Visiting a Castle in Philadelphia

Our trip to Philadelphia was jam packed. In fact, we didn't even spend the whole time in Philadelphia, especially considering we stayed a majority of the trip in Hershey. I'm not opposed to a trip that feels like a road trip, and it also gave us the chance to view the surrounding areas and an excuse to get out and see other surrounding cities besides Chestnut Hill (where we went to the Witches & Wizards Weekend. 

Lancaster wasn't too far from us, and we went there, too, but we also visited Doylestown and Kennett Square. In Doylestown, I saw they had something called Fonthill Castle. Obviously, I'm a person who loves a castle, so I was definitely in. Nearby was also the Mercer Museum, which houses Henry Mercer's collections of stuff, who built Fonthill Castle.

Fonthill Castle

This labyrinthine mansion was built from the ground up from concrete through trial and error. Henry Mercer always dreamed of living in a castle and with the help of a few laborers and a horse, he designed a bunch of rooms to house his handmade tiles as a sort of showroom for buyers. He liked the idea of telling stories through his tiles and the house was positively overrun with them. Wherever you looked, they were embedded in walls, the ceiling and even the floor, though the floor was much less busy than everywhere else you looked. 

the well house

All these tiles were embedded into the cement before it dried

Henry Mercer was well off and came from a wealthy family. He went to law school, but never really practiced law. He also traveled extensively. He tried a lot of things and excelled in quite a few. He never got married, but he wanted to live in a castle, so he sketched some plans and jumped right in. Some stuff worked, some didn't, and eventually he had rooms built and had to figure out a way to connect them. There isn't anything like the ground floor and the second floor in his house. There will be a hallway with a staircase and a room off halfway up and then another at the top and then a different staircase that goes elsewhere. If you didn't know where you were going, you'd be lost a million times a day. And you'd get so much exercise. 

Mercer was a collector on top of an "architect" and "potter", so much so that there is so much stuff everywhere, but not as much as in his personal office. My husband declared it had a bachelor pad vibe, and it totally did. He was like a little kid who just put everything in that room that he thought was cool: swords, guns, books, skulls. You name it. Not only that, but all of the bookshelves in there were basically apple crates stacked on each other. 

The house was really interesting if you didn't think about having to actually live there, because I think I wouldn't have lasted that long. I described it on Instagram as what Versailles would look if the occupants had to make everything themselves. It's definitely an acquired taste. It has its appeal and the house has an interesting story, though it's quite cold in the winter and hot in the summer, as concrete is not a good material to really make a house out of, but Henry Mercer has accidentally burned down someone's barn when he was a kid and that stuck with him and he was deeply afraid of house fires.

You enter directly into this "courtyard".

After our tour, we took in lunch and then headed to the Mercer Museum, which is 7 floors of Henry Mercer's weird collections of everyday objects. From lanterns to cooking utensils to horse troughs to baby cradles, you name it, he had it. He even had a full-size country store and a real gallows. 

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If you learn nothing else about Henry Mercer, it's his love of people who work hard for a living and the things they needed in order to do their jobs. It may have been because he never had to work a day in his life, which gave him the opportunity to try a lot of things, without officially fully mastering any. I thought perhaps he loved Americana, but his collection includes items from Europe as well. 

There's even a kid's play room with items from Mercer's collections and an activity room

These 7 floors are basically full of everything that didn't fit into his house. He took what he learned from building his house to build this building as well. It might be no wonder why he never married, what with being so eccentric (or a hoarder). This is a great place to take kids to see how many things they can find or identify. When we were there they actually had a sort of scavenger hunt that you could pick up in the lobby.

In my next blog post, I'll talk about Lancaster and Kennett Square, so you can see why renting a car for a day or two might really be worth it.

Have you ever been to Philadelphia? If so, what was your favorite part of your trip?

Disclaimer: Visit Philly gave me a VIP attraction pass in order to visit Fonthill Castle and the Mercer Museum at no cost, but all opinions are 100% my own.

4 Reasons Why British Columbia Is The Best Province In Canada

Canada is such a great country with some amazing cities and lots of beautiful natural landscapes to explore. On a first visit, you’ll probably go to Ontario and visit Toronto and the surrounding areas. There are so many great places to explore there but if you’re going back again and you want to go somewhere different, you should head to British Columbia. This diverse province of Canada has so many things to see and do that there truly is something for everybody there. These are just some of the amazing reasons to visit British Columbia next time you take a trip to Canada.

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Beautiful Landscapes

If you’re a nature lover, British Columbia is one of the best places in the world for you. The Northern area of the province is one of the less visited parts but it’s also one of the most beautiful. There are some incredible dense forests with rivers and fjords running through them and impressive mountain ranges that are jam packed with all sorts of hiking trails and cycle paths. You’ll also find some of the best waterfalls in the world in this region. You might not be able to visit Niagara Falls but Alexander Falls and Della Falls are just as impressive.

Great Places To Stay

If you really want to get close to nature while you’re visiting British Columbia, there are plenty of great campgrounds in the area where you can stay. But that’s not for everybody and if you want to visit the area without having to stay in a tent, you can still find a great hotel in Kamloops, British Columbia. There are also some great wilderness resorts where you can get the best of both worlds. You’ll be close to the incredible natural landscapes but you’ll still have all of your normal comforts that you miss out on when you’re in a tent.

Vancouver

Once you’ve done the countryside and you want to visit a city, Vancouver is your next stop. This brilliant port city is bursting with character and you’ll never be short of things to do. It’s a great cultural hot spot brimming with museums and art galleries all over the place. The night life is great too and there are plenty of delicious restaurants to eat in. While you’re there, you should ride the tram to the summit of the nearby Grouse Mountain for a unique view of the city and the surrounding area. You should also visit Stanley Park where you’ll find stunning beaches and a huge rainforest that is home to some truly incredible wildlife.

Victoria

The capital of British Columbia is situated on Vancouver island where you’ll find a whole range of exciting wildlife. Victoria is filled with great Victorian architecture with lots of quaint, colorful buildings all over the place. You’ll also find the great British Columbia museum where you can learn about the history of the place as well as the impressive British Columbia Parliament building.

These are just a few of the great places you can visit when you go to this incredibly diverse region of Canada.

If you've been to British Columbia, what was your favorite part of your trip?

How To Keep In Shape While You Travel

It doesn’t matter where you’re off to or how long you’re going for, we all look forward to our travel plans. They offer an opportunity to relax, unwind, and escape the monotonous routines that run our everyday lives. That being said, some of these routines are important, with exercise being one of the most crucial examples. Travel can take its toll on our bodies and minds, so we need this physical activity to keep feeling our best. With that in mind, here are five ways you can stay in shape and on top of your exercise while you travel.

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Prepare To Mix Things Up

You may stick to a strict workout regime at home, but, when you go away, you might not have all of the equipment or facilities you need to follow this to the letter. Instead of setting unrealistic expectations, you should prepare to mix things up from the very beginning. This way, you won’t end up disappointed or stress when things don’t go to plan. Just look at this as an opportunity to try something new. You never know, you may find a workout you enjoy even more.

Don’t Forget Your Exercise Equipment

You may not be able to pack a running machine or your favorite dumbbells, there are a lot of small and light pieces of equipment you can load into your suitcase to aid your activities. Resistance bands and skipping ropes are just two examples of things avid travelers frequently fly with. You should also make sure that you pack some gym clothes and your running shoes. If you do this, there aren’t any excuses for skipping a morning jog.

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See The Sights By Foot

Whenever possible throughout your travels, you should take part in quite physical activities, like water sports and hikes. You should also make a point of walking or cycling to see the sights, rather than taking public transports. There are many destinations that offer walking and cycling tours too, like the Amish country tours, so consider adding one or two of those to your itinerary. By doing this, you’ll work up a sweat without even realizing it.

Use The Facilities You Have

Being somewhere new means that you don’t have your usual gym facilities, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t any available at all. Before booking your trip, try to find accommodation with or near a gym, preferably one with fitness classes. If the facility isn’t part of the hotel itself, then you might be able to get a temporary pass for while you’re there. If neither of these are an option, then look for a hotel with a pool instead.

Add Exercise To Your Itinerary

Finding the motivation to exercise, especially when there are so many other fun things you could be doing can be tough. For this reason, it’s vital that you create a rough itinerary and plan specific times to work out. This way, you really do have nothing better to do, so you may as well keep yourself in shape. That being said, you should avoid fitting too much exercise into your plans. As long as you stay active, there’s no need to waste sightseeing hours in the gym.

Exercising while you travel can be tough, but, hopefully, with the tips above, you can stay in shape.

Do you have a favorite way to exercise when you're away from home?