New York is One in a Million

Hello, it’s the Funny One here. Today it’s the last state, New York. I have no idea what I’ll do now. The picture is of me dressed like the Statue of Liberty. Me and my sister went there last year. I got vertigo while climbing up it. You can buy tickets in advance on their website or in person at the box office near the ferry departure points. Here’s the website: http://www.statueoflibertytickets.com/ There are also Liberty Helicopters Sightseeing Tours. The Big Apple tour is 15 minutes or you can go on the NY tour which is 20 minutes. It costs $30.00 per person.

We saw the Empire State Building, We didn’t actually go in but we did walk past it and got some photos taken of it. It has two observatories, and an open air terrace on the 86th floor that contains an indoor viewing gallery for chillier days. Outside, they have high-powered binoculars so you’ll get a great view of the city. The other Observatory is on the 102nd floor. It’s the highest public point in New York City. Maybe one day I’ll get over my vertigo and go.

Like I said in my first blog, me and my sister went on the tour of the NBC building. It was amazing. The staff there were making jokes. It must be really fun to work there. I hope that one day I’m lucky enough to be on Saturday Night Live. I love it! We also saw the Radio City Music Hall. We didn’t go in but we went to a shop that’s opposite it (and, yes, we got photos!)They do have a tour of the building where you can see the theater, lounges and corridors of the most iconic theater in New York!; The Rockefeller Center, with soaring views of Top of the Rock to a backstage pass at NBC Studios, every tour at Rockefeller Center will bring you inside and behind-the-scenes of to some of the city’s most beloved treasures. Rock n Roll baby!

On our trip, we managed to visit the FDNY Fire Zone and saw some of the tools and equipment they use. They’re so big and heavy-looking! We also tried on some firefighter jackets, too. They also have a model fire truck there and we took pictures of us in it. Now, for all you souvenir-savvy travellers, they have a gift shop (check out the HOT calendars!!!!). I couldn’t go there without getting a souvenir (a notebook and pen, for writing down all my crazy ideas!)

We also saw Times Square. It really is amazing. There was also a huge ads for The Lonely Island album Turtleneck And Chain, when we went, which was very distracting. I kept seeing that picture almost everywhere on the top of the cabs. That album was released on the last day we were there so I was lucky enough to buy it before going to the airport. Unfortunately when I returned to Scotland there was a crack on the cover. Shit! I guess that’s what you call a cracking album!!!

There’s the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art. Every genre of the is represented: comic strips, animation, caricature, graphic novels, humorous illustration, anime, illustration, comic books, cartoons, political illustration, sports cartoons, computer-generated art, editorial cartoons and gag cartoons. Cool! That would be interesting to visit.

The Guggenheim Museum, from October 5th to January 23rd there will be an exhibition which focuses in-depth on Pablo Picasso’s exploration of a black-and-white palette. There are 110 works, including paintings as well as some sculptures and several works on paper. And, yes, there’s a gift shop, too! They sell cool bright Urbanears Headphones. There is also the Wright restaurant where you can have Organic Scottish Salmon Tartare Avacado and Cucumbers, Salmon Caviar and a wine. Or there is Cafe 3 where you can get a beer and a sandwich. Both sound good to me.

Staying with food there’s the Slice of Brooklyn Bus Tours. The tour is 4 1/2 hours which covers pizza and Brooklyn. You’ll get award-winning Neapolitan-style pizza at Grimaldi’s under the Brooklyn Bridge, the legendary Sicilian-style pizza at L&B Spumoni Gardens in Bensonhurst. The tour includes seeing the locations from movies that were filmed in Brooklyn such as Scent of a Woman, Annie Hall and Goodfellas and many more movies.

The New York City Police Museum has a permanent multi-media exhibit that “keeps track of the extraordinary role that the NYPD played in response to September 11, 2001. There are on-camera interviews, striking photographs, and numerous Ground Zero artifacts.” The exhibit tells of the dramatic and remarkable story of New York’s Finest, through their own words from their experiences. There’s also the Hall of Heroes that honors the brave men and women who have served nobly,  placing their responsibility to the City before all other matters. Gift shop, too!

There’s the United Nations Headquarters, We didn’t go in but we did get some photos of it. There are FREE exhibits at the Visitors Lobby which feature photographic, art, and multimedia presentations by world-renowned photographers, artists and global institutions on varied topics such as climate change, human rights, malaria, children in armed conflict, plus lots more. It’s free to see these exhibits and the galleries can be viewed daily from 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. You can also get a guided tour of the building (remember, the visitors’ entrance closes at 4:45 p.m.) They’ve also got a Coffee Shop, UN Bookshop, UN Gift Shop and other shops. UN-believeable!

Who wants to know where some movie locations are? I do! Did you know that some of the movie Godfather was filmed in New York? Michael Corleone and his fiancée, Kay stayed at the St. Regis Hotel. http://exclusives.stregis.com/St-Regis-New-York-Hotel-81/so.htm?PS=PS_aa_NorthNY_NorthNY_-_Google_-_BD_new_york_st_regis_Exact_110810_NAD_FM The baptism scene in the Godfather was filmed in the Old Cathedral, also was the scene in Godfather Part 3 where Michael Corleone receives an honor from the church. It was also used in a scene from Martin Scorsese’s movie Mean Streets. It was the set in the cathedral’s walled graveyard. 128 Mott Street,  New York is where Vito Corleone’s attempted assassination took place. The hotel from the movie Home Alone 2 – Lost in New York is the Plaza hotel where I’ve always wanted to stay in there ever since I first saw the movie. One day I will. http://www.theplaza.com/

Eagle Eye

Hello, I’m back, yet again. Today’s state is Nevada.  I drew the picture on a new red table and I got crayon all over it. Mom was annoyed with me. But it has been cleaned now.

The picture is of me in the movie “Viva Las Vegas.” What is there to do in Nevada apart from gambling and losing all your money? There’s the Bonnie Springs Ranch, It’s the home of Old Nevada Western Town and the Red Rock Riding Stables. It’s the best in Wild West food, fun and entertainment. You could go on the Cowboy Trail Rides. There are miles of riding trails in a magnificent desert setting, a herd of well-trained horses, and a staff of professional wrangler-guides. The Red Rock Ranch welcomes guests who want to leave the city and the 21st Century behind.

The Ward Charcoal Ovens State Historic Park is also worth a look. The Charcoal Ovens are associated with the silver mining ghost town of Ward in Nevada. The charcoal ovens are two miles south of the townsite. The ovens were built in 1876 by itinerant Italian masons who specialized in the ovens. They were known as Carbonari. The charcoal ovens prepared charcoal from locally harvested timber for use in the smelters at Ward, using a lot of bushels of charcoal a day.

The Valley of Fire state park is a fun site to visit. You can take part in popular activities including camping, hiking, picnicking and photography and it is open all year! Sweet!

Why not visit the Grand Canyon? Go on the Grand Canyon Skywalk. It’s a glass bridge that is  suspended 4,000 feet over the Grand Canyon. To the left of it is the Colorado River and to the right is the silhouette of an eagle carved out in Grand Canyon wall. Take the walk and feel like an eagle as it flies through the canyon.  Take the walk on the Grand Canyon Skywalk if you’re brave enough!  If that’s too scary, you could just get a helicopter flight over it.

There are a few museums to visit, including The Nevada State Railroad Museum that preserves the railroad heritage of Nevada, including locomotives and cars of the famous Virginia & Truckee Railroad and other railroads of the Silver State. Many of them were bought from Hollywood studios where they were made famous in movies and television shows. Among 65 locomotives and cars in the collection, 40 of them were built before 1900, and 31 pieces that operated on the V & T Railroad. The Atomic Testing Museum is another intriguing place. There is an exhibit about Area 51. Area 51: Myth or Reality. Learn about the most secret place in all America. The first ever exhibit on Area 51 is being developed with the help of the very people who actually worked there. The exhibit will explore the real truth, the real programs and address the secrecy that surrounds the base at Groom Lake.  Ok, I’ll leave it there for now.