BRAND BALLOT'S TOP 100 MOM BLOGS FOR 2018!!
Delightful Hamilton-Washington Lower Manhattan TourHowdy Guys!! Before I even begin, allow me to tell you what a fun-filled and lovely weekend this has been so far!! Not to mention, the gorgeous weather!! It is literally the perfect day. Let me start off with Friday night. We attended my nephew Julian's graduation, which was a beautiful ceremony, followed by a yummy late dinner with the fam. Here is a photo recap... Julian is the third "cousin" of the four that will be a high schooler next year. As Kelsey graduates from elementary school next year (2020), the oldest cousin, Nolan, will be graduating high school, being the first of the four to head off the college. Where oh where does the time go?! Moving right along, yesterday was a super fun day as Kelsey and I made our way to downtown Manhattan to take the Washington-Hamilton - Secrets of the Past NYC Walking Tour. I have to share something with you guys. I have traveled all around the world and have mastered the mass transit and public transportation systems in many of these. From the Underground and buses in London, Vienna and Paris, to buses in Prague. However, in all of my years as a native New Yorker, I have never embraced the NYC subway system. I'm a pro when it comes to the Long Island Rail Road, but the city subway - forget it. I've taken it a few times in my life, but always with the guidance of friends or my dear Aunt Ro. Well, that all changed yesterday!!! Yup. I asked Google maps for directions to "Bowling Green" in lower Manhattan (near Wall Street and the Freedom Tower (formerly the World Trade Center) and it came back with a suggested route using mass transit. My usual mode of transportation when going into Manhattan, if not by LIRR, is the car and then I have the stress and bother of driving, tolls and parking. Little did I know, I could take a combination of the LIRR AND the subway to get to lower Manhattan, in a little more than an hour. It may not seem like much to you guys, but this was a real feat for me. What I didn't now is that by taking the LIRR from Garden City to Brooklyn, rather than Penn Station in Manhattan, I could easily hop on a subway 3 easy peasy stops and be right in the heart of lower Manhattan, literally steps from where the tour started at The National Museum of the American Indian, better known as The Alexander Hamilton Customs House! You would have thought that I won the lottery, but it was really an exciting discovery for me and it opened up a whole new route for visiting lower Manhattan, whether it be the Freedom Tower, South Street Seaport, the Statue of Liberty or even, the Staten Island Ferry!! But, I digress. The tour was absolutely amazing. Our tour guide and owner/operator of Revolutionary Tours, Bruce Racond, simply wowed us with his extensive knowledge, not only of the history of lower Manhattan, but, of American History overall. Travelin' Elisa at Alexander Hamilton Customs House prior to the tour. You would have thought that I won the lottery, but it was really an exciting discovery for me and it opened up a whole new route for visiting lower Manhattan, whether it be the Freedom Tower, South Street Seaport, the Statue of Liberty or even, the Staten Island Ferry!! But, I digress. The tour was absolutely amazing. Our tour guide and owner/operator of Revolutionary Tours, Bruce Racond, simply wowed us with his extensive knowledge, not only of the history of lower Manhattan, but, of American History overall. We spend three glorious hours, walking around, what is known today as the Financial District of New York City, listening to fact after fact about the history of the area, but also mesmerized by the stories and quotes recited by Bruce, from numerous Revolutionary-era figures and United States of America government documents. I'm going to share a plethora of photos from the tour and landmarks of lower Manhattan in today's blog, as I will be writing a full account and travel article about the day and share with you during the upcoming week! Enjoy these photos! Fraunces Tavern Fraunces Tavern is a landmark museum and restaurant in New York City, situated at 54 Pearl Street at the corner of Broad Street, served as a headquarters for George Washington, a venue for peace negotiations with the British, and housing federal offices in the Early Republic. (c) travelincousins.com Of course, like any other daycation excursion, Kelsey grabbed some delicious food. This time, it was at Eataly. YUM. She had a mouth watering Marguerita pizza and I enjoyed a vegan pizza with zucchini blossoms - so good!!! We walked around the area before heading back to Long Island. What a great day!!! Back tomorrow! -Travelin' Elisa xoxo |