Whether your layover is a few hours or a full day, Philadelphia is a great city to be in if you have some time to kill. It's nicely laid out with a grid system and not so overwhelming, so it's accessible enough to the fly-by tourist, yet full of enough culture, art, and killer food to appease any type of traveler.

I make it a point never to travel with these types of people myself, but they should be admired for their early rising, intinerary making, and pavement pounding dedication.

If you are one of the fannie pack bunch, then you'll make the most of your layover in Philly by visiting Independence National Historic Park. Here you can see the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall (signing of the Constitution and Declaration of Independence).

You are already smack in the middle of the historic district, so there's lots to see close by, like the Betsy Ross House, Quaker meeting house, and Elfreth's Alley.

Olde City has many beautiful, tree-lined streets full of art galleries, restaurants, and cafes. It's a beautiful and walkable part of Philadelphia, made for leisurely or scholarly strolls.

Once Upon A Nation is a program that has storytellers at 13 different historic sites; you can grab a seat on one of the distinctive curved benches and hear well-known stories and more obscure tales.

Fun for kids and adult travel can actually go together if you're stopping by Philadelphia with small children. There are enough indoor and outdoor kid-friendly and kid-centered attractions to keep you busy for weeks, so picking an itinerary for your layover may be the most difficult part of your day.

Fairmount Park is one of the most beautiful and sprawling urban parks in the country, and it's perfect to ramble, picnic, and let your kids run free. There are sculptures, walking trails, sports fields, boating lakes and rivers, horse trails, and acres of greenery and scenery.

For a more organized outing, the Philadelphia zoo, the oldest in America, has exotic animal attractions and zoo rides to keep you busy all day. If you only have a few hours to kill, then don't miss the African Plains safari animals (zebras, cheetahs, giraffes, and more) and the children's petting zoo for younger kids (interactive experience with farm animals). Although there are special events and exhibits during the warmer months, the zoo is open year round.

And even if you touch down in Philly in poor weather, the indoor activities are nothing to sneer at. The Please Touch Museum has interactive exhibits and programs that include an Alice in Wonderland experience, a construction room, and a theater for short performances.

If you have kids who are enamored of all things that go, then the Phlash bus might be just the thing for your family. You can get on and off at various Center City attractions, and it is less hassle than negotiating public transport with children.

For the more leisurely traveller, Philadelphia has a wealth of opportunities to kick back and enjoy. For art lovers, either the Rodin Museum or the Olde City art galleries would make the Philadelphia stop worthwhile.

The Rodin Museum houses the largest collection of the artist's work outside Paris, with a wealth of sculpture, drawings, prints, and letters. It's a small museum but a very pretty building, with a groomed formal garden, a reflecting pool, and a bird sanctuary. For a mere $3, it's a steal for great art.

Olde City may be best known for its historical landmarks, but the gallery scene and the tree-lined streets make it a destination for strolling and gazing. With the trendiest art galleries and works in all media from photography to conceptual contemporary to fine craftsmanship, art lovers could walk these streets for hours. First Fridays are popular with locals and tourists alike, when galleries host openings on the first Friday of every month. Coffeeshops, cafes, and eateries also line these streets, so you won't be left high and dry.

For more leisure and less art, South street is the shopping area for eclectic stores, a mix of trendy and seedy bars, and ethnic eateries of all kinds. It's the perfect place to waste a few hours with people-watching and window shopping.

If leisurely strolling combined with eating is more your thing, then the Italian Market (also known as 9th street) is the place to be. Italian pastries, all types of cheese, produce, and fish vendors, great pizza, and Italian ice all line the street.

For less than beautiful days, the Reading Terminal Market is an indoor farmer's market with a dazzling selection of goods and services: colorful produce, bakeries, meats, fish, spices and herbs, flowers, crafts, Amish specialties, homemade ice cream, and a number of ethnic eateries.

I'm not going to venture an opinion here on which Philly place has the best cheesesteaks. I will just state the obvious and say that Philadelphia has the best cheesesteaks in the country. Locals can debate for hours about whether they love Pat's, Geno's, Chink's, or Tony Luke's, but I'm just mentioning them all as fabulous.

Pat's and Geno's face each other; the triangular buildings are lit up like Christmas at any time of night or day (they are open 24/7). It might be worth the trip to this South Philly corner just to see these warring cheesesteak joints in action.

Chink's and Tony Luke's probably won't be 'on the way' anyway on your layover, but loyalists of either will claim that the trip will be worth it.

Jim's is conveniently located on South Street and Sonny's is right in Old City.

Cheesesteak aficionados can also debate for hours about the correct cheese (American, provolone, or cheese whiz), but I'm partial to my provolone and lots of onions on my sliced steak sandwiches.