Getting By, Dreaming Big

This is a blog for me to share my thoughts on my favorite things: books, traveling, food and entertainment!

Healthy Living Fridays: Meditation May 23, 2010

Filed under: Healthy Living Fridays,NYC Experiences — readerbean @ 5:20 pm
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A couple of weeks ago my childhood friend Jen and I were noshing on sushi in Central Park and chatting about life.  I mentioned that I would really love to try meditation and of course Jen said she would be interested in trying it with me!  She did some research and discovered the Shambhala Meditation Center of New York.  We decided to attend their one hour basic meditation class for beginners.  It is a $10 suggested donation at the door.  When we arrived there was a clost for us to put our jackets and shoes.  It felt strange to walk around the area barefoot (but I loved it - I HATE shoes – wouldn’t wear them if I didn’t have to!)

The above picture of me is taken in the room we had our class in.  The class was packed, so I waited until after to snap a photo.  The class started with an introduction by the instructor.  Then we practiced.  He suggested that we focus on a spot 6-8 feet in front of us and that we focus on the cycle of our breathing.  He then hit the gong and we were off meditating.  Did my mind wander?  Of course, I mean, I’m just a beginner.  He suggested that when our mind wanders we acknowledge that wherever our mind went was something that is weighing heavily on us (whether consciously or sub-consciously).  We need to acknowledge it, accept it, and return our focus to our cycle of breathing.  After our first “practice” session.  He asked everyone to share their thoughts and experiences.  It was nice that there was some class participation.  It was especially reassuring to hear that other people had similar experiences.

We then practiced again.  Then we practiced a walking meditation, where we all formed a circle and stood about a foot away from the person in front of us.  The walking meditation was interesting.  I found it more difficult because since we were performing an action there was more going on then just sitting and concentrating. 

Overall, it was a great experience.  I’m glad that I gave it a try.  The instructor emphasized that it’s about practicing everyday for 10 minutes as opposed to practicing once a week for an hour.  They actually have public meditation from 5:30-7:00PM during the week, along with various other programs.  I do not know that I will meditate daily but maybe a couple of times a week to calm my innerself.

Post in Comments:


Have you ever meditated?  What did you think of the practice?

 

Tuesday Travels: Nature in the Meadowlands May 11, 2010

Filed under: NYC Experiences,Tuesday Travels — readerbean @ 10:19 pm
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After those wintery photos from Top of the Rock I promised you some nice springtime photos!  How did you feel about being greeted by Mr. Swan?  This past Saturday I met up with my Uncle Tom, Aunt Maggie and cousin Terence out in Hoboken and we went on a bird watching/nature walking adventure in the Meadowlands. 

I must admit when I realized we were in the Meadowlands in New Jersey, I was skeptical.  I mean the Meadowlands do not have the best reputation and I’m from New Jersey.  We visited a couple of different areas but my favorite was Richard W. DeKorte Park in Lyndhurst, New Jersey.  I can’t think about Lyndhurst without thinking of Medieval Times – hahaha!

There was definitely a lot of bird watching to be had!  Unfortunately some of the walking paths were closed due to work being done to improve them or repair them, but we were able to walk for a good 45 minutes.  At one point, my uncle and I noticed these fish flapping around at the top of the water.  We looked closer through the binoculars and saw these fish (my uncle thinks they were carp) half in the water, half out of the water pushing their way through the mud.  It was my favorite part aside from just spending the day outside, taking in the sun, and enjoying some quality time with family.

We saw thrushes, ducks, mallards, swans and egrets among other birds.  It really was a gorgeous area.  There also seemed to be an educational center.  This spot would probably be great for families with small kids.  We didn’t explore the entire area so I may have to make a trip back someday to explore some more.  Oh and I forgot to add that we saw an eagle at an earlier park area, that was pretty darn cool!

Here is a picture of my Uncle Tom, Aunt Maggie and ME!   Thanks guys for a wonderful afternoon outside of the city.

Post in Comments:

What is your favorite bird?  I’d have to say mine is the egret.  It is such a graceful creature (and it doesn’t hurt that it is one of the few birds that I can recognize right off the bat!)

 

Entertainment Saturday: Rock of Ages May 10, 2010

Filed under: Entertainment Saturday,Music,NYC Experiences,Theater — readerbean @ 8:12 pm
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Every year around Christmas my HC girlfriends and I usually get together for an early morning breakfast (think 8AM) either right before or right after Christmas.  It’s our time, during all the family and holiday madness, to take some time and come together.  Usually we alternate between diners in Long Island or New Jersey.  This year, we went a little crazy, I’m not really sure what happened…or how it came about….but we decided on….

 

Brunch at 44 & X followed by the matinee of ROCK OF AGES!!!!  (That’s me above in the bright green vest – it was a new Christmas present from my sister and her fiance!)  I know this post is a little late in coming (um…like 4+ monhts late….) but Rock of Ages was sooo good that I couldn’t let the opportunity pass by without blogging about it.

First of all on a side foodie note, 44 & X was AMAZING!  We sat at this huge oversized wooden table and enjoyed all sorts of goodies and yummy beverages.  The staff there was incredibly accomodating and so nice!  Then we headed over to the Theater.  I had heard a lot of great things about Rock of Ages, but I didn’t know that much about it.  We got there and right at the door were offered more beverages (my kind of theater).  We had purchased our tickets (or rather Meghan’s aunt waited in line at TKTS for us – Thank you Aunt Debbie!) the day before from TKTS and were able to snag center orchestra row L for like $85.  We settled in and then the show started.

Let me just say it was AMAZING!  They gave us fake lighters that were mini flashlights to light up and sway back and forth during the slow songs.  If you love 80′s music – think Journey, Whitesnake, Poison, Pat Benatar, REO Speedwagon – you will LOVE Rock of Ages.  We were singing the whole play (out loud) it was hands down THE MOST FUN I’ve had on Broadway!  There is a live band playing all of this awesome and fun music and there is a story and characters to boot just to make all the songs come together cohesively.  My favorites were a toss up between “We Built This City” and “Oh Sherry”.  My favorite character, how do I choose, it’s definitely a toss up between Stacee Jaxx and Franz.  I promise you will laugh until you are crying and your sides hurt, your voice will be hoarse afterwards and you will be so energized you might be tempted to buy tickets and see the next showing!

Just putting together this post and looking stuff up, watching videos, and re-listening to music from the musical is making me now want to go see it again.  This is a show not to be missed, get your most fun group of friends together, and “rock out”!

WE MISSED YOU AMERS!!!!!

Post in Comments:

What’s the most fun you’ve had on Broadway?

 

Foodie Wednesday: Keste’s Pizza May 7, 2010

Filed under: Foodie Wednesday,NYC Experiences,Restaurant Reviews — readerbean @ 1:02 pm
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Back when Shion and I took Scott’s Pizza Tour in December I had asked Scott if he was a margherita pizza “snob” since that was the original pizza.  He quickly put me in my place!  First, he informed me that at some places, they are known for a specific pizza and maybe not for their margherita, so while it can be a good judge of a “base” pizza don’t only judge a pizzeria by it’s margherita pizza.  Before you visit, find out if it’s known for a specific type of pizza.  Second, margherita pizza’s were not the original pizza.  The original pizza was dough, lard and cheese!  He informed Shion and I that Keste’s, across the street from John’s Pizzeria on Bleeker, still sold the “original” pizza.

This past Sunday Shion and I made a lunch date to finally go to Keste’s and be brave and try the original pizza.  We also ordered a Margherita pizza, because, well I’m not going to lie, I was concerned we weren’t going to like it and wanted a back up plan!

The margherita was amazing!!!!  I mean look at it.  It was just melt in your mouth delicious.  I thought it was just as good as a Lombardi’s or maybe even John’s (em…maybe not, John’s is saltier and I love that about it!)  Amano’s in Ridgewood, NJ (my home town) another recommendation by Scott, is certainly just as good as Keste.  (Side note:  I’ve gotten my parents seriously addicted to Amano’s!)

YUM!!!!  So before I dove in to this mouthwatering delicacy (well, hey I’m in NYC, pizza is a delicacy here!) I tried a small sliver of the lard pizza, or rather the Mastunicola (that sounds nicer).

I have to say, I thought it was just OK!  I think for me it was a big mind over matter thing.  I couldn’t stop thinking about it and so that made it less enjoyable.  It was almost as if they had melted crisco and poured that on the dough, covered it in cheese and then put some fatty bacon on it.  It was nice and salty but I just couldn’t get over – well the lard!  I’m certainly glad I tried it, it’s always good to try new things, but I think Shion liked it more than me!  We split the margherita pizza and she enjoyed more of the Mastinucola. 

I will say though that I L.O.V.E.D. Keste Pizzeria & Vino.  We were greeted in Italian, the place was small and cozy but decorated very warmly.  The pizza oven was at the back of the restaurant and you could see them making your pizza.  I think this is the place that the Italians in NYC go!  Everyone around us knew the staff and they were all speaking in Italian.  I loved, loved, loved that!  I’m certainly looking forward to going back and trying some of their other pizzas.  It’s fun to find warm, personal, neighborhood places in NYC. 

This was another great recommendation from Scott…I think it’s time Shi and I took a bus tour!  Pizza here we come….  If you want to read Shion’s review, click here!

Post in Comments:

What is your favorite pizza topping?  I personally am a huge Margherita pizza fan but if I had to put a topping on it would definitely be red onions and crumbled sausage!

 

Entertainment Saturdays: RED May 2, 2010

Filed under: Entertainment Saturday,NYC Experiences,Theater — readerbean @ 9:09 pm
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A couple of months ago, I decided to start Entertainment Saturdays to really deal with the overflow from Entertainment Thursdays because they really are just turning into movie reviews and I do a lot of other entertainment related activities.  So in an effort to really get Entertainment Saturdays going here is my review of the Broadway show RED.

One of the many reasons I was excited to move to New York City was because I L.O.V.E. Broadway!  I’ve been very fortunate to see many shows each year and I’m hoping that 2010 will be no different.  A couple weeks back my friend Jen invited me to go see RED with her.  Her friend and old roomie Holly works for the production company that is producing RED and she offered Jen two free tickets and then Jen invited me to go with her.  So T.H.A.N.K.S to both Holly & Jen for the opportunity.  I apologize ahead of time that I didn’t get a picture of the marquis so this is going to be a wordy and pictureless post.

Prior to moving back to NYC I was an all musical girl.  I grew up watching musicals and I love them.  I had seen a few dramatic plays but nothing that really impressed me (except for Death of a Salesman).  However, lately I’ve been intrigued by the array of dramatic plays on Broadway and I’m realizing that it’s a different genre of theater that I need to educate myself about.

In RED, Alfred Molina, plays Mark Rothko, an expressionist who has just landed his largest commission to date, a set of murals for New York’s Four Seasons.  He hires an apprentice/assistant, Ken, played by Eddie Redmayne.  They work together for the next couple of years.  Eventually Ken gets the confidence to question Rothko on his decision to accept the commission and whether he’s a “sell out” to the art community and expressionists on a whole for doing so.

The whole play lasts about 90 minutes give or take and is a POWERFUL performance by both actors.  You know that a drama is good when you cringe at some of the arguments as if you feel like you’re intruding and then you remember that they’re acting for you the audience.  It was incredibly personal and the small theater really makes you forget about everyone around you and makes you feel as if you are a fly on the wall in Rothko’s studio.  Their performances of, Ken coming of age in the studio and Rothko’s struggle with what I’m sure many artists struggle with:  success vs. staying true to you as an artist, were very real and honest.  Can you achieve both in your lifetime?  Is it OK to strive to achieve both in your lifetime?  Should you care what your professional peers think of you?

I LOVED this show.  I was blown away by the story, the caliber of acting, and the use of lighting to make the studio feel different even though the set didn’t change over the course of the 90 minutes.  I would definitely recommend this show and I felt that it really solidified my appreciation of non-musical plays on Broadway.  I look forward to being introduced to more throughout my time in the city.  I hope I can challenge myself to leave my comfort zone every now and again and delve into the meat of Broadway.

Post in Comments:

What is your favorite dramatic play that you’ve seen? 

PS – How pumped was I when we watched An Education and Alfred Molina played Jenny’s dad!  I love seeing famous, amazing actors live in theater, it truly is such a treat.

 

Tuesday Travels: Top of the Rock April 27, 2010

Filed under: NYC Experiences,Tuesday Travels — readerbean @ 7:13 pm
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Oh, Tuesday Travels!  I have to say we haven’t been as good about getting out and about as we usually are but we’ve got some pretty fun stuff planned for the spring, just you wait and see.  A couple of weeks ago I blogged about our amazing tour of Rockefeller Center, well the weekend before we took that tour we had the opportunity to visit “Top of the Rock”.  We did the Empire State Building last Febuary and everyone had always told us we needed to visit Top of the Rock to see the view of the Empire State Building – go figure.  I don’t know why we choose to constantly go way up high in the air during frosty February days, it’s probably because the lines are shorter – ha!

My husband Jon, decided a couple of months back that he wanted to do the “Climb to the Top” to benefit the MS Society.  I trained with him once and my calves were shredded, as in seriously couldn’t walk right for a week, so I said “it’s all you buddy!”  He raised over $500 and trained really hard so that he would have an amazing experience.  The Climb to the Top is a race up 66 flights to the Top of the Rock.  His heat was scheduled to go off at 7:15AM.  Having never been to this type of event I didn’t know how on time they would be and how quickly he would climb 66 flights of stairs, so I got to the Top of the Rock super early (say 6:50AM!)  I wish I had spent more time enjoying the exhibit right when you walked in, since nobody was there, I had the whole place to myself.  However, I was so nervous that I would miss Jon finishing that I rushed through it and took the elevator straight to the top.

Jon finished in 15 minutes and 21 seconds.  I was super proud of him.  The finish line is pretty sparse.  Not many people getting up at 6AM to cheer on their friends and families as they climb to the top, but it was really awesome to be there and cheer people on.  It was also so tranquil looking over NYC as everyone slept or stayed cozy in their homes.  Jon was pretty excited and really enjoyed the experience.  It could become a yearly tradition…perhaps…one year I’ll do it too.

After Jon was finished we took some time enjoying the different views of NYC.  They were pretty spectacular (although they’d be a heck of a lot nicer on a beautiful spring/summer day).  The view of the Empire State Building is pretty sick though.  Next year, if he “Climbs to the Top” again, I’ll have to take my time enjoying the exhibit down below.  It’s pretty remarkable.  The building was built during the great depression.  Of note:  That famous photo you always see of the guys sitting on the beam, that’s from the building of this building!  I never knew that. 

I thought to the Top of the Rock was totally worth it!  I would highly recommend it for great views of NYC, especially a nice unobstructed view of Central Park. 

Upcoming NYC adventures:  a Gangster tour, a Gangster museum, the big red buses (FINALLY!), and maybe a Circle Line Tour, just to name a few.  So stay tuned!

Post in Comments:

Do you prefer Top of the Rock or the Empire State Building?  I have a lot of loyalty to the Empire State Building, I mean it’s in my hood and all, but I have to say the Top of the Rock was clean and modern and I really really liked it up there!

PS – Sorry that this post reminds you of the dreary winter NYC weather!  I promise spring photos will be forthcoming:)

 

Tuesday Travels: Rockefeller Center Tour March 30, 2010

Filed under: NYC Experiences,Tuesday Travels — readerbean @ 9:51 pm
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A couple of weeks ago on twitter via @NewYorkology (a great website/blog for all things NYC) I learned that there is an architectual/art history tour of Rockefeller Center.  I’m always looking for new experiences in New York so I mentioned it to Jon and we signed up for a one hour tour which we took on March 20th.  Rockefeller Center is somewhere that EVERYONE, resident of NYC or not, has visited.  It was really neat to get a behind the scenes tour describing the history of this iconic NYC locale, the art that is all over Rockefeller Center that I had never noticed until I took this tour, the meaning behind the art and just really exploring this area in a totally different way.

Above is just a sampling of the amazing art that’s just on the buildings in Rockefeller Center if you take the time to slow down and look.  The art around Rockefeller Center is a mix of modern art, art deco and classical greek styled art.  There are murals, mosaics, carvings, sculpture – a little bit of everything.

The sculpture on this building was John D. Rockefeller Jr.’s least favorite. They flanked the North and South entrances to the RCA building.  He disliked them so much that he refused to enter the building through those entrances.  So he worked in the RCA building everyday after Rockefeller Center was completed and never entered through these entrances.  While done in a classical greek style they are supposed to represent television.  I thought it was a stretch, but maybe I just don’t have a good enough imagination.

One thing I didn’t know about Rockefeller Center was that it, like the Empire State Building, was built during the recession.  That famed photograph of the men sitting on the iron beam out over the top of NYC, that was during the building of Top of the Rock!  I never knew that.

One of the most interesting things we learned on the tour had to do with the Atlas sculpture, a sculpture that everyone has walked by countless times.  If you look at Atlas from the front, he seems agressive, his face is set, his arms are out wide holding the weight of the earth and he is lunging towards the street. 

Yet as our tour guide explained, if you look at the sculpture from behind facing St. Patrick’s Cathedral, his head is bowed and he appears to be kneeling in reverence.  It was incredibly impressive to see the difference between looking at the sculpture from one direction vs. the other.

These are just some of the things we learned while on the tour, there is tons more that I didn’t mention.  Our tour guide spoke a lot about the history of each building, who/what they were built for, the history of the Rockefeller’s, how Rockefeller bought up the land and what difficulties he encountered, that it was the first large planned real estate project, what’s changed and what has stayed the same, the art that was removed because of it’s implications, why Rock Center was built the way it was built,etc.   Our tour guide was incredibly informative, and very accessible if that’s the right way to put it.  He didn’t have airs and was very real as he took us around.  I enjoyed looking at the history and art of Rock Center, it made me appreciate this tourist destination in a different way. 

The tour was just one hour long and $15.  It was the perfect amount of time and I didn’t feel that the cost was unreasonable.  You have to reserve the tour through the Marketing Department of Top of the Rock or there might be a way through the website.  I would highly recommend this tour, it was one of our favorite things we’ve done in NYC!

Post in Comments:

Have you been to Rockefeller Center?  Do you like going there?

 

Tuesday Travels: Medieval Times February 26, 2010

Filed under: NYC Experiences,Tuesday Travels,Uncategorized — readerbean @ 3:30 pm
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Our friends Tiffany & Gary suggested we do something to go out and celebrate my bday (the big 3-1 eek!)  So I of course suggested something that’s been on my list “to-do” since we moved back to the NYC area – Medieval Times!  I know, I know, do adults really go there, YES we do.  I remembered it being so fun from high school and Jon had never been so I wanted him to have the experience.

We found great buy one get one free coupons so we were able to get tickets for $30 per person instead of the regular $60 per person.  We met at the Port Authority for Gary & Tiffany’s first venture on NJ Transit via bus and took the 192 to Lyndhurst.  The bus drops you off just 2-3 blocks from Medieval Times so it’s a nice conveinent way to get there if you don’t have a car.  We were a little early so we got adult beverages and took in the main hall before they let us in to our seats.

It’s stadium style seating with a long wooden table going across.  Your ticket includes 2 hours of rousing medieval entertainment as well as a 3-course meal.  Alcohol is a separate charge.  We specifically requested to be in the Green Knight section, because he’s the “Evil Knight”!  This is hands down the best (and probably rowdiest) section.  We were definitely cheering louder than any other section for our knight.  It was awesome.

The meal includes:  tomato soup with a garlic breadstick, chicken, a spare-rib, half a baked potato, an apple pie, coffee, water & soda.  Not bad for $30.  The food is actually R.E.A.L.L.Y. good.  I know you wouldn’t think that given the venue but what you get is so simple, they can’t really mess it up.  It was delish.  Most importantly you have to eat with your hands.  There was no silverware back in Medieval Times.  The entertainment is slow to start, they set up the story, there is a falcon that flies through the crowd, the horses prance, the knights are introduced, etc.  They try to keep it simple while you’re eating.  The second hour is really when it picks up!  They have tests of skill and jousting and each knight takes on another until one knight is left standing and victorious.  It was definitely cheesy but it was also FUN!  We had a great time cheering for the green knight.

Here is Tiffany and I with the green knight after the show!  Our knight unfortunately did not win the night we were there but he was the 2nd to last one standing, which was fun.  All in all, I wouldn’t pay $60 to go but for $30 it was a fun evening out in NJ. 

Post in Comments:

Have you ever been to Medieval Times?  What did you think?

 

Tuesday Travels: Chelsea Market & Meatpacking District Tour February 19, 2010

Filed under: NYC Experiences,Tuesday Travels — readerbean @ 12:16 am
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So these past weeks I’ve been saying how I hadn’t done anything fun in NYC for awhile…well…I can’t believe that I totally forgot to blog about the Chelsea Market & Meatpacking District Tour I did back in December with my brother, Tim and his wife, Christine!  This is why I need to write myself notes.  So anyway, way back when Jon and I went to the High Line for the first time, we went to Chelsea Market afterwards and I saw all of these people on tours.  I thought it would be fun, so when I booked the pizza tour I also booked a tour of Chelsea Market.  They were back to back (Saturday and Sunday) so I had to make room in my stomach for a lot of good eats.

Our first stop was….

Eleni’s – don’t all those goodies look yummy!  This is my kind of tour, starting with dessert first.  We enjoyed Eleni’s Everything Cookie her take on her mom’s oatmeal raisin cookies.  They had oats, chocolate, craisins, nuts and all sorts of goodies.  It was delicious (and huge!)  I only ate a part of it to start because I wanted to save room for all of our other eats.  Her cookies are so pretty, perfect for special occasions.  I would definitely recommend them.

Next it was on to Ronnybrook Farm Dairy.

 

Here we got to sample some chocolate milk.  It was their Chocolate Creamline Milk.  It’s like whole milk (obviously we’re not on this tour for our health folks).  This milk was like drinking a milkshake just not quite as thick.  It could have been my favorite part of the whole tour.  I recently found a single serving at the Whole Foods in Union Square, what a treat!  I would seriously walk to Chelsea Market just to get this chocolate milk. 

Next stop was The Lobster Place.

We were each allowed to enjoy a cup of soup while our tour guide told us more about Chelsea Market and specifically The Lobster Place.  I had the New England Clam Chowder (which might have been the best I’ve ever had, and I lived in New England…it was so yummy!)  My brother had the Lobster Bisque and I believe Christine had the Cajun Crab & Corn Chowder.  Then we were allowed some time to explore The Lobster Place, hit the restroom, etc, while our tour guide set up the next section.

Next on the tour was Buon Italia.  Here we sat and enjoyed some Italian delicacies.  I made myself a sandwich of all the cheeses and meats.  The bread was from Amy’s Bread and was AMAZING!  Don’t get me wrong I LOVE Italian food but usually I’m not really into Antipasta plates which was what this experience reminded me of.  I was pleasantly surprised.  It’s a great little Italian market with a good variety of items.  I actually went back after the tour for some fusili for a future recipe. 

The food whirlwind tour continued with a cheese & jam sampling at Chelsea Market Baskets, followed by biscuits with fruit spread from Sarabeth, followed by a mini gelato at L’arte del gelato.  All very tasty.  While we were tasting all of these yummy treats we learned more about the vendors in Chelsea Market and the history of the market itself.  It used to be the Nabisco factory until they moved out to the burbs.  It was finished the way it is now in 1997 so it’s been open for about 13 years.  It’s a really eclectic fun place to spend sometime inside in NYC. 

After we explored Chelsea Market to it’s fullest we walked around the Meatpacking District for an hour or so.  Our tourguide took us on the High Line, showed us important historical buildings all around that particular area of NYC.  We ended with a little pasta in a wild boar sauce at Macelleria in the meatpacking district.  It was the perfect end to the tour. 

Overall, this was definitely worth the price, all of the food samples you got easily added up to breakfast and lunch!  It was over 3 hours so it was spread out well.  I thought the most interesting part was Chelsea Market, it’s history, and all of it’s fun and yummy vendors.  I thought the part walking through the Meatpacking district was a little long and there wasn’t that much really to talk about.  It was raining when we went as well, so that didn’t help the fact.  I would have been content finishing the tour after 90-120 minutes at Chelsea Market.  I also thought our tour guide was just eh…he spent a lot of time talking about himself, all the volunteering he does at “society & celebrity” type events in NYC and how that has turned into him getting free tickets to things and meeting celebrities etc.  I didn’t really care abou that to be honest!  I wish he had just focused on the tour at hand.  There are a lot of tour guides, so I’d be interested to see others take on this tour. 

A big T.H.A.N.K.S. to Tim and Christine for joining me for a foodie/NYC adventure!  We had so much fun and I am looking forward to enjoying other foodie adventures in NYC!

Post in Comments:

Which vendor in Chelsea Market is your favorite?

 

Tuesday Travels: Travel Websites February 3, 2010

Filed under: NYC Experiences,Tuesday Travels — readerbean @ 12:02 pm
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Hi All, so once again Jon and I haven’t really gotten out to do anything fun and new in NYC and I don’t think it’ll happen this weekend as we have a crazy jam packed weekend ahead.  So I thought I would take this post and share with you some of the travel blogs that I follow on a regular basis.

The US/World

Intelligent Travel Blog – This is National Geographic’s travel blog.  There is a good variety of information on here.  Sometimes it’s just tidbits of information for a specific city or region, sometimes it’s an extensive review on a travel destination, sometimes it’s updated blogs following someone during their travel.  I like that it’s in all different mediums.  The mixture keeps me interested and coming back.  I’ve definitely learned about some great travel destinations through this website, if only there were enough time (and more importantly money) to go to all of them!

My Kugelhopf – This site has the most amazing photos!  The author, Kerrin, is a New Yorker who lives in Switzerland.  She writes about her travels, the food from the areas she visits (most specifically the sweets – YUM) and shares recipes of what she sometimes tries to recreate.  I love reading about her trips and her culinary exploits, but seriously I L.O.V.E. her photos!!!  They are so beautiful.

Spot Cool Stuff: Travel – This website is exactly what it sounds like, it features the unusual that you might stumble upon in your travels.  Unusual places to travel, stay, eat, etc.  I don’t know that I would necessarily go to any of these places, but it’s always interesting to see what they’re stumbling over.

The Lost Girls - This website started when 4 New Yorkers decided to take a trip around the world.  They have since returned from said trip, but now they have people all over who write blogposts about where they are, what they’re doing, how they’re traveling, etc.  It’s fun to read about all these woman having these amazing traveling experiences with friends or on their own.

New York City

Newyorkology – is that even a word?  This site is the 411 on anything and everything going on in NYC.  From the usual New York happenings, to uncovering some of the hidden gems this city has to explore.  They are especially great to follow on twitter because they keep me up to date on everything and anything going on in NYC.  If you live in the city or are just visiting this is a great place to go for any and all information.

Walking Off the Big Apple –  Jon and I love walking around NYC and have done a couple of walking tours of different neighborhoods that we’ve gotten from one of our guide books.  If you are looking for fun and innovative walking tours (think themed after your favorite novels) Walking Off the Big Apple is the place to be reading.  The author, Teri, puts together such fun tours that range in distance and explore all sorts of fun building, spaces and time periods.  I’m hoping that Jon and I can do a couple of these ourselves this year.

Post in Comments:

What travel blogs do you read?  I’m always looking for good suggestions!