September 23, 2015

Tanya's Daily Scoop
NEXT TRIP DEPARTS IN: 2 DAYS

Good Bye Summer, Hello Fall

Well ladies and gents, it's finally here! 
The first day of Fall y'all! 
I can't wait for the cool crisp weather, the change of wardrobe, the color palate, and the food.
Mmm the food...
It's gonna be soup season again and I just love a nice warm bowl of soup!

Both Cosette and Dominic birthdays are also in the fall, along with Halloween, Thanksgiving, and St. Nicholas Day!
Giving me a whole lot to look forward to! 
Not to mention all of the kids performances, and of course I've thrown in a few little weekender trips! 
Which although the weekend trips are short on time, they certainly aren't short on FUN!!

Yesterday I spend a good portion of the afternoon PACKING!


This will be my 19th vacation of 2015 - so it would seem as though packing/unpacking is almost like a habit of mine!  

I definitely made head way, but still have to finish up. I should be able to bang through some of it this afternoon; which will only leave the last minute items to toss in at "the last minute".
And tonight I'll be focusing on Birdwald's weekend bag - as he is only spending a few days with us in paradise!

These odd "shoes" will definitely come in handy!

And then my evening last night was spend getting Dominic to his classes, which started 1.5hrs early due to it being an anniversary of the studio. 
So if it was starting 1.5hrs, then I imagined that they'd either get a break or he'd be let out early. 
Neither was the case and he trained continuously  from 6pm-10pm! 

This kid is gonna whip our butts at the upcoming GLADIATOR ROCK 'N RUN - Oct 17, 2015 at the Famous Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA

And that is gonna lead us right into W2GW and my hand picked selections for this coming weekend!

IRVINE GLOBAL VILLAGE - 
September 26th, 2015

Although we won't be able to attend this fun and cultural event this year, I highly recommend that you go and check it out! 
The event is usually on our calendar every year, as the kids perform with the International Peace Choir.
This year the choir will take the stage at 12:20pm!

2015 marks the 14th anniversary of the Irvine Global Village Festival – the City’s largest and most attended community event. 
Recognized as the best cultural festival in Orange County, Global Village features more than 100 performances on five stages; a line-up of international cuisine guaranteed to transport your taste buds to exotic lands; a bustling international marketplace filled with unique gifts, crafts and textiles; interactive, educational and entertaining cultural displays and demonstrations; a fanciful and vibrant kids village; and a world religions area, providing guests with an opportunity to explore, discuss and expand their spiritual knowledge through interaction with established faith-based organizations from the Irvine area.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO 

Here's another one that I've been to and if I were going to be in town, I'd be going back to:

THE GREEN FESTIVAL EXPO - 
September 25, 26, 27, 2015

Green Festival® is a vibrant, dynamic marketplace where companies and organizations come to showcase their green products and services, and where people go to learn how to live healthier, more sustainable lives.

Green Festival is America’s largest and longest-running sustainability and green living event. We bring together the world’s most trusted companies, innovative brands, national and local businesses, pioneering thinkers, and conscious consumers in one place to promote the best in sustainability and green living.

Green Festival offers something for everyone, with the widest selection of products and services to work green, play green and live green from food, fashion and health to energy, construction and design. People can shop and enjoy vegan, vegetarian, organic foods, hands-on demos, educational activities and inspirational speakers.

Green Festival is a unique and powerful platform for connecting potential customers, retailers, wholesalers and corporations - all under one roof. It provides excellent opportunities for green brands to generate business-to-business and business-to-consumer sales, build awareness and strengthen relationships in an expansive and engaging green marketplace.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO

Modern Twist: Contemporary Japanese Bamboo Art at the Bowers Museum - 
10:00 a.m. every Tue., Wed., Thu., Fri., Sat., Sun. until January 3

Bamboo is a quintessential part of Japanese culture, shaping the country's social, artistic, and spiritual landscape. Although bamboo is an abundant natural resource, it is a challenging artistic medium with less than 100 professional bamboo artists in Japan today.
Mastering the art form requires decades of meticulous practice learning how to harvest, split, and plait the bamboo. Modern Twist: Contemporary Japanese Bamboo Art brings 17 of these artists to North American audiences. Modern Twist is an exhibition exploring the innovative shape bamboo art has taken since the mid-twentieth century.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO

Laguna's 19th Annual Pet Parade & Chili Cook Off - September 27, 2015

If you’re itching to give your fur baby’s Halloween costume a trial run, Laguna’s annual Pet Parade is the spot, now in its 19th year. Adorable animals from all over OC (and their human companions) are invited to come participate in what’s probably the cutest event happening all season. Pirates, devils, ballerinas and more will be wagging their tails for the judges and throngs of adoring lookers-on, hoping to catch a prize for one of the several competition categories. For the upright two-legged types, there’s a chili cook-off competition, where participants can brew up their homemade recipes. Quite a few charities will benefit: Blue Bell Foundation for Cats, the Laguna Beach Animal Shelter, The Pet Rescue Center, and The Laguna Board of REALTORS & Affiliates Charitable Assistance Fund, just to name a few.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO

And last but not least for all of my vegan and vegan curious peeps back east in the Big Apple.

Go check out:
CHELSEA EATS - September 26, 2016

There's almost nothing better than a NYC Food Festival and this one will feature the AWARD winning Food Truck Cinnamon Snail amongst many other vendors ready to fill you up with yummy eats!

In front of Cinnamon Snail for the first time (2014)

Be sure to check out Elisa's column and see what she thought about her visit to the One World Observatory in NYC. 
The kids, Dave and I were able to secure tickets a couple of months ago and had really enjoyed our visit, Dominic had used the ADD ON amazing virtual tour guide technology One World Explorer and he really enjoyed it - I highly recommend it to any first timer! 


We were lucky to have gone on a beautiful clear day with blue bird skies and the views...they were just awesome!
You can check out some of our pictures by CLICKING HERE and scrolling through my Daily Scoop from July 12th, 2015!



I'm gonna close it out for today right here, and meet you back tomorrow. Same time, same place!

Ciao 4 Now,
-T

Elisa's Daily Scoop
NEXT TRIP DEPARTS IN: 2 DAYS

A Day in Lower Manhattan

Hey there!  
I know we are half-way through the week, but I have to tell you, this week, feels longer.  I think I've just had some very long days, filled with lots of activity or perhaps I'm just tired.  Who Knows!

The good news is, there are only 2 days left to my fun weekend trip to Connecticut!  I haven't begun to pack anything, but considering this is a two night trip, it should not take long at all.  

Today, I have Kelsey's Girl Scout troop's first meeting for the school year.  This year, my troop of little sweeties are "Juniors."  

Can't believe this will be their fifth year as Girl Scouts, and mine as co-leader, having started in Kindergarden as Daisies, then Brownies and now Juniors.  Getting so big!!

Aside from our meeting this afternoon, my day is filled with a quick stop at the grocery store, homework later this afternoon and printing off my itinerary for my weekend trip so I can plot my driving route.  

My troop last year at Build-A-Bear

Now, let me get to my day yesterday!!  
I know it also happens to be W2GW, so giving you my feedback about my day in Lower Manhattan at the Freedom Tower and 9/11 Memorial works out well for today.

My day started with an uneventful drive to Astoria, Queens, to meet my Aunt Ro, with whom I was spending the day.

After picking up breakfast (bagel with vegetable tofu cream cheese and a hot chocolate), we headed to the subway.  The "N" Train to the "R", all the way down to Cortland Street, our final destination.
(By the way, don't you just love the gorgeous mosaic tile work of the station names in the older subway stations!)

As we exited the subway, there was a beautiful Fall breeze and I was struck by the peacefulness and loveliness of Lower Manhattan.  It was hard to believe that this was the site of so much devastation and horror 14 years ago and for many years to follow.

It took me 13 years to even step foot in this area. I refused to go down to "Ground Zero" as if it was a tourist site in the days of the rubble and clean up.  

To me, it was a massive grave with memories of the people I knew whose lives were lost as well as those who survived, who were forever traumatized.  Not to mention an act of evil against our country and my city. 

But I digress.  In any case, last November (2014) I went on a "Jump on/Jump off" double decker tour of Manhattan.  We decided to get off in Lower Manhattan and walk over to the Freedom Tower and the plaza.  

It was emotional seeing the reflecting pools and all the names.  I literally walked around each one reading all the names of all the people that perished that fateful day in September, 2001.

The Amazing Freedom Tower

I didn't visit the observatory or go into the Museum.  Being there was enough.

Yesterday, I returned and this time I went into One World Trade Center and visited the the Observatory.   I was ready for the visit and had a positive experience.

First of all, the magnificence of the Freedom Tower is a testament to the tenacity of the city of New York and a statement to the world that nothing or no one can destroy us.  I felt very proud and filled with pride and it made me happy that I waited so long to visit. 

So, let me first say, that I recommend a visit to the National September 11th Memorial. It's quite a site to take in.

One of The Reflecting Pools where the Twin Towers once stood

Now, this was the first visit for my Aunt Ro to the area, since doing a Lupus Charity Walk, a few years after 9/11, at which point, there was still rubble and mounds of debris.  

As a result, it appeared to be a bit emotional for her to see the transformation and the reminder of September 11th, during which she worked in the city and experienced first hand, the pandemonium and trauma. 

We made our way over to One World Trade Center with our Observatory tickets in hand.  We had opted for the Day Flex Ticket, which is date specific but allows you the flexibility of time. There are six different options for tickets, with varying prices. CLICK HERE to purchase tickets. They range in price from $26 to $90.

I have to say, the employees in the building were extremely friendly, welcoming and helpful.  While there is security, it is handled in an upbeat and pleasant way.  Usually, I get put out at the security check points, but these folks were kind and polite and it was a good experience.

Our tickets allowed us VIP entrance, so no waiting on lines.  YAY!  The atmosphere was interesting.  It was pretty sterile with all the stainless steel and white walls. The elevator area was very dimly lit with color sprays illuminating the elevators.  It was kinda weird. 

But, I will say, once in the elevator, you are in for a helluva treat.  The four walls of the elevator become a theatrical movie show, engulfing you in a time line through history of the area of lower manhattan through from its humble beginnings as a harbor to present day.  

This was way cool and before I knew what was happening, it was too late to get my camera, or I would have missed the visual show. 

What's more amazing is the speed at which these elevators travel. The Freedom Tower has the five fastest elevators in the Western Hemisphere, reaching a top speed of 2,000 feet a minute, meaning that a trip to the top of the city’s tallest building takes less than three-quarters of a minute!!

To put that speed in perspective, it is 25 percent faster than the express elevators that served the twin towers.

Mid-town Manhattan behind me from the 101st Floor of Freedom Tower

View Down From the top

The "Sky Portal" with a view waaaayy down

Manhattan Bridge and Williamsburg Bridge

New York Harbor and View of Staten Island and beyond

Lady Liberty

The Observatory is housed on floors 100, 101 and 102.   The main observatory is on the 100th floor and features a “Sky Portal” which is a 14-foot wide circular disc that provides an unbelievable unforgettable view, using real-time, high definition footage of the streets below. 

There is also a restaurant, interactive exhibits, presentations and of course, a Gift Shop.

It was a great experience and an uplifting visit.

Now, my original plan was to also visit the 
9/11 Museum.  But, folks, I opted not to and I'll tell you why.  

Going to the top of the Tower was a very empowering experience.  Seeing the views of the great city of New York with Lady Liberty in the harbor really filled me with joy.

I just didn't feel emotionally ready to go on a trip down memory lane of all the horror of that day by re-living it all in the Museum.  I wanted to end my day on a high note, to quote a friend of mine, and let the that feeling stay with me.

Perhaps one day I'll go into the museum, but yesterday was not the day.

Tomorrow is Throwback Thursday already!!  Can't wait to see what Tanya has in store for us!!

Enjoy your day!!

-E
xoxo