Turn your African-American mural tour into an all-day adventure

They rise!

(You drive)

Murals that celebrate African-American history and culture are the centerpiece of a new Mural Arts driving tour navigated by Philly's own ?uestLove. So load up your iPod at muralarts.org/iconicimages, and get ready to go. Our route guide points the way to all the murals, plus stops along the way where you can stretch your legs - and possibly your waistband.

KEY

Good Eats - Top spots to stop and refuel

Alma Shopper - Surprising finds at the Drexel, Penn and Temple student bookstores

Warning: I Brake for Art - A sampling of galleries and museums along the route

Parking - Insider recommendations to ease your frustrations

African American Museum of Philadelphia

701 Arch St.

The assembly point for the monthly Iconic Images trolley tours (see box), the museum is also home to the jaw-dropping "Audacious Freedom" exhibit. Life-size historical figures entertain visitors from high-def video displays that are shockingly realistic. Closed Mondays.

Café Lift and Prohibition Taproom

428 and 501 N. 13th St.

The yin-and-yang eateries of the so-called Loft District have the same owners but entirely different food vibes. Lift is popular for its frittatas, soups and salads. It's open Tuesday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Cash only. Prohibition's main attractions are burgers and beer. Kitchen hours are noon to 1 a.m. daily.

Philadelphia Mausoleum of Contemporary Art

531 N. 12th St.

A brave new gallery in a strange old building. (It used to be a tombstone showroom.) Through March 18, the group show "Comb the Field" brings together three likable young artists, whose signed prints sell at thbargain-basement prices. Hours are "usually" Tuesday to Saturday, 12:30 to 7:30 p.m., but call first to be sure: 267-519-9651.

The Institute Bar

549 N. 12th St.

The house specialty at this gastropub is pumpkin macaroni and cheese. Regulars also like the pork fries: a heap of french fries topped with shredded barbecued pork. The Institute has 16 craft brews on tap for the beer geeks in your mural-tour party - but not for the designated driver. The kitchen opens at 4 p.m. weekdays and 2 p.m. weekends.

Cerulean Arts

1355 Ridge St.

The lively blue storefront is a welcome break from the winter blahs, and the exhibits inside the gallery are icing on the pick-me-up cake. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Cerulean is a member of the North Philadelphia Arts and Culture Alliance. Pick up an NPACA map there for directions to three dozen arts venues along the North Broad Street corridor.

Osteria

640 N. Broad St.

Home to "the pizza that saved Broad Street" (in Craig LaBan's words) from top-shelf chef Marc Vetri. On Saturdays and Sundays, the restaurant opens at 5 p.m. If you're driving the mural route on a lazy weekend afternoon, you can often snare a table without reservations and without any wait if you arrive promptly at 5.

Church of the Advocate

1801 W. Diamond St.

Murals inside the church that were painted during the 1970s depict African-American history (including some violent imagery) up to and including Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech. Visiting hours are by appointment at 215-236-0568.

Main Campus Bookstore, Temple University

13th and Montgomery streets

The store, in the basement of the student center, carries cherry-and-white gear in every shape and size, from infant cheerleader outfits on up. For non-Owls, the selection of chic totebags and laptop sleeves is similarly vast, in a rainbow of colors and a variety of cute prints you don't often see elsewhere. Closed Sundays.

Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection

1330 W. Berks St.

Photographs and ephemera from the Philadelphia chapter of the Tuskegee Airmen are now on display at the collection's home space in Sullivan Hall. (Open weekdays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) Nearby in the Paley Library, there's a larger exhibit on African-American patriots, starting with the Revolutionary War.

Insomnia Cookies

12th and Montgomery streets

The fresh, warm cookies from the Insomnia food truck form the base of the Temple student food pyramid, especially during midterms and finals. Cookies are $1 apiece. Truck hours are 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. weekdays and 1 to 8 p.m. weekends.

Temple Tyler School of Art galleries

Next month, the main gallery space at Tyler starts a frenzied two months of solo shows by its graduating grad-school artists. Every Friday starting March 18, a new student show goes up, each with an opening reception from 6 to 9 p.m. Purveyors of jug wine rejoice.

The Creperie food truck

13th and Norris streets

The veggie-packed savory crepes and decadent sweet ones are a fresh, mostly healthful alternative to the usual student fare - although something tells us the beef, ranch and BBQ crepe is not low-calorie. The crepe truck parks outside the Tyler School of Art weekdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. You're welcome to eat your crepes indoors at the Tyler café.

Temple Lot 10

12th and Diamond streets

Don't believe the sign that says you can't pay with cash here. Most of the time, you can. It's $12 for the day and an easy walk to the Temple attractions we've flagged for shopping, eating and art.

Wagner Free Institute of Science

1700 W. Montgomery Ave.

With brontosaurus bones, shark teeth and all manner of taxidermy beasts, the institute can be your reward to antsy kids who've come along on mom and dad's artsy adventure. The Victorian-era museum of natural history is old and creaky in a good way. Open Tuesday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

2200 block of North Broad

A little bit of South Philly in North Philly, this block of Broad Street offers violation-free middle-lane parking, courtesy of state Rep. Jewell Williams.

A few years back, Williams got a ticket for parking here briefly to unload some constituent paperwork. He requested that the Police Department use the same "discretion" on North Broad Street that his own police-academy training had encouraged him to show on South Broad. Eventually it came to pass. "I just like things to be fair and equal," he said.

Philadelphia Doll Museum

2253 N. Broad St.

With 500 black dolls in its collection, some more than 100 years old, this storefront museum dovetails nicely with the Mural Arts black-history theme. Highlights include colorful Ndebele dolls from South Africa and doll artist Roberta Bell's likenesses of historical figures, including Philly's own Richard Allen. There's also a terrific collection of pop-culture dolls, including Urkel and Snoop Dogg.

Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday to Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sundays.

Denise's Delicacies

2916 N. 22nd St.

A three-block detour from the Mural Arts route takes you to poundcake heaven. Make a right from Lehigh onto 22nd Street, and feed the meter amply when you park - because you will wait in line for service. Take a number. The rich, vanilla goodness from this beloved bakeshop's ovens is definitely worth your time. Closed Sundays.

Charlie's Country Ribs

2528 W. Diamond St.

The mouthwatering soul food here is in such high demand that the establishment won't take phone orders after 6 p.m. The staff's hands are too full ladling out ribs, yams and greens for dinnertime takeout. (Earlier, you can call ahead at 215-235-2121.) Open until 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday and until 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Closed Sundays.

The Ellen Powell Tiberino Memorial Museum

3819 Hamilton St.

Named for the family matriarch, the Ellen Powell Tiberino Memorial Museum houses the paintings and sculptures of a prodigiously talented clan of African-American artists, including father Joseph, daughter Ellen and sons Raph, Latif and Gabe. Want more Tiberino art? The Sande Webster Gallery in Center City is showing their work through Saturday.

3505 Lancaster Ave.

This new pizza spot on Lancaster Avenue is a welcome addition to the neighborhood. Try the Santa Fe pizza, which is topped with grilled chicken, BBQ sauce, Louisiana hot sauce, veggies and mozzarella ($10.95 for a medium, $14.95 for a large).

Open Monday through .-Sunday., 9 a.m.- to 1 a.m. (kitchen closes at 11:40 p.m.).

3500 to 4000 Lancaster Ave.

You can often find an open spot at the meters along this stretch.Green Line

3649 Lancaster Ave.

The Green Line is perfect for a caffeine fuel up. It has all the trappings of a neighborhood coffee shop without the corporate Starbucks airs. The Powelton location has free Wi-Fi. Green Line's other two shops, at 4426 Locust St. and 4239 Baltimore Ave., are also convenient to the mural route.

Drexel University bookstore

33rd and Chestnut streets

Like the rest of us, Drexel students have been wading through slush all winter. They've just done it more stylishly, in funky rainboots by Capelli New York that are sold at the campus bookstore. The store also stocks family road-trip essentials, like snack food. And Tylenol. Closed Sundays.

Drexel University Lot G

34th and Ludlow streets

Between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. on weekends, it costs only $7 to park here. For weekday mural-ers, all-day parking is $12.

University of Pennsylvania bookstore

3601 Walnut St.

Of the three campus bookstores situated along the Mural Arts route, Penn's is the most bookish. Be on the lookout for the Black History Month table, with Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man and other classics. The huge Penn & Me children's area is a great stop for rammy kids.

Institute of Contemporary Art

118 S. 36th St.

Go modern with the ICA, which, in addition to full-scale exhibits, has a schedule of fun and arty events at night (check out the Whenever Wednesday screenings and lectures).

University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology & Anthropology

3260 South St.

Now showing mummies from China as part of the Secrets of the Silk Road exhibit, in addition to the excellent Egyptian mummies that are part of the permanent collection at this massive history museum. Go by March 15 to see the Chinese mummies. Closed Mondays.

Arthur Ross Gallery

220 S. 34th St.

This Penn art gallery, located in the red sandstone Ann and Jerome Fisher Fine Arts Library, is a small but important counterpart to the Penn Museum and ICA. The current exhibit is "Post-Mao Dreaming: Chinese Contemporary Art," featuring Chinese artists working after the constraints of Maoist Communism were lifted. Closed Mondays.

The Esther M. Klein Art Gallery

3600 Market St.

The Esther M. Klein Gallery at the Science Center finds beauty in science. The current exhibit (through March 20) is "Data Sweep" by David Bowen, who looks at interactions between machines and nature. The gallery often holds workshops aimed at kids. Closed Sundays.

Slought Foundation Gallery

4017 Walnut St.

The Slought Foundation's mission is to get you thinking about the culture in which you live. To fuel the conversation, it often features work by women and minorities. On view until March 19 is the "Precious Places Community History Project," in conjunction with the Scribe Video Center. It features oral histories of Philly neighborhoods as told by their residents. Closed Sundays and Mondays.

Abyssinia/Ethio Café & Carry Out

229 and 225 S. 45th St.

These neighboring Ethiopian restaurants beg the question: Abyssinia or Ethio? Abyssinia has a liquor license. Ethio has better decor and is open every day, while Abyssinia is closed Mondays. Both are great for the wallet. The staple food at both is injera, a spongy, sticky flatbread that is perfect for sopping up sauces. (It tastes better when you eat with your fingers.) Ethiopian dining is a communal experience, so be ready to share.

For other African eats on the Mural Arts route, try the Senegalese cuisine at Kilimandjaro Restaurant (4317 Chestnut St.). Or veer off the path for Malian food at Soleil de Minuit (5148 Locust St.).

OR LEAVE THE DRIVING TO THEM

This Saturday, free tours of selected segments of the route will depart every half-hour between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. from the Independence Visitor Center, 6th and Market streets. Reservations are suggested, at www.muralarts.org.

Beginning March 26, a monthly trolley tour of the African American Collection will take place on the last Saturday of each month. Those two-hour tours will depart at 10 a.m. from the African American Museum in Philadelphia, 701 Arch St. To book a reservation, visit www.muralarts.org. Tickets are $17 to $27, including admission to the museum.

WALL-TO-WALL SOUND

Your official audio guide to the Iconic Images tour is Roots drummer (and hometown hero) Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson, who lends his sonorous timbre to a mural-by-mural narration. You can download it at muralarts.org/iconicimages.

If you want to bring along a mix of tunes, here are some suggestions:

Mural 2: The Dr. J trifecta - Many artists name-checked Julius Erving during his heyday, but you only need these three (or save the Grover Washington tune for his own mural):

Pieces of a Dream - "Fo-Fi-Fo"

Grover Washington Jr. - "Let it Flow (for 'Dr. J')"; play this again at Grover's own Mural 9

Run-D.M.C. - "You be Illin' "

Between Murals 4 & 5: The Dixie Hummingbirds - "Amazing Grace"; this recording, from 1946, is in the Grammy Hall of Fame. Perfect for driving on Dixie Hummingbird Way.

Mural 7: Lou Christie - "Beyond the Blue Horizon"

Mural 12: Count Basie Orchestra - "Did You See Jackie Robinson Hit That Ball?"

Mural 13: Arrested Development - "Revolution (Malcolm X)"; the theme from Spike Lee's biopic is not only powerful, but also catchy.

Mural 14: Bruce Springsteen - "Promised Land"; play when you hit up the Pay It Forward (a/k/a The Promised Land) mural.

Mural 15: Women of Jazz - A song for each lady:

Nina Simone - "Mississippi Goddam"

Sarah Vaughan - "Black Coffee"

Dinah Washington - "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes"

Betty Carter - "Baby, It's Cold Outside"

Billie Holiday - "Strange Fruit"

Shirley Scott - "Messie Bessie"

Mary Lou Williams - "What's Your Story, Morning Glory?"

Ella Fitzgerald - "Mack the Knife"

Mural 17: Patti LaBelle - "I'm in Love Again"; classic TSOP track by the Wynnewood-dwelling soul diva.

Mural 18: Bill Withers - "Grandma's Hands"

Mural 19: Stevie Wonder - "Happy Birthday"; Wonder wrote about the need to celebrate Dr. King's birth, asking why anyone would oppose it. Public Enemy's "By the Time I Get to Arizona" poses the same question.