June 28, 2018 -Re-Cap of Elisa's Tourist Day in NYC AND Travelin' Tanya's Trips and Travels from the first half of 2018

Elisa's Daily Scoop
Covering Long Island & NYC Boroughs 
NEXT EVENT: FORT SCHUYLER, THE BRONX: 1 DAY
NEXT TRIP: : 7 DAYS: RHINEBECK, NY

Re-Cap of My Tourist Day in NYC

Well, howdy!!

Back from one day of fun and getting ready for a weekend full of more adventure and discovery- all around New York City!

My girls and I decided to throw caution to the wind yesterday and head into Manhattan like tourists. A full afternoon of activities, we bopped around the area of Times Square, where we enjoyed hours of leisurely fun.

As we were headed to walk to the LIRR up the street, to make our way to The Big Apple, the three of us made an executive decision to alter our plans and just take the car.  Initially, I was against it because of the stress of driving, as well as the cost of tolls and parking.  

In retrospect, it was a good decision.  We (luckily) sailed into Manhattan via the TriBoro Bridge and better still, made our way cross town quickly - arriving on West 50th and 8th Avenue within an hour!

Then, because we went a little further west of Broadway and the theatres, we snagged parking for 9 hours for only $35!!! Yay!  I was super happy.  That's like at least $20 cheaper than I'm used to paying.

First stop was Madame Tussaud's.  Kelsey was giving me a bit of grief prior to going, however, as soon as we began our "tour" she emphatically announced how she was really enjoying it and that I was right in bringing them.

A few facts to note:

* Get your tickets in advance on line - I saved $6.00 each and skipped the lines 
(Cost of tickets were still $33 each, but it was worth the few hours we spent!!)
​
* Easy Peasy, store them in  your phone for easy scanning and breeze right through.

My last visit to Madame Tussauds was well over 30 years ago and it was in London. 

LOTS HAS CHANGED!!!

I found it very well organized with the varying themed rooms and visitor friendly lay out.  We had a blast, as Tanya noted on social media yesterday when she saw some of the pics I had posted.  

Here are a few of those photos along with a brief video I recorded in the Marvel 4-D Experience!
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Madame Tussaud's NYC and all the "people" we met!!

Madame Tussaud's on 42nd Street, NYC (c) travelincousins.com

Heading up the stairs to see the exhibits (c) travelincousins.com

Skipping the line and breezing right up the steps (c) travelincousins.com

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A FEW OF MY NEW FRIENDS...

With the late Robin Williams (c) travelincousins.com

My hero, Albert Einstein (c) travelincousins.com

Conversing with Woody Allen (c) travelincousins.com

Gianna - guest on Jimmy Fallon (c) travelincousins.com

Kelsey - guest on Jimmy Fallon (c) travelincousins.com

My friend, Eli Manning (c) travelincousins.com

My beloved friend E.T. (c) travelincousins.com

(c) travelincousins.com

A short visit with Don Draper of Mad Men (c) travelincousins.com

Me and Ole Blue Eyes (c) travelincousins.com

Hanging with our President while Gianna took an important call (c) travelincousins.com

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With President Ronald Reagan (c) travelincousins.com

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​THE GHOSTBUSTERS EXPERIENCE!

(c) travelincousins.com

(c) travelincousins.com

Ghostbusters' lab - I was giving some advice (c) travelincousins.com

I aint afraid of no ghost (c) travelincousins.com

(c) travelincousins.com

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MARVEL EXPERIENCE!!
​This was waayy cool and my Marvel-loving daughter Gianna LOVED IT.  

Took lots of pictures with our favorite heroes and then headed into a 10 minute 4-D adventure movie, where we got wet, poked and encountered evil villains!    Super fun!!!

(c) travelincousins.com

My friend Hulk (c) travelincousins.com

Getting ready to see our 4-D movie! (c) travelincousins.com

The weather wasn't as nice as it was suppsed to be, but we didn't care - alittle drizzle never killed anyone.  We walked through Times Square, on to M&M's World, where we bought a bag full of a variety of the world's favorite candy covered chocolate that melts in your mouth, not your hands!!

(c) travelincousins.com

(c) travelincousins.com

​M&M'S WORLD

(c) travelincousins.com

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We passed a cute little Christmas store and took a gander before heading to The Novotel on West 52nd Street to the 7th Floor, where we ate at Supernova.  

​I think the food speaks for itself!!!

SUPERNOVA - NOVOTEL HOTEL

Bar and Restaurant of Supernova (c) travelincousins.com

Fried Calamari (c) travelincousins.com

Pesto Fettuccini (c) travelincousins.com

margherita pizza (c) travelincousins.com

mini apple pie and ice cream (c) travelincousins.com

The August Wilson Theatre was only right across the street. We picked up our tix at the will call window and headed inside to enjoy the 2hour and 30 minute, lively, fun, funNY Broadway version of one of our favorite movies, MEAN GIRLS!!!

The girls absolutely loved it as they laughed and clapped away!!

Waiting in lobby of August Wilson Theatre to go to our seats (c) travelincousins.com

(c) travelincousins.com

Stage backdrop (c) travelincousins.com

Mean Girls selfie (c) travelincousins.com

A bit of drama getting home.  The Midtown Tunnel was closed so after going south and east to get on on, I had to drive north to get onto the FDR Drive to get to the TriBorough Bridge. But, then, all access going northbound were closed, so I made my way to 125th Street to enter the bridge and lo and behold - I MISSED THE TURN and ended up on a tour of the Bronx!

Not what I wanted to be doing at 11:30PM as I was tired and it was wet out. But, not to worry, my GPS got us on the Bruckner towards the Throgg's Neck Bridge and safely home.  WHEW!!  Long day.

Today we are headed into Astoria, Queens to have a late lunch/early dinner with Aunt Ro and watch Big Brother, which premiered last night!! 

Have a great one folks!!!

-E
xoxo

Tanya's Daily Scoop 
Covering the West Coast & the World
NEXT TRIP DEPARTS IN: 14 DAYS:
WASHINGTON DC/VIRGINIA

Travelin' Tanya's Trips and Travels from the first half of 2018

Greetings to one and all!

I honestly think that this is 3rd consecutive Thursday in a row that has just arrived super early. LOL 
Well we all know that days can't just arrive early.

​But today feels like a Tuesday to me.
I vote that we need more days in the week!! 

Did you have a chance to see how much fun Elisa and the girls had yesterday?
Being a tourist in your own backyard can certainly be a blast.

​It's not always about where you are or where you go. It's about opening your eyes and seeing things for the first time...again.

But since my yesterday was pretty much all about routine and since today is typically TBT (Throwback Thursday) here at Travelin' Cousins AND since we are still in the month of June (half way through the year), I figured that today was a great day to do a fun RECAP of my (Travelin' Tanya's) Trips and Travels from the first half of 2018.

I love travel so much that I'm even excited to take a trip down memory lane with you!

Ready?
​LET'S GO...

Travelin' Tanya's Trips and Travels from the first half of 2018.

January:
I started off the year with a BANG and headed straight for Sin City (Las Vegas)-

The famous Las Vegas sign (c)travelincousins.com

At the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas (c)travelincousins.com

But sometimes one trip a month is hardly enough, so off we went on a ski trip to Lake Tahoe-

Skiing at Heavenly (c)travelincousins.com

Camp Richardson, Lake Tahoe (c)travelincousins.com

It was still January when we took off for yet another extended ski trip to Park City-

Park City, UT (c)travelincousins.com

Main Street, Park City (c)travelincousins.com

February:
​But since it was an EXTENDED ski trip, we were still on the road come February but now we were in Breckenridge-

Breckenridge, CO (c)travelincousins.com

Breckenridge, CO (c)travelincousins.com

Then great February Fun was had in Chicago- 

Clouds Rest, Chicago (c)travelincousins.com

Snowy Day in Chicago (c)travelincousins.com

And before the month was over, I went for a change of scenery to Death Valley National Park-

Death Valley National Park (c)travelincousins.com

Death Valley National Park (c)travelincousins.com

March:
A few days later the kids and I took off for Rome and now they love Rome as much as their Mommy (me)- 

At the Colosseum, Rome (c)travelincousins.com

Piazza Del Rotonda, Rome (c)travelincousins.com

My trio also went to Northern Ireland in March. 

Giant's Causeway, Northern Ireland (c)travelincousins.com

Giant's Causeway, Northern Ireland (c)travelincousins.com

And to the Republic of Ireland because everyone should experience St. Patrick's Day at least once in their lifetime in the land of shamrocks-

Killarney, Republic of Ireland (c)travelincousins.com

Temple Bar, Dublin (c)travelincousins.com

Once we came back home it was time for me to head back out again and this time was to Phoenix for the MLB Cactus League Spring Training-

Phoenix, AZ (c)travelincousins.com

MLB Spring Training in Phoenix, AZ (c)travelincousins.com

April:
The fourth month of the year came around and I was off to Moab for some mountain biking fun-

Moab, UT (c)travelincousins.com

Moab, UT (c)travelincousins.com

More cycling took place in Monterey at the Sea Otter Classic - The World's Premier Cycling Festival-

Pedaling in Monterey, CA (c)travelincousins.com

Monterey, CA (c)travelincousins.com

And before the month was over, we also headed up to good ol' San Francisco-

Union Square, San Francisco, CA (c)travelincousins.com

Cable Car, San Francisco (c)travelincousins.com

May:
May brings flowers, but May also came around and we went to NYC to cycle in the Five Boro Bike Tour and enjoy a few days in my hometown city-

Washington Square, NYC (c)travelincousins.com

NYC (c)travelincousins.com

May was quite the month of travel for this gal right here (me) as I went to Stockholm-

Gamla Stan, Stockholm, Sweden (c)travelincousins.com

Stockholm, Sweden (c)travelincousins.com

Then Germany-

Peenemunde, Germany (c)travelincousins.com

Burg Stargard, Germany (c)travelincousins.com

Then Poland-

Poznan, Poland (c)travelincousins.com

Long Street, Gdansk, Poland (c)travelincousins.com

Then Czech Republic-

Prague, Czech Republic (c)travelincousins.com

Cesky Krumluv, Czech Republic (c)travelincousins.com

And Austria-

Vienna, Austria (c)travelincousins.com

Mondsee, Austria (c)travelincousins.com

June:
​Then come June we were back in Germany-

Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany (c)travelincousins.com

Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany (c)travelincousins.com

Ahhh wasn't that fun?!
Always exploring, always something different and always an adventure!!

​Yes folks that was how I spent the first six months of this year. Really no more extravagant or extensive then any other year. But always a bit different than before!

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Now with six months of fun behind me and six months of fun to go I think I'm gonna be okay with staying local and following a routine (that is always loaded with events) for the next 11 days, because on the 12th day we leave for our next adventure!

On that note I think that any of you who aren't yet subscribing definitely should add your emails to our mailing list, because you're not gonna want to miss a beat!  

I'm gonna just take a moment here to sit back and enjoy the fact that there is a cool breeze and that the temps are still in mid 70's. Because we all know that I'm not looking forward to the HOT Summer Days that are ahead.

Hope you have a great Thursday!
-Travelin' Tanya