Attractions

Bok Carillon Bell Tower

The animals at Bok Tower Gardens are fearless. Squirrels chuckle and scold guests who stroll the park’s winding paths. Mockingbirds serenade from low branches. Gigantic weaver spiders tense in the center of low-strung webs, patiently awaiting prey. Even the resident swans swim right up, hoping to steal fish food pellets meant for giant carp thrashing in the pond. Somehow, the animals know they are protected here.

This exquisite garden was created by Edward W. Bok, a Dutch immigrant and humanitarian who came to the U.S. at the age of six. In 1889, Bok became the editor of the Ladies Home Journal, a position he would hold for the next 30 years. During visits to his Florida winter home in the 1920’s, Bok witnessed the beauty and dramatic sunsets of Iron Mountain, the highest point in peninsular Florida. Awed by the tranquility of the area, he purchased the land and commissioned renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmstead Jr. to create a stunning garden that would become a haven for native birds, plants and wildlife. Bok worked closely with Olmstead through the design process and after giving his final stamp of approval, left to tour Europe. Seeing the carillon towers in his native Netherlands, he was inspired to build a carillon atop Iron Mountain within the sanctuary already being constructed. Read More »

My travels recently brought me to Charlotte, North Carolina and I was told that they have an indoor water park. With slides and stuff. Indoors.

I’m from sunny Florida. We don’t do ‘indoor’ when it comes to our water parks. I suspect we wouldn’t know how to build a water park indoors if we tried. (I hope we don’t try, either!)

So needless to say, I was intrigued.

Ray’s Splash Planet is right in the heart of downtown Charlotte and is probably incredibly easy to get to but my iPhone GPS was a little directionally-challenged that day. Fortunately for me, it told me to park near a lovely little park that in it had a sign pointing to Ray’s Splash Planet. So I did. And off we went.

By Golly, It’s an indoor water park!

Some of the highlights include:

• The Blue Comet – A three-story water slide that whips you around in a double figure eight then dumps you into the waters below.
• The Orbiter – Grab a Tube and lazily float around The Blue Comet. Perfect for relaxing.
• Saturation Station – Tumble buckets, water walls, and slides galore!
• The Vortex – A current pool that will whip you into a frenzy!
• Moon Beach – The entry point where all your water fun begins!
• Sea of Tranquility – Two lap lanes for slower swimming or basketball/volleyball area with two basketball hoops and a large net. (balls are provided by the lifeguard staff)

Admission:

Daily Admission:

• Youth 17 & Under $6 County Resident/ $8 Non-County Resident
• Adult 18 & Older $8 County Resident/ $11 Non-County Resident
• Senior 62 & Over $6 County Resident/ $8 Non-County Resident
• Dry Ticket (Chaperone/NonSwimmer/Escort) $3 County Resident/ $5 Non-County Resident

The perfect way to end the day!

Sometimes, even when you live in the city that tourists love to flock to, you find yourself wanting to just get the heck outta town. Seeing as we live smack dab in the middle of Florida, we have plenty of places to choose from. My teenaged son has found a new love of riding roller coasters, and we had just been to Universal Islands of Adventure and rode all of those, so…

Off to Busch Gardens we went.

Roller Coasters, Animals and Fun! Oh My!

We purchased tickets that allowed us to pick two parks to visit using the “Pick Two” feature. This is actually a pretty sweet deal, because you get to use the tickets anytime you want at whichever two parks you want. Our choices were Busch Gardens and Aquatica. We plan to visit Aquatica, Sea World’s water park, later in the summer. You know, when it will be really hot and jam packed.

We’re awesome like that. And we’re Floridians, and it’s always hot.

Seriously though, one of the great things about the Anheuser-Busch parks are the intimacy of them. As you approach the parks, there are a lot of local shops and places that make you wonder if you are in the right place. Then, when you enter the parks, you get lost in the moment, and you forget you are in Tampa. You are in Africa.

See? Even Storks vacation in Florida!

And it is beautiful. Wander the park at a leisurely pace. Trust me, the kids won’t mind. Take lots of photos. Your camera will thank you. There is lots to see and do here, and the park is laid out so there are things to see and stop and do. Some of our highlights:

• Gwazi – The largest double wooden roller coaster in the Southeast. The ride is not necessarily very smooth if you have ridden metal coasters, but it is quick and fun. (Side note: if your older child falls in love with roller coasters and your younger one is wanting to be like his older brother, DO NOT make this the first roller coaster your 7 year old rides. It WILL blow up in your face. It will also keep your 7 year old from wanting to ride any roller coaster EVER AGAIN. True story.)
• Land of the Dragons – This is a three-story play area for kids to run, jump and play in. There is an area for smaller children only, but the rope bridges that span the area for the kids to run across are a huge hit. What is great about this place is so often if you have children who are not close in age, usually one child gets left out. Land of the Dragons makes it easy as a parent to sit back, relax, and watch your kids burn off that energy.
• SheiKra – We loved this not because we rode it, because we didn’t. The best part though of this ride is the watching of it. If you stand in the right spot, you can also get quite a soaking. From many places in the park you can see the tallest “hold point” of the ride, where it takes you up and then, at the very top juuuust before you drop 90 degrees down, it stops and you just dangle there, until it lets you go. My husband and son plan to ride it when we return. And we will return.
• Zambia Smokehouse – Usually we dread eating at theme parks, because we know that most of the food is fast food, and it can leave a lot to be desired. So when we smelled the delicious smells while we were passing SheiKra, we thought “Oh no, here we go again. Good smells, but bad food.” We were pleasantly surprised at how good it was! It is buffet style, with many options for sides, and a few choices from the carving table, and sandwiches. They also have a selection of beers from (wait for it..) Anheuser-Busch. The portions were filling, and the kids got a cute plastic lunchbox with their meal that came in handy since they didn’t finish all of their lunch. It made taking the leftovers incredibly easy!
• Kumba – Again, only my eldest son and my husband rode this, but they said it was awesome, and I took some amazing photos of them on the ride.
• Stanley Falls Flume – I have a seven year-old, and scary fast rides he has decided he’s not going to ride them. (that will change, trust me)  This is a really fun family ride. You are seated by twos, and you just sit back and ride the flume tubes to the bottom. You have an option to buy a photo of you as you go down the last drop, so don’t forget to smile!
• Jungala – Another kids play area with a kids-size zip line ride, a kid-friendly launcher, and caves, slides, climbing nets and water areas. Also, seating for mom and dad.
• Bumper Cars – Something so simple, and yet, the perfect way to bond as a family. Nothing says bonding like chasing your family members and bashing into them. That’s love, people. And we partook. And it may have gotten cutthroat. Or I may have put several people between us so as not to get “bumped”.
• Skyride – This is the best kept secret of Busch Gardens. Arial views of all of the park, a teaser view of their waterpark just next door, and if you take the ride from the Kumba area to the Egypt area of the park, you basically get a free ride to the exit of the park. We employed this tactic when we went to the park. It was the perfect way to end the day.

When we went, we arrived just as the park was opening, and it gave us a great head start into the day. The lines we encountered were short, no more than a 10 minute wait. We also went on a Sunday, and on a non-holiday weekend. As the day progressed, we noticed longer lines and one of the longest was for Rhino Rally, which we have ridden before. If your trip will be for the first time, it is a ride not to be missed.

So we bid adieu to Busch Gardens around 3pm and headed home. It took us under 2 hours to go from parking lot to driveway. That makes it perfect to sneak back down there for some roller coaster action…

…like, maybe tomorrow?

Wanna Ride? I know how to bump into things...

by Barbara Ann Weibel at Hole In The Donut

Of the numerous well-preserved Native American ruins found in north central Arizona, the ancient cliff dwelling found at Montezuma Castle National Monument is the most spectacular. Built into a recess in a white limestone cliff about 70 feet above the ground, this 20 room, 5-story structure was occupied as early as 1200 a.d., until the inhabitants mysteriously departed from the Verde Valley more than two hundred years later.

The 900 year old cliff dwellings at Montezuma Castle National Monument. Photo by Barbara Weibel at HoleInTheDonut.com

Believing the prehistoric cliff house to be Aztec in origin, the first settlers to the area – a ragged collection of miners and soldiers who arrived in the 1860’s – named it after the Aztec emperor, Montezuma. We now know that this unique dwelling was constructed by the Sinagua Indian peoples using locally available limestone rocks stacked and held together with clay, much like laying bricks on a modern house. Once the construction of the outer walls was completed, an adobe plaster was used to coat and seal the exterior. The Sinagua cultivated a variety of crops in the valley that spread out beneath their cliff house, using water that flowed year-round through Beaver Creek to irrigate the crops. No one knows for sure why the Sinagua abandoned their home, although some experts speculate that a severe drought dried up the creek, forcing the tribe to pack up and leave.

A close up look at the structure, courtesy of the National Park Service

After being abandoned, the dwelling survived for hundreds of years in the hot, dry climate found in this part of Arizona and only began to deteriorate when it became a popular tourist destination. Early visitors were allowed to climb a series of ladders up the side of the limestone cliffs and access the interior of the structure, resulting in extensive damage. Thankfully, the park service stopped allowing access in 1951. Visitors are now limited to viewing the ruins from the valley floor, where a self-guided, 1/3-mile loop trail leads past the cliff dwelling, through a grove of old-growth sycamores, and along Beaver Creek, one of only a few perennial streams in Arizona.

Montezuma Castle National Monument is open 364 days a year (closed Christmas Day), from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. June through August and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. during other months. In addition to the self-guiding trail, an on-site museum includes exhibits and artifacts depicting the lifestyle, history and culture of the Sinaguan Indians who built Montezuma Castle. Adults pay a $5 entrance fee and children under 16 are free. Although no accommodations are available at the site, hotels and motels are located in nearby Camp Verde (5 miles), and in Cottonwood (19 miles).

I love stories that are centered in small towns with romance or mystery at the
“old swimmin’ hole.”   I imagine tire swings and skinny dipping.  Have you ever gone skinny dipping?

Ahem.

The most amazing historic watering hole I’ve ever seen is just outside Austin, Texas at the Hamilton Pool Nature Preserve.  It is unique and amazing, I promise.

Imagine a 1/4 a mile tricky trail, gorgeous hill country, a limestone canyon, a collapsed grotto, a clear natural pool and a 50-foot waterfall.

Wait, you don’t have to imagine it.  I have pictures!

Hamilton Pool Nature Preserve in Texas

The history behind this spot is impressive.  The canyon and grotto were formed by thousands of years of water erosion.  Prior to the 1800’s, Tonkawa and Lipan Apache Indians lived in the area.  In the 1800’s, Andrew Jake Hamilton’s brother owned the land.

Later on the land belonged to German immigrants to raise sheep and cattle.  This family, the Reimers, discovered the grotto and opened the land up for public use.

Eventually Travis County bought over 200 acres from the Reimers, and made this area a nature preserve.

You can swim, picnic, hike, study nature and go on tours in the Hamilton Pool Nature Preserve. It’s very rustic, very beautiful and a place you shouldn’t miss visiting.

Pets are not permitted, sturdy footwear is recommended, and sometimes they close it down due to high bacteria counts, so call 512-264-2740 before you head out there for swimming.  A daily permit is $8 per vehicle and $3 per bike or pedestrian. Their website has a virtual tour.

And while you’re there, if you happen to pen a novel centered around a watering hole and it becomes a best seller…please, name a character after me.

by Barbara Ann Weibel of Hole In the Donut

A visitor climbs to the top of Blowing Rock, preparing to drop a leaf into the swirling winds to test the legend

Legend has it that a Chickasaw chief delivered his beautiful daughter into the care of a squaw mother who lived atop a craggy outcropping of rock in the mountains of what is today western North Carolina. One day the maiden spied a Cherokee brave wandering far below and playfully shot an arrow in his direction. He soon appeared before her wigwam and and they became lovers. When the time came for the brave to return to his tribe in the plains, the maiden begged him not to go. Torn between duty and heart, the brave leaped from the rock into the wilderness far below. The maiden prayed to the Great Spirit to return her lover until one evening a gust of wind blew him back onto the rock and into her arms. From that day a perpetual wind has blown up onto the rock from the valley below, earning it the name Blowing Rock.

The Blowing Rock is an immense cliff that perches 4,000 feet above sea level, overhanging Johns River Gorge 3,000 feet below. While the legend is fictional, the mysterious persistent winds that roar through the valley below Blowing Rock are not. Wind sweeps through the rocky walls of the gorge with such force that it returns light objects cast over the void. The current of air flowing upward from The Rock prompted the Ripley’s “Believe-It-Or-Not” cartoon about “the only place in the world where snow falls upside down.” Try it yourself – toss a leaf into the canyon from atop the rock and watch as it swirls back at you!

Blowing Rock sits 3,000 feet above the Johns River Gorge and offers spectacular vistas of the surrounding North Carolina mountains

The Town of Blowing Rock, named after the famous geologic formation, is one of North Carolina’s most popular mountain tourist destinations. While summer offers myriad activities, the fun doesn’t stop once winter descends upon the mountains. From January 22-25, 2009, the village of Blowing Rock celebrates the fun side of winter with Winterfest. With a pancake breakfast, a chili cookoff, downtown hayrides, free hot chocolate, concerts, a wine auction, bonfires, and even a Polar Plunge, Winterfest offers something for folks of every age. In addition, Blowing Rock boasts a lively main street lined with upscale shops, galleries, fine dining, and a full complement of accommodations ranging from vacation rentals to B&B’s. Nearby attractions include Linville Caverns, the original Mast General Store, the Tweetsie Railroad theme park, and Grandfather Mountain, with its extensive system of hiking trails and popular swinging bridge.

Photos courtesy of Barbara Ann Weibel

by Barbara Ann Weibel at Hole In The Donut

As a child growing up in Chicago, the Museum of Science and Industry was my favorite place to visit. I’d rush through the front door to watch chicks hatch in the giant incubator, then ride the lift to the bottom of the interactive coal mine, and then climb aboard a real U-505 – the only German submarine in the United States. But my favorite time of year at the Museum was the holidays, when its halls were filled with Christmas trees from around the world.

Christmas Around the World Photo credit: Scott Brownell, Museum of Science and Industry

Fast forward 20 – 30 – 40 – TOO MANY years. The Museum of Science and Industry is still going strong, celebrating its 75th anniversary this year. Although many of the exhibits have changed over the years, the Museum still celebrates the holidays with Christmas Around the World. More than 50 trees, including the new Bulgaria tree, have been beautifully decorated by members of Chicago’s ethnic communities and scattered throughout the Museum’s halls, while various ethnic groups and school choirs from across Chicagoland sing and dance every weekend through the end of the year.

Because the Chicagoland area is a treasure trove of holiday happenings, with events planned in neighborhoods all across the city and suburbia, it is nearly impossible to list all the best events of the season. However, any short list of Chicago’s holiday offerings would have to include the following:

1. 

   Mickey and friends lead the way as a million lights are illuminated along Chicago's Magnificent Mile. Photo courtesy of The Greater No. Michigan Avenue Assn.

   The holiday season kicks off on Saturday, November 22nd, with the Magnificent Mile Lights Festival. Mickey Mouse, as master of ceremonies, leads the illumination of more than one million lights in The Magnificent Mile district on North Michigan Avenue, from Oak Street to Wacker Drive. The event features live music from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and culminates in a magnificent fireworks show over the Chicago River, but the Mile’s million lights remain illuminated for viewer’s enjoyment through the end of the year.

2. 

   A giant inflatable balloon at Chicago's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Photo courtesty of Chicago Festival Assn.

   Another 75th anniversary will be celebrated this year when the McDonald’s Thanksgiving Day Parade marches down State Street in downtown Chicago, from 8:30 to 11 a.m. More than 400,000 people are expected to line the parade route between Congress and Randolph Streets to see floats, marching bands, equestrian units, and giant inflatable balloons, as well as special guests Ronald McDonald, wrestling superstar CM Punk, the Barefoot Hawaiians, the cast of Dirty Dancing, the Budweiser Clydesdales, and of course, Santa Claus!

3. Daley Plaza, at Washington and Dearborn Streets in downtown Chicago, is the site of numerous holiday events. The Plaza is famous the world over for it’s giant Picasso sculpture, but during the holiday season Picasso’s masterpiece is dwarfed by a mega-Christmas tree, made up of dozens of smaller trees. This year’s Tree Lighting Ceremony, scheduled for December 2nd, will mark the 95th anniversary of this holiday rite of passage. Also at Daley Plaza, Santa Claus will be available for pictures and visits from November 27 through December 24. Both the Lighting Ceremony and visits with Santa are free of charge.
   

   Vendor booths at Christkindlmarket at Daley Plaza in downtown Chicago. Photo courtesy of German American Services, Inc.

   And if that’s not enough, Daley Plaza is also the site of Christkindlmarket Chicago, a festival that celebrates Chicago’s strong Germanic roots. The name Christkindlmarket comes from the mythical tale of the Christkind, a fairy-like being, dressed in a gold and white robe with a crown atop her golden locks, who is the bearer of gifts at Christmas time. The four-week long event is the largest and most renowned German winter holiday market in the United States, featuring typical German food and drinks and a unique holiday shopping experience that offers eclectic ornaments that are hand-blown and painted and cannot be found anywhere else in the world, in addition to classic German products like nutcrackers, cuckoo clocks, beer steins, and Hummel figurines.

4. Just around the corner at 121 LaSalle Street, get into the spirit by attending the City Hall Holiday Concert Series, featuring holiday classics sung by children’s choirs from throughout the city. The performances begin December 1 and run until December 19 with concerts every weekday from Noon to 1 p.m.

5. During Winter WonderFest, Chicago’s Historic Navy Pier sparkles with 750,000 lights, 25,000 dazzling holiday ornaments, and hundreds of beautifully decorated trees. This popular theme park, located on Grand Avenue at the north edge of downtown, contains an indoor ice skating rink, a 50-foot high indoor Ferris wheel, a Matterhorn climb and slide, a winter wind glider, and flying ice dragons, among other rides and attractions. The event runs from December 5th through January 4h.

6. 

   ZooLights. Photo Courtesy of Lincoln Park Zoo.

   Families can travel a bit further afield to “Zoo” it up. Lincoln Park Zoo on Chicago’s north side presents “ZooLights,” where kids can have their photo taken with Santa in the Kovler Lion House, watch ice-carving demonstrations, and enjoy a musical light show extravaganza on the South Lawn. Brookfield Zoo in the western suburbs presents Holiday Magic with a Laser and Light Spectacular, ice-carving demonstrations, live musical performances, magicians, and special breakfasts with Santa every weekend through Christmas.

7. No holiday visit to Chicago would be complete without a stop at the Grant Park/Millennium Park complex. Although most activities in the park occur in the spring, fall, and summer, from November 19 through March 15, the popular McCormick Tribune Ice Rink opens, providing free skating with skate rentals available for a small fee. Chicago’s occasional crisp but sunny days beckon visitors to walk across the 925-foot long BP Bridge that connects Millennium Park to Daley Plaza while providing incomparable views of the Chicago skyline and Lake Michigan. Along the way, try not to stare at “Cloud Gate,” the 110-ton elliptical sculpture forged of highly polished stainless steel plates that reflect the city’s skyscrapers and the clouds above.

The Cloud Gate sculpture in Millennium Park, dusted in snow on a sunny winter day. Photo courtesy of the City of Chicago

There is so much more to do in Chicago than can be listed here. But one thing is for sure. It will take more than a day to sample what this fabulous, friendly, Midwestern city has to offer. In addition to the fabulous sites, Chicago offers some of the finest food around. Check out the three Italian restaurants in Old Town recently featured on UpTake’s Restaurant Blog, or check out the full range of dining experiences available in Chicago at UpTake’s Restaurant Guide. And enjoy!

Currituck Beach Lighthouse, Outer Banks of North Carolina

by Barbara Ann Weibel at Hole In The Donut

The reasons to visit the Outer Banks of North Carolina are almost endless. Miles and miles of pristine, unspoiled beaches beckon. At the Wright Brothers National Memorial visitors can climb the flanks of the region’s highest sand dune and stand on the same spot from which Orville and Wilbur made their historic first flights. And the country’s longest running outdoor drama, “The Lost Colony,” is conducted in the town of Manteo each summer. But perhaps the most popular activity on the Outer Banks centers around its lighthouses, because the Outer Banks may be the only place in the world where visitors can see five lighthouses in a single day.

The Currituck Beach Lighthouse, located on the northern Outer Banks, is the only one of the five that has an unpainted exterior, exposing the estimated million red bricks that were used to laboriously construct the tower. Built in 1875, this 158-foot high lighthouse filled the last remaining unlit portion of the North Carolina coast between Bodie Island and Cape Henry, Virginia. Today visitors can climb the 214 steps to the top between Easter and Thanksgiving.

Original Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse, Outer Banks

Across the Causeway bridge in the town of Manteo is the Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse, the Outer Banks’ newest lighthouse. Originally a screw-pile design that perched over the water on the southern end of the Croatan Sound near the fishing village of Wanchese (historic photo at left and current photo below courtesy of Town of Manteo), the light was decommissioned in 1955 and subsequently lost during an attempt to move the structure to shore. In 2004, the Town of Manteo reconstructed the cottage on its waterfront, where it now contains exhibits about maritime history.

Reconstructed Roanoke Mashes Lighthouse in Manteo, Outer Banks of North Carolina

Bodie Island Lighthouse, Pea Island, Outer Banks of North Carolina

Back across the Causeway bridge and south on US Rt. 12 lies the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. A few miles into the park land is the entrance to Bodie Island Lighthouse. Locals always know when someone is a visitor by the way they pronounce the name of this lighthouse. Inevitably, visitors will say “BO-dee” but the correct pronunciation is “BAH-dee.” Although this lighthouse is not open for climbing, the old lightkeeper’s cottage is a museum that contains samples of old fresnel lights and a fascinating collection of WWII photos that explains why the coast of North Carolina is known as the Graveyard of the Atlantic.

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, Cape Hatteras National Park, Outer Banks of North Carolina

Crossing the Oregon Inlet Bridge, with its stunning view of the inlet between the Atlantic Ocean and the shallow inland Sound, brings visitors to Hatteras Island, the sleepier, more laid-back part of the Outer Banks. At the elbow of this boomerang-shaped strip of land stands the world’s tallest brick beacon, the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, recognized the world over for its barber shop black swirl. Because storms had eroded much of the land that originally stood between this lighthouse and the sea, the structure was in danger of being swept away until it was moved half a mile inland in 1999. Even so, the view from the top is breathtaking, reinforcing the fragility of these barrier islands which in some areas are little more than a quarter mile wide.

Ocracoke Lighthouse, Outer Banks of North Carolina

At the southern tip of Hatteras Island the road ends and Rt. 12 becomes a ferry that carries passengers and vehicles to the tiny island of Ocracoke, where the final Outer Banks lighthouse is located. Smaller and squatter than its four companions, the Ocracoke Lighthouse is located in a modest local neighborhood. Investigate this quaint fishing village on foot or rent a bike, discovering eclectic shops scattered along unpaved sand lanes that wander past old cemeteries and fishermen’s back yards. At the end of the day, after ferreting out the nearly hidden lighthouse, the charming village of Ocracoke is an excellent choice for an overnight stay.

All five lighthouses on North Carolina’s Outer Banks still operate as aids to navigation. Their beacons come on automatically every evening at dusk and cease at dawn.

Photo credits for all photos not otherwise identified: Barbara Ann Weibel

Bryant Park, NYC

Central Park is New York City’s green lung, but it’s too big and outdoorsy to serve as a hangout for the urban New Yorker. The City’s urban hideout of choice, a green oasis nestled between the urban chaos of Fifth Ave and the Broadway Theaters, is Bryant Park, which has a distinctly multi-cultural environment.

Due to its location and the amenities, it’s a lunch time favorite for the midtown area. There is a huge variety of food in and around the park. In the park, you’ll find ‘wichcraft, whose kiosks serve sandwiches, homemade soups and salads, ice cream and coffee, and also the Bryant Park Grill and Cafe. Nearby, you’ll find plenty of cheap eats, like the Kati Roll Company with its Indian food, and also the Szechuan Gourmet, and if you’re fond of Italian takeouts, then there’s Simply Pasta.

As far as amenities go, the Park Corporation keeps its bathrooms spotlessly clean, which is kind of a novelty in New York. Plus, they have these green chairs which you can move around and pick a good spot on the green where you won’t have anyone looking over your shoulder or bumping elbows. You can seat yourself, pick up a book or just watch the flow of people all day long.

In winter, the Park’s ice skating rink – called The Pond, opens up and its free. In addition to the skating, winter is also a time when a lot of holiday shops open up at the Pond – And this is different from Fifth Ave shopping, much more quaint. There’s also a couple more dining options – Ice Bites, which offers quick snacks with hot chocolate, and Celsius, a Canadian Lounge for lunch, dinner and drinks with an outdoor terrace overlooking the rink.

Attractions include a carousel which plays French cabaret music. There’s also a Reading Room with an extensive collection of books, with lunch hour and post work reading programs. Its totally free, and you won’t be needing a card or any identification. And the Park is a wi-fi hotspot, so you won’t be disconnected from your online addictions.

Nearby places to stay include the swanky Bryant Park hotel, but you’ll find plenty of cheap hotels in the vicinity, like the Americana Inn and the Latham Hotel.

Photo credit Jeff Greenberg.