I recently took the time to get out of the house on a Sunday afternoon and visit Fairmount Park in Philadelphia. I’ve always loved visiting nearby parks and green spaces while traveling, so I felt I definitely needed to explore one of the beloved parks in my own city. The day I chose for my visit was scorching, which I definitely didn’t mind, but it elicited a few complaints from my fiancé. After a leisurely drive around and in the park to get a sense of the area, which was huge, we stopped by a few of the historic mansions for photos and then at a picnic area for a lunch we packed earlier in the day. We really wanted to spend the majority of our afternoon hiking, and I was surprised a park located within the city could offer the abundance of opportunities we found there. After a little bit of research, we chose to hike a system of trails on Belmont Plateau, which took us around and about West Fairmount Park. While parts of the trail brought you within earshot of some busy traffic, in most places you would have no idea you were in the city. The trail eventually spat us back out near where we parked, and we were treated to a gorgeous view of Philadelphia. — Holly Godbey, marketing & sales assistant