The last time I had been a tourist in NYC was a few months before September 11, 2001. Although the next trip was two years after that tragic day; we were in the city for a family wedding, not for sightseeing. I got off easy that trip, but knew the next trip would include a trip to Ground Zero.
There are two parts: the memorial, which is outdoors and free to the public and the museum, which lies between site of the original twin towers and charges admission. (more…)
I took my daughter to the Tenement Museum on our last visit to NYC. Why? Because it was in all the guide books and because it was one of the few things I’d never done before.
It was so worth it. Our guide Fielding Kong was excellent. We learned about the building was built around 1863. Five floors, no elevator and no hallway lighting. No bathrooms, no sinks. You had to use one of 4 privies in the back – and these were shared by visitors to the saloon as well. (more…)
Our girls have wanted to see the Big Apple for a long time. Although they’d been for a family wedding as toddlers, they obviously had no recollection of it. Both my husband and I have done numerous trips to the city so it wasn’t on our radar for a “see something different” vacation. Schedules opened up and I could take one daughter on a mother-daughter trip to New York for three nights. We hit the ground running and didn’t stop until we got on the return plane home.
Per my daughter’s requirements, she didn’t just want to do a bunch of museums. I had to create an itinerary to give her a good overview of Manhattan with a blend of tourist sites, walking around, shopping and dining.
The best way to see the city is to walk. And walk we did. Another great way to see it is by taking the subway. With a refillable Metro card, we got around everywhere by subway or bus. I’m proud to say we only took one cab ride during the entire trip. (more…)
The sunshine was out – the first time in over a week. We had to get outside and do something. We headed down I-75 just about an hour south of Atlanta and did three distinctly different activities.
Jarrell Plantation:
Built in 1847, by John Fitz Jarrell, this plantation survived Sherman’s March to the Sea. As time went on and the family grew, more buildings were added, such as the 1895 House for son, Dick Jarrell and the sawmill in the early 1900’s.
At the visitor center, a 15-minute film describes the history of the plantation. Interestingly enough, one of the descendants continued farming on the land until the 1960’s. Fortunately, the family donated most of the buildings in 1974 to the state of Georgia to show others what plantation life was like.
Surprisingly, it wasn’t the Tara or Seven Oaks type of house. Rather, the original 1847 House was just a one story house for the Jarrell’s and their seven children. The boys slept in the loft upstairs, while the girls had a room and the parents had a room. Later, the porch on the back of the house was enclosed making two rooms and a “honeymoon room” a room for travelers was added by enclosing part of the front porch.
My husband enjoyed that everything, especially the location of each of the buildings, was original. This was unlike Oconaluftee Mountain Farm Museum at the Cherokee, NC entrance of the Smokey Mountain National Park, where the buildings had been moved their from elsewhere in the area. Here, we could see how the house was built on the highest part of the property in order to get the best breeze.
