New York Archives - Mom's Guide To Travel

Sep 16 2015

5 Boutique Brooklyn Hotels For The Budget Conscious Traveler

Back in the day when travelers visited New York, most stayed put in Manhattan and Brooklyn was left to the locals. Times have quickly changed and now travelers from around the world are knocking on Brooklyn’s doors looking for a place to stay.

If you’re traveling on a tight budget, these boutique Brooklyn hotels might make a good fit for your wallet.

1. NU Hotel Brooklyn

Modern, up to date, contemporary and strategically located close to major attractions like the Barclay Center, NU Hotel Brooklyn offers all the creature comforts that a traveler needs. Got kids? Enjoy a suite with bunk beds? Have the munchies? Dig into the mini bar, snack basket or grab a cup of coffee from your room’s coffee maker. Once upon a time you couldn’t pay for space like this in Brooklyn without breaking the bank. You definitely will not find this much space in any Manhattan hotel at this price point and for sure, not this much style and character. But then again, that’s the Brooklyn way.

2. Pointe Plaza Hotel

If you knew what Franklin Avenue looked like less than 10 years ago you would be shocked to learn that a chic boutique hotel has successfully set up shop here. Ideal for corporate travel, families and groups, the Pointe Plaza Hotel can accommodate travelers in pairs or groups of 5 in its large suites. Once a neighborhood solely known for its industrial past and its Hasidic residents, Williamsburg, where Pointe Plaza is located, is now a hipster hangout. Travelers looking for large rooms, a cool area, kitchens, laundry facilities and shuttle service for less than $200 per night will find it at Pointe Plaza hotel.

3. Riviera Motor Inn

Take a step back in hotel décor history at Riviera Motor Inn for that experience. Read: You do not go here for a luxury experience. If you’re looking for a quick one-night stay near Prospect Park for cheap, however, you’ve got a winner.

4. NY Moore Hostel

NY Moore Hostel is designed for backpackers and travelers who just need a place to rest their head for the night before exploring the city. It’s important to know what type of traveler you are and your needs before you book any room. If privacy isn’t an issue and you enjoy communal stays, NY Moore Hostel will work for your travel style. True to many traditional hostels, the décor resembles that of a college dormitory from its minimal furnishings to its cafeteria-style dining room. For the small nightly price tag, you can’t beat the price.

5. Red Carpet Inn

There are hotels and there are motels. Red Carpet Inn is a motel that serves its purpose for many budget conscious travelers: it’s a place to sleep. Don’t expect extras that you might get in a moderate-priced hotel. Looking for red carpet? Maybe not here, but you’ll have easy access to the subway to explore the city for other refined experiences. And just think, you can use the money you saved on your stay for those experiences.

This article was written in partnership with the #HipmunkCityLove Project. Any opinions expressed in it are my own.

Feb 02 2015

What To Know About A Lake Placid Winter Getaway #PerfectDayADK

Last week I wrote about ways that you can enjoy a winter getaway in Lake Placid, New York. With over a dozen different winter activities, you have your pick of how you can play in the snow.

It was funny to read all the comments from people who don’t like the snow. I feel you on that.

I grew up around snow so it doesn’t bother me. Now, do I want to be driving to work in it or trapped in my house because of it? No. However, I don’t mind watching it come down while tucked under a warm blanket with a cup of hot chocolate, marshmallows and whip cream.

I also don’t mind traveling TO snow for a three-day winter getaway. I love to play in the snow. We do it every year. The key is, I get away from it in 72 hours and leave it behind.

That’s how I appreciate snow the best.

This week I interview a local expert to find out what you need to know about vacation planning for Lake Placid. Check out the interview above for more details about the area and its offerings. I added some visuals, courtesy of the Lake Placid Convention and Visitors Bureau.

The contest for the Lake Placid winter getaway is anew with a second prize. You can enter the giveaway directly for your chance at a trip for two and a stay at the Lake House, the newest lodging property in town.

If you won the winter getaway to Lake Placid, how would you play in the snow? Who would you take with you?

Now that that’s settled, enter the giveaway –> http://bit.ly/15Ik819

Disclosure: As a brand ambassador with Lake Placid, Adirondacks USA, this content was written in conjunction with the “Play in the Snow” winter vacation campaign. All opinions expressed are my own.

Jan 25 2015

Plan A Perfect Stay in The Snow: Win A Trip to Lake Placid #PerfectDayADK

Growing up in Brooklyn, I didn’t enjoy many nature-driven outings unless we took the occasional family trip to the park or a drive to Upstate New York. I’d heard about Lake Placid and the Adirondack Mountains but it was one of the many regions of New York that seemed so far away.

Lake Placid is in fact, 300 miles from Brooklyn, a cool five-hour drive. If you drive further East along the 95 corridor, you actually pass through four states before you are parallel to Lake Placid, Adirondacks.

No Outdoors in New York

My family wasn’t the outdoorsy type so my parents never did any vacation planning to wilderness-centric destinations. There was so much I didn’t know about New York.

It wasn’t until I went to boarding school in Connecticut that I was able to participate in outdoor activities which didn’t offer a hard greeting of concrete. Once I got to college in California, I had acquired an appreciation for the outdoors. Traveling to friends’ homes in Oregon and Washington for school vacations, I always thought we New Yorkers were missing so much.

Lake Placid, Adirondacks — Avalanche Pass – what a name!

I soon learned it wasn’t “New Yorkers” that were missing so much, just the small percentage of us that chose not to venture into the wide open area of our great state that offers more beauty than cold high rises and skyscrapers.

More Than The Olympics

An estimated 7-10 million visitors travel to the Adirondacks region annually.

The Adirondacks is a 6-million acre area rich with Olympic tradition. More significantly, and based on research from the region’s CVB, people visit the Adirondacks for its outdoor recreational opportunities. It’s the premier natural setting for hiking, boating, ice-skating, snow-shoeing, fishing, cycling, hunting, skiing, mountaineering enthusiasts on the East Coast.

Did you know that the Adirondack Park is larger than Yellowstone, Everglades, Glacier and Grand Canyon National Parks combined?

Remember what I said about thinking we New Yorkers were missing so much when I drove through Oregon and Washington? Talk about not appreciating what’s in your own backyard!

In that same vain, if you live on the East Coast and you want to plan a vacation for that perfect winter getaway, you don’t have to schlep all the way to Colorado, Utah, or Nevada. You can “Stay & Play in the Snow” in Lake Placid. The village as well as the rest of the Adirondacks offers a nice selection of winter travel opportunities.

Things To Do In Lake Placid, Adirondacks

So to help you in your winter vacation planning in Lake Placid, here are some activities to consider:

bobsledding
cross country skiing
telemark skiing
downhill skiing
snowboarding
ice climbing
ice skating
snowmobiling
hockey
sledding
tubing
tobogganing
skiing
snowshoeing
dogsledding

Snowboarding is my favorite winter activity but I also like iceskating, cross country skiing and dogsledding. I would love to try bobsledding as its not an activity that’s available in many places. There are only two tracks in the U.S. like the one in New York’s Adirondack Pack, and only four in North America.

True to a mountain village, Lake Placid offers several types of accommodations as well:

Bed & Breakfast
Cabins & Cottages
Hotels & Resorts
condos, town homes, rental homes
green lodging
hostels

With my recovering knee, I’d be participating in a little après ski. The best part of a “play in the snow” getaway (hurt or not) is either cozying up to a fireplace with a warm cup of hot cocoa or relaxing in the stillness of a spa. What’s your favorite winter activity on the list?

Enter to Win A Trip To Lake Placid

Are you ready to head to Lake Placid Adirondacks, USA? I know I am! Let me know if you need help planning your trip or enter for you chance to play in the snow in Lake Placid: http://bit.ly/15Ik819. It’s a wonderful winter getaway for two that I’m sure you’ll love. No purchase necessary (although I would love for you to send me pictures)!

Oct 18 2013

Things To Do In Niagara Falls NY: Best Water Attractions

Water, water, and more water. If you like water, then there are plenty of things to do in Niagara Falls NY to satiate that appetite. Best of all, you can experience the Falls in several ways: from a far, up close and personal, or right in the gorge.

Niagara Falls From “A Far”

On my second night in Niagara Falls for the TMS Family Travel Conference, I enjoyed appetizers and dining with other attendees at The Top of the Falls Restaurant on Goat Island in Niagara State Park. Both outdoor balconies at the restaurant overlook the park and provide picturesque views of the top of Bridal Veil Falls. Looking out at the Falls, across to the Canadian skyline, there’s a constant mist that floats upward, peaking a first-timer’s curiosity as to what lurks below. Observing the Falls from either the park or the restaurant is a nice way to appreciate the beauty of the area from a far.

The Falls Up Close And Personal

You have a couple of opportunities to feel the Falls up close and personal that don’t require you going over them in a barrel like 63-year-old teacher Annie Edson Taylor or daredevil Nik Wallenda. For something less extreme, Cave of the Winds and Maid of the Mist are perfect.

Things To Do Niagara Falls — Even in the darkness, you can find a rainbow at the Falls.

Cave of the Winds is not really a cave. Let’s just get that out of the way. It was closed down in the 1920s because of a rockslide. Getting to the attraction requires a 175 feet descent down an elevator shaft to a well-lit tunnel. We got all fashionista with a pair of lime green and blue orthopedic sandals that walked our feet through a maze of wooden steps and platforms which led us to the Bridal Veil Falls.

You can view the Falls from several areas, depending on how wet you like to get. If you’ve traveled all this way, you might as well head up to the Hurricane deck. You will see, hear, and feel the force of the water. It is intense but oddly euphoric. (Apparently, it’s believed that the mist from the Falls creates negative ions that increase serotonin levels which help to alleviate depression and stress and boost daytime energy.) In other words, you feel good.

Maid of the Mist is a boat attraction that transports eager visitors into the mist of Horseshoe Falls. Getting to Maid of the Mist was an adventure all in itself. You walk up a super crowded platform dense with bodies and cameras, enter an even more crowded building where you can find the gift shop and the restrooms (and probably some other stuff but there was so much going on, my brain was in overdrive and I had to block things out). Go to the bottom of the stairs to catch an elevator that you will pack with other visitors to get to a short path that will lead you to the platform where you will board the Maid of the Mist.

If you didn’t pick up my subtle hints, this attraction is packed! It’s extremely popular so be prepared if you have a thing about crowds. Once you’re on the boat, scurry your way to a spot along the boat’s railings if you really want to get wet and grab a great shot of the Falls.

Niagara Falls Cliffs — Ridges and cliffs surround you as you cruise on Maid of the Mist.

As the boat approaches the mist, you look around at the surrounding mountains realizing that you’re in a gorge and how insignificantly small you really are. I had a moment where I stood in awe of nature’s beauty before I felt the gentle prickling of the mist creeping up my hands and then my face. Before you know it, the weight of that mist gets more and more dense and suddenly it’s an onslaught of water. The squeals and screams of women, children, and men are soon drowned out by your own. Within a few minutes, as the Maid of the Mist makes her turnaround, the cool shower is over.

In the Gorge

Forget about a shower if you make your way to Whirlpool Jet Boat Tours , located in the historic village of Lewiston, NY. I think the term that the peeps over there use to describe the tour is “refreshing”. Um…it’s a straight up bathing! Here’s the video of our excursion to give you a clear idea of what I’m talking about:

Yes, that was me, front and center. I don’t know why I listen to the “crazy lady” voice that tells me to do certain things when I’m out exploring. All I kept saying throughout the ride, as water from the Class 5 rapids (that we were “playing in”) kept dousing our bodies, was, “ridiculous!” There. Was. So. Much. Water. Why did I think anything was going to stay dry?? I had the nerve to roll up my pants. I did manage to keep my hair dry but it took copious wrapping of three different materials to accomplish that feat. Not my best look.

Listen, when I tell you that you’re going to get wet, believe me. You WILL need a change of clothes. You will need a change of everything. Get my drift? I have no photos from this experience because I valued my camera and my cell phone.

This soft adventure tour is a fun fun ride on a high power speed boat that uses a triple turbo diesel water jet system for both propulsion and steering. It’s completely safe and exhilarating, and probably the closest I will ever get to white water rafting on the Niagara River gorge. We got close to some Class 6 rapids but didn’t dare go into that sink hole. The force and movement of the water in this particular area where we went creates a dangerous whirlpool that you wouldn’t want to get swept into.

All of these attractions were the wet side of fun things to do in Niagara Falls NY. Here are some ideas of other fun activities in the region. Have you been or do you know of some other fun wet things to do in Niagara Falls that I missed? Please share.

I was hosted by Travel Media Showcase and The Niagara Tourism and Convention Corporation for my trip to Niagara Falls NY, where my entrance to the aforementioned attractions was covered. If you couldn’t already tell, all opinions expressed here within are my own.

Oct 12 2013

A New Renaissance: The Changing Face of Niagara Falls NY

As a born and bred New Yorker, you’d think I would’ve been to Niagara Falls NY more than once in my life. Before my September trip, I’d only seen the Falls once before. But come to find out, my story is a common one. Lots of us city folk have only visited once.

My parents brought me here when I was a toddler, memories limited to a flat, faded polaroid housed in one of my mother’s old photo albums. I’ve seen that picture a hundred times: my little brown legs hanging over the stroller, propped next to my Afro-coifed parents, young and posing on a Niagara Falls State Park bench.

The scene three weeks ago in Buffalo airport’s baggage claim was a stark contrast to that yesteryear park.

Groups of Chinese tourists scamper looking for personal pieces of luggage. Curious faces, fast words, frantic bodies, all looking for the “go ahead” sign from their tour operator. These are some of the same faces that I’d later see at the Falls.

Niagara Falls Tourists — Visitors from all over the world flock to the Falls.

Millions of tourists from around the world flock to Niagara Falls each year. The Niagara Tourism and Convention Corporation estimates that the State Park sees 8 million visitors annually. In 2011, Travel & Leisure magazine ranked Niagara Falls as one of the World’s most Visited Tourist Attractions. It’s no wonder why – the area is not only a scenic destination and a world wonder, but it’s also an historic and educational one.

Like several American cities, Niagara Falls is undergoing a bit of a Renaissance. New restaurants have opened, a Culinary Institute has surfaced, and plans are in the works for new hotels. Andrew Cuomo, the New York State Governor, pledged the same morning we were visiting, plans for investment into Niagara Falls State Park and Western New York, to increase tourism and offer more to visitors. The mayor of Niagara Falls NY also pledged that the area would look very different in another five years.

Niagara Falls Aquarium — Plenty of fascinating underwater creatures at the Aquarium of Niagara

In the meantime, there’s still plenty of things for families to do in Niagara Falls today. Here’s a quick list:

Agriculture, Education and History –

Old Fort Niagara (oldest fortress on the Great Lakes, located on Lake Ontario)

Aquarium of Niagara

New York Power Authority Power Vista (learn how the power of Niagara Falls is harnessed and generates electricity)

Becker Farms (hay rides, petting zoo, apple picking)

Water Activities and Soft Adventure –

Cave of the Winds (at Niagara State Park, located at the bottom of the American and Bridal Falls)

Maid of the Mist

Whirlpool Jet Boat Tours

Nearby in old Lockport and the Erie Canal –

Niagara Falls - Lockport — Erie canal locks and Carrousels

The Kenan Center

Lockport Locks & Erie Canal Cruises

Lockport Cave & Underground Boat Ride

Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum

I was hosted by Travel Media Showcase and The Niagara Tourism and Convention Corporation for my trip to Niagara Falls NY. All opinions expressed here within are my own.