Princeton, NJ

We were planning this trip for a while, and finally went there last Sunday. It was a beautiful day and it took us about one and a half hours to get there from Queens.

On weekends, you can park your car at any restricted parking around the University. We parked on Ivy Street (turn left from Washington Street and the parking is on the left hand side, across from the Library.

Princeton University boasts a bevy of charming architecture styles and a great deal of pleasure can be taken in simply strolling the grounds (the map could be printed out from http://www.princeton.edu/main/visiting/ or obtained at the Welcome Desk in Frist Campus Center). By the way, if you want to join the free tour around the campus with one of the student-volunteers, this is the place the tour starts on weekends.

The oldest building on campus is Nassau Hall. Construction began in 1754 and completed in 1756; this was the seat of the Congress of the Confederation (and thus capitol of the United States) from 30 June 1783 to 4 November 1783.

A notable stop on campus is the Princeton University Art Museum. Its permanent collection (68,000 works exhibited on a rotating basis) includes ancient antiquities, and Renaissance, Impressionist, and modern works by the likes of Warhol, Picasso, Monet and Toulouse-Lautrec. The Museum is open until 5 pm and admission is free.

Another stop not to be missed is The University Chapel, which has stained-glass windows showing scenes from works by Dante, Shakespeare, and Milton, as well as the Bible.

After wondering around the campus we decided to see Princeton downtown.

Downtown Princeton is easy to explore on foot. Walking North out of campus, you will hit Nassau Street—Princeton’s main drag. You can find the free map of Princeton in many places on Nassau Street; we picked one up in the Panera bread, where we had lunch.

Walking down Nassau Street, do not miss one of eight editions of the ‘Out to Lunch’ bronze sculptures across the country. Going towards Borough Hall, you will come to the site of several sculptures including EMC, a square (herein lies the joke) of granite featuring a bust of Princeton’s favorite adopted son, Albert Einstein and a little further - “Newspaper Reader”.

If you’re in the mood for a detour, find Mercer Street on a map and look for address 112. The home is a private residence and is not open to the public (as Einstein requested in his will), but in locating it, you can say you’ve seen where Albert Einstein lived. In the event all this searching for Einstein has left you wishing for a museum dedicated to the man and his work, you’ll find one in a family owned shop at 102 Nassau Street www.landauprinceton.com/einstein-museum. It's the only Einstein museum in North America and is FREE! Landau shop has been open for business for 53 years and is run by three generations of folks who know their wool. We did not have time to walk in the heart of the town - Palmer Square, located across from Princeton University. We'll do it next time, when we come to Princeton - this place is worth to visit more than once.

Before planning your trip to Princeton, do not forget to check McCarter Art Center website http://www.mccarter.org/home.aspx?page_id=1 for upcoming performances.

And last, but not least: Princeton is only 20 minutes away by car from Grounds for sculpture (see my article posted earlier) and 35 from a very cozy small town - New Hope, PA with many galleries, antique stores and little cafes. So, if you would like to stay overnight in one of numerous hotels in Princeton, you can see all places at once.

CENTRAL PARK NY

This is the second review, as promised, from my older daughter. Enjoy!

Our other most recent excursion is none other than the good old Central Park. 
Amazing how things sitting right under our noses hold all the excitement we need! I think one of the best things about Central Park is that no matter how many times you go there, there is always something new to discover!
We usually start at the South Eastern corner of the park where we get off the R train that takes us there from Forest Hills in under 30 minutes. We walk in and start heading north checking out various birds who inhabit the little water reservoir on our left. Speaking of birds, the last time we went there we ran into none other than Big Bird himself. Made my daughter very excited! Of course, my oldest immediately informed her that it was none other than a person in a Big Bird costume and proceeded to point to the barely visible seam separating the head of the costume from the body. However, Lucy chose not to be disillusioned and went on to pose for many pictures with her oversized feathered friend. Point of the story: you never know what and who you are going to meet in Central Park so keep your camera ready. 
Other exciting things encountered on the top of the northern trail are the Wollman skating ring and a few smallish, but exciting, climbing mountains suitable for kids of all ages. Continuing north, we find ourselves in the CP's Zoo. We have never been inside (not a big fan of zoos in general) but I do hear it is rather exciting! On the way out of the zoo grounds is the famous Delacorte clock that chimes every half hour with seasonal music and various bronze animals twirling around the clock to the delight of the children and gawking out-of-towners.
A little bit to your left, directly in front of the Wollman's Rink there is the Checkers and Chess House/Visitors center: a lovely little gazebo with stone chess tables that can be used for their intent purposes (chess or checker sets available in the information center for $2) or to serve as picnic tables for small groups of Eastern European devotees of al fresco dining.
From there, we usually proceed to The Mall and Literary walk, with sculptures of all kinds of famous folks, from Christopher Columbus to Robert Burns. Further north - one of my most cherished places in CP: Conservatory Waters. Here, you can watch the ducks and all the Captain Grants wannabes who speed their rented mini-boats all over the little water reservoir! Although I am pretty sure this only happens in the warmer months of the year!
We usually end our trip around the Bethesda Fountain - a very peaceful spot surrounded by waters, Terrace Arcade with beautiful tile directly behind the fountain, and large, pretty clean bathroom further up the staircase. 

Here is my favorite map of Central Park!

Happy trails and remember The Park is worth a visit at any season!

Anya

PORT JEFFERSON

Today I received two trip reviews from my older daughter.  I 'm posting one of them this week and saving the other one for the next.

Having been raised by the worldly and restless hostess of this blog, I am always trying to give my children as rich of experiences growing up as I had myself. These last two trips have been prompted by exactly that.

Port Jefferson:

This trip have actually been suggested by none other than "the lazy bum" himself, aka my husband. Not that he is not a wonderful father, husband and provider, but let's face it, the man could spend all of his free time on the couch Al Bundy style. However, having finally realized that the kids get even more crazy if not properly entertained on weekends, he suggested we go check out port Jefferson, a place dear to his heart of a former Stony Brook Alumnus. And off we went. 

Port Jefferson, or as locals lovingly refer to it Port Jeff, is about an hour and 15 minute drive from Forest Hills. If you have ever been to Mystic, CT, just imagine that, only smaller and you get the picture. If you have never visited Mystic, allow me to elaborate. Port Jefferson village, which is where you want to end up, is a lovely coastal village consisting of many restaurants, gift shops and dessert parlours. It has a children's museum, two nautically themed children's playground, and an abundance of lovely views of the ships, big and small. The main attraction for us, however - and those lucky enough to be parents or grandparents of little boys will appreciate this tip especially - was the ferry coming to and from Connecticut carrying not only passengers but cars that load and unload off the ferry right in front of your eyes. Imagine the excitement of the children - and I will be honest here, the parents as well - upon seeing a huge ferry docking, lowering an enormous metal bridge, aligning it perfectly with whatever it is that they need to align it with, and then watching 30 to 40 cars driving off the vessel onto land. Now, imagine all of it repeating again in reverse order! You got yourself two very satisfied little spectators.

Of course, being directly on the water, Port Jeff is full of wonderful seafood eateries. We went to a place called "Steamroom" (http://www.steamroomportjefferson.com/) which is a lovely but casual self service eatery overlooking the ferry dock. On their menu-- any seafood imaginable, from lobster rolls to broiled scallops. Most of it is great, although the lobster roll left much to be desired, according to my husband. For our vegetarian friends, if there are any, a place called "Tiger Lily" serving Mediterranean food was highly recommend to me as well.

Directly to the left of the ferry is the Danfords hotel that, despite only being in operation for a little over 30 years, looks just like it came off the pages of The Great Gatsby. We went inside to check it out and its interior is indeed as lovely as the exterior.

Port Jefferson Village website http://www.portjeff.com offers a lot if helpful info to plan your trip. We are hoping to go back there in December for the Charles Dickens Festival.

Anya

TRAVEL WEBSITES

November is here and it is getting cold. Some of us have already made reservations for a week or so to spend in the Caribbean or other warm places during the winter.
Many people use their travel agents, others - favorite Internet sites like www.orbitz.com, www.travelocity.com, etc. I 'd like to tell you about www.vacationtogo.com.
This site has a lot of special deals for NYC residents and for people over 55, including cruises to destinations all over the world. See, every age has its perks. 
Some go to the same resort every year, some check out a new resort every time.
Please, share your opinion about various resorts with others. 
Another thing to consider  now is how to spend 4 days many of us have for Thanksgiving weekend. I received the following from www.travelzoo.com today:

NATIONWIDE--NOVEMBER 04, 2011-- It's not too late to find
great deals over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Travel
and entertainment companies have cut prices by as much as
65% to spur last-minute bookings.
Highlights include:
- NATIONWIDE: Fares over Thanksgiving weekend ... $39 & up
- CARIBBEAN: Royal Caribbean 5-night cruise ... $329
- FLORIDA: Delray Beach luxe B&B escape, $150 off ... $139
- BOSTON: Marriott hotels at up to 40% off ... $129 & up
- NYC: Broadway shows at up to 50% off ... $26.50 & up
- FLORIDA KEYS: Scuba trip w/reef dives, $126 off ... $99
For a full list of deals and more information, click below:
http://www.travelzoo.com/newsflash/68005217-1131632/
Travelzoo Tip: Maximize airfare sales by flying Nov. 21, 24,
26 or 29. Our research shows these are the least expensive
days to fly around Thanksgiving.

Please remember, if you decide to buy the insurance for your trip (I always do), go to www.insuremytrip.com. This website allows you to compare different insurance plans and pick the one most suited for your particular trip. You can also calculate the price of the insurance depending on the cost of the trip you want to insure.