Guest Post by Lisa Fantino
Chicago is a great city no matter what time of year you visit. Of course, the winters are rough with that lake effect snow but mid-westerners are a hardy bunch and take it all in stride…….so live like a local and catch the best things this city has to offer:
- Architecture Tour on the Chicago River – The city’s varied history and architecture are among its biggest assets and the best way to see decades’ worth of beautiful buildings is by exploring them from the river. The tour lasts about an hour and is worth every dime (but this is one thing best done in warmer weather!). You can buy a land/river combo ticket and get the best of the entire town in about 3 hours.
- Magnificent Mile (aka – Michigan Avenue) – no visit to Chicago would be complete without shopping the length of Michigan Avenue. It offers everything from the luxury of Armani and Escada and the mall at Water Tower Place to discount stores and the usual chains. There is something for every budget.
- Shedd Aquarium – This is an amazing hands-on place. You can watch Belugas dance in the Aquarium’s new show, Fantasea; pet a penguin waddling by; or look a dolphin in the eye.
- Adler Planetarium – Close to the Aquarium is the Adler Planetarium, which juts out on a peninsula into Lake Michigan. This is fun for kids and adults alike and has a number of interactive exhibits. You can even find out how much you would way on the planet Venus. I just may move! This is a great place to spend half a day and the on-site cafeteria is a good find for lunch. Adults get to play with the giant telescope on the third Thursday of every month in the Adler’s After Dark program………cocktails literally under the stars!
- Field Museum of Natural History – Lions and mammoths and dino, oh my. The Field Museum is loaded with fossils and bones and close enough to the Adler and Shedd that you can spend the entire day on South Lake Shore Drive and not run out of things to do.
Lisa Fantino is an award-winning journalist and New York attorney. She is the creative force behind Wanderlust Women Travel, a solo travel consultant website, and the recently launched Wanderlust Weddings, for the perfect Italian honeymoon or Amalfi destination wedding. She also writes for MNUI Travel Insurance and blogs as Lady Litigator.
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Guest Post by Lisa Fantino
New York, New York – the town so nice they named it twice has lots to do for those visiting for the first time or even city folk who want to play tourists-for-a-day. Here are the Top 5 travel attractions you shouldn’t miss in New York:
- A Circle Line cruise around Manhattan is lovely on a beautiful day. The cruises range in length from 75 minutes to 3 hours and there’s even a powerboat cruise called The Beast for those who want a pure adrenalin rush.
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art is a bit far from midtown on the upper east side but it’s worth the trip. It’s located at Fifth Avenue and East 82nd Street and you could easily spend half a day there. At night and on weekends, the Museum’s Rooftop Garden Café has become quite the picturesque spot to grab a martini until 8pm. And don’t forget to visit the Egyptian Gallery, the mummies and The Temple of Dendur; the new American Wing; and the Roman and Greek galleries are best bets!
- Forget the double decker tour buses and get out and walk. Fifth Avenue between 34th Street and 60th Street is just made for walking and cheap souvenirs. You can really walk away with ten “I Love NY” t-shirts for ten bucks. Who cares if they fall apart after the 1st wash, at least the folks at home will know you thought of them! The Diamond District will be marked by huge diamond-looking street lights at the corner of Fifth and 47th Street; Rockefeller Center will catch your eye at Fifth and 50th, directly opposite the magnificent St. Patrick’s Cathedral; not to mention the shopping, everything from Saks Fifth Avenue and Tiffany’s to the huge Nike store and H & M………..oh, and did I mention the Empire State Building at Fifth and 34th Street and the Top O’ the Rock observation deck at Fifth and 49th Street. Fifth Avenue offers so much to do that it needs its own Top 5 list!
- Hayden Planetarium takes you outside of the city and into another universe. The exhibits are very interactive and the star show is wonderful. The Planetarium is on the upper west side of the city, at Central park West and 79th Street, but you can plan a whole day there to include the Museum of Natural History and IMAX theater which are also part of the complex.
- No trip to NYC would be complete without taking in a Broadway show. You can wait in line for hours to get cheap, same day tickets at the Times Square Ticket Booth or you can visit their booth at the South Street Seaport, where the lines are generally shorter. If not, plan ahead and go to Broadway.Com before your visit and you may find promo codes for shows still in previews or shows which are not doing so well at the box office. And if you’re not sure where to dine before or after the show, 2 of my favorites on Restaurant Row are The Firebird Café or Barbetta…….or Utsav Indian Restaurant at 46th and Sixth …………all are within a five minute walk of the Theater District.
I hope you enjoy New York. It has so much to offer and is one helluva town!
Lisa Fantino is an award-winning journalist and attorney and the creative force behind Wanderlust Women Travel and the soon to be launched Wanderlust Weddings. She also writes travel features for MNUI Travel Insurance and blogs as Lady Litigator.
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Guest post by Robin Locker
I live in the beautiful Hudson Valley in upstate New York. I have lived several places in my life, but this is where I was raised and I am happy to call it home. Much has changed over the years, but it is a fabulous travel destination and only a short drive or train ride north of New York City. These are my top five attractions for anyone traveling here.
- Walkway over the Hudson. Newly opened last fall, the once neglected railroad bridge is now a walkway that spans the Hudson River from Poughkeepsie to Highland. The walkway, which is a New York State Park, offers great views both up and down river and is the highest and longest pedestrian bridge of its kind. At the present time admission is free.
- Vanderbilt Mansion. Now part of the National Parks Service this beautiful historic mansion is popular with tourists and locals alike. You can take a tour of the mansion, have a picnic or stroll around the beautiful grounds which offer stunning views of the river and on a clear day, the Catskill Mountains. There are also formal gardens that shouldn’t be missed if you visit in the warmer months.
- Culinary Institute of America. This prestigious culinary school, located in Hyde Park, sits on a prime piece of real estate directly on the Hudson River. The views are as beautiful as the architecture of the buildings on campus, which have been around for 60 years. It boasts four restaurants and a bakery all run by the students. The campus gift shop sells CIA brand cookware and tons of cookbooks. Reservations are a must.
- Shawangunk Wine Trail. Eleven family-owned wineries all with drop-dead views are nestled among the Shawangunk Mountains in both Orange and Ulster counties. All of the wines are produced using traditional methods brought to the region by early French Huguenot settlers. All offer many varieties of white, red, sparkling and dessert – some even award-winning. Special events are held throughout the year.
- Dia. Art lovers shouldn’t miss a visit to the only modern art museum in the area, which is located in Beacon. Open since 2003, the museum, which was converted from an abandoned Nabisco box printing factory, is used to house its renowned collection of art from the 1960′s to present.
Robin Locker is a France and Italy travel consultant, freelance travel writer and photographer who hopes to one day realize her dream of living La Dolce Vita in her beloved Italy. She writes about travel for MNUI travel insurance and on her own site, My Melange. She is addicted to social media – you can follow her on Twitter @MyMelange.
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