Art and Museums of Philadelphia - Part 2

Last week I took you on a quick trip through some art and museums of Philadelphia in Part 1 of this post, and now I want to continue showing you what other awesome things the city has to offer.

Like a lot of other cities, Philly works with local artists to beautify their city, through statues, murals and more throughout the city. Everywhere you look there are amazing things to see from all different sorts of artists in all different mediums. 

If you follow me on Instagram, you know how much I love a good wall mural, and walking around Philadelphia is sort of like a dream, because you find the most interesting artwork on the sides of buildings, in all of its neighborhoods. This Olde City one caught my eye with so many little pieces and the stark contrast between just the two colors.

Not only are there tons of works of art, but you can even take mural walking tours of the city. We had limited time and didn't take one, but we sure did see a lot while we were going from one attraction to another. I mean, walking is the best way to see a destination and you don't miss out on as much as you might taking public transportation or driving (which we did do, but we parked in a lot in the mornings and drove "home" in the evenings). You have to slow down and look around. We even found this mural, above, still being worked on and colored in.

Even the mundane things in the city have makeovers, like this electrical box. You also see colorful trash bins and alleyways and outdoor rooftops. 

I had to stop and take several pictures of the side of this building. Not only were the colors fantastic, even on a cloudy day, but the artist made it look like it had stained glass windows where there was only a brick wall. It was gorgeous.

Philadelphia is known as The City of Brotherly Love, so you'll see renditions of the classic LOVE statue all over, as well as XOXO. This AMOR caught my eye, as it's different, in a part of town that is French and Italian, and it's on a box, so people can stand underneath to get their picture taken.

It's hard to pick favorite art from the city, because there's so much and it's all so different from each other. If you love art, and you're on a budget, just take a walk anywhere with your camera and get an eyeful of free culture.

We had the opportunity to check out a much recommended attraction in Philadelphia called Magic Gardens. This massive work of art is made up of pottery, china and pieces the artist Isaiah Zagar enjoyed to make these fantastic mosaics. Everywhere you look, there are 50 things to catch your eye. 

Zagar found mosaics as a way to combat his depression and also make the city more interesting to look at. He was part of a group of artists who would purchase not so great buildings and completely reinvent them. It got to the point that shops and landlords began to hire him to create cool mosaics for their buildings as well, and you can see some of these on the buildings you pass on South Street, and also down alleys between houses and shops. 

Zagar started Magic Gardens and it was completely filled with things he loved within 14 years. There are so many tiny things (and huge things) in the labyrinth of mosaics, that it might take that long to enjoy every piece he put into this. Above is one of my favorite tile finds. 

There are tunnels and steps and archways and walls and towers and words of encouragement. It's definitely a lot to take in on just one trip. I eavesdropped a bit on a private tour going on and learned that sometimes tiles weren't meant to live outside in the weather and have had to be replaced over time. Zagar will choose or create new pieces to replace them and comes out and mixes his own mortar as well. He's very hands-on with his creation and you can see that with each step you take. There was care to make the most of every inch you see. 

While you walk around, you'll find a lot of bicycle wheels, which were all donated by a local repair shop. Even the bathrooms are covered in mosaic, and there is a small exhibit "hall" off the back of the ticket desk where you can see even more art and make purchases as well. 

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This massive art installation only took 14 years to make. It would probably take that long to appreciate all the gems hidden among the rubbish. . . #jetsetter #jetset #ilovetravel #tourist #tourism #tblogger #tbloggers #travelblog #travel #travelblogger #travelgirl #travelgram #instatravel #traveler #traveller #budgettravel #budgettraveler #budgettraveller #spon @visitphilly #philadelphia

A post shared by Shereen Travels Cheap (@srayle) on Oct 26, 2018 at 1:25pm PDT

Can you believe how much effort and love went into the Gardens? At one point, Eric and I were standing in the middle and I told him to look up, and you can see mosaics and art on the chimney, probably 40 feet over your head. It was amazing. 

There are a lot of sexualized pieces and nude men and women at Magic Gardens, so if that's not a conversation you want to have with your small people, this might be a thing to skip with them. They aren't crazy obvious, but there are plenty of them all over if you're looking closely. If you celebrate the human body and don't have these issues, it's a definite must-visit. 

What do you think of the wonders of Magic Gardens? Stay tuned for more of my Philadelphia adventures.

Disclaimer: Visit Philly gave me a VIP attraction pass in order to visit Magic Gardens at no cost, but all opinions are 100% my own.

5 Dos and Don'ts of Car Rentals

Most of the time when we travel, we rent a car, but it depends on where we go. Some destinations are easier to get around by car, like Orlando or Los Angeles, and some places are not or it's just more convenient to use public transportation. Of course, there are those destinations we've rented a car in and either wished we hadn't or did a little more research before we went, like Ecuador. 

It's always smart to know how things work in the city you'll be traveling in. Security and roads without signs aside, here are my top 5 Dos and Don'ts of renting a car.

Do

1. Keep Looking Until the Last Minute because rates can fluctuate wildly. Most of the time you make a reservation and don't have to give a credit card or pay ahead, even with some aggregators such as Hotwire, so it just makes sense to watch for price drops all the way up until the day before you leave. There's no penalty for cancelling and rebooking, so do it if you can save a buck...or $100. It's been known to happen and keep an eye out for promo codes.
2. Reserve the Smallest Car Possible. I almost always book a compact or economy car. There are only two of us and they are comfortable enough. The smaller the car, the cheaper the rates and the less you'll have to pay to fill up at the gas station. A bonus is that the smallest cars usually sell out first, so you get upgraded for free to the next car size available. Note, if you change your mind once you get to the rental counter, you can always upgrade on your own, but you can't downgrade, so pick the smallest size you are comfortable with. Three of my last four rentals were upgraded, since my flight came in in the evening and all the economy cars were gone. Bummer for me, right?
3. Look at All Rental Locations. The airport isn't the only place you can rent a car and sometimes looking offsite can be more affordable. If the hassle is worth it for the price difference, that might make less of a dent in your budget. In fact, the government imposes fees on rental companies at the airport, so those are passed on to the customer. Sometimes it's significant. Sometimes it's just a few cents a day.
4. Check the Weekly Rates. If you'll be traveling for 5 or 6 days, it can sometimes be beneficial to check weekly rates on rental cars, because they come with a price break that may just be cheaper than paying for separate days.  Make sure to check the fine print and see if you will be penalized for bringing the car back early. Most of the time you won't be, but some rental companies have caught on and want to squeeze as much money out of you as possible.
5. Use Ebates for Extra Savings. Ebates gives you cash back on things you're doing everyday, including going on vacation. Sign up for free, then click through them to get to our favorite travel merchants, including a whole list of car rental companies, to get cash back and even current promo codes to save even more.

Don't

1. Take the Prepaid Gas Option. While every once in a great while this is actually a deal, 99.99% of the time it is a total rip-off. Unless I'm in Europe, I should never have to pay $8+ for a gallon of gas. The rate is usually posted and, though it sounds really convenient, it's just another way for them to extract every last cent from your wallet or, more specifically, your credit card. The same principal goes for their GPS system. If you have your own or usually use your phone, bring it with you and save $15 or more per day. If your personal GPS gets stolen, it'll be a lot cheaper to replace.
2. Get the Insurance. If you have a car with insurance at home, it's highly possible you are covered in rental cars. If not, the credit card you are using to rent the car probably protects you. make sure to check all possibilities that you already use before adding an extra $16+ per day to your rental. There's no sense in paying more when you really don't have to, even when that "only bring back the steering wheel" thing sounds awesome. It's designed to.
3. Forget to Sign Up for the Rewards Program. It's free, it's easy and all your rentals give you points towards things like upgrades and free days. Those sounds like fantastic things, but the reason I really do it is for the increased savings. Members get access to special promos and discounts.
4. Rent With Your Debit Card if possible. If you do, the rental company often takes your rental total and a deposit when you pick up your car, leaving you with hundreds of dollars less in your bank account that you probably counted on using on your trip. If you only have a credit card for car rentals, it will still be more convenient than not having one at all.
5. Rent a Car for Your Whole Trip if You Don't Need To. Sometimes you only want a car for certain things. If you have several places you plan to drive to, then plan to do those things on consecutive days, so you only have to rent a car for those days instead of all of them. It seems like common sense, but many people never think about doing it that way and waste money they didn't have to.

Renting a car is not often all that fun, but I enjoy driving other places that aren't at home. Learn the ins and outs of renting before you get to the counter, that way you don't end up being that person who asks 900 questions and making everyone behind you want to run you over with their car. Somehow, I always get stuck behind the three people who've maybe never rented anything before and am reminded of being at the post office and the bank. If you can fill out all your info before you get to your destination, which is an option on some sites, especially if you've rented from them in the past, do so and you'll be in and out as quickly as you can sign the forms and get to the garage. you'll be on your way faster and everyone will be less stressed out. 

What are your tips for renting a car, in general or more affordably? 

Get 300 bonus SB when you sign up for Swagbucks in November!

All throughout November you can earn large bonuses when sign up as my referral on Swagbucks. Swagbucks is a rewards site where you earn points (called SB) for things you're probably doing online already, like searching the web, watching videos, shopping, discovering deals, and taking surveys. Then you take those points and exchange them for gift cards to places like Amazon, Target, or PayPal cash. 

When you sign up through me this month, you can earn a 300 SB bonus! Here's how: 

1. Sign up using this link 

2. Earn 300 SB total before December 1st, 2018. You'll get a 300 SB bonus for it! 

3. That's it. It's super easy, and Swagbucks is for real. I use it myself, and I've earned almost 90,000 SB since signing up, and I use it for Amazon gift cards to buy party supplies and gifts, so I can save more for my vacations!

What would you use your SB for? 


Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links that will result in compensation in the form of SB should you sign up through my link.