This is where I need your help. Can you tell me what YOU would like to read about/see?  When you want to travel, what do you look for in a site? Anything you can suggest is greatly appreciated. I look forward to hearing from you and can’t wait to get started on this fun new project/adventure.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts and ideas.

The best way for me to keep track of all of the things I want to do and the places I want to visit is by starting a Bucket List.  What is a Bucket List?  A Bucket List is not a list of all the types of buckets that are available at Home Depot.  It is a list of things you would like to do in your lifetime. It’s a list of things you want to do before you “kick the bucket” so to speak. There was even a movie with Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson based on this whole idea (The Bucket List).  For me, it is a list of places I want to visit, adventures I would like to take, and tasks I would like to learn or perfect before I leave this world.

I keep my Bucket List on my iTouch and on my bulletin board.  I want to be reminded everyday of the things I must do before I die.  With that said, I would like to share my Bucket List with you.  Please keep in mind that this is not in any particular order.  As I think of something I want to do, I will add it to the list.

Places I want to Visit:

Barbados

African Safari

Egypt

Mt. Rushmore

Yellowstone National Park

Montana

Costa Rica

Hike to the Colorado River and do a river trip

Drive across the USA

Live in another Country for 6-12 months

Machu Picchu

Spend one year traveling around the world

Continue to expose my nieces and nephews to new places and cultures

Visit every baseball park in the USA

Spend a week at Ace Adventure in West Virginia

Quebec, Canada

Italy

Things I would like to accomplish:

Have a successful blog

Improve my photography skills

Go Sky Diving

Go on a Hot Air Balloon Ride

Complete a Mini-Triathlon

Teach English as a second language in a foreign country, preferably a Latin American country

Volunteer more often

Learn to dance Salsa.  (It’s a crime that I do not know how to dance Salsa.)

Become certified in sports first aid

Buy a country cottage or beach bungalow

Learn how to drive an 18 Wheeler

Get a CDL license

Drive a race car

Everyone’s Bucket List is different. My list will continue to grow and I will continue to update it.  I would love to know what your Bucket List is.  If you do not have one, start one.  And, if anyone has done any of these things, please tell me all about your experience.

Don’t forget to Seize the Day and Get Cari’d Away!

Before I begin, I would like to thank @VisitPA on Twitter, for their assistance.  I highly recommend that you follow them.  Their tweets are full of useful information and if you have any questions regarding Pennsylvania, they will be more than happy to assist you.   You can also visit their website at http://visitpa.com.  With that said, I’m going to begin the journey with Philly.       

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1. Philly is a city full of history.  It is where the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776.  During your exploration of this terrific town, you can visit Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence was signed, and the Liberty Bell Center.       

For more information, location and hours, visit:  http://www.nps.gov       

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2. You CANNOT visit Philly without having a cheese steak sandwich.  Geno’s Steaks and Pat’s King of Steaks are long time rivals and are amongst the most well known cheese steak houses.  Try both sandwiches and decide for yourself which one is the best.  You can also try Jim’s Steaks or Tony Luke’s, which is known for their roast pork.       

Location and Hours of Operation:       

Pat’s King of Steaks (My favorite )  http://www.patskingofsteaks.com
1237 East Passyunk Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19147-5060
Open 24/7
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Geno’s Steaks http://www.genosteaks.com
1219 S 9^th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19147
Open 24 hours     
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 Jim’s Steaks http://www.jimssteaks.com
400 South Street
Philadelphia, PA 19147      

Mon. – Thurs 10am – 1am
Fri. – Sat. 10am – 3am
Sun. 11am- 10pm  
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Tony Luke’s http://www.tonylukes.com
39 East Oregon Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19148
(Front & Oregon Ave)       

Monday-Thursday  6am-Midnight
Friday & Saturday   6am-2am
Sunday  CLOSED       

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3. Horses are such graceful and beautiful creatures; so why not enjoy a day at the Devon Horse Show and County Fair.  Some of the activities available are equestrian shows, Children’s Day, and the Devon Doggie Parade.       

For more information, visit:  http://www.devonhorseshow.net      

Location:
Lancaster Pike and Dorset Rd
Devon, PA 19333      

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4. Love gardens, flowers, and fountains?  Then you must visit Longwood Gardens.  There are over 11,000 types of plants and trees, as well as different fountain gardens.  The Main Fountain Garden  stretches over 5 acres and offers a musical illuminated fountain show every Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 9:15pm-9:45pm.  This event begins on Saturday May 29 and goes through Sept 4, 2010.       

Let’s not forget Fireworks.   If you love beautiful displays of light against the night sky,  then you’re in luck!  On Sunday, May 30, 2010, you can enjoy the spectacular luminance at 9:15pm in Longwood Gardens.       

For more information, visit:  http://www.longwoodgardens.org       

Location and Hours of Operation:
1001 Longwood Road
Kennett Square , PA 19348       

May 29–September 5, 2010
Gardens
Mon., Tues., Wed. and Sun. 9 am–6 pm
Thurs., Fri. and Sat. 9am–10 pm
Please note: on Saturday, July 10, Saturday, July 24 and Saturday, August 14, the Gardens will close at 6:00 pm to everyone except Fireworks ticket holders.       

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Photo from bushkills.com

5. Have a need for some fresh air and the country?  Then Dingmans Ferry, PA is a great place to visit.  It’s less than two hours from NYC and is located right on the Delaware River.  You can spend the day exploring and appreciating their waterfalls.  Bushkill Falls is considered the Niagara Falls of Pennsylvania because of its stunning beauty.  For more information, visit:  http://www.visitbushkillfalls.com       

For a list of other waterfalls in Dingmans Ferry, PA, visit:  http://www.dingmansferry.com/dingmansferrywaterfalls       

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6.  Take a trip to Washington, DC.  You won’t regret it.  There’s no better way to honor the memories of those who have served this country than a trip down to the capital. A wonderful place to visit is the National Mall. There, you will find the Washington Monument, Lincoln’s Memorial, and the  Vietnam Veterans Memorial – The Wall-USA.  The National Memorial Day Parade, Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Rally, The Arlington National Cemetery, and Navy Memorial, are just a few other activities being held this weekend.       

Here are some links for more information:       

Vietnam Veterans Memorial       

National Mall & Memorial Parks       

About.com Memorial Day weekend 2010       

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7.  Let’s not forget the Smithsonian.  This is an incredible array of museums in DC, which are FREE of charge.  There are art galleries, African Art Museums, History Museums and even a Zoo.       

For more information, locations and hours, visit:  http://www.si.edu/museums       

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8.  Want to visit an old New England town?  Then how about Mystic, CT?  You can enjoy a day at the Mystic Aquarium and grab a bite at Mystic Pizza, which was the location of the 80’s movie Mystic Pizza.       

For more information and a list of other activities, visit: http://www.mystic.org and/or http://www.mysticmore.com       

Locations and Hours of Operation       

Mystic Aquarium http://www.mysticaquarium.org
55 Coogan Boulevard
Mystic, CT 06355-1997       

Open daily 9am-6pm (last admission at 5pm)       

Mystic Pizza
56 West Main Street
Mystic, CT 06355       

Open Daily  10am-10pm       

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I hope I have encouraged you to explore a new city.  There is so much to do and see in Philly, DC, and Mystic.  I guarantee you won’t find it difficult to Get Cari’d Away!  Don’t forget, not only is the Memorial Day weekend the unofficial start to summer, but it is the time for us to remember and celebrate all of the men and women who have served our country.       

After the long weekend, I would love to hear how you Seized the Day and Got Cari’d Away!       

Enjoy and be safe!

As you may or may not have already noticed, I happen to share my name with one of the most famous characters in all of pop culture history, Sex and the City‘s Carrie Bradshaw.  So, to coincide with the long weekend ahead and the Sex and the City 2 opening, I thought I would do a short post on activities that revolve around the movie and its central characters.

Remember my post on friendship? Why not get a little Cari’d/Carried Away with your friends this weekend? Make some time for you and your friends to spend the day together. Watch the new Sex and The City 2 movie, go shopping, grab a bite, or just spend some time catching up.

Check out the Sex and The City 2 site for some inspiration. It has a lot of fun and wonderful content including trailers, quizzes, and sweepstakes.  Some sweepstakes, like the Get Carried Away Again, have already passed, but you can still browse other contests and sweeps to win some great prizes.  Here are some of my ideas on how to get Cari’d/Carried Away in NYC:

1.  Take a tour that centers around Sex and The City locations. Visit all the locations that were used in the film/tv show. It’s a great way to see how NYC plays a role in the lives of Carrie, Samantha, Miranda, and Charlotte.  Screen Tours provide  guided location tours through all the popular SATC spots in Midtown, SoHo, the Village, and the Meatpacking District.  They last approx. 3.5 hours and cost $44/person.  They also have private limo tours from $140/person to $210/person.  If this is not within your budget, you can create your very own tour. It requires a bit of research (perhaps an all-night marathon of watching your favorite episodes with your girlfriends?). Here’s a great article on how to get started: Make Your Own Sex and The City Tour.

2. Since it’s Memorial Day weekend, why not throw a Sex and the City Style BBQ/Party? Carrie and the girls go off to Abu Dhabi in the movie. Instead of overextending yourself and your wallet, you can bring the Saharan desert to you. Here’s a great site to help you plan an exotic escape without leaving the country!

3.  Plan an SATC shopping spree at Macys! To celebrate the movie release,  Macy’s is offering some great discounts and freebies.  If you can’t afford to shop the high-end lines that Carrie and the gang frequent, here are some great lists from New York Magazine on how to shop NYC on a budget.

4.  Grab a bite to eat at one of these sexy places where Carrie and the gang have been known to drink, dine, indulge, and play.  Find the exact location where the girls play pool, where to go for the best sushi, or where in the city do you find such beautiful, mouthwatering cupcakes like these:

Even though I’ll advise you to Seize the Day and Get Cari’d Away this long weekend, remember to be safe! I hope you all have a great time celebrating with your friends.  By the way, I can’t end this post without asking the million dollar question: Which SATC character are you and why? Guess who I am most like

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)
12^th Avenue & 46^th 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 44^th Street
(Between Broadway & 8^th 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 161^st 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 161^st 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:

http://www.captreefleet.com

http://www.captaingillen.com

Captree Laura Lee

http://www.captreestar.com

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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!

Friday March 5, 2010- Princess Cays Bahamas.

Princess Cays was the last island we visited.  It is Princess Cruise Lines’ private island.  We were so happy that the weather had finally warmed up.  It was the hottest and most relaxing day of our trip.  The day on the island is usually spent by lounging on a beach chair or rocking on a hammock.  For a fee, you can go snorkeling or engage in other water sport activities.  There is also an all you can eat BBQ buffet which includes your typical burger, hot dogs, fries, chicken, desserts and fruit.  When you are on the cruise line’s private island, you do not have to pay for food.  The food is brought to the island from the ship.  The BBQ buffet is open from 11am-1pm.

After grabbing some food, Victor and I decided to relax on the beach and enjoy the last day of our vacation.  I soaked in the sun and Victor went snorkeling.

Here are some photos of our day.

This concludes our vacation on the Crown Princess.  It was a wonderful trip.  What islands have you visited and which has been your favorite?  I will post photos of some of the other islands we have visited in future posts.  In the meantime, I’m gearing up for a camping trip.  I can’t wait.  I love being one with nature.

What about you?  What will you do in order to Seize the Day and Get Cari’d Away?  I’d love to hear your plans and help out in any way!

Cozumel, Mexico was the third port-of-call on the Crown Princess.  We have been to Cozumel before and we were absolutely amazed by its beauty.  We couldn’t wait to get started with our tour.  Unfortunately, the day didn’t start off so well.  It was very windy and the waters were extremely choppy.  It was so bad that the cruise line cancelled almost all the snorkeling, scuba, fishing, and sailing excursions.  Luckily, we booked an excursion to the ecological park, Xcaret (pronounced EESH-caret).  If you are in Mexico for an extended period of time and plan to visit the park, you can book your tour directly with Xcaret or your hotel.  However, if you are going to be there for a day with a cruise, you should book with the cruise line.  It is a bit far from the port and if you are on your own and don’t make it back in time, the cruise ship will leave you behind.

Xcaret is located approximately 15 minutes from Playa de Carmen.  We had to take a 45 minute ferry ride from Cozumel in order to get to Playa de Carmen.  Once we arrived we met up with our tour group and boarded an air conditioned motor coach.  Victor and I couldn’t wait to see what this park was like.  We have friends and family that visited Xcaret and said it was amazing.  They weren’t wrong!  One day at the park is not enough.  I felt like I needed at least two full days there to really appreciate and experience everything they had to offer.  Snorkeling, Spider Monkey Island, a bat cave, underwater rivers, a butterfly garden, dolphin encounter swim, and nightly entertainment are just a few of the activities that are available.  For a full list of activities and a map of the park, please visit http://xcaret.com

Xcaret is great for all ages.  It is a must see and do if you are ever in Cozumel or Playa de Carmen.  I promise you won’t be disappointed.

Here are some photos to give you an idea of how beautiful our day was.

The next and final island we visited was Princess Cays Bahamas, which is Princess’ private island.  The Victor fish made an appearance, once again.  The private island was a great way to end our vacation by relaxing on the beach.

Why not Seize the Day and Get Cari’d Away and start planning a cruise vacation?  I would be more than happy to answer any questions you might have.