Today, I woke up at 4.30AM because it was the day I was going to travel from New York to my next planned destination. My plan was to travel to Washington DC, the capital city of the United States. However, on the way, I passed through another well-known city called Philadelphia, or “Philly“. As I was solo traveling, I took the opportunity to spend a day exploring this city before continuing on to Washington DC.

Philadelphia is the largest city in the state of Pennsylvania, located in the southwestern part of New York, approximately 160 kilometers away. It was the first capital of the United States. Traveling to Philly is possible by train, bus (including flights from New York as there is Philadelphia International Airport with flights between these two cities), but as a budget traveler, I chose to travel by bus. It is convenient as it can be boarded in the heart of New York City and Philadelphia, taking about 2-3 hours. Since there are many service providers such as Greyhound, Peterpan Bus, and Megabus, we can choose the time that suits us comfortably, with a ticket price of approximately 14-18 USD. For my trip from New York, I chose the Greyhound bus at 7.10AM and arrived at 10.05AM. We can board the bus at Port Authority Bus Terminal in the heart of New York. As for tickets, we can purchase them online and print them out to scan the QR code to board or scan through the mobile phone screen, without having to wait in line to buy tickets at the counter.

After getting up, taking a shower, getting dressed, and checking out of the hotel at around 5AM, I took the Subway from the Delancey/Essex station near the hotel. I took the line-F uptown to the West 4 St station and then transferred to the line-E, also uptown, to the 42 St-Port Authority Subway Station. When I walked up from the Subway station, I arrived at the Port Authority Bus Terminal.

I arrived at Port Authority Bus Terminal around 6.15AM and had about an hour to find some quick breakfast. The Bus Terminal had both fast-food restaurants and convenience stores. Then, I checked the screen to see which platform my bus was leaving from and went to queue up at that platform. When it was time, the staff called for boarding, and I was able to check in my one piece of luggage under the bus.

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Ticketing counters of Greyhound

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After getting on the bus, I found a seat that was comfortable for me (the ticket did not specify the seat number). There were plugs to charge my phone (but it didn’t work T_T). Once the bus left the station, I tried to get some rest. The bus stopped at 2-3 points along the way to pick up and drop off passengers. The driver made announcements throughout the trip about where we were and I also checked Google Maps because this bus was going all the way to Los Angeles and we were only getting off on its way. We arrived in Philadelphia at around 10.00AM at the Bus Terminal on Filbert Street, which is in the heart of the city near Chinatown.

When I arrived, I went to collect my luggage that I had stored under the bus, and then started my one-day trip in Philly. But before that, I had to find a place to store my luggage so that I could walk around with just one backpack. Before I traveled to America, I found the BagBNB website, which is a service similar to Airbnb that allows people with extra space in their stores to offer luggage storage for rent. The price for storage was not expensive, only 6 USD per bag per day. The closest store to the Philadelphia Bus Terminal that offered storage was QQCafe, which was only a 2-minute walk from the station.

Philadelphia Bus Terminal

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After depositing my luggage, I felt lighter and ready to explore the world. I had around 7 hours until my 5:45 PM reservation on the Peterpan Bus to Washington DC. To tour Philadelphia, I decided to travel on foot since it was the most convenient way, even though there were trains and buses in the city. Philadelphia is not a very large city, so walking was the most comfortable option. Additionally, the weather was cool, about 8-10 degrees Celsius, which was perfect for strolling around and collecting new experiences.

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My first destination for the day was the Philadelphia Museum of Art located in the northwestern part of the city, about 3 kilometers away from the Bus Terminal. It took me about 25 minutes to walk there, taking Filbert St. and then continuing to Benjamin Franklin Parkway. I chose to go there first because it was the farthest point and then I could walk back into the city. On the way back, I could visit other places as well (I passed by some tourist attractions on the way there but planned to visit them on the way back). Don’t worry about having to walk long distances everywhere.

I arrived at the Philadelphia Museum of Art around 11AM. However, my main objective was not to enter the museum, as the main highlight here is the Rocky Balboa’s Statue, the world-famous boxer from the movie who was born in Philadelphia. People lined up to take pictures with “The Pride of Philadelphia.” Anyone who comes to this city must take a picture with Rocky, otherwise it’s like you haven’t really been here. 🙂

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After taking a photo with Rocky Balboa, I headed to take a high-angle picture of Philadelphia’s skyline view from the front of the Museum of Art. This museum was built in 1876 and houses over 240,000 works of art including sculptures, paintings, photographs, armor, and decorative arts from Europe, America, and Asia. Although I didn’t have time to visit the museum myself and had already seen enough art museums in New York, those who are interested can go in and view the artwork for a fee of 25 USD. The museum is open every day from 10.00AM to 5.00PM, except for Wednesdays and Fridays, it stays open until 8.45PM.

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After enjoying the beautiful view of Philadelphia from the front of the Museum of Art, my next destination was the Rodin Museum, which was within walking distance from the Museum of Art (walking back the way I came) for about 1 kilometer or 15 minutes of walking. The Rodin Museum is a small museum that houses the works of Auguste Rodin and has been open since 1929 (the Rodin Museum is part of the Philadelphia Museum of Art). The most prominent symbol of the Rodin Museum is The Thinker sculpture, which is located in front of the Rodin Museum building. The museum is open every day except Tuesday from 10.00 AM to 5.00 PM, and admission is $10 per person

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Then, I walked back to the Logan Square, which was about 800 meters away, on the same route. Logan Square is located in the heart of the community and government center of Philadelphia and was designed by Alexander Calder. There is a small garden in the center of this area. The highlight is the Swann Memorial Fountain, a bronze statue with a pool of water.

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Near Logan Square, there is another beautiful and prominent church, the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul. It is an old church over 155 years old. I found it interesting and walked inside to see it. The Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul was built from 1846-1864, taking 18 years to complete. It is a Romanesque-style church designed by Napoleon LeBrun. The interior of the church is decorated by Constantino Brumidi. It is the largest church in the state of Pennsylvania and is registered as an important historical site in America since 1971. In addition, The Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul has been used for Papal Mass twice. The first time was in 1979 by Pope John Paul II and the second time was in 2015 by Pope Francis. The church is open to the public every day from 7.30AM to 5.00PM. (Saturday opens at 9.00AM and Sunday opens at 8.00AM).

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And just like before, I wandered around and enjoyed myself until I lost track of time and suddenly realized that I was famished. I checked my watch and it was already past 12:30 PM, so I left the church and went to find something to eat before continuing my trip. I walked back to the Bus Terminal and found the Reading Terminal Market, which had several Take Away food stalls, including a variety of international cuisine, including Thai food ! Although the vendors didn’t seem to be Thai, I decided to try their Rice with Chicken Basil and Shrimp Coconut soup. I then found a spot to sit and eat. Overall, the taste was decent, and it satisfied my craving for Thai food. The meal cost me $10.50 USD, and I ended it with a cup of coffee from 7-Eleven. Ahhh…my stomach was content.

Next, I left for another iconic spot in Philadelphia, LOVE Park, near the Reading Terminal Market. LOVE Park, officially known as John F. Kennedy Plaza, is the heart of the city, but it is commonly called LOVE Park because of the iconic LOVE sign that stands out in the center of the square. Many people come to take photos with the sign, and it is a popular spot for events and markets.

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After LOVE PARK, nearby is the location of the Philadelphia City Hall, which is prominent and stands out in front of us (in fact, it is visible since morning, but I went to see it later because it was close by). The Philadelphia City Hall is the workplace of the officials of the city of Philadelphia. It was built between 1871 and 1901 and is 167 meters high, with a total of nine floors (it was once the tallest building in the world until 1908). It was designed by John McArthur Jr. and Thomas Ustick Walter in the Second Empire Style architecture (Napoleon III style) and was registered as a historical landmark in 1976. We can walk into the lower level of the City Hall and walk through to the other side. The highlight of this place is that tourists like to take pictures of the beautiful architecture of the City Hall building.

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I didn’t spend much time at City Hall because I focused on taking pictures and walking around. The inside, which is the office area of the city officials, was not accessible. After that, I walked through to the other side and onto Market St. to continue on to the Liberty Bell, which is about 1 kilometer away. It took about 15-20 minutes to walk there, and I enjoyed seeing the city of Philadelphia along the way. Finally, I arrived at the Liberty Bell.

The Liberty Bell (also known as the State House Bell or Old State House Bell) was a symbol of American independence located at Independence National Historical Park (previously located at Philadelphia Independence Hall). The bell was 1.16 meters wide, with a circumference of 3.7 meters and a height of 1.2 meters. It was first rung in 1753 and in 1776 it was rung to declare America’s independence from England. Inside the building where the bell is displayed, there are documentaries about the history of American freedom, making it very interesting. I saw it until the end and gained a deeper understanding of the culture and the struggles to achieve true freedom. There were also people who tried to destroy the Liberty Bell, which made me appreciate it even more. This bell has survived many periods of hardship, making it a very respected symbol of freedom.

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I walked out of Liberty Bell at around 3.00PM when the sun was starting to set, but there was still enough time to wander around and find something to eat before catching the next bus to Washington DC. I decided to explore Chinatown, which was only a short 15-minute walk (800 meters) from Liberty Bell. As I strolled through the city, I couldn’t help but feel that this place was more livable than New York City because there wasn’t as much chaos, traffic wasn’t congested, and people weren’t rushing around. Life seemed simpler here. As I continued to walk and explore, I eventually arrived at Chinatown. The first thing that caught my eye was a “Bubble Tea Shop” with a lot of people. I didn’t expect it to be popular here (since in New York City, there are already many bubble tea and coffee shops, and most of the sellers are Asian).

The Chinatown area in Philadelphia isn’t as big as in New York, but it has enough restaurants and cafes to sit and enjoy. This is different from New York, which mostly has fresh food and imported goods for sale.

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After wandering around until my legs were tired and my stomach was full, the sky began to darken just as it was time for me to leave Philadelphia and continue on to the next destination. So I went to pick up my bag at QQ Cafe where I had left it and then waited for the bus at the Bus Terminal. It was easy to walk from Chinatown to the Bus Terminal, which was only 300 meters away.

When I arrived at the Bus Terminal, I stored my luggage, used the restroom, and then joined the line to board the bus. The scheduled departure time was 5.45PM, and we arrived in Washington DC at 8.40PM. However, people had already started lining up for the bus since 5.30PM. When it was time to board, the staff called us onto the bus, where we stored our luggage underneath and found a comfortable seat. There were no assigned seats, but I didn’t have to worry about missing my stop at this point since the last stop at Washington DC’s Union Station was the end of the line. We were able to fully relax during the ride, and the only stop the bus made was in Baltimore for passenger pick-up and drop-off.

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I slept most of the way, probably because I had walked too much today. I checked my phone and realized I had walked nearly 17 kilometers. I woke up as the bus was pulling into Union Square Bus Terminal in Washington DC, and I have to say the buses here run on time. I arrived at my destination on time with no problems.

After getting off the bus and picking up my luggage, I looked for the subway to get to the hotel. The Bus Terminal is actually located at the same place as the Union Station subway station (the subway here is called Metro). However, the ticket system is completely different from New York’s, as it is a prepaid card system where the fare depends on the distance, similar to Bangkok’s BTS. I was able to buy tickets and add money at ticket vending machines that accept coins, banknotes, and credit cards. The Metro map is not as complex as New York’s because the city is relatively small and easy to navigate. It’s easy to use and download the map or downloading the Washington DC Metro Route Map app on your phone. Using the Metro ticket is as easy as tapping in and out.

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During my stay in Washington DC, I booked a hostel called Hi-Washington DC Hostel which was affordable because it’s a non-profit hostel. However, if we’re not a member of Hostelling International Membership, we have to pay an additional $4 per night. The important thing is that the hostel provides free breakfast which is hard to find at this price. As for transportation from Union Station to the hostel, it was not difficult. I just took the Metro to Metro Center station and walked for another 5 minutes on 11th St NW to the hostel.

When I arrived at the hostel, I checked in and immediately stored my belongings and took a shower. It was already late, around 9.30PM. I was very tired from waking up early in the morning. After that, I fell asleep immediately as soon as my head touched the pillow. Tomorrow I had another day to fulfill my dream of traveling to Washington DC, the capital city of America…Good Night…Close your eyes and make a wish… 🙂

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Written by : SHIPY SIWARIT TIASUWATTISETH

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