USA: East Coast Trio
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uggest twinning Philadelphia with Atlantic City for a US holiday that combines the history, culture and
fi ne dining on offer in the country’s fi fth largest city with the casinos, sea breezes and bargain- buy outlet stores in the Atlantic Seaboard’s original and still- largest seaside resort.
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classy shopping malls and quirky downtown attractions – like the more than 3,500 giant ‘graffi ti murals’ and dozens of eclectic, seemingly randomly placed pieces of public art – make it a city worth an extended stay. Most of the key tourism sights are located
Add on a day trip or overnight to Brandy Wine/Valley Forge in the Pennsylvanian countryside, an area with a major historic site and one of the US’s largest gardens, and there are more than enough compelling reasons to tailor-make a US east coast trio with plenty of differences. Philadelphia, Brandy Wine/ Valley Forge
and Atlantic City are working together to attract UK visitors to a region often overlooked in favour of Boston, New York and Washington DC. The region ran a major fam trip for tour operators earlier this year and, in association with British Airways, is planning a joint online training programme
to raise awareness among agents of what’s on offer in each destination and how they complement each other. Getting between the three couldn’t be easier: ‘Philly’ (Pennsylvania) and Atlantic City (New Jersey) are just an easy one- hour car journey apart, or recommend the comfortable 90-minute train ride on the New Jersey Transit train – a snip at $10. The countryside of Philadelphia, home of Brandywine and Valley Forge, is less than an hour’s drive from the city centre.
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Served by several daily fl ights from the UK, with British Airways offering a twice-daily service, Philadelphia has traditionally been viewed mainly as a day-trip add-on from Washington DC or New York – but it is now a genuine multi-attraction destination in its own right. The ‘Liberty City’s’ many historic sites, its high culture, emerging restaurant scene,
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in a few central neighbourhoods laid out in a grid system that makes the city easy to explore on foot. Visitors can sign up for a variety of tours with specifi c themes, such as ‘Philadelphia in the Movies’, ‘ Culinary Adventures’, ‘Mural Arts Tour’, even a ‘Duck Tour’ on the Delaware River. Alternatively there’s a host of transport options, such as a hop-on hop-off bus, trolley cars and a ‘city loop’ bus. Although it boasts an ever-increasing list
of 21st century reasons for a visit – and the city’s new marketing logo ‘New ways to Discover Philadelphia’ is designed to show how its excellence in the fi ne arts, science, education and innovation are transforming the city – ‘Philly’s’ appeal remains rooted in the unique place it occupies in US history. This is, after all, where the country’s fi rst president, George Washington, gathered his Revolutionary Army and where the Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4 1776. Visitors can explore such nation-forming
history in Independence National Historical Park, which includes Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell, with its famous fi ssure. Also in the park, The National Constitution
Center offers an entertaining experience that includes Freedom Rising, a short multimedia theatrical performance that runs every 30 minutes and We the People, an interactive exhibition.
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