March:
Alexander Hamilton National Historic Site, Manhattan
Metropolitan Museum of Art/The Cloisters, Manhattan

April:

May:
Fort Stanwix National Historic Site, Rome
DeadApple Tours, Manhattan
Other touristy things in Manhattan

June:
Philip Schulyer House, Albany, NY
New York State Library and Museum, Albany, NY

July:
Erie Canal Boat Museum, Chittenango, NY

August:
Lake Placid Olympic Center, Adirondacks
Whiteface Mountain, Adirondacks

September:

October:
Plymouth, Massachusetts

November:
Lake George, NY
Trip to Vermont?

As you can see, the itinerary needs some fleshing out. Two trips per month is enough for the spring and late autumn months, but I’d like to have a few more activities for July, August, September, and October. If you would like us to visit a certain place, feel free to use my contact form for suggestions. I’d love to hear from you!

2012 Itinerary In the Works

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As much as I love traveling and exploring new places, sometimes I really need a familiar “face” or place to ground me. If you have ever traveled extensively or have ever needed something very important while traveling, you know what I mean. Earlier last year, we traveled out of state, to Virginia, for two weeks. My daughter became very ill while we were there. We took her to the emergency room, and it was a very scary time. I knew no one and was not familiar with any of the hospitals or stores or anything. My daughter was fine (it was an allergy to some medication she was on) so thank God for that. But when it came time to get some medical supplies, we were lost– until I spotted a Walgreens! I can’t tell you what a comfort it was to walk into a familiar store and encounter some of the most amazing and helpful people I’ve ever met. The pharmacist there was so helpful. He came out from behind the counter to show me some over-the-counter medications for my daughter and explained to me why certain supplements (such as potassium) were prescription only. That guy was the epitome of terrific customer service, and such service seems to be status quo for Walgreens in general.

I love my local Walgreens and we get our prescriptions there. The people there are simply stellar. I feel like I have made a few new friends there, that’s how friendly they are! The company focuses on customer service and excellent prices. Perhaps you heard about the recent Walgreens/Express Scripts dispute. It was in the news and on the radio, and affected tens of thousands of Americans (especially military families). In a nutshell, Express Scripts didn’t renew their contract with Walgreens because they wanted more profit and more control. This left scores of people high and dry, forced to find a new pharmacy for their medications.

In response, Walgreens turned around and has been offering their Walgreens Prescription Savings Club at a deep discount. The annual membership fee for an entire family– including the pets!– is $35 a per year. Membership for an individual is $20 per year. That is an incredible deal. Membership includes savings on generic medications and over 8,000 brand name prescriptions, discounts of medical supplies such as nebulizers and diabetic supplies, pet prescriptions (that alone makes the Walgreen’s plan worth it, have you seen the cost of pet prescriptions?!), flu shots, and more. As if that wasn’t enough, you get bonuses on Walgreens-brand products and on the photo-finishing services.

I give Walgreens a lot of credit. They made lemonade out of lemons AND turned everything around to help the customers. Combined with their outstanding customer service, it’s no wonder so many of us are devoted to Walgreens, no matter where we go. I am so thankful for the care I got at Walgreens in Virginia. It was such a relief during a confusing time.

So check out Walgreens on Twitter and Walgreens on Facebook. I have “liked” them through my personal Facebook page and my NewYorkTraveler.net Facebook page. I recommend Walgreens as a comfort zone of familiarity and excellent customer service wherever we travel. Thanks, Walgreens!

I Recommend Walgreens

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All my kids love wristwatches. A few of them have cell phones, but they still wear their watches. Problem is, the watches they have had are the “discount” watches from the local Wally World. Needless to say, I usually wind up (pun intended!) purchasing a new watch for each kid because the watches are so poorly made. 300 years from now, will museum visitors be treated to the junk from our landfills? Ugh.

It would have been better if I’d paid a little more and just purchased Citizen Eco drive watches for the children. Seriously, I could imagine George Washington wearing one of these watches, especially if it has a barometer or calendar. He and Thomas Jefferson were avid weather watches, I hear. You think this watch with its “perpetual calendar” would go over well?

P.S. My son saw me going through the BlueDial.com website and he came right over. “Wow, watches!” he said. I told you, my kids like watches!

Check out the store for some of the most beautiful watches you’ve ever seen. Truly, these are elegant timepieces. And who knows, maybe someday YOUR elegant timepiece will sit behind a display case in a museum.

Timeless

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I think it’s terrible, especially now that the population is getting older. No offense to you senior citizens, but vision tests ensure that the folks behind the wheels can still see to drive! Vision does tend to deteriorate with age, and mandatory vision tests did provide the public with some assurance that all drivers on the roads had adequate vision. The DMV says they eliminated the tests because they wanted to make online license renewal easier. I think that is a very poor reason for eliminating the vision tests. The tests were a minor inconvenience compared to the assurance that every driver is fit. Oh well… we as drivers can each do our part to make sure that our loved ones are OK behind the wheel and that we all get regular exams at the optician’s office. Sometimes a nice, new pair of glasses is inspiration for a quick vision check. I’m going to go again soon because I want a new prescription for a new pair of eyeglasses at Zenni Optical. I purchased a pair several months ago and I absolutely LOVE them. Honestly, I can’t sing Zenni’s praises louder. I got exceptional service and the glasses are the best I have owned. I want another pair, now!

I think these colorful frames are spectacular!

Seriously– if you are needing new glasses, try Zenni Optical. To buy glasses online, you do need your prescription and pupillary distance measurement. These measurements are obtained by an optometrist with a simple eye exam. And eye exams are good, especially if you drive!

Oh Say, Can You See?

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In this article, I highlight the best apps for hiking, skiing, and enjoying the many outdoorsy destinations in Upstate New York, particularly the Adirondack region. I’ll be writing additional articles on apps for New York City travel and another on apps that help you traverse through the thousands of small towns and cities of New York State. So keep an eye out for those.

Must-Have New York Nature Adirondack Travel Apps

ADK46erNow
By far one of the coolest apps for Adirondack travel, ADK46erNow is a must-have app for any traveler who strays into the glorious High Peaks region of upper New York. If you are like us, you have probably climbed an Adirondack Mountain, breathlessly exulted the view, swirled around in awe… and wondered what the heck all those other mountains are.

Our photo taken from the peak of Blue Mountain. Not every mountain can have a big "Hollywood" sign on it, so there's the ADK46erNow app.

ADK46erNow solves the dilemma. It’s a great app for both the novice and 46-er. This app displays the peaks and their names and elevations within a five mile radius. If you have cell service, the app displays satellite images of the High Peaks region. The app displays a topographic map if there is no service. While breathing in the crispy ADK air, you can look up mountain elevation, ascent, and even log your journey as you clamber up each of the coveted 46 ADK High Peaks. The app currently costs $4.99 in the App Store. I am definitely using this app the next time we hike the Adirondacks.

EveryTrail
I have this app. It’s like a Facebook or Twitter of travel apps. You log in and allow the app to track you while you travel. Along the way, you can snap a photo or jot a note, and the app adds the data to the GPS coordinate location. It’s a terrific app for a travel blogger, enabling you to track your course and go back to see your journey. You can upload the trip to the EveryTrail site to share with others, or delete the trip. If you love armchair travel, peruse the journeys of other EveryTrail travelers. There is a free version and a paid version for $3.99. You can peruse the EveryTrail website and see a very good video demonstrating the features of the app.

Trails
This app covers hundreds of thousands trails in the United States, including a healthy amount in New York State. When you open the app, it detects your geographic location by nearest city and latitude/longitude, displays current weather conditions, elevation, wind speed, a compass, and sunrise and sunset times. Wow! Touch the “trails” icon to see a
listing of trails nearest you. You can choose a trail and the app displays basic information such as trail distance, skill level, elevation gain and (in some cases) estimated duration. You can see the trail on a map and zoom in for details. Save the trail to your favorites, or rate it. You can log in to Twitter or Facebook and more. I love this app!

Be aware that the app offers elaborate trail guides, to which you must subscribe and are very costly ($50). You do not need to subscribe to use use the app, however– only the trail guides cost money. I noticed that many reviewers complained loudly at the App Store about this cost, but you do NOT need to pay a dime for the app. I use it for free and I love it! To avoid the $50 subscription cost, simply avoid purchasing the trail guides feature.

WikiHow: How To and DIY Survival Kit
This app is the Swiss army knife of survival apps. From delivering a baby to administering first aid to controlling a spooked camel, the app blends resource with humor. Even if you never have need to use it, it’s always good to have a survival kit. It’s even better when you’ve got one that’s fun to read. What other handbook has such endearing tutorials on “How to escape from Handcuffs,” “Run Up and Over a Wall,” Survive a Kidnapping,” “Deal with Party Crashers,” and “Fight Off Multiple Opponents”? I love it!

WildLab Bird
I’m not an avid bird-watcher, but I am curious about the wildlife in New York. This app fits the bill, so to speak. The app shows a pretty good inventory of birds and their characteristics, including terrific sound recordings of birds from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology of birds. I like this– you can identify their calls as well as see their images. It has a built-in map and camera where you can snap a photo and report a sighting of the bird.

I do wish the inventory was larger, however. There’s a paid version that offers more features. The bird species are organized by ecosphere (wetlands, grasslands, coastal, etc). I’m not too fond of the organization, because sometimes I spot a bird and I have no idea if I it belongs under grassland or forest, or whatever. Still, it’s a worthy app and it’s TERRIFIC for freaking out your cats.

Audubon: A Field Guide to North American Trees
If trees are your passion, the App Store abounds with apps. The best one I have seen is the Audubon guide to trees in North America. It’s a bargain at $10. There’s a $30 Audubon guide that includes trees, birds, and mammals, too. Of course, you can always look up a tree on Wikipedia using the free Wikipedia app, or do a search in Safari browser, but a

Planets
I have saved one of the best for last. This app is nothing short of spectacular. It displays a 2D and 3D planetarium view of the sky, in real time at your geographic location. It shows current visibility conditions for the sun and planets. It has stunning, animated images of the sun and planets. Best of all, it tells you the location of the stars, constellations, galaxies and planets in a 360-degree view, in real time. It’s just stunning. I can’t express it in any other way.

These are the jewels I have found so far. I’ll soon be posting additional apps for all sorts of travel, so stay tuned! If you have discovered any terrific apps, please leave a comment and let me know. Thanks for reading.

Must-Have New York Nature Adirondack Travel Apps

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Anyway, if you’re heading out to hunt bear or deer or small game, check out the exceptional hunting gear at the new Legend Hunting website store. The inventory is developing but it looks like it will be THE place to go for outdoor sports and hunting gear. Besides the very nice camouflage clothing, Legend Hunting offers jackets, t-shirts, special outdoor watches, vests, bow cases and — my sons will love this– a very nice hip quiver gryphon! The prices are very good and the products are all quality made. Definitely check them out, as they will be periodically adding new products.

Speaking of gear, stay tuned for an up-and-coming post about winter camping. I have found some excellent websites with tips and resources which I intend on sharing here. The prospect of winter camping appeals to me. Jim Muller at WinterCampers.com has invited me time and time again but I have not taken him up on his generous offer. I’m not sure if it’s something I can physically do anymore, but I do like reading his stories about all the fun the guys have! Maybe someday, when the kids are a bit older, I can do it….

‘Tis the Season: Hunting Gear

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We arrived about noon on Saturday. The crowd was pretty good — manageable enough so that I could still pop in close to the tables and chat with a vendor or two. As it neared later in the afternoon, the building got more crowded.

A patron at Moon’s Lake House ordered fried potatoes with his meal. The diner complained that the potatoes were too thick and sent them back to the cook.

The cook at the restaurant was George Crum, who is described as Native American in some accounts and an African American in others. There is agreement, however, on Crum’s disposition—he was generally ornery. Upset that someone would criticize his cooking, Crum sliced a new batch of potatoes paper-thin, fried them in boiling oil to a crisp, and then salted them.
 
But what was intended as a stunt turned into an instant hit – the fussy patron and his friends loved the “crunch potato slices.” Soon the chips became known as Saratoga Chips. At first they were served in restaurants throughout the region. When George Crum left Moon’s Lake Inn to start his own restaurant called “Crumbs House,” he placed large baskets of the chips on every table. It was not long before Saratoga Chips could be found in restaurants up and down the East Coast. Soon they became known as potato chips.

 
Isn’t history a fascinating thing??
 
Unfortunately, the Saratoga Chips company closed its doors in the 1920s. But this gentleman in the photo (I didn’t get his name) decided to dust off the cobwebs and regenerate the business. He’d lost his job and was in need of money to support his family. He and his wife picked up where George Crum left off, weaving modern manufacturing and marketing with the original look and historical panache that New Yorkers just love. The company has grown to become a success, featured in the New York Times, Rachel Ray, and other notable outlets.
 
The chips are very good. They are not like the Big Box chips. These chips still have a bit of the potato in them with traces of moisture and flavor to them. They are also only lightly salted, a big plus in my opinion!

The Pride of New York Harvest Fest Was Great!

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Thankfully, one of the kids brought a Swiss Army knife and another couple had wrist watches. I’ve heard that watches are going the way of the dinosaur among young people, thanks to handheld gadgets like cell phones, but my kids still like to wear watches. Their cell phones are barebone basic things, more of a nuisance to dig out of their pockets, flip open and wait for the screen to display the time. When hiking or doing other sports, it’s so easy to simply turn the wrist and glance at the wrist watch. What we REALLY needed was a compass– my smartphone compass was not working properly and none of the kids’ watches had such a thing. After our excursion when we were back in civilization and on the Internet, I did a quick search for combination watches. Would you believe that there are watches with built-in compasses? And even barometers that display pressure trends?! What a terrific traveler tool! I found them at BlueDial.com. Some of the watches there can be a little pricey, but they still beat the competition for high quality chronographs. The combo watches are very affordable, around $100 or so. Many are husky-looking styles geared for men, but they also have a fine selection of ladies watches for the discriminating traveler.

Check them out! Some of the little gadgets on the watches are quite stunning. They’d make THE PERFECT gift for the traveler, too. We’re definitely getting a compass next time!

The Traveler’s Timepiece

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Just this week I went to my eyeglasses store. The frames I purchased six months ago (for a whopping $250!) have deteriorated. The bronze color coating is flaking off, the metal is rusting and the frames are causing my skin to react in blisters. The store told me that they were awfully sorry, but they can’t do anything. I could order a brand new pair of glasses and pay retail or they could locate another pair of frames exactly like the old and pop in the old lenses. But the insurance will not pay for a new pair, and there is only a 30-day guarantee on new pairs. Problem is, the replacement frames are $80!! I’m not paying $80 for another pair of defective frames that I will only have to replace in six months. :-p

The eyeglasses store told me that my new insurance only pays a total of $39 every 2 years for glasses. Oh my gosh. That is AWFUL. I was flabbergasted, especially when I see that the insurance company has tons of coverage for mental illness, alcoholism and family planning. For many people, glasses are a medical necessity. Because my prescription is currently so high, my glasses cost about $200 to $250. Why are glasses SO expensive?! And why are insurance companies so stingy about the coverage??

Well, thank God there’s another choice. Zenni Optical. What you see is what you get– quality frames, quality lenses, good service– and no middleman or insurance paperwork hassles to mess everything up. I’ve heard about Zenni for a while now, but have been balking about ordering new eyeglasses. I think I’m going to check into them. I have nothing to lose and everything to gain. I’ll no doubt do a review about my experience in the near future!

UPDATE: Well, I just ordered a pair of glasses from Zenni! I did a little comparative shopping and Zenni was the only company that makes glasses stronger than -10 OD/OS! My prescription is -16 OD/OS so we’ll see how the glasses do for me. I can’t wait to get them!

Insurance Leaves Much to Be Desired

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Ray said, “Where’s that?”

The guy is quiet, thinking for a moment.

Ray jokingly retorts, “New Zealand?”

We joke about that interview from time to time, especially after I see panoramic photos of New Zealand’s breathtaking green beauty and dramatic landscape. I only hope I get to see New Zealand before arriving to my destination place!

New Zealand teems with history as well as beauty. The Maori settled the islands sometime in the 13th century, calling the area Aotearoa, or “long white cloud.” The Dutch found the area in the mid 17th century, and named it Nova Zeelandia after “Zeeland,” a Dutch province. British explorer James Cook changed the name to New Zealand.

Once a deeply exotic but dangerous jungle, New Zealand today balances the dazzling natural environment with organized development and a stellar tourism industry. While New Zealand is a British colony, it is still a good idea to invest in travel insurance New Zealand before visiting. Tourism is a booming business, and it’s no wonder. Visitors are drawn to the azure waters peppered with craggy ocean precipices, the thick, lush landscapes and the unique blend of Maori-European activities and entertainment. Tourists can swim with the dolphins, dive in Poor Knights, one of the world’s superior diving areas, hike the rainforests or snow-capped cliffs, enjoy the extraordinary native music, and browse the streets laden with native foods and locally-crafted goods. My favorite experience would be perusing the exquisite Larnach Castle Gardens, as it affords spectacular views of the coast and mountains! I can certainly understand why someone would consider New Zealand “a better place.” It certainly comes in as Number 2 in my book!

Heavenly New Zealand

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