Regardless of whether you’re a Philadelphia resident or visitor, the government shutdown takes you away from glorious sights like the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall and Valley Forge Park with rolling hills.

This past weekend, I visited the “Niagara Falls of PA”, Bushkill Falls. It also happens to be a National Park, which means those people who are trying to follow my lead 2 days later are SOL.

What can you do in & around Philly that does not involve a cracked bell or battleground? No fear reader, I found a few for you.

5 Things to Do Around Philly During the Government Shutdown:

1. Rent a bike or run, walk or skateboard along Kelly Drive or West River Drive. Get in your sunset jog or bike ride before it becomes dark outside at 445 PM.
2. Fairmount Park: Huge, gorgeous, and not national. And have you seen the Shofuso Japanese House & Garden?!
3. Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens. Isaiah Zagar took recycling to the MAX when he created this beautiful space of broken glass and recycled trash like bike wheels, china plates and bottles. Open every day, make sure to pay the $7 (or $5 – students/senior citizens) to see the whole thing. Dare I say: It’s our own bigger and better version of the Beer Can House.
4. Pennypack trails are privately-owned in the Huntington Valley with hiking, photo ops, bird watching, biking and taking your dog out for a walk.
5. The Manayunk Towpath runs parallel to main street and goes 28 miles!

Regardless if the government can get their stuff together, each day the parks are closed affects all of us like MNN points out. National parks lose visitors and money, field trips are cancelled and campers are getting kicked out. And you can’t get into a local-ish national park to take a cheesy (yet obviously cool) photo like we did this weekend:

Readers, what would you recommend around Philly during the Gov’t shutdown?

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Julie Hancher is Editor-in-Chief of Green Philly, sharing her expertise of all things sustainable in the city of brotherly love. She enjoys long walks in the park with local beer and greening her travels, cooking & cat, Sir Floofus Drake. View all posts by Julie Hancher