Your Next Spring Break
Relax: Philadelphia
Why go: Smack in the middle of Center City, in a landmark skyscraper, the Loews Philadelphia Hotel offers just-refurbished suites within walking distance of some of Colonial America's greatest hits—the Liberty Bell and Betsy Ross's house, anyone?
Why it's relaxing: It's all mapped out for you. Follow in Ben Franklin's footsteps from the site of his former abode on Chestnut Street to his printing shop on Market. Grab lunch inside the Reading Terminal farmer's market, then meander along Elfreth's Alley, lined with 18th-century houses, that look like they were sized for elves. More must-sees: the Franklin Institute Science Museum, currently hosting the King Tut show; Al Capone's one-time home, Eastern State Penitentiary, now an astonishing museum; and, if you have intrepid teens, the Mütter Museum of medical oddities (home to Grover Cleveland's mouth tumor!).
Winning detail: The eye-level view of William Penn's statue atop City Hall from Loews' 33rd floor. In 1932, city regulations demanded nothing be higher than the founding father—so they built to the very top of his hat.
Info: 215/627-1200; www.loewshotels.com; doubles from $199.
