ATTRACTIONS

PHILADELPHIA

It's the birthplace of American government, the home of the Liberty Bell, the old stomping grounds of Ben Franklin. It's also a marvelously diverse city full of great museums, shops, restaurants, theaters, concert halls, and nightspots that manages to neatly split the difference between the big-city bustle of New York and the homespun charm of Baltimore.

For history buffs, there's the Independence National Historic Park, including the pavilion where that famously defective bell is housed and Independence Hall, whence the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the U.S. Constitution all came. The Philadelphia Museum of Art is outstanding, and even if you don't love the exhibitions, you can still run up the front steps and pretend you're Rocky. For a creepy-cool good time, check out the Mutter Museum of medical oddities. By night, South Street and the areas around it are the place to go for happening restaurants, bars, nightclubs, and concerts at the Theater of Living Arts.

Many guidebooks, both in print and online, have good sections on Philadelphia that can tell you more about everything there is to check out. Try www.lonelyplanet.com, www.fodors.com, and www.frommers.com to start -- or just take the ride and explore for yourself. It's not far, and it makes a great getaway for a day or weekend.

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