What can I do with my folks while they're here next week?

May 3, 2009 2:01 PM

PhillyFilter: What can I do with my folks while they're here next week?

So, my mom and dad will be here from the 10th to the 13th for their annual summer visit, and to see Leonard Cohen on the 12th (omg!!!!! Leonard Cohen!!!!!). But we need some more filler activities.

Things of note:

• They've been here almost a dozen times, so we've done the touristy things to death.
• They're retired and my partner and I are both unemployed right now, so we can't throw around a ton of money on museum admissions or show tickets or whatever.
• We always go to see a movie, and I'm sure we'll do that, but still, that only takes care of a few hours.
• They'll have a car, but they get cranky having to pay for city parking more than once a day.
• Don't suggest the Mutter Museum. They will not be into it. So don't bother suggesting it.
• Dad's major outdoorsy guy, but mom has severe ankle problems so can't walk for a long time at a stretch, and parnter and I are both lazy (and I hate the sunshine).
• 10pm is about as late as they stay out, and that's pretty exceptional.

I'm not sure if there's anything else relevant, but I'll check back in thread to answer any possible questions.

We're just looking for things to do to avoid the awkwardness of sitting in the living room in silence, or worse yet, hearing well-meant but seriously annoying advice about how to find work or save money or whatever.

posted by misanthropicsarah to grab bag (19 comments total)

Not sure if these fall into the touristy things you meant...
Reading Terminal Market? Eastern State Penitentiary? KoP mall? You can always drive into one of the suburbs like Bryn Mawr and check out the main street stores.
posted by reptile at 2:36 PM on May 3

Don't know if this would be too expensive, but maybe head out to the Brandywine River Museum to see some Wyeth? The Brandywine Battlefield is right there, too.

Bartram's Gardens down in SW Philly.

You could head up to the Morris Arboretum and do Chestnut Hill/Germantown Avenue on the way back.

Japanese House and Garden

All of this stuff would play to your dad's outdoorsiness without wearing on mom too much. This is outside stuff, so pray for clouds.
posted by The Straightener at 2:52 PM on May 3

Japanese House and Garden, sorry, link borked.
posted by The Straightener at 2:54 PM on May 3

Not directly in Philly - just a hop and a skip away, but have you taken them to the Camden Aquarium (now the Adventure Aquarium) since it was redone? It's really quite beautiful. Not necessarily cheap, but they have coupons all the time on their website. I went there when I was hugely pregnant and they had quite a few benches/resting areas scattered throughout so your mom would be able to rest her ankles. And on the plus side for you and your partner, it's pretty dark inside. :)
posted by dancinglamb at 3:41 PM on May 3

You can surely waste hours shopping at Reading Terminal or 9th St Market for ingredients for dinner, yeah? Buy cheap cuts of meat and crockpot 'em (avoids heating up your apartment), marinate the rest and grill out. (I know some of the parks have grills...aren't there some along West River drive? You can usually buy ripped bags of charcoal at Lowes for cheap.)

Morris Arboretum and Bartram's Gardens are pretty cool, I must say.

Yeah, you've done the touristy stuff, but, have you been to the Wagner Free Institute of Science, preserved as it was in the nineteeth-century? (Also, free, suggested donation $8.) The Ryerrs Museum in Fairmount Park? Laurel Hill Cemetery (check out the programs before you reject on the basis of "too macabre for mom & dad.")

Also subscribe to the dorkily-named PhillyFunSavers -- not so much for the shows rolling through town, but you can get steep discounts on other already-cheap lesser known stuff going on like walking tours (which are not traditionally fast-moving, your mom would probably be ok), Mum Puppetheatre, etc. If you're in Old City, you should splurge at Franklin Fountain, of course.

I always try to give my dad some projects to do while he's here. Manly projects. (That I could do myself but hey, the old guy likes to feel needed by his daughter.) Need anything hung on your walls or a windowbox herb garden built or the like?

Also, SO JEALOUS that you got tix for Cohen for Philly -- we're going down to MD because he sold out too fast.
posted by desuetude at 3:45 PM on May 3

good suggestions so far, thanks!

(have already done rtm, eastern state, and kofp mall. thought my dad was going to have an aneurysm at that last one. but this is the same guy who, when we were in minneapolis, gave us 2 hours at the mall of america. and we were lucky to get that!)

i got some of the last tickets to cohen, and that was a mere 45 minutes after they went on sale. the website was seriously overloaded and the phone banks were busy. i was super lucky!
posted by misanthropicsarah at 4:23 PM on May 3

Seconding Brandywine. Call ahead, and see who's giving tours. If it's Victoria, Andrew's granddaughter, definitely go. I enjoyed her tour a great deal.
posted by GamblingBlues at 4:30 PM on May 3

Have you been to Longwood Gardens? They are exceptionally beautiful especially at this time of year, and if you don't want to walk around in the sun too much there is an AMAZING indoor conservatory that can easily take up an afternoon.

New Hope/Lambertville are cute towns to visit on the Delaware River. Some walking is involved but it's all flat and there are many stores/restaurants to stop inside for breaks.

I've always enjoyed the Italian Market, too.

Also, who doesn't love Capogiro especially on a warm May day?
posted by sickinthehead at 5:57 PM on May 3

The Philadelphia Museum of Art is free (well, "pay what you wish") on Sundays. If you're into gardens, in addition to Longwood, they might also like Chanticleer. The Mercer Museum and Fonthill are really neat to visit (and near New Hope, if you're going to head up that way).
posted by LolaGeek at 6:10 PM on May 3

Since it hasn't been mentioned, I'll throw the Barnes Foundation out there. Not too far if they have a car. They may be sold out, but something to keep in mind for any future trips.
posted by xiaolongbao at 7:57 PM on May 3

Take them to a meal at the Valley Green Inn. Your outdoorsy dad will dig it and your mom doesn't really have to walk much, plus there's a zillion trees so no worries about the huge glowing orb for you.
posted by Mister_A at 8:15 PM on May 3 [1 favorite]

I loved Denville when I lived in the area - some strange architecture and the home of the James Mitchner library. Also, if you haven't been there, Hunterdon County, NJ, is very pretty. Clinton is a nice town on the Raritan river with a lovely millrace, flanked by 2 old mills which were converted to museums. The main street is boutiquey and there at least used to be a good, locally owned bookstore there. The Clinton House is a good restraurant in an old inn from the 1700s, but maybe a bit pricy. However, Ye Old Sub Base , just up Main, turned my California daughter into an east coaster, with the surprise of olive oil and red-wine vinegar on sandwiches.
There'also an old churchyard on the road from Clinton to Frenchrtown with graves that p pre-date the revolution, if you're into that sort of thing.

Sorry for the lack of links, but I'm planning to be less of a troglodyte in the future. Google will give you info and maps.
posted by path at 8:20 PM on May 3

IIRC, both the Rodin Museum and in Institute for Contemporary Art have pretty cheap admissions.
posted by gnutron at 10:18 PM on May 3

Board games? Scrabble? Ice tea or lemonade with cakes?
posted by anniecat at 7:10 AM on May 4

There's a festival in the Italian Market next weekend. Saints. A procession. Food. Etc. Free.

If you go to uwishunu.com around Wednesday, they'll have a list of other events. That's just the one I know about right now.
posted by melodykramer at 12:52 PM on May 4

Oh, and if you go out to the Brandywine River Museum, go do a wine tasting at the Chaddsford Winery. It's a perfect 'parents' thing to do. Close parking, relaxed, and lots of fun. You can take up even more time if you take the tour, which can be anywhere from blah to awesome, depending on the tour guide.
posted by nosila at 1:37 PM on May 4

The Brandywine River Museum has a special exhibit on Edward Gorey still running, if that's your kind of thing. I went, it was awesome. There's also the Penn Museum of Archaeology & Anthropology. And seconding New Hope/Lambertville, if you're up for the (~40 min) drive.
posted by miagaille at 2:03 PM on May 4

I think there's also a free festival in Clark Park with puppets. It's shady enough to be considered semi-outside and you can always get stuff at the market as well.
posted by melodykramer at 11:46 AM on May 5

I just wanted to second the PhillyFunSaver. There are also community / rush / deals for the Kimmel Center and the Academy of Music... you can check on their websites for more information about what applies to which specific performances/programs.
posted by polexa at 11:36 AM on May 7