Travel Tips: New York - Part1

Manhattan graphic I created in Illustrator.

Day 1

After we checked in at the hotel and got settled, we headed to Little Italy for dinner. We walked to the 33rd Street Metro Station, purchased our 7-day passes, and rode the Subway to Spring Street. After eating at Lombardi's Pizzeria we walked around Little Italy and then south to Chinatown. Chinatown is the best place to buy inexpensive NYC souvenirs.

It was later in the evening by the time we started our shopping and many places were closed for the night. We did find a few good shops south of Canal Street on Mott Street. The women in these shops don't bug you as you browse (which I consider a plus), but are set on their prices and not willing to haggle. If you're wanting to talk down the price, stay on Canal Street between Broadway and Mott Street. We discovered on the last day of our trip that during the daytime, both sides of the street are lined with shops and shop owners that will do almost anything for your business. I found them a little intense, but they would always lower their price as you tried leaving their shop. Feel free to shop around first because the same bag could be $20 in one shop and $10 at another.

That evening we had originally planned on going to the Manhattan LDS temple (read more about our beliefs here). We fell asleep, however, and conked out for the rest of the night. Normally I would say to spend as much time explore and the least amount of time in your hotel as possible, but sometimes you just need a break so you can hit the last days of your vacation full-force.

Day 2

First thing that morning we made our way to Times Square. First stop was Foxwoods Theater in an attempt to buy same-day rush tickets for Spiderman on Broadway. We were too late and they were already sold out, so we headed over to Madam Tussaud's. I found this super entertaining, but it was really crowded and Travis was a little bored.

This is where I should mention that previous to this vacation Travis and I had purchased 3-day New York Passes. We ordered them and had them shipped to us, but you can also pick them up when you get to NYC. This grants you Fast Track access to over 80 attractions. This means you can skip the lines and see as many places within the time frame that you purchased. My friend Jackie bought the New York CityPASS, which is cheaper and also gives you the ability to skip lines, but only allows admission to New York's top 6 attractions. If you're only going to be in New York for a day or two, the CityPASS might be the way to go. If you have more time, I'd recommend the New York Pass.

Next we went to Discovery Times Square where we were able to see some Terracotta Warriors and some really cool stuff. I love Asian history and Travis thought the exhibit was really cool. At the time I was obsessed with the TV show "Cake Boss" so I had to try some treats from the Cake Boss Cafe inside Discovery Times Square. Delish.

Next we got lost trying to find the entrance to the Top of the Rock Observatory. We eventually made our way in, however, and got lost in the massive crowds. There is one line after another. Even though you are given Fast Track privileges with the New York Pass, this only rushes you through the first line where you spend forever waiting in line to go up in an elevator, wait in another line for 20 minutes, etc., and then finally gain access to the observatory. Note that there are two levels of the observatory and the top level (which took us a couple minutes to figure out how to get up to) was much less crowded than the main level. The views are spectacular, so I'd say that it's a must-see, even despite the lines.

That evening we explored Grand Central Station and ate at Junior's restaurant.


Travel Tips: New York - Part 2
View this post for other tips from this trip.

Travel Tips: NYC - Getting Around, Where to Stay, & Where to Eat

Getting Around

As I mentioned in the previous post, we took the Bolt Bus from Baltimore and it dropped us off at NYC’s Penn Station. There’s a Metro station right at Penn Station, but we had no interest in trying to take our mammoth luggage on the Subway. There are also plenty of Taxis waiting outside the station that you can flag down. We thought about taking one, but then we decided we wouldn't mind walking the 6 blocks to Hotel 31. The walk was fine, but I almost wish we had taken a taxi just for the sake of riding in a NYC taxi. Maybe next time.

The MetroCard is your friend. There are kiosks in nearly every station. We bought an unlimited 7-day pass for $30. This includes unlimited subway and bus rides. We never rode the bus, but we spent a whole lot of time on the subway. The stations are typically hot and stuffy, but the trains are cooled and comfortable. Download a NYC subway map (like this one) and/or the Hop-Stop app before you go. If you know where your destination is, you can just look at the map and figure out what trains it will take to get there. If you're not sure, type in the name of your destination into the Hop-Stop app and it will come up with the best route for you to take. You can get nearly everywhere by subway. The only time I felt like I had to walk very much was to the museums along the “Museum Mile.” I would love for Utah to have that extensive of transit system. Love, love, love the subways.

As for getting to-and-from the airports, I’d highly recommend taking a taxi. My friend Jackie flew in and out of LaGuardia. She said that there are tons of people willing to share a cab fare. If you decide to stay at Hotel 31 like we did, find someone that’s also headed to Midtown Manhattan and split the fare. You can see how NYC cabs calculate their Rate of Fare here. Note that there’s a flat rate from JFK. While you do have to take traffic into calculation, I feel that taxis are safer and definitely more reliable. You can read about our horrible experience with Newark Airport Express in an upcoming post.

Where to Stay

When I first researched places to stay, we first pondered staying in Secaucus, NJ. The rooms there were good sized, cheaper, and only a 15 or 20 minute bus ride to Times Square. I guess this is where you have to decide between price and location. If you have a family/group of more than 4 or 5 people, I would definitely consider staying outside of Manhattan. The majority of hotel rooms downtown have a max of 4 occupants and paying for 2 rooms would be outrageous. The best way to choose a hotel is by researching and reading reviews on Tripadvisor.com.

Ultimately, we decided that a more convenient location was worth the extra price. We stayed at Hotel 31, just a few blocks south of Grand Central Station. The hotel is clean, a mere 3 minute walk to the subway station (6 Train), and the best deal for its location. We saved time and money by staying at a place so close to the subway.

We reserved a Double/Single room with a private bath. We stayed the first night by ourselves, but my BF Jackie joined us for the next two nights (hence the single bed). They ended up giving us a Double/Double room on the 5^th floor. It came with a swamp cooler and an in-room safe. The private bath was convenient, but I don’t remember seeing more than 4 other people the whole time we stayed there so I don’t think sharing a bathroom with people on the same floor would have been a big deal. The room was a little cramped, the elevator was tiny (but awesome), and the stairs were extremely narrow. That’s New York for you, though, so you'll get used to it.

{If you’re curious, I believe we ended up paying about $188/night. That price includes all taxes and fees.}

Where to Eat

There’s a Dunkin’ Donuts at the west end of the block from Hotel 31. Each morning we walked there and bought donuts and milk or juice for breakfast. It was fast and fairly cheap. The hotel doesn't include a mini fridge so we just went each morning for a fresh, cold drink. Lunches and dinners varied according to what part of Manhattan we were at the time.

Our first night, Travis and I went to Little Italy. There’s a famous pizzeria there called Lombardi’s and that’s where we ate our first NYC meal. New Yorkers are the thin crust lovers. When it comes to pizza crust, I believe the thicker the better. All considering, it was delicious. The soda was ridiculously over-priced, but the water tastes funny so pick your battle. Also, keep in mind that you pay with cash there. They do have an ATM in the restaurant, but it might be easier to just have cash on hand.

I love New York style cheesecake. It’s my most favorite dessert and I was determined to have some while in New York. It’s $7/slice (on the cheap end) and worth every penny. I got my daily fix from a delicious restaurant called Junior’s. I think there are other locations, but we only ate at the one inside Grand Central Station. You can either sit in the restaurant or order your cheesecake (and other random things) from the side counter. Their chicken strips are amazing and Travis loved their burgers.

The food court at Grand Central is definitely the best way to go. They have an oyster bar, a pizzeria, a steak house, etc. There’s something for everyone. We only places we ate at were Junior’s and a Chinese restaurant called Feng Shui (similar to Panda Express), but I would have loved to try other places had we had the time.

When at Times Square we at TGI Fridays. Times Square also has a lot of popular restaurants like McDonalds. After we toured the 9/11 memorial we use an app called NYC Way to find a hamburger joint that I don’t remember the name of (which is tragic because it was really good). We also ate at Vezzo Thin Crust Pizza which is on the east end of the block of Hotel 31. I can’t say that it was all that amazing, but the location was convenient.

A little restaurant research prior to your trip can be quite helpful. Once again, I’d recommend tripadvisor.com. 

Other thoughts/tips:

- Jackie thought it might be cheaper to pay as you go on the Subway. She put about $20 on a card and used it up in less than two days. Thirty dollars for a 7-day unlimited pass might seem like a lot, but it's a good deal.

- Subway stations for trains that are heading Uptown (north) are on the east side of the street. If you want to go Downtown (south), go down the stairs of the station on the west side of the street.

- Grand Central has multiple levels of trains, shops, etc. It might seem overwhelming, but there are plenty of signs. If you get confused, just start following the crowds.

- A good tip amount for hotel cleaning staff might be $5/night. A good tip at a restaurant would be 15-20% of your bill. You can Google taxi and other tipping etiquette.

- Must-have apps: Hop-Stop, NYC Way, TripAdvisor

View this post for other tips from this trip.

Travel Tips: Getting from Baltimore/D.C. to New York City

Bolt Bus.

It's the only way to go. There are other options -- a $90 train or plane ticket, for example -- but none beat the quality and price. The Bolt Bus leaves from D.C., Baltimore, or Philadelphia and drops you off at different Manhattan locations.

Finding the Location of Your Bus Stop

We left from the Baltimore stop near Marc-Penn Station. Keep in mind that the bus is not associated with Penn Station nor does it leave from the station. I was expecting a more obvious location, so we had a hard time finding out where our stop was. We drove by the street address they listed and saw nothing but taxis parked along the whole strip of the sidewalk. Not knowing what else to do, our friends dropped us off at the station, we said our good-byes, and thanked the heavens that we were 30 minutes early and had time to figure things out. We decided to go inside and ask someone at the station if they knew. Luckily an employee had heard of Bolt Bus and told us that they met "somewhere around the corner." We used Travis' iPhone to get to the specified address, even though it appeared that nothing was there. Once we got there, however, we noticed a small A-frame (which was originally blocked by taxis) with the Bolt Bus logo, and a lady on a stool was sitting there ready to sell snacks to those boarding the bus. I didn't take a picture of the location, but yesterday when I pulled up Google Map's street view, they had conveniently managed to capture people boarding a Bolt Bus.

This was two years ago, however, and after looking Bolt's website recently, it looks like they've changed locations again. Just go to the sidewalk and wait, even if it doesn't seem like a logical location. And look for an A-frame. Here's another Google Map, only from Earth view. The star is where we boarded, and the Google Map marker is supposedly where they pick you up now.

Tickets

I bought our tickets 3-4 weeks in advance. I paid $6 for one ticket and $13 for another. You'll notice when you're buying them that each ticket is associated with a group letter. Since we bought our tickets so far in advance, we were put in Group B. Basically these groups just specify who gets to board first. The bus driver will call for Group A first, they'll load their luggage under the bus, and go pick out a seat. Group B goes next, and so forth. The earlier you buy, the better luck you'll have getting a seat that you want.

The Buses

The buses are really nice. They're equipped with wifi, and, if I remember correctly, they even had spots where you could charge your electronics. The seats were large and comfortable (for bus seats). I believe we stopped once for a break, but I didn't get off. Travis enjoyed the views and I enjoyed my book. The ride was about 3 1/2 hours and we chose to get off at NYC's Penn Station. They also had other NYC stops like Chinatown, but Penn Station was only a few blocks from our Hotel.

I'd do it again and I'd recommend it to anyone and everyone. Like I said earlier, for $9.50/pp, the quality and price just can't be beat.


View this post for other tips from this trip.

D.C. & NYC Travel Tips: What & How to Pack

I wish I would have researched this topic ahead of time. It would have saved us a lot of effort, and a whole day wasted after a missed flight (that story will be coming up in my Transportation post).

How We Packed

Travis and I thought we had the most genius idea for packing. We packed all of our clothes together inside a fairly large suitcase and then put that suitcase inside a large suitcase. It was like a nesting doll of suitcases. We figured we'd be buying lots of "I <3 New York" t-shirts and other souvenirs and thought we'd end up needing both suitcases when we headed home. So we had two suitcases, but we only had to check one on the way there. This would have been a good idea had we actually needed both suitcases. After some intense squishing, however, we still managed to get everything to fit inside the nested suitcases. My thoughts? If you plan on checking a bag, just get a big one and put everyone's clothes in it. There's no need to pay for everyone to check a bag.

Also, one idea that we used from Pinterest was to take some crazy printed duct tape and wrap the handles of our luggage. Our black luggage looked like everyone else's except for our pink & black zebra striped handles. This was an amazing help in identifying our luggage on the airport carousels.

In addition to our checked luggage, we each took a backpack for our carry on and filled it with items to keep us entertained on the plane. We emptied Travis' at each of our destinations and filled it with our lunches & snacks for the day, water bottles, sunscreen, tickets, etc. This ended up being a really good idea, and I'll probably continue to do this for future trips.

What I Plan to Do Differently

I never plan on checking a bag again. I haven't had the chance to test this out yet, but I'm determined to "Pack Like a Freaking Ninja" next time. Check out this post and the embedded video. It will blow your mind. This woman packs for her week+ trips just using carry on bags. It's so genius. She has multiple YouTube videos. Each one has a couple new extra tips. Seriously, check them out. (Remember to pull up your airline's website to double-check their carry on bag dimensions and limitations.)

There are also tons of other blog posts like this blog post from GetAwayToday.com. And really there are tons of tips all over the internet if you're willing to search. Look on Pinterest. Do some research. 

What I Packed

Have you ever been back East? Holy Moly it's hot and humid! The humidity was nasty every day, but we at least lucked out with rain in Baltimore and cloud cover for most of the time we spent in D.C. My point? Pack t-shirts and shorts. I'm notorious for layering my shirts, but after some suggestions from my sister-in-law Melanie, I only packed shirts that didn't require an undershirt. It's hot enough as is, there's no need to make it worse with layers. I also packed a wrinkle-free skirt (for church), a pair of black dress pants (for Broadway), 7 pairs of ankle socks, and a jacket (which I never used). For shoes I took a pair of dressy black flats, a pair of sneakers, and a pair of casual flats. Remember to wear your bulkiest shoes on the plane so they don't take up so much room in your suitcase. For the duration of the trip, I chose comfort over style and wore my sneakers nearly the whole time. The amount of walking -- especially in D.C. where the metro stops aren't quite as convenient -- make a good pair of sneakers a necessity.

We took travel size shampoo, conditioner, soap, etc. We used these for the Baltimore/D.C. section of the trip because we were staying with friends, but if you're staying in a hotel I'd recommend just using their stuff. Don't pack it if it isn't necessary. That being said, do remember to pack sunscreen or, at the very least, buy some while you're there. Remember that if you're using the carry on only method, you'll have to follow certain guidelines. If you're packing a liquid or a gel (like shampoo), it has to be in a container that is less than 3.4 ounces, and all of your containers should be shoved together in a quart-sized zip-lock bag.

As for meds, I went a little crazy in preventing all possible ailments. Something to think about: you're not headed to a 3rd world country. If you forgot to (or don't want to) pack the Pepto, go to the store and buy some. Odds are you won't need anything besides your daily meds, so don't go crazy.

The humidity was my frizzy hair's worst nightmare, but I was prepared for that. I filled 2 travel size spray bottles with spray gel and scrunched my hair and/or put it up in a ponytail every day. This saved some space in my bag because I didn't have to pack a curling iron or straightener. I did pack a blow dryer but I didn't need it because I could have used my friend Della's and then the hotel in New York had one. Like I said, don't pack it if you don't need it.


View this post for other tips from this trip.

Volare: My Baltimore/DC/NYC Vacation Tips

For our 5^th anniversary I dragged my husband on a Baltimore/D.C./NYC trip. He’s a farm boy from Podunk, Utah who lives to hunt and owns his own lawn care business. Guess how much he loved our big city vacation??  I might have forced him to walk through one too many art galleries, but he’s a survivor! I love that boy.

It was my first time on an airplane. I've done the whole bus thing – my furthest was a round-trip ride from Utah to Illinois. And I've done plenty of road trips of the car variety. For our first anniversary we drove to Reno, then on to the Redwood forests, up to my brother’s house in Salem, OR, and then home again. That was probably my longest car trip. Growing up my dad drove us places – the furthest was to White Rock, British Columbia, just a few minutes across the Washington State/Canada border. It was a long ride in a Ford Taurus with my 6’5 brother taking up most of the leg room in the back seat. Still though, that was probably about the time when I realized I wanted to travel everywhere.

It’s been almost two years since our anniversary vacation, and I think it’s time to write down my travel tips before I forget all of my “dos and don’ts.” As I said, these are my tips for me to remember. You can read them and leave me more tips, but don’t be a hater.

Travel Tips: What & How to Pack
Travel Tips: SLC to Baltimore

Travel Tips: Baltimore

Travel Tips: Getting Around D.C. & Other Tips
Travel Tips: Washington D.C. 
Travel Tips: Baltimore/D.C. to New York City

Travel Tips: NYC - Getting Around, Where to Stay, & What to Eat
Travel Tips: New York City
Travel Tips: Leaving New York