Licensed therapist Kier Gaines and his 6-year-old daughter, Emery, recently traveled from Washington, D.C. to Philadelphia for a father-daughter two-day getaway.

Gaines documented the moment he shared the news with his young daughter, and their subsequent adventures, in a now-viral Instagram Reel, writes Zoey Lyttle for People.

The video starts with Gaines asking his daughter if she remembered when he said he would be taking a train to Philadelphia.

He followed up by telling her he would leave that day and spend the night.

Just as the little girl’s face fell in disappointment, he informed her that she would be coming with him, causing her face to light up with excitement.

“The reason I’m going to Philadelphia is ‘cause me and you are gonna do a date,” Gaines told his daughter.

The video continues on to show the father and daughter boarding a train to Philadelphia, checking into their hotel room, participating in various activities at the Children’s Museum, eating at a Vietnamese Pho restaurant, having fun at the hotel’s indoor pool, and eating ice cream together in bed. 

The now-viral video of the father-daughter bonding experience has garnered more than 1.7 million likes and tons of praise.

Read more about the viral father-daughter video tugging at people’s heartstrings at People. 

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