Philadelphia, for me, is family life. I can pretend to know all the groovy, cool places to go and have a bunch of people thank me for mentioning their restaurants, but that's not me. When I speak about Philadelphia, I speak about the trees and the earth and the clouds and rain and autumn, when the leaves change. That's the part I know. Getting crab apples in my neighbor's yard. I designed my property so that I could have hummingbirds and dragonflies around. They weren't there when I first got there, but as soon as I planted plants that they liked, oh my goodness. It's just a place for true beauty.

You can go into the city and miss the natural parts of it, but if you like sunshine and dirt and don't mind a couple of drops of rain, Philadelphia is the best place in the world.

Where do you suggest people stay when they visit Philadelphia? You can go down to Rittenhouse Square, which is one of the oldest areas down there. The Liberty Bell is around there, and there are some really great historic homes. There are a couple of really nice bed-and-breakfasts down there, although I couldn't name one off the top of my head. It's one of the few places where you can be downtown and catch the history of it. You don't really have to go out to the suburbs, but you should take the time to come out to places like Fairmount Park. Just get a car and wander about. The best way to find oneself is to get lost in a place. That's what I certainly believe.

---

We Said …
Where we feel brotherly love in Philly

LODGING

Glasbern Country Inn, moderate to expensive, (610) 285-4723, www.glasbern.com. On 100 bucolic acres about an hour outside Philadelphia is this luxurious country inn comprising seven buildings, complete with a spa and an acclaimed organic restaurant. It's worth the extra mileage.