I recently returned from a two-day trip to Philadelphia. I had an absolute blast exploring the city and seeing the sights. This was my first trip to the city of Brotherly Love, and I quickly discovered that although we packed a ton of activities into our trip, 48 hours in Philly was only enough time to make a dent in all that the city has to offer. I can’t wait to explore some more of the sights, and am eagerly planning a return. This time, I’m utilizing the Only In Your State’s Dashboard, an AI-powered travel tool that will help me pinpoint the recommended hidden spots and less-touristy attractions that I didn’t have time to work into my first trip.

My introductory visit to Philly involved visiting many of the city’s well-known tourist attractions, such as the Museum of the American Revolution and Independence Hall. We also stopped to take the obligatory Philly pics at the LOVE Sculpture and Rocky Statue. On my next visit, I plan to hit some of the lesser-known, out-of-the-way attractions. I would also love to dive deeper into the Philadelphia dining scene (beyond cheese steaks and Reading Terminal Market cuisine).

I asked the travel planner to map out an expert guide for an adventurous Philly couple’s weekend. My search included local restaurants, unique stays, and haunted places. Within seconds, I was presented with an itinerary for a “Spooky and Unique Weekend in Philadelphia” complete with suggestions for “what to do,” “where to eat,” and "where to stay. " I was excited because I was not familiar with most of the guide's locations, and had not included any of them on my initial trip.

My weekend itinerary began with a recommended stop at the Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site. I read the AI description of the site and learned some general information about the attraction. I then clicked onto the accompanying Only In Your State article, which provided me with a more detailed description and fantastic photos of the property. I am definitely keeping this National Historic Site on my itinerary!

Now onto the food. The AI tool must know how much I love to eat because it generated four diverse restaurant choices. These included a steakhouse, a Japanese restaurant, a bakery, and the celebrity-owned Morimoto restaurant. All sounded quite interesting and delicious. Luckily, I will need to dine out more than once while I am visiting and will have time to try a few of these suggestions.

The final section of the guide included two places to stay. I recognized the first place, The Rittenhouse Philadelphia, a gorgeousluxury hotel that I had considered for our first trip. But it was the second suggestion, the DoubleTree by Hilton, that had me particularly intrigued. While I usually opt for historic inns or unique Airbnbs over chain hotels, this place had something special: a Dinner Detective Murder Mystery Dinner featuring a four-course meal. This type of unique Philadelphia experience is right up my alley, and I probably would not have discovered it on a typical internet travel search. 

Now that I have my Philadelphia travel itinerary mapped out, I just need to get packing. If you would like to try out our AI-travel planner to create a guide for your next adventure, you can do so by using the Only In Your State Travel Planner link. We would love to find out all about your travel planning experience. Please note that this article was created in part by using our award-winning dashboard planner.