Tuesday, August 15, 2017

Lake George - a local trip for those that love the outdoors

For Jason & my 2nd wedding anniversary, we decided to do a fun & local trip to Lake George, New York. Lake George is a beautiful & cute town, but its prime season is the summer; there isn't much else to do for the rest of the year.

Jason & I drove up from Queens, NY, which took about 3 1/2 hours. On the way up, we stopped at the Taste New York rest stops, which are AWESOME! Taste New York is fairly new. It's a small store chock full of locally made food! We got these amazing cheese crackers from Saratoga & fresh ginger ale from Brooklyn.

When we arrived at our hotel in Lake George, we dropped our bags & went out on the town.

Before you go to Lake George, it's good to know in advance that it is not a fancy town with the best food or hotels. You go there for the scenery, wineries & breweries, & outdoor activities.

Jason & I went to Lake George Distilling Company. We were able to taste 3 whiskeys each for $5 & we got a free shot glass with the tasting! Although I'm not a huge whiskey fan, it was a great experience.

We also went to Adirondack Winery. We purchased the 2-person tasting, which was well worth it. We got to taste 9 delicious wines with incredible homemade apple cider cheese. We ended up buying a case of wine & 2 small containers of cheese.

Our last adult beverage experience was at the Adirondack Brewery where we bought a case of cider after sampling different beers & ciders. For a very affordable price, you can get a flight of beer, which contains 5 beers to sample.

After our delicious adult beverage adventures, we went parasailing. I have been parasailing twice in my life, but it was Jason's first time. We got our life vests & harnesses put on & went out on the lake with another couple & 2 of the parasailing crew. Jason & I went first & the crew was nice enough to take photos & videos of our whole experience. It was just as amazing as I remember. While we were in the boat for parasailing after our turn, one of the staff members recommended that we go zip-lining. So immediately after parasailing, Jason & I jumped in the car to Adirondack Eagle Flyer.

When we got to Eagle Flyer, we had to sign waivers, get weighed, & get our gear on. Then we took a 10 minute bumpy & dusty drive up the mountain to the 2nd biggest zip-line in America. I was ready to have an amazing adventure until I got into the truck. I saw how high it was & how there was a bit of a drop in the wire. I panicked all the way up the mountain & as I sat hooked up to the line watching the guy's finger on the button to open the gate. As I was saying, "I DON'T WANT TO DO THIS," he pushed the button. Jason & I went shooting out the gate at 50 MPH. It was amazing & there was no drop! Thank God. I enjoyed it so much that we did it immediately after for 1/2 price. It was one of the coolest experiences & I'm glad I didn't chicken out.

After zip-lining twice, we went to the saloon next to the zip-line. The drinks were great & the decor of the saloon is amazing. FYI if you're into horseback riding & target shooting, they also do it at Eagle Flyer. You can certainly spend your whole day at Eagle Flyer doing fun outdoor activities. 

Jason & I weren't thrilled with most of the food in Lake George except for S.J. Garcia's. I don't know why the ratings are so low on Yelp for this place because it was Jason & my favorite place in town other than Caffe Vero. The food was great along with the service, but the drinks were so-so. Caffe Vero, on the other &, was the greatest in every way. The pastries were so fresh including the bagels & they had an awesome selection of cream cheese. This family-friendly establishment is a must-go-to in Lake George.

Until next time 💗

Follow me on Instagram: @arielview13

Friday, August 11, 2017

A Newbie's Guide to New York City

Before my husband, Jason & I knew each other, he ventured out to New York on a J1 summer visa (& later received the J1 year-long visa). Through his experiences, now knowing a lot of Irish people on visas, & being a native New Yorker, I've compiled a list of critical things you need to know before you depart on your New York J1 Journey:

1. Don’t call New York City “The Big Apple.” You’ll be spotted as a tourist in seconds.

2. When you land at JFK, Newark, or La Guardia Airport, taxi drivers will come up to you asking if you need a ride. Don’t take these cabs! They’ll charge you an excessive amount as soon as they sense any sort of accent or unfamiliarity to the city. Either download Uber or Lyft & request a ride or stand in line & take a yellow cab. It’s handy to know where you’re going before you get in the cab & approximately how long it will take so they don’t lead you out of the way & charge you more money.

3. NEVER buy a full-priced Broadway show ticket. You can either stand in line at Times Square or South Street Seaport at TKTS or the better option is to download the TodayTix app & get even lower prices right from your phone (use promo code DOMAU to get discount tickets on TodayTix!) 

4. Don’t eat in Times Square chain restaurants unless you want to get ripped off. Yelp is always helpful when looking for delicious, but inexpensive food.

5. Most New York neighborhoods have Facebook pages. There’s even a page specifically for J1’ers. Network through as many pages as you can before coming to New York & it’ll be a lot easier to find a job when you step foot in the US.

6. Make a copy of all of your important documents (license, passport) & send a copy to close family members & friends in case of an emergency.

7. Know where your local immigration center & consulate are. Immigration centers can also help you find employment.

8. If you already have a smartphone, make sure it is unlocked prior to coming to the US. Buy an American SIM card, & you’re ready to go. If you plan on staying for a couple of months or longer, Walmart has great ‘no contract’ plans for a low cost.

9. After you get your phone & you have oodles of data, you can download the app, Moovit. Moovit lets you know what buses & trains are near you & the times they are coming. It uses GPS to track where you are in relation to any type of transportation in NYC. It's super handy (especially for directionally challenged people like me).

10. Everyone has to eat, but not everyone has the money for luxurious meals on a budget. Don’t fret, my pet! Dollar Slice to the rescue. That’s right. 1 slice of pizza costs $1. You just have to know where to look (or know how to Google). FYI Dollar Slice pizza places are mostly in Manhattan.

11. Many people think they’re going to go on a shopping spree when they get to New York not taking into consideration the astronomical prices. If you want to get American brand-name clothes, check out the Jersey Gardens Mall. Take a bus from Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan. Don’t forget to bring your passport! Your passport is the key to getting a huge book of coupons so you can shop 'til you drop & it’s all tax-free.

12. There are so many free/cheap things to do in the city; you just have to know where to look. Check out www.timeout.com/newyork to see what’s happening near you. Museums, botanical gardens, zoos, etc. have specific days that have discounted or even free admission. Another handy site for the whole state of New York, not just NYC, is www.iloveny.com. Know before you go!

13. If you plan to stay in New York on an extended visa or even for the summer & don't plan on getting your driver's license, get a New York City ID. Click HERE for the application. The NYC ID will also get you discounts into museums, zoos, etc. Some bars & clubs take this ID. FYI Age cards are not an acceptable form of ID when trying to enter a bar. I know, it states your age, but NY & most states want a state ID or a passport. You might as well get the NYC ID so you don't end up losing your passport.

14. People don't realize how much they'll be using the subway in New York until they get here. Check out the best ways to save that work for you by seeing the different metro plans the MTA offers: If there's anything I missed or if you need recommendations, give me a shout!

Until next time 💗

Follow me on Instagram: @arielview13