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May 23, 2011

Helicopter Over NYC

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The other day my husband and I were talking about the most fun things we have ever done in this beloved city of ours. We both agreed that at the very top of our list is the helicopter ride we took over New York City.

I had planned it for his birthday and I wanted to celebrate in a way that would be both romantic and fun, but that would also appeal to our adventurous spirits.  I didn’t want to travel too far (needed to be home for the surprise dinner I had planned), but wanted it to be more than just a visit to a fancy restaurant or bar. Taking a helicopter ride over the city is not the most inexpensive gift, but it is well-worth the money spent.

I decided to go with HeliNY, because they offered similar tours as the others, but at a better price. The tour I chose was The Ultimate Tour, which is their mid-range tour and costs about $189.00 per person for a 18-20 minute tour.

These tours give a wonderful bird’s-eye view of the island of Manhattan. In text it may seem like 18-20 minutes is not long, but what you get to see in the time makes it feel like you got so much more.

The day of our tour was an incredible one, it was sunny and warm and just gorgeous. We really lucked out because had there been any fog, or rain like there has been lately in the city, we wouldn’t have been able to see anything!

We took off from Pier 6 near the South Street Seaport, and  got an up-close view of the Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge, South Street Seaport, Governors Island and Ellis Island. We went up the Hudson River, as far up as to our neighborhood of Washington Heights and close to the George Washington Bridge and Harlem.

We saw the Chrysler and Empire State Buildings, World Financial Center, Chelsea Piers, Jacob Javits Convention Center, the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, Time Warner Center and Central Park. And didn’t miss the New Jersey Coast including the Goldman Sachs Tower, Colgate Clock, Liberty State Park and caught a view of Ground Zero.

I made the reservation and paid online, and when I got to the heliport I waited only briefly before our helicopter took off. We were in luck because no one else had reserved a helicopter at the same time as us, so we got to enjoy it just us two, plus the pilot of course.

There are many other helicopter tour companies out there which are worth the try. This particular one was simply the one I chose for us and which we had a happy experience with. If you are going to indulge in a wonderful New York City experience, than I say this is it. It has been an unforgettable one for us and one I think people, whether they live here or are just visiting, should try at least once.

For more adventurous gift ideas check out Three Awesome Gift Ideas for The Adventurous Spirit.

 

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Carol Cain

Brooklyn native Carol is happiest when on an adventure, whether close to home or farther away. She is a small business owner and travel writer. In addition to creating Girl Gone Travel, she is the Founder and Principal of Brave World Media, a social media marketing, communications, and branding agency. She's mom to three wonderful sons and wife to a handsome Irish/Scot. She lives, works, and plays in the beautiful Finger Lakes region of NY.

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8 Comments
  • Bicultural Mama
    May 23, 2011

    How romantic! What a wonderful gift and you took great pictures!

    Reply
    • Carol Cain
      Bicultural Mama
      May 23, 2011

      Thank you!!

      Reply
  • S. Yissele Gallo
    May 23, 2011

    Hi Carol!!! I like your blog, this post is wonderful!!! Beautiful Pics!!! I Love NYC too!!!! Namaste!

    Reply
    • Carol Cain
      S. Yissele Gallo
      May 24, 2011

      Thank you Yissele!

      Reply
  • Yoli Ouiya
    May 24, 2011

    That looks like fun and terrifying at the same time…but now I have to do it sooner than later. Ty for sharing.

    Reply
    • Carol Cain
      Yoli Ouiya
      May 24, 2011

      Yes Yoli! Fun and terrifying! You won't regret it : ))

      Reply
  • Elisa
    February 17, 2012

    That sounds awesome! If we ever move back to NY, I definitely want to do that!!

    Reply
    • Carol Cain
      Elisa
      February 18, 2012

      Yes Elisa! A must!!

      Reply

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About me

Hi! I'm Carol! I am an award-winning travel blogger, a keynote speaker, and the Principal and owner of Brave World Media, a social media marketing, communications, and branding agency. I a wife to a handsome Irish/Scot and a mom to 3 sons and 2 puppies. Welcome to my blog where I share stories of my travels and professional public relations insights and advice. Thank you for reading and for your support!

Carol Cain

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Every time I’m in NYC I feel both a longing for Every time I’m in NYC I feel both a longing for it and a relief to not be living here full time.

I love that there are still communities holding on to remaining close knit, authentic, and supportive of each other. Nowhere anywhere can compete with the diversity - food, people, languages - all of it. 😭

The access to creativity…and if you come in the spring (or in the fall) it’s magic. 

But…there is so much that remains inaccessible to so many. The inequality and economic disparities are glaring and any sense of balance is a dream, with so many living paycheck to paycheck trying to get their heads above water.

Don’t get me wrong. I love it here. I miss it, and feel so damn lucky that I can come and get my fix, see family, visit with friends any time I want without a hassle. It is my city and I’d be mad if someone talked sh*t about it 😂😂 But I get it. It’s tough. But that’s why I love fellow city folks too, because we’re tougher.

Grateful for everything life in the Finger Lakes has gifted us. We remain so happy to have made the move and have built such a dream life there. And also that my city is a short drive away. ♥️

#nyc #lifeinnyc
New York City moment: This poor hawk was just tr New York City moment: 

This poor hawk was just trying to have its breakfast when a large audience not only gathered to watch it, but also proceeded to mislabel it calling it an eagle. The insult. 😂 

One lady to her male partner:
 Her: “Omg. I didn’t know eagles ate other birds!”
Male partner: “Of course eagles do! They are predators!”
Me: 💀💀

#nyclife #nycmoment #nyc
Last night I explored the @tinbuilding located in Last night I explored the @tinbuilding located in the historic South St Seaport of Manhattan on Pier 17. 

This 53,000-square foot, two-story market really is a beautiful culinary destination. Shop for everything from delightful sweets, unique spices and aromatics, olive oils, coffee, and other artisan goods. Eat everything from vegan to seafood, pastas, and meats. Or, like I did, spend time with friends at any one of their eateries.

This marketplace opened in September 28, 2022, by French Chef and restaurant owner Jean-Georges Vongerichten and is helping to bring new life to a beloved NYC neighborhood that has continuously worked to recover after the devastation of Hurricane Sandy.

I absolutely indulged in shopping at this market, loved my dining experience at Frenchman’s Dough, and can’t wait to go back.

#nyceats #upscalemarketplace #tinbuilding #iloveny
This photo is 12 years old. Hahaha...can you tell? This photo is 12 years old. Hahaha...can you tell? This memory. I had just started blogging not too long before (2008!!!)...and was already experiencing so many accolades, a surge of opportunities, success, and growth. I honestly could not believe my life then; I had entered this space so blindly. I just wanted to share my insights with my family, not realizing it would reach so many more. And I certainly had NO idea how far it would take my family AND me. My goodness.

I recently sent my CV...yup, my whole resume, to someone who requested it, and in doing so, I seriously thought, "Oh, they're not going to think I've accomplished enough in my professional life." Instead, in the following interview, they expressed being in awe of all I have done and continue to do. "You are BUSY!" Though these hardworking-but-never-hard-enough immigrant genes don't always allow me to appreciate all I have accomplished, photos like these take me back to this moment that truly says, "Damn, girl. YOU DID THAT." Thank you to all the readers and followers who uplifted me and my work over these 10+ years and continue to do so. It's been an incredible adventure!
If you are a foodie traveler, Madison, WI is a des If you are a foodie traveler, Madison, WI is a destination for you. This list of good eats were all within close proximity to each other and spots we made time for during our short weekend visit. So definitely note that this doesn’t even begin to cover the tip of the iceberg, but makes a good starter list!

📍@ShortStackEats in the heart of Downtown Madison is clearly a UW favorite. Loved their pancakes! We thought it was a pricey for breakfast, and only offered drip coffee, but the scene was fun, food was good, and service was friendly.
📍@SardineMadison is a waterfront French bistro that has stood the test of time (we’ve been coming here since we lived in Madison!). It can feel very corporate some nights, but their Happy Hour and brunch are definite highlights and it’s a really nice dining experience overall.
📍@EatattheAudrey impressed us! It’s not your usual “hotel restaurant” and I would say it easily stands alone as an eatery worth checking out in Madison. Great breakfast options, cozy vibes, nice bar, and good service!
📍@RamenStation1124 good, affordable ramen.
📍BlindShotSocialClub We really loved this spot for brunch (sorry, was enjoying the company and totally spaced out on capturing food images!). Golf fans will love hitting the putt here (you can reserve a private room too), and what I though was most cool was the delicious and wide selection of non-alcoholic cocktails to choose from. This place is a total vibe!
📍@StringsRamen is a chain, but I have to say it is some of the best ramen I have had in a long time. I especially loved how you can choose your ramen but heat level but also by Japanese region which allowed us to taste a couple of new flavors!
📍@Parthenongyros has been around awhile (hubby recalls coming here during his college years!) and was voted #1 take out in Madison! Though we indulged inside and away from the snow. A delicious, quick bite when strolling around State Street.

And again, this is just a starter list. There is so much more to eat and enjoy in this top foodie city! What other spots would you add to this list?

#madisonwi #foodiegram #foodiedestinations #goodeats @destinationmadison
I love to travel. It has always been important to I love to travel. It has always been important to my family. My parents got my first passport weeks after I was born. They couldn’t afford to travel like I do now, but they understood, as immigrants, the absolute privilege that comes attached to having that shiny blue American booklet and they wanted me to have it.

I was yet again reminded of my privilege when my travel back home on this last trip was delayed over 24 hours. I have a village in place to make sure my kids were ok. Having my own business meant I didn’t have to report in to anyone, and was still able to work remotely so none of my clients were inconvenienced by it. Though the airline covered our hotel and food, we never worried that we couldn’t do it ourselves otherwise. While we were annoyed, we weren’t stressed.

So while I love to travel, and I love sharing my travels with you, I acknowledge that being able to do so, and dealing with the consistent travel disruptions so prevalent today without worries is a privilege…one that started with a little blue booklet that gives me more access to the world than some others do.

And I want us all in this travel space to be reminded of this. Of how lucky we are. Of our privilege to access and time and money.

So let us travel with grace and awareness. Let us remain rooted in reality and perspective. Acknowledging that our escapism isn’t one so easily accessible to others. Understanding that this is also why local stories have as much value as those to exclusive destinations, if not more. And, never forgetting, especially in the travel influencer and media space, that were it not for hosted campaigns and paid-for travel opportunities, most of us wouldn’t be able to afford the lifestyle we so beautifully curate online.

It doesn’t matter how often you travel, or how far. Just that hopefully you will be able to gift yourself the experience of doing so and experiencing something new.

#travel #travelmedia #travelinfluencer #wheretonext

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