Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Archive for new york
A Series of Firsts at New York Port
By Linda Tancs
On July 31, 1789, the Second Session of Congress chose the village of Sag Harbor in New York as the first official port of entry into the United States. That was a smart choice, considering that the hamlet had more square rigged vessels engaged in commerce than the Port of New York about 100 miles away. This enterprising locale enjoys the distinction of having had the first custom house in the country, the first volunteer fire company in the State of New York and the first newspaper printed on Long Island. Its ascension as a whaling capital was fueled by the need for whale oil to light lamps. The Broken Mast Monument in Oakland Cemetery is a testament to the whalers lost at sea centuries ago.
Share this:
A Symbol of Resilience in Manhattan
By Linda Tancs
Today marks the official opening of New York City’s National September 11 Museum to the general public. The complex includes an outdoor memorial plaza with reflecting pools (already accessible to visitors from around the world) and a museum of 10,000 artifacts and exhibits, including personal effects, wreckage and videos. The twin reflecting pools sit within the footprints where the World Trade Center’s twin towers once stood. The name of every person who died during the 1993 attack as well as those who died on September 11, 2001 at the World Trade Center, near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, and at the Pentagon are inscribed into bronze panels edging the pools. Inside, the museum’s Last Column (an imposing hulk of steel that helped support the inner core of the south tower and was last to be salvaged) serves as a somber backdrop in a cavernous hall that recounts the heroism and courage displayed on that fateful day. Purchase advance museum tickets for access at your preferred time and date. The site is within easy reach of public transportation.
Share this:
Manhattan’s Oldest House
By Linda Tancs
On July 10, 1790, George Washington dined at Manhattan’s Morris-Jumel Mansion with members of his Cabinet. Actually, he did more than just dine there, having used New York City’s oldest house as headquarters during the Revolutionary War’s Battle of Harlem Heights. Known in those days as Mount Morris, the hilltop estate located in Washington Heights offered sweeping views of the Harlem River, the Bronx, and Long Island Sound to the east, New York City and the harbor to the south, and the Hudson River and Jersey Palisades to the west. Exhibitions as well as arts and cultural programming are presented at the home year round.
Share this:
The Tallest Hotel in New York
By Linda Tancs
Marriott boasts that its Residence Inn New York Manhattan/Central Park is the tallest hotel in North America. Although it may not exactly rival Dubai’s goliath hotel, it matches a skyscraper’s view of sights like Times Square, the Manhattan skyline, Central Park or the Hudson River. Your home away from home, studio suites at this extended stay property offer a kitchenette, large desk, free Wi-Fi and grocery shopping services.
Share this:
A Fowl Creation in Flanders
By Linda Tancs
Things are just ducky in the eastern end of Long Island, New York–specifically in Flanders, where you’ll find The Big Duck. Created in 1931 by Riverhead duck farmer Martin Maurer as a shop for the sale of ducks and eggs, this 20 foot tall and 30 foot long duck-shaped structure sports eyes made from the tail lights of a Model T Ford and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Today marks the annual holiday lighting of the duck, a tradition observed on the first Wednesday following Thanksgiving. And yes, duck memorabilia is available for sale.
Share this:
A Writer’s Cottage in New York
By Linda Tancs
Rolling hills, farmland, and unobstructed views to the shores of Long Island. That was The Bronx, a borough of New York City, in the 1800s. This once bucolic setting (now America’s third most densely populated county) was home to one of America’s most celebrated writers, Edgar Allen Poe. Now located at Kingsbridge Road and the Grand Concourse (following removal from its original location not far away), Poe Cottage is a small wooden farmhouse built in 1812. Poe spent the last years of his life there, where he authored various essays and poetical works like “Annabel Lee,” “The Bells” and “Eureka.” The cottage is open on Saturdays and Sundays.
Share this:
America’s First Presidential Library
By Linda Tancs
The Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum is America’s first presidential library. Depicting the life and times of President Roosevelt and his wife Eleanor, it was conceived and built under FDR’s direction on his 16-acre property in his hometown of Hyde Park, New York. The only library used by a sitting president, the study marks the site where FDR delivered many of his wireless “fireside chats.” Recently renovated for the first time since its opening in 1941, the property is easily accessible by car or train. In the late spring through early autumn a free shuttle service operates from the train station at nearby Poughkeepsie, New York, among the presidential estate and library and other attractions such as Eleanor’s country home and the Vanderbilt estate.
Share this:
A Merry Go Round
By Linda Tancs
For those appreciating antique carousels, you won’t want to miss the collection of vintage French carnival rides at Fete Paradiso, an exhibition on New York’s Governors Island. Ending on 29 September (the last day of the island’s seasonal opening to the public), the display includes a magnificent pipe organ, bicycle carousel and flying swings. Located just minutes from the southern tip of Manhattan by ferry, the former military base is also home to Castle Williams, a red sandstone circular fort operated by the National Park Service. Pick up the free ferry ride to this New York City gem at the Battery Maritime Building on South Street.
Share this:
Starship Enterprise
By Linda Tancs
According to the law of gravity, what comes up must come down. After the shuttering of the shuttle space program, Enterprise (NASA’s original orbiter) made its way to The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York City in a highly publicized series of movements involving a specially outfitted 747 and a barge procession past the Hudson River’s most iconic landmarks. The shuttle and its pavilion have been temporarily closed following damage from storm Sandy, but don’t miss the opportunity to visit this gem of the space program when it reopens shortly. Enterprise has been added to the National Register of Historic Places as of March 13, 2013, the first orbiter to receive such recognition.
Share this:
Four Freedoms in New York
By Linda Tancs
In New York City a three-minute tram ride from 59th Street and Second Avenue brings you to Roosevelt Island, a seeming haven in the middle of the East River. Part of the City, the two-mile-long island has a population 12,000 strong, with an enviable mix of playgrounds, parks and recreational areas. The newest park pays homage to President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Named for his famous speech on the “four freedoms” during World War II (freedom of speech and expression, freedom of worship, freedom from want and freedom from fear), Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park offers amazing views of the City skyline from the expansive lawn. The Presidential memorial is a place for peaceful walks and contemplation–a respite from the onslaught of bikes, boards, skates and amplifiers in Manhattan’s “other island.” Here, serenity rules.
Travelrific® Travel Journal 