusually high proportion of Philly's restaurants are BYOB, due in part to the state's expensive liquor licenses. You can even use this interactive map to locate BYOB restaurants in 17 different Philly neighborhoods.

It's the most thrilling, raucous place to watch a sporting event.

According to almost any metric, Philadelphia fans are the most loyal fans in sports. Also: tailgating.

It is an American history nerd's Promised Land.

You've probably heard of the Liberty Bell, the famed Philadelphia Art Museum and Betsy Ross House, the latter of which honors the maker of the first American flag. But you can soak in even more history at the Mütter Museum (devoted to medical history and oddities), the National Museum of American Jewish History, The University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, the African American Museum, the Philadelphia Mint, the Mummers Museum, the Independence Seaport Museum, Elfreth's Alley (supposedly the country's "oldest residential street"), the American Swedish Historical Museum, Carpenters' Hall, City Tavern (a recreated version of the original 18th century tavern the Founding Fathers used to hang out at, which now serves authentic colonial recipes)... the list is endless.

The "Citywide Special" consists of a shot of Jim Beam and a can of PBR beer for just $3.

The insanely affordable combo, which legend has it was started at Bob & Barbara's on South Street, can be had in some form at over 20 bars in town.

Addison Street is arguably the prettiest street in the entire Northeast.

Located in Philadelphia's Rittenhouse Square neighborhood, this quiet, tree-lined street boasts the kind of picturesque brick townhouses you imagine the Founding Fathers once lived in.

The soft pretzels will change your mind about street food.

It's been said that soft pretzels are to Philadelphia as crepes are to Paris: You can get them for cheap, eat them on the go, buy them almost anywhere... and they will convince you that no other city's version is as good.

Or score pretzels from an actual establishment on the midnight Pretzel Ride.

Every Tuesday night right before midnight, carb-loving bike riders meet at the Art Museum and take off down to Center City Pretzel Co., where you can score several pretzels for just $1. Oh, and there's plenty of mustard and Cheez Whiz to top 'em off.

It's home to the Wing Bowl, one of the wildest competitive eating contests you've ever witnessed.

Founded in 1993 by two hosts of Philly's Sportsradio WIP station, the Wing Bowl takes place in Philly's Wells Fargo Center, home on the Flyers and the Sixers -- in other words, it draws HUGE crowds. If seeing people consume hundreds of chicken wings in a matter of minutes is your thing, this is the contest you need to see.

The city's massive Eastern State Penitentiary is the best time you've ever had at a prison.

In addition to historic tours narrated by Steve Buscemi, the Penitentiary also houses art exhibits and best haunted houses you'll ever walk through on Halloween. After all, Al Capone was once locked up here.

It's insanely easy to navigate thanks to Walk! Philadelphia, the largest comprehensive pedestrian sign system in North America.

Installed in 1995, these oversized, colorful signs are located throughout the city to demarcate cardinal directions, neighborhood names, historical sites, cultural destinations and more. Between the abundant signage and Philadelphia's grid system, this city is hard to get lost in.

The legendary cheesesteaks live up to the lore.

Sure, you can get the traditional experience at Pat's and Geno's. But John's Roast Pork serves a mouth-watering cheesesteak and has actually won a James Beard Award. (Needless to say, they don't serve cheesesteaks with the ubiquitous Cheese Whiz here.)

The Phillies stadium, Citizens Bank Park, has dollar hot dog nights.

On Hatfield Phillies Franks Dollar Dog Night, hot dogs cost $1. 'nuff said.

The Phillies stadium was also rated #1 vegetarian ballpark.

Southwestern veggie burgers, vegan chicken sandwiches, roasted veggie wraps, crab-free crab cake salad -- you can eat all these veggie things while taking in a baseball game, not to mention gluten-free hot dogs.

The Barnes Foundation is one of the quirkiest art museums in America.

The Barnes Foundation is actually the personal collection of one rather curmudgeonly man, Albert C. Barnes. Barnes famously established his collection in Merion, a suburb of Philadelphia, rather than in the city because he felt that "Philadelphia is a depressing intellectual slum" and "the Philadelphia Museum of Art is a house of artistic and intellectual prostitution." Despite his wishes and after much debate over his legacy (Barnes died in 1951), the $25 billion collection was moved into the city in 2012. Now Philly visitors can see Barnes' 181 Renoirs, 69 Cezannes, 59 Matisses, 46 Picassos and 7 Van Goghs, not to mention the many peculiar ironwork pieces interspersed among the paintings, up close.

But if you want a major, mega art museum like the Louvre or the Met, Philly's got that, too.

After running "Rocky"-style up the steps, you'll encounter over 400,000 works of art in this world-class museum, including Vincent van Gogh's "Sunflowers," Pablo Picasso's "Three Musicians," Pierre-Auguste Renoir's "Bathers" painting and countless more iconic pieces.

Reading Terminal Market sells almost any kind of cuisine you can think of -- including authentic Amish food.

Since its founding in the late 1800s, the indoor market has been stocked with food from hundreds of farmers and distributors. Standing close to its original location, the market now serves up Chinese food, cheesesteaks, hoagies, fresh seafood, produce, crepes, BBQ chicken, cajun cuisine and the Dutch Eating Place, an eatery featuring true Pennsylvania Dutch cooking.

Philadelphia is getting its own bike share program... and it will actually be accessible.

Beginning in fall 2014, 150-200 bike share stations will be installed throughout Philly's most popular neighborhoods (and not just the wealthy ones).

Beer is really, really cheap.

Like, $1 for a beer in some places and pitchers for under $10. The best deals can be had at happy hour, natch. (We can't guarantee, however, that the beers pictured above can be found for a dollar.)

In fact, America's oldest brewery is right in Philadelphia's backyard.

D. G. Yuengling & Son was founded in 1829 in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, the town where it is still located today, and is one of the most ubiquitous beers in Philly. Oh, and you can get it for $3 at plenty of happy hours around the city.

The music scene is fierce, independent and embodying Philly's "fight the man" attitude.

From Pi Lam, the co-ed University of Pennsylvania frat-turned-indie rock venue, toR5 Productions, a DIY promotions agency that helps small bands land shows, Philadelphia is full of energetic musicians and fans dedicated to quality live music in an accessible way.

Federal Donuts is so good, you'll never eat at Dunkin Donuts again.

Scoring a donut here is a feat in and of itself -- there are a limited amount made per day, and if you come too late, they'll all be gone. But if you do nab one, you'll get to try the yummiest donuts you've ever had in flavors like sea salt and chocolate, sticky bun, cookies and cream, gingerbread, strawberry lavender, vanilla spice and "crumberry."

The Philadelphia Eagles have the best fight song of any football team.

Redskins fans might disagree. But there's nothing to get you revved up like hearing 67,000 people sing "Fly, Eagles, Fly" in one spirited, drunken chorus.

Boathouse Row is one of the most beautiful places to run, bike and stroll.

Running along the edge of the Schuylkill River, this row of historic boathouses are not only the site of regattas dating back to the 19th century but also a stunning visual treat at night, when the edges of each boathouse are lit up in twinkling white lights.

It boasts some of the most accessible, scenic races for runners.

Philadelphia is not only the site of one of the 30 Rock'n'Roll Half Marathons, it also has the insanely popular Broad Street Run, the nation's largest 10-mile race, which draws over 40,000 runners each spring.

It's bursting with a vibrant arts community, including numerous artist-run collectives.

The fiercely independent, community-driven arts scene fosters individual artists and encourages collaboration, an effort exemplified by the recent CITYWIDE project, which brought nearly 20 collectives together to exchange ideas and art.

Some of the best restaurateurs in the world have set up shop in Philadelphia.

Stephen Starr was named "Restaurateur of the Year." Jose Garces is one of only eight chefs in the country to hold the title of Iron Chef. Marc Vetri is a James Beard Award winner. Between these big names and numerous other world-class chefs, Philly's restaurant scene is bursting with talent and ingenuity. (Don't believe us? Go have a meal at Buddakan.)

Fairmount Park is one of the largest city-owned parks in the country.

And it's drop-dead gorgeous.

Native New Yorker Jay Z set his "Made In America" festival in Philly.

Jay Z not only performed on Philadelphia's Benjamin Franklin Parkway for the first annual "Made In America" fest; he also curated the entire impressive lineups both years, which in 2013 included Nine Inch Nails, Kendrick Lamar, 2 Chainz, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis... oh yeah, and his wife, Beyoncé.

If you love drag, you can get a weekly fix at Bob & Barbara's.

Hailed as the longest-running drag show in the city, this show is a reliable Thursday evening feature of a local bar that draws a diverse crowd. Best part? Getting in will only cost you $7. (Pictured above: DJ K-Tell & The Dumpsta Players.)

The Philadelphia Naked Bike Ride is a bold celebration of body image.

Like New York City and London, Philly celebrates cycling culture and positive body image with its annual Naked Ride, a massive event with over a thousand scantily-clad participants.

Wawa.

Has there ever been a more beloved convenience store? The touch-screen ordering docks, the milkshake machines, the signature lemonade iced tea, Hoagiefest... volumes of poetry could be (and, let's be honest, probably have been) written about Wawa.

Clarifications: This article has been updated to reflect that the current City Tavern is a rebuilt version of the 18th-century original, which was destroyed in 1854. It also has been updated to note that the Yuengling brewery is not actually located in Philadelphia proper, and Reading Terminal Market is not actually located on Market Street.