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Review: The Ride in New York City

really thought my family was going to leave me when they saw The Ride bus. I saw this “experience” advertised on Goldstar for a very low amount, and thought I should review it for my loyal readers. While I’d seen this bus in Manhattan, apparently no one else in my family had, which is probably a very good thing or they would not have agreed to go.  As a blogger and travel journalist, they’ve done a lot with me in the name of a review (including a fabulous ziplining experience at Mountain Creek, I reminded them). They gave me the benefit of the doubt, and boarded the bus, in spite of having to catch it by Chevy’s on 42nd Street and 8th Avenue, yes the middle of the Tourist Zone, and a block from Times Square.

This state-of-the-art bus has three rows of seats facing out the side of the bus. The almost floor to ceiling windows allow people outside to see you, and you them.
This state-of-the-art bus has three rows of seats facing out the side of the bus. The almost floor to ceiling windows allow people outside to see you, and you them.

Let’s start with a good question: What is The Ride? It’s part New York City tour, part performance art, part improv comedy act and part technology entertainment. Huh? I’ll be including some spoilers here, so if you don’t want to know any more, you probably should stop reading. I’ll explain as we go.

They seat you with your group on The Ride.
They seat you with your group on The Ride. You all face sideways.

The bus is like the inside of a really tacky limo (without the booze), Continue reading “Review: The Ride in New York City”

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Giving Tuesday: Helping Others this Holiday Season

As you probably know from your mailbox (especially all those charities), today is #givingtuesday. It’s a way to call attention to helping others at this time of year. I’ll be posting many giving opportunities this month, but wanted to highlight a few for today. If these don’t work for you, consider finding some way to get your kids involved in giving today, explaining how while we’re shopping for ourselves and our loved ones, that we can take a day and think about others who may not be on our lists.

It doesn’t have to be buying things either. It can be volunteering or sending holiday cards to troops overseas. It can be baking something tasty to take to the elderly person in your neighborhood, or calling Grandma to say hi.

You can win fabulous prizes donated by sponsors like Schoola and Breathometer, as well as many others, through this contest and fundraiser. Continue reading “Giving Tuesday: Helping Others this Holiday Season”

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New York City Holiday Windows – Lord & Taylor

This is part of a series on New York City holiday windows for 2014. You can also see posts for Barney’s windows, Macy’s windows, Sak’s windows, Bergdorf-Goodman’s windows and Bloomingdale’s windows.

See the 2015 Lord & Taylor windows here.

For Lord & Taylor’s 2014 holiday windows, they chose a journey through the imagination, and mansions filled with creatures like mice, cardinals and other animals – plus an enchanted fairytale garden. Check it out.

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The birds are actually moving in the scene.

Continue reading “New York City Holiday Windows – Lord & Taylor”

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New York City Holiday Windows – Sak’s Fifth Avenue

This is part of a series on New York City holiday windows for 2014. You can also see posts for Barney’s windows, Macy’s windows, Lord & Taylor windows, Bergdorf-Goodman’s windows and Bloomingdale’s windows.

The front of Sak's Fifth Avenue, all decked out in lights.
The front of Sak’s Fifth Avenue, all decked out in lights.

The Sak’s theme was “An Enchanted Experience,” and the six main windows are fairy tales rendered in Art Deco style with a New York City backdrop. Continue reading “New York City Holiday Windows – Sak’s Fifth Avenue”

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New York City Holiday Windows – Macy’s

This is part of a series on New York City holiday windows for 2014. You can also see posts for Barney’s windows, Sak’s windows, Lord & Taylor windows, Bergdorf-Goodman’s windows and Bloomingdale’s windows.

Macy’s theme this year is about a boy too excited to sleep on Christmas Eve. So he takes out his telescope and sees Santa visiting other planets. So the windows revolve around planets and Santa/toys.

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Here you see Alex looking through his telescope at the night sky. The story is in the bottom part of the window.

Continue reading “New York City Holiday Windows – Macy’s”

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New York City Holiday Windows – Bloomingdale’s

This is part of a series on New York City holiday windows for 2014. You can also see posts for Barney’s windows, Macy’s windows, Sak’s windows, Lord & Taylor windows, and Bergdorf-Goodman’s windows.

The Bloomingdale’s main windows  were technology focused.

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You watch the bows move around between boxes and try to figure out which one it is. And you can play online.

Continue reading “New York City Holiday Windows – Bloomingdale’s”

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NYC Holiday Windows – Barney’s

This is part of a series on New York City holiday windows for 2014. You can also see posts for Macy’s windows, Sak’s windows, Lord & Taylor windows, Bergdorf-Goodman’s windows and Bloomingdale’s windows.

Barney’s Holiday Windows

Barney’s theme is a Baz Dazzled Holiday, with windows designed by Baz Luhrmann, costume designer Catherine Martin, and Barney’s Dennis Freedman. There’s live performance in several of the windows, which we missed because they weren’t doing any on Thanksgiving (what kind of holiday spirit is that?)

To catch the live performance, see the schedule here. You can also see videos of the performances here.

Barney's exterior
Barney’s exterior

To present the windows for the first time, they had a huge live performance in front of the store, partly shutting down Madison Avenue. They even had a little ice rink out front for performers. Continue reading “NYC Holiday Windows – Barney’s”

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A Behind the Scenes Look at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Floats

I had the opportunity to go behind the scenes where they make the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade floats. It was exciting to see the five new floats up close, along with costumes, drawings and some of the giant balloons too. This is the third part of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade series. Click here for a guide to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and click here for a behind the scenes look at the giant balloons from the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

This is the closest I'll ever get to riding on a Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade float. Can you see me on the ship?
This is the closest I’ll ever get to riding on a Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade float. Can you see me on the ship? This is the Pirate’s Booty Treasure Hunt float, new this year. I had to climb up the little ladder to get on there – not so easy.

Here’s a bit about what I learned while there: Continue reading “A Behind the Scenes Look at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Floats”

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Behind the Scenes Guide to Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Giant Balloons

It’s hard not to be awed by the enormous balloons making their way down the streets in Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. This year I had the opportunity to go behind the scenes to how they were designed and what one of them looked like up close, inflated.

Of course you can watch them get inflated yourself, the night before Thanksgiving (details at the bottom). If you plan to attend the parade, don’t miss my Guide to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. And you can read our behind the scenes guide to the floats here.

Macy's Studio in Moonachie, New Jersey is where all the balloons and floats are conceived (and floats are built and refurbished here)
Macy’s Studio in Moonachie, New Jersey is where all the balloons and floats are conceived (and floats are built and refurbished here)

What’s new?

This year they’re debuting six new balloons this year, which is a record number. That’s a bit of a misnomer for attendees, since two of the characters (Pikachu and the Pillsbury Doughboy) are regulars at the parade. But Pikachu just went through a third redesign, so it is a new balloon and Macy’s counts that as a new one. The Pillsbury Doughboy is also technically a new balloon, though the design is the same as the last one, since it flew so well and the client wanted  the same thing.

Paddington's hat
Paddington’s hat – he’s new this year

Thomas the Train (new this year) is 47 feet tall Continue reading “Behind the Scenes Guide to Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Giant Balloons”

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