We all know the unofficial start to summer is near. I think we begin the count down on January 1st, at least I know I do 
. I am so excited that Memorial Day weekend is upon us. Not only is it a way for us to remember all of those who have served our country, but it is also the beginning of summer fun and a lot of outdoor activities.
You don’t have to go far to enjoy a long weekend. In fact, I know a lot of people who like to stay in NYC during the holidays because many of the residents go out-of-town, therefore leaving behind a quiet city just waiting to be explored! This is the perfect time to take advantage of some fun places to visit.
I have put together a list of 12 things you can do Memorial Day weekend in the NYC/NJ area.
1. A great way to celebrate our soldiers is to visit the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum. Fleet Week runs from May 26-June 1. Some of the scheduled activities for Fleet Week include demonstrations by the United States Coast Guard VI, Performances by the West Point Band and Broadway’s “Wicked,” and The Memorial Day Ceremony.
For a full list of Fleet Week activities and general museum information, visit: http://www.intrepidmuseum.org
Location and Hours of Operation:
Pier 86 (West Side of Manhattan)
12th Avenue & 46th Street
Monday-Friday 10am-5pm
Saturday, Sunday & Holidays 10am-6pm
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2. Are you fascinated by the human body? You will love the Bodies exhibit at South Street Seaport. This is an exhibition where human bodies and organs are on display for you to take an in depth look at what our system looks like and how it functions. After the museum visit, you can. continue your day at South Street Seaport, do some shopping, and grab a bite to eat.
For more information on the Bodies Exhibition visit: http://www.bodiestheexhibition.com
When purchasing your tickets on-line use code: CTM10 to save $6.00 per ticket
For more information regarding South Street Seaport shopping, activities, and dining, visit: http://www.southstreetseaport.com
La Famished Femme recommendation:
Beckett’s Bar and Grill, 81 Pearl St (William Street) New York, NY 10004, Tel: (212) 269-1001 – Beckett’s Bar and Grill has classic pub food with 12 different beers on tap. The menu has a lot a variety and the most expensive entree in moderately priced at $22. It’s a bit of a walk from the actual Seaport so it may be less crowded than restaurants directly on Fulton Street. The best time to go, in my opinion, is for lunch or brunch. It’s the best deal. Brunch is $15 which includes an entree and a breakfast cocktail (Mimosa, Bloody Mary, etc.). This seems the most likely choice for those who consider burgers and beers as essential Memorial Day faire.
For restaurant reviews, visit: CitySearch Beckett’s Bar and Grill
Bodies Location and Hours of Operation:
Pier 17 at South Street Seaport (West Side of Manhattan)
11 Fulton Street
Sunday-Thursday 10am-7pm
Friday and Saturday 10am-9pm
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3. A history buff? Then you mustn’t miss the King Tut exhibit, NYC: Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs.
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit: http://www.discoverytsx.com/exhibitions/kingtut
When purchasing tickets on-line use code: TUTCTM to save up to $5 per ticket.
Location and Hours of Operation:
226 West 44th Street
(Between Broadway & 8th Avenue- directly across from the Shubert Alley Theater)
Monday-Wednesday 10am-8pm
Thursday & Friday 10am-9:30pm
Saturday 9:30am-9:30pm
Sunday 9:30am-8pm
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4. For the baseball fan, spend the day watching the New York Yankees play the Cleveland Indians on May 28, 29, 30 or 31. Get to the stadium early so you can watch batting practice and spend some time in Monument Park. For more information and tickets, click: New York Yankees Baseball
Location
One East 161st Street
Bronx, NY 10451
Directions
The best way to get to the stadium is by mass transit. You can take the 4, B, D trains to 161st Street.
Click here for directions by car
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5. Spend the day oohing and ahhing over the new Spring Arrivals at the Bronx zoo.
For more information, visit: http://www.bronxzoo.com
Here are some special offers, click: Bronx Zoo Special Offers
Location and Hours of Operation:
2300 Southern Boulevard
Bronx, NY 10460
Click here for directions to the Bronx Zoo
Monday-Friday 10am-5pm
Weekends & Holidays 10am-5:30pm
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6. Spend the day at the Bronx Botanical Garden and see Emily Dickenson’s Garden: The Poetry of Flowers.
For more information, visit: http://www.nybg.org
Location and Hours of Operation:
2900 Southern Blvd.
Bronx, NY 10458
*Monday, May 31 (Memorial Day) 10am-6pm
Tuesday-Sunday 10am-6pm
*Note: the Garden is closed on Mondays, with the exception of some holidays.
Click here for directions to the Bronx Botanical Garden
If the Bronx is too far, you can go to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and enjoy My Garden Pets: Works by Emilie Clark exhibit.
For more information, visit: http://www.bbg.org
Location and Hours of Operation:
900 Washington Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11225
Tuesday–Friday: 8am-6pm
Saturday & Sunday: 10 am-6pm
Click here for directions to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden
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7. If you love old airplanes and the beach, then you want to be at the Jones Beach air show. Don’t forget to take the camera and video camera. There are stunt shows and an array of old military aircrafts that fly over the beach, not to mention the famous US Navy Blue Angels.
For more info visit: http://www.jonesbeachairshow.com
Don’t have a car? No worries, you can take the Long Island Railroad to the beach, click: LIRR to Jones Beach
Show info: May 29 & 30. The Airshow begins at 10am and ends at 3pm.
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photo courtesy of La Famished Femme
8. Love food, trinkets and people watching? Then how about a NYC street fair? You can enjoy good street food, buy a few knick knacks, and people watch all day long.
Click on the following links for a list of street fairs:
http://www.nyctourist.com/st_fairs_calendar.htm
http://manhattan.about.com/od/eventsandattractions/a/streetfairsmay_2.htm
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9. Want to do something outside NYC? Metro North has some great one-day getaways as well as overnight getaways.
Click here for one-day getaways
Click here for overnight getaways
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10. Are you an outdoors person? You can go fishing on a charter boat from Captree State Park in Long Island.
For more information about Captree State Park, visit: http://www.longislandexchange.com/parks/captree-statepark.html
Here is a list of charter boats that leave from the Captree pier:
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If fishing isn’t your thing, then how about hiking or mountain biking? You can find easy to strenuous trails through the New York New Jersey Trail Conference site at http://www.nynjtc.org
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11. For the more experienced and daring mountain biker, go to Diablo Freeride Park at Mountain Creek in Vernon, NJ. The Park has over 40 bike trails for beginners to advanced, including freestylers and racers. You will get an adrenaline rush after a day of riding on their trails. For park info, trail maps and videos of different terrain, visit: http://diablofreeridepark.com
Location and Hours of Operation:
200 Route 94
Vernon, NJ 07462
May 1-June 27
Weekends & Holidays 9am-4pm
July 3-September 6
Weekdays 11am-7pm
Weekends & Holidays 9am-4pm
September 12-November 1
Weekends only 9am-4pm
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12. Have the need for stomach twirling fun? Six Flags Great Adventures is the place to be to enjoy The Batman Ride, Superman: Ultimate Fight, The Dark Night Coaster, and many more.
For more information, visit: http://www.sixflags.com
Location and Hours of Operation:
1 Six Flags Boulevard
Jackson, NJ 08527
Click here for directions
May 28, 29, 30 & 31 the park is open from 10:30am-10pm.
If you want some ideas for things to do outside the NYC/NJ area, then stay tuned for my next post. I will tell you how to Seize the Day and Get Cari’d Away in Philly, DC, and CT.
What are your plans for the long weekend? Do you have any tips and other places of interests to share? Leave a comment or email me at getcaridaway@gmail.com. I’d love to hear from you!
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A great way to celebrate our soldiers is to visit the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum. Fleet Week runs from May 26-June 1. Some of the scheduled activities for Fleet Week include demonstrations by the United States Coast Guard VI, Performances by the West Point Band and Broadway’s “Wicked,” and The Memorial Day Ceremony.
For a full list of Fleet Week activities and general museum information, visit: http://www.intrepidmuseum.org/
Location and Hours of Operation:
Pier 86 (West Side of Manhattan)
12th Avenue & 46th Street
Monday-Friday 10am-5pm
Saturday, Sunday & Holidays 10am-6pm
getcaridaway
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[...] Day Trips by getcaridaway — Leave a comment May 28, 2010 In a related post, I spoke about 12 Ways to Get Cari’d Away in the NYC/NJ Area this Memorial Day Weekend. And in my last post, 4 Ways to Get Cari’d Away for Sex and The City 2, I wrote about some [...]