The latest travel information plus insider event and sightseeing tips for New York City, Boston, Hawaii, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Bermuda.
Friday, April 27, 2007
Visit the New England Wild Flower Society
There has been lots of talk lately, about climate change, conservation and the like. Last weekend's Earth Day celebrations only added to the hoopla. But while we agree that conservation is a serious issue, we like the approach the New England Wild Flower Society has taken with their upcoming environmental art exhibition called "Art Goes Wild: Innovation With Native Plants," which opens at Garden in the Woods in Framingham, MA on Saturday May 19 and runs through the end of October. Devised as part of the celebration of the Garden's 75th anniversary, the exhibit shows that your garden can be devoted to the green cause, and still be playful, optimistic, and amazingly vivid. If you are in the Boston area in the next several months, we urge you to see for yourself -- by viewing the exhibition and/or taking in one of the Society's talks on the subject -- how you can make the more sustainable choice of growing native plants in your own garden without sacrificing a smidgeon of aethetic sophistication.
In honor of National Poetry Month, New York City is hosting the 5th annual Poem in Your Pocket Day tomorrow. Choose your favorite poem to share at the public reading at Bryant Park (42nd Street and 6th Avenue in Manhattan) and receive a free book of poetry. Not a poet yourself and having trouble choosing a poem to carry around? Consider the works of famed poets who lived and worked in the area, like Walt Whitman, Dylan Thomas, and Muriel Rukeyser.
Let's face it, having kids in tow isn't always easy when you're on the road. Whether it is facing the disapproving looks of your fellow passagers as you board the plane (and overhearing their whispered concerns that you'll be seated behind them), or having the little cherubs fighting in the backseat while you navigate the car through stress-inducing traffic tie-ups, sometimes it seems easier just to leave them home with Grandma. But just when you're ready to give in to that temptation, remember that with a little planning you can have your cake and eat it, too. During the day, choose activities that the whole family will enjoy -- our lists of favorites for New York City and Boston will get you started. Then, as the sun sets, plan something special for just you and your sweetie -- a romantic dinner, a show, or even an evening stroll. The concierge at your hotel can set you up with a babysitter, or if you're in NYC, use Sitters in the City, a service favored by many New Yorkers for fun and reliable temporary babysitting help.
We've long been fans of the Five Boro Bike Tour which will celebrate its 30th anniversary bicycle tour of New York City on May 6th this year. Organized by the group Bike New York, this annual 42-mile ride is open to cyclists of all ages and experience. The journey starts in Lower Manhattan, heads north to Central Park and continues on to historic Harlem and the Bronx, returning south along the East River on the FDR Drive. From there, riders will cross into Queens and then Brooklyn, where the tour takes over the highway before making the thrilling climb up--and down--the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge to Staten Island.
Plan ahead to use frequent flyer miles earned from other travel or credit card use (and note that sometimes miles are good for hotel charges as well as airline tickets).
If you'll be at one location for more than a few days, book a condo instead of a hotel room so that you can make your own meals and save on dining out.
Don't let your hotel overcharge you! Read our tips for avoiding the extra fees that hotels may try to add to you bill.
Use your prepaid cell phone to call loved ones at home (if you are traveling internationally, you might need to make a call to your service provider to ensure proper overseas coverage) rather than the hotel phone. Better yet, use Skype.
Don't be shy about taking advantage of freebies: if there is a coffee maker with complimentary coffee in your hotel room, why not use it instead of visiting the expensive coffee stand in the lobby? And if a continental breakfast is included in the cost of your room, by all means, don't miss it!
Get more for your money by asking the hotel if they will upgrade your room for free.
Avoid traveling to a destination at the height of tourist season when hotel rooms will be at their most expensive (and all the sights will be most crowded).
Plan your sightseeing itinerary carefully to take advantage of money-saving opportunities whenever you can. For example, many museums offer free admission at special times during the week, and with admission fees that are starting to top $20 per person, getting in for free represents significant savings. TheInsider.com lists these free times for New York City, Boston, and San Francisco museums.
Remember that some of the most exciting and memorable experiences on your trip won't cost a dime. For example, whale watching on Maui, viewing the Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City, and watching the Patriots' Day re-enactment outside Boston are all free.
Even top-shelf entertainment can be found at bargain basement prices -- if you know where to look. For example, if your NYC plans include a Broadway show, don't miss our tips on how to save big when you buy your ticket. We also have tips on bargain theater tickets in Boston.
Make lunch your big meal of the day since most restaurants have a lower priced luncheon menu (but the food is often the same).
Whenever possible, bring your own refreshments into theme parks, museums, circuses, etc.
Skimp and splurge strategically at restaurant meals: for example, order tap water instead of soda or fancy bottled water, share an appetizer, but order the most fabulous dessert on the menu if desserts are your thing (you are on vacation, after all!).
Walk around whenever you can -- you'll get a better sense of your surroundings, or take public transportation like the locals -- instead of taking taxis.
If you rent a car, follow our guidelines to avoid the extra charges that rental companies sometimes tack on.
Take advantage of rewards from frequent traveler programs associated with your airline, hotel, or rental car company, such as use of airport lounges or free upgrades.
Take advantage of insurance programs offered by your credit card company or existing insurer for rental cars and other travel expenses before purchasing separate policies.
Always ask about discounts you may get as a student; senior; or member of AAA, AARP, the military, or any other group.
If you don't already have a digital camera, buy one now before you leave for your trip -- the savings on film and photo development will more than offset the initial purchase price in a relatively short time.
Use your travel photos as mementos by making your digital photos into a screensaver or wallpaper for your computer instead of succumbing to the lure of junky souvenirs at each sight you visit.
Pack wisely, focusing on clothing articles that can easily be rinsed out in the sink and hung to dry overnight, so that if you spill something on, say, a skirt you had planned to wear more than once, you won't have to resort to costly hotel laundering or drycleaning.
Instead of buying travel guides for each vacation, do your research via books at the local library or online (using travel sites like TheInsider.com).
If something goes wrong (as it invariably does when you travel a lot), take action quickly and politely and you may be compensated for your trouble (see our tips on lodging a complaint).
Missed running the 111th Boston Marathon today? Not to worry, Boston offers three other great race opportunities this year: the Boston Athletic Association's Half-Marathon on October 7th; the Run to Remember on May 27; and the Sugar Bowl Five-Miler on July 19th. Even if running races isn't your thing, Boston is still a great place for a run: the Charles River Esplanade alone has 17 miles of paths with beautiful views; the Back Bay, Beacon Hill and South Boston all offer other great running opportunities.
With all the talk these days about going green, the timing of the 2007 NYC Grows Garden Festivalcouldn't be better. Rather appropriately, this free environmental and educational festival will take place on Saturday, April 28th at Union Square, long the site of the famed (and eponymous) Green Market. There are a wide variety of activities planned, including gardening demonstrations, prize drawings, and a visit from Ranger Rick.
Like thousands of others, we spent this past weekend in Washington, D.C., exploring our nation's heritage and enjoying the National Cherry Blossom Festival. Mid-April is said to be the busiest time for tourists visiting the U.S. capital: the confluence of school vacation, the long Easter weekend, and the prospect of seeing the glorious flowering cherry trees bring hoards to the city at this time each year.
On Friday, we gave ourselves a walking tour of the National Mall area. We started by encircling the White House, and then since we hadn't procured tickets to go inside, consoled ourselves with a visit to theWhite House Visitor Center, for a look at the history of the building and its furnishings. The Center's Easter Egg Hunt, which involved finding clues provided by a display of eggs representing each of the 50 states, provided a fun activity for the younger members of our group.
Saturday was more of a museum day. We started at the National Archives, which we found, for the most part, rather underwhelming. There was a large crowd waiting to get in, attracted, perhaps by National Treasure's depiction of the documents on display. The rotunda was smaller and darker than we had imagined, and despite constant warnings from the guards about the bleaching effects of flash photography on the Declaration of Independence, it appears that the damage has already been done.
We made a quick trip through the National Air and Space Museum -- by far, the most mobbed of any of the sights we visited -- before heading over to the International Spy Museum. If you have even the slightest interest in the history of espionage or the tools and techniques that spies have employed throughout the years, don't miss this intriguing museum. There are plenty of hands-on exhibits for kids (including a chance to listen in on Fidel Castro as they climb through air ducts). The museum covers the topic of spying from a variety of angles, including depiction in the popular media (look for James Bond's car) and its role in shaping world events.
Our last stop was the relatively new Dulles Airport annex of the National Air and Space Museum, called the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. After battling the crowds in the D.C. museum, it was a relief to wander through this enormous complex. Although we were impressed with the huge number of aircraft on display, including the Enola Gay, an Air France Concorde, and the Space Shuttle Enterprise, we were disappointed that the museum allowed so little interaction with its exhibits, especially when compared to New York City's Intrepid museum. We also recommend that you avoid the museum's simulator rides -- these are done much more realistically elsewhere (including at the Intrepid). But the Imax movies are worthwhile and some of the smaller displays (like the model alien spacecraft from the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind) are entertaining.
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