Rhode Island!

Providence, Rhode Island.....


Probably the most confusing city to drive in. Seriously. It was horrible. And I wasn't even driving. Every road splits off into two, maybe 3 separate roads. Those 2 or 3 separate roads also refused to have street signs telling us which street was which. Rude. Being named "Map Girl" by my niece, I was in charge of all things directions. For someone who gets car sick very easily, this city was a daunting task. But we all made it alive!!! Barely.

The city of Providence was way more "big city" than I had expected. My mom being a huge fan of the tv show Providence also felt the same way. She thought it would be more of a small town feeling. It was way more urban than we pictured it to be. However, there was so much history there and we were definitely some amazing parts.


Some Pictures of Downtown Providence:

Jamestown & Newport Rhode Island-

Since we were in Providence for 2 nights, we decided that we needed to get out of the city for the 2nd day. We decided to go on a lighthouse search. Being "map girl", I had already noted that there were a ton of lighthouses in Jamestown and Newport. So again, we set sail in our Sebring to find new places.

Jamestown is a very small island off the coast of Rhode Island. We took highway 138 which took us over a bridge to Jamestown. On the bridge, we spotted our first lighthouse. It was a small lighthouse in the middle of the water. Once in Jamestown, we went south to Beavertail Light. This was our very first lighthouse stop! Woo hoo!

Beavertail Lighthouse, Jamestown Rhode Island

From Jamestown, we drove over another small bridge which took us to Newport, Rhode Island. Newport is another small island. Pretty easy to navigate. This is where we found Castle Hill Lighthouse and our new house. ;-)

Castle Hill Lighthouse

My new house and front yard....

After our second night in Rhode Island, it was time to pack up the Sebring again and move on to our next destination. We became pro at packing up the car knowing what we were going to need in the back seat for my niece and what we could shove in the trunk. I have to say, there are so many amazing things out there for kids now adays. She is a great traveler. As long as we had the dvd player, an iPod full of Dora and Backyardigans and her Leapster books to read, she was all set. She kept herself busy with the exception of me needing to select the new shows on her dvd's and iPod.

Our next destination was Maine. However, we made a small stop in New Hampshire. We saw the visitor's bureau from the freeway and decided to stop. We found out that Portsmouth, New Hampshire was near by and decided to go there. It was a great stop. We found a nice little downtown area with shops and restaurants. It was very cute and very festive for the fall time of year.

Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Next Stop.....

Maine!

New York City!

Love love love this city!!

Things to Do:

Central Park
http://www.centralpark.com/
Horse & Carriage Ride
Rent Bikes
Find the Alice & Wonderland Statue!
Strawberry Fields (John Lennon memorial)

Horse & Carriage Rides

They are very knowledgable about the city and tell you where all the stars live.
Approx $40 for 20 minutes
Approx 59th St./7th Avenue

Pedicab (looks like a bike with a small carriage in back. fits 2 people)
Approx $40 for 30 minutes
Starts at 57th St./7th Avenue by Café Europa
This one shows you more of the park. They will also let you get out and take your picture at different spots.

Renting a bike in Central Park
Central Park Boathouse Rentals
East 72nd St. And Park Drive North
March-October
Approx: $9/hour
Boat Rentals
Approx: $30 deposit
$10 for first hour

On Location Tours
http://www.screentours.com/
Daily starting at 11am.
3-3 1/2 hours
Central Park Movie Sites Tour
Sopranos Sites Tour
New York TV & Movie Sites Tour
Sex & The City Sites Tour

Broadway Tickets

Get discount tickets to same day Broadway musicals:
TKT Booth
Located in the middle of Times Sq.
This line is super long and you must be there early.

TKT Booth
Front & John St. (In the financial district)
199 Water Street
Monday-Friday 11-6pm
Saturday 11-7pm
A or C to Broadway/Nassau
or
J,M,Z,2,3,4,5 to Fulton Street
This TKT booth off the beaten path a bit, however the line is usually about 10 minutes long as apposed to a few hours of waiting at the Times Sq. Booth. Hint: Go to this booth before going to the Statue of Liberty. The TKT booth is in the same part of the city as Battery City Park which is where you depart for the Statue of Liberty.

Empire State Building
http://www.esbnyc.com/
Approx: $18

The best time to go is right before sunset. It's amazing to see all of the lights of the city. Lines can be long, so factor that into your timing.

Cosby Show House
10 St. Lukes
Brooklyn
I’ve never been, but I heard this is the address. Let me know if you’ve seen it!

Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island
http://www.statuereservations.com/
Adult: Approx $11.50
Children: Approx $4.50
Seniors: Approx $9.50
Departs daily from Battery Park on the Circle Line ferry.

Great views of the NYC skyline from Liberty Island and Ellis Island.

Brooklyn things to see
Brooklyn Heights Promenade (Awesome views of the New York City skyline including the Empire State Building, Chrysler Building, Brooklyn Bridge, etc)
Montague Street (Very cute main street surrounded by high end brownstone walk ups)
Brooklyn Bridge

Places to Eat:

Al Dente (Italian)

Off the beaten path a bit, but a cute little Italian restaurant. Great food and not touristy. It started snowing when I was having dinner here. It was the perfect New York night! ha ha.
417 Amsterdam Ave.
(at 80th Street)

Ellen’s Stardust Diner
51st & Broadway
Next to the Wintergarden Theatre
http://www.ellensstardustdiner.com/
50's theme diner with singing staff. Fun for before or after your Broadway show. Mama Mia plays right next door.

Serendipity
225 East 60th St.
http://www.serendipity3.com/
As seen in the movies One Fine Day & Serendipity starring my BF, John Cusack!
Famous for their frrrrozen hot chocolate!

Roxy Delicatessen
Bakery and restaurant
Located in Times Sq.

Their window display of bakery items will probably draw you in. If you have a sweet tooth, this is the place to stop.

Good Enough to Eat
483 Amsterdam Ave.
www.goodenoughtoeat.com
Lines on weekends
Breakfast spot
Very popular with the locals (including J.Lo who stops by for their famous strawberry butter!)

Movies to See before you go:
Serendipity
Breakfast at Tiffany’s
Sleepless in Seattle

Extra Tips:

*This is a great walking city. Wear your flats and grab a map. My favorite maps are the Pop Up Maps available for many big cities. I usually find mine at Barnes & Noble. The NYC Pop Up Map includes their subway map and is very easy to navigate. And the best thing is they fold back up the way they are supposed to! If you insist on wearing your cute heals or uncomfortable shoes, please take a taxi!

*Meet your favorite Broadway stars! Last time I was in NYC, I noticed that after the Broadway shows, people were waiting at the back door and the stars of the show stopped by on their way out to sign autographs and take pictures.

*Do Research before your trip. If I'm unfamiliar with a destination, I usually go to the local Barnes & Noble, grab a bunch of books and find a seat. I bring a notebook and jot down some key points of interest. The internet is always helpful too!

Have fun in the Big Apple!