Rule #5: Stay at hotels with friendly front-desk staff.

It's not every front-desk clerk who offers advice on footwear. "Make sure to wear sensible shoes," said Chris Lesnewski, who mans the desk at the Best Western Independence Park Hotel in old town Philadelphia. "When they laid the cobblestone roads in Philadelphia high heels didn't exist."

Lesnewski is just the sort of guy you want greeting you when you check in to a hotel. He's quirky, charming, and funny and knows everything there is to know about Philly. "You'll probably want to visit Independence Hall. You need tickets for that--you can get them for free at the visitor center," he told us, pulling out a map of the city.



When I asked for a restaurant recommendation, Lesnewski's eyes lit up. "What are you in the mood for?" he inquired. "Do you want Japanese, Indian, Belgian, American, Afghani...?" I mentioned Monk's Cafe, which a friend recommended. "They serve an amazing trout," he said.

Right before we hopped into the elevator to go to our room, Lesnewski added, "You need to take the little one to the Franklin Museum. It's a hands-on museum, where he can touch everything. He'll love it."