Weather was great in NYC (which is more than I can say about Spiderman)

As I learned a long time ago, it doesn't pay to worry about the weather forecast because it changes so quickly.  Instead of the 80% chance of rain predicted earlier in the week, we didn't see a single drop of rain until we returned to Pennsville last night.  In fact, the sun was probably out more than it was in while we were in NYC yesterday and lots of folks enjoyed strolling through Times Square.


We made great time getting to NYC so I was able to hit the Foxwoods Theatre on 42nd  about five minutes after the box office opened and I snagged a $39 Spiderman rush ticket.  Rush tickets are offered by some Broadway shows to make tickets more affordable to students and those of us on a budget.  You have to hit the box office right when it opens though because there are a limited number of these discounted tickets available (the number varies from show to show).  I always check out Playbill.com for the most current info on rush tickets. 


After scoring my cheapie show ticket, I went across the street to the largest metropolitan McDonald's (at Broadway and 42nd Street) and used a "Buy One, Get One Free" breakfast sandwich coupon (from the free pocket guidebook that I give each of my customers).  For the bargain price of $3.80, I had more than enough food to fill me up until dinnertime.   This particular McDonald's also has large, clean restrooms which is another plus.

On our way into the city, I noticed a new place on the corner of West 40th and 8th Avenue called Beer Authority.  The name alone was enough to convince me I had to  check it out and since I had time to kill before the show, off I went.  What a fabulous new place!  They opened less than three weeks ago and all of the staff are full of enthusiasm and so gracious to all of the customers.  They will be opening a rooftop seating area soon which I plan to check out on our June 2 trip.  I predict great success for this place!


As happy as I was to see the Beer Authority open up, I was disappointed to discover that my go-to place for cheesecake, Maxie's in Times Square on 7th Avenue is now a restaurant called TSQ.  Their website is not up and running yet, so I don't have any info with regard to menu or pricing.  May have to check this out on the June 2 trip as well.  

Now, on to the "down" side to the day:  The much-hyped Spiderman was, in my opinion, pretty much a dud.  Sooooo glad that I only paid $39 for my ticket.  I stayed until a bit after the intermission, but kept thinking about the nice weather outside and I made a quiet Spidey-like escape out of the theatre.


Speaking of Broadway shows, we recently added Annie to our trip schedule (Saturday, November 3).  I heard yesterday--from a very reliable source--that Kathie Lee Gifford may be returning in the role of Miss Hannigan.  Hope it's true, but even if it's not, I'm sure the revival is going to be wonderful.  Our price for the trip reflects a $40 savings off the regular ticket price, so you'll want to get your reservation in early before we sell out!

As I usually do, I ended the day at Frankie & Johnnie's on West 45th Street.  I was long overdue for a visit and enjoyed seeing everyone again.  Mario still looks exactly the same as he did when I first met him about 15 years ago and I just can't figure that out.  Will be stopping back in June for dinner--they have THE BEST salmon in all of NYC and,of course, they are famous for their amazing steaks.


Hope you'll be able to join us on one of our future NYC trips so that you discover for yourself why I love this place so much!






  

No big winners, but still a fun day at Resorts Casino!

This was my first visit to Resorts Casino and I wasn't sure what to expect. On the plus side, they offered a pretty generous comp: $25 slot voucher and $10 food comp. Casinos started getting stingy with comps a couple of years ago, which is one reason that I stopped running trips to AC. With all of the competition from the new casinos in Pennsylvania, you'd think that the AC casinos would be offering MORE incentives to keep customers, not less. But that's my opinion...

I was disappointed with the overall look and feel of the place. I felt it was a bit on the dreary side and in need of some updating. They could also swap out a lot of the quarter machines for more of the popular penny and nickle machines. It seemed like there were an awful lot of the older single-line quarter machines available, while it was hard to find an open seat at the newer penny and nickel slots.

Resorts could do a much better job of getting folks through the lines at the restaurants, especially the buffet. It shouldn't be a surprise that people start to line up at lunchtime, so increasing the number of check-in clerks seems like a smart idea.

The buffet was on the small side and seemed geared more toward seafood lovers. I will say though that the max & cheese was absolutely awesome--right up there with some of the best I've ever had!

I had a most unpleasant experience in one of the restrooms--I won't go into the details, but it truly looked like animals had been using the facilities rather than human beings. Happily, the next restroom that I visited was the polar opposite.

Regardless of where I was, the staff members that I encountered were courteous and efficient and seemed genuinely interested in serving the customers. Big plus for the casino in that regard.

I was left with mixed feelings about Resorts. I don't think I'll schedule any additional trips there unless they offer something really outstanding for my customers or they do some updating of the casino.

It was too cold to walk out on the boardwalk, so I didn't take any photos myself on this trip. That's one thing that the Pennsylvania casinos will never be able to match--the experience of walking the boards and enjoying the ocean view.

Bottom line is that everyone seemed to have a good time and, of course, that's what it's all about. My goal is to make sure that keeps happening, so I'll continue searching for the best deals and hopefully on our next casino trip, somebody will come back on the bus a big winner!

Got some new trip ideas at the Philadelphia Inquirer Travel Show!

Spent several fun hours at the Philly Travel Show in the Convention Center yesterday and came home with a bag full of travel brochures and a few new trip ideas to research.

In addition to dozens of exhibits, special presentations were held throughout the day. Two very enthusiastic members of the Philadelphia Zoo gave a short, but interesting program about mammals and birds which reminded me that I hadn't been to the zoo in a long time, so I'm overdue for a visit. Did you know the Philly Zoo was the first zoo in America? And did you know that birds poo an average of 60 times day?? The things you can learn at a travel show...

Andrew McCarthy, best known as an actor--particularly as a member of the Brat Pack in the 1980s--is now an award-winning travel writer. He gave an entertaining interview that included his transition into travel writing. Here's a clip from the interview where he talks about the early days of his acting career.

After listening to his interview, I'm really looking forward to the release of his travel memoir this fall.

I was happy to see that the Cabot Cheese folks had a booth--nestled perfectly between two wine tasting exhibits. Cabot pepper jack cheese is the best!

I didn't get to see Chef Joseph Poon's demo in the afternoon, but his staff was making some awesome fruit and vegetable sculptures at his booth during the day. In 2006, Davis Day Trips did Chef Poon's Walk 'N Wok tour, which was wonderful, and we'd love to do it again if we get enough interest. Check it out and let us know!
Came home with a DVD from Grannies on Safari and after watching it, I've got the Tivo set to catch all of the upcoming episodes of their show on PBS. Watching the Grannies' DVD fueled my desire to go on an African safari some day. Anybody want to join me?

Going to go do some more research now. Keep checking the website for new trips!

Another Successful Fundraising Trip for Pennsville Public Library!

After we closed Davis Day Trips at the end of 2010, we had quite a bit of time on our hands.  To be honest, we were getting a little bored.  So we offered to coordinate four fundraising trips for the Pennsville Public Library during 2011.  Happily, these trips raised over $6,000 toward the library's annual operating expenses!  And on another happy note, the positive feedback that we received from these trips encouraged us to reopen Davis Day Trips in 2012.  We're coming back on a smaller scale, offering a limited number of affordable day trips geared toward active, independent travelers.  As in the past, our trips are designed for those who enjoy stress-free travel with the cost-saving benefit of group travel.  Hopefully, as the economy improves, we can increase our event offerings and add in some overnight trips.  Fingers crossed...

Yesterday was our fundraising trip to New York City for the Radio City Christmas Spectacular.  The weather was on the chilly side, but not too cold to keep from enjoying the holiday sights and since we were there on a Monday, the crowds weren't bad at all.  The show was, of course, SPECTACULAR, including my favorite act--the toy solidiers.  I'm not one who needs to see the show every year--I find that I enjoy it much more when I skip a couple of years in between, but there are those who enjoy it so much that they make it an annual tradition with friends and family.  For that reason, Davis Day Trips will be doing a trip to the show in December 2012.  Believe it or not, group tickets will be going on sale in April, so stay tuned for details!

The first stop that I made in NYC was to the New York Public Library branch on 42nd Street to get a library card.  I can now borrow books from their library downloaded onto my Kindle!  It was a quick and easy process.  I had applied online in advance, so I had my registration info with me; however, they have several computers available so you can also apply online right there.  The whole process takes about five minutes.  I have so many books on my Kindle right now, it will probably be a while before I actually go to their website to borrow a book, but the nice girl who processed my application forewarned me that there is usually a waiting time for their books. 

The library was decorated for the holidays, so it was extra beautiful.  If you haven't had the opportunity to explore the building, you should definitely take advantage of one of their free tours. 

After the library, I walked around the corner to Bryant Park and enjoyed a cup of hot chocolate while I strolled through the holiday shops.  Lots of unique and interesting items for sale, but I do think the prices are on the high side.  The ice skating rink is the bargain there--no fee for admission like at Rockefeller Center, but there is a fee to rent skates if you don't bring your own. 

Had a bargain lunch at Bravo Pizza on East 42nd Street--two plain slices and a soda for $5.50 ($6 with tax).  It's tiny, tiny inside, so it's not a place to go for a leisurely lunch, but you can't beat the price, the staff is very prompt and courteous, and the slices are generous.

Stopped by St. Patrick's Cathedral and sat in on part of the noon Mass.  I'm not Catholic, but I needed to sit for a while and the cathedral is so incredibly gorgeous that I wanted to take time to actually appreciate it.  I didn't get to do much sitting between all the standing and kneeling, but I did enjoy listening to the priest and I always feel a sense of peace after visiting there.

On my way toward Radio City for the show, I stopped by a street vendor to buy a knock-off Burberry scarf.  The "100% cashmere" scarf that I wanted was $10 which was a great deal compared to Nordstrom's $375 price for the real thing.  But I live by the motto that you never, never pay a street vendor full price.  Unfortunately, this vendor had a prime corner location in a high tourist area and he wasn't budging on the price.  So I walked two blocks to the next vendor who was willing to negotiate down to $8--a savings of $367 off the Nordstrom's price and, minus the Burberry label, I defy you to tell the difference!

Was supposed to be the dinner guest of the Group Sales Director at Planet Hollywood, but they were closed for a private event.  After accepting her profuse apologies, I walked down to Cranberry Cafe & Deli.  I've never had a bad experience there until yesterday.  Every item that I selected from the hot buffet was cold and not very tasty.  I'm hoping this was a one-time thing and they were just having an off night. 

Spent quite a bit of time in Times Square people watching and taking photos before heading back to the bus pickup location.  One of the best things NYC ever did was to install the step platform and the bistro tables and chairs at Duffy Square.

Happy and Healthy Holidays to all and hopefully you'll be able to join Davis Day Trips on a  trip in 2012.  I'll end this post with what I consider to be three very important words for the coming year:  EAT MORE CHOCOLATE.