Chinese New Year has become a significant holiday for us as a way to connect with Jaden’s story. While they’re isn’t a whole lot going on for the holiday here in Lancaster County, most major cities have a Chinatown with incredible festivities. Philadelphia is an easy day trip from here, and it’s like a second home to me after spending six years living there. Google is my best friend, and that’s how I mapped an agenda for the day. I just looked up “Chinese New Year Celebrations in Philadelphia” and found the best ones for our family on that day.
A day trip for the Allen family starts early… because the kids are up early. When you have toddlers, you try to work with their prime time, which tends to be over by noon. So, with a plan to meet my sister at Bird in Hand for National Ice Cream for Breakfast Day at 7:20, we loaded up at 6:40 (“Loading up” for us really just means a ton of diapers and snacks… oh, and three kids). Then I ran back in with Nella, because you can always count on at least one diaper change in between buckling everyone into their car seats and pulling out of the driveway. Naturally, we were late for breakfast, but so was my sister, and everything can be fixed by ice cream, anyway.
Full tummies are the best fix for a long drive… meaning anything over 15 minutes… and we almost made it out of the parking lot before Jaden asked for more food.
The Reading Terminal Market was crowded, as usual, but we managed to get a good view of the dragon dancers, see the sights, and participate in the Chinese calligraphy and crafts they had set up. Since Chinatown is just around the corner, we asked a gentleman at the calligraphy stand for a food recommendation and decided to chance it instead of using what we found on google. He didn’t lead us astray. The Hidden Gem was really just that. Miraculously, all three kids even found some authentic cuisine to enjoy.
Last on our tour was the Independence Seaport Museum. They were hosting a variety of activities as a celebration of Asian culture. The museum itself is a dream for boat-lovers. Traveling with three small children, I was grateful that we went during an event that offered additional opportunities to explore. I think the “twins” would’ve lost interest after the life-size play boats, were it not for additional crafts and games tucked in every corner. The museum includes a tour of a submarine and one of the oldest Navy ships in the U.S., which should hold the interest of anyone 5+. The submarine tour includes a few ladders, so it’s not great with kids who can’t handle those safely.
The success of any day trip is dependent upon naps, so we were grateful that the “twins” fell asleep on our way to dinner with friends. It was nice to have a relaxed evening where they could play and do their own thing. Pizza for dinner is always a win after a palate-stretching lunch and we managed to take three happy kids home with us.
