• About
  • Blog
  • Working together
  • Testimonials
  • Contact

Girl Gone Travel

Girl Gone Travel

North America, Travel
/
November 10, 2014

Be a Tourist and Take a Tour

Enjoyed this post? Give it some love and share!
Share

We are coming to the end of the fall foliage season in New York City. By the time Thanksgiving rolls around there will be only a few leaves left hanging, much of which will fall at the slightest gust of winter wind.

I shared a lot a fall photos last year of Central Park, my favorite place to take the colors in, but thought I would share some more with a few tidbits I learned during a tour I took.

I always recommend that you, dear readers, take tours when you travel and around your home town, because you will walk away with insight you didn’t have before. I learned something new almost every time I go on a tour and see my city, and others I visit, in a totally new way every time.

What things did I learn on this tour?

Well, I learned that Strawberry Fields, the memorial for John Lennon in Central Park, came as a petition from Yoko Ono to have a place where his fans would be able to honor his memory and give their respects, especially around the anniversary of his death. She wanted a place nearby that wasn’t in front of The Dakota, her home, as it distressed her and her then young son. She contributed a million dollars for landscaping and upkeep. The inland stones were a gift from Naples and the memorial opened to the public on October 9, 1985, what would have been John Lennon’s 45th birthday.

NYC Fallphotography_girlgonetravel

I learned that The Angel of the Waters, in the Bethesda Fountain, is by artist Emily Stebbins, who was the first woman to receive a sculptural commission in New York City for her work with this sculpture.

NYC Fallphotography_girlgonetravel

I was reminded that you need to always pay attention to the details. But in a tour, you can learn about those details more than you would on your own, like the meaning of the sculptures found near the steps of the Bethesda Fountain. This one below honors those things that go bump in the night, like on Halloween, a tradition brought to the states by the Irish.

I was reminded that you need to always pay attention to the details. But in a tour, you can learn about those details, like the meaning of the sculptures and designs, such as these one found near the steps of the Bethesda Fountain, and celebrate Halloween, a tradition brought to the states by the Irish.

The point is, I have been coming to this park for years and years, and every time I come I see something new, something different. It is with these new set of eyes that we can all learn to see our hometown. And if you are new here, or anywhere, it’s so nice to understand the culture and history behind those places you visit so that you have deeper connection with them, so that your trip becomes more meaningful.

NYC Fallphotography_girlgonetravel NYC Fallphotography_girlgonetravelNYC Fallphotography_girlgonetravel NYC Fallphotography_girlgonetravelNYC Fallphotography_girlgonetravel

As many of you prepare to visit New York City this holiday season, make sure to take the time for a tour or two and if you live here, go out and learn about your city more. There are so many stories that make it spectacular.

Thank you Triumph Hotels and Streetwise NYC for the fun afternoon.

Related

Enjoyed this post? Give it some love and share!
Share
Pin this Post
Share this Post
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.

You May Also Like...

Christmas Tree Hunting in Long Island, NY

December 12, 2008

Fort Tryon Park, Washington Heights, NY

December 10, 2008

Winter afternoon in the Bronx Zoo, NY

December 16, 2008

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Previous Post
Empowering Yourself By Defining Your Own Identity
Next Post
Behind the photo: City of Music

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

Categories

  • Asia5 Post(s)
  • Caribbean17 Post(s)
  • Central America4 Post(s)
  • Europe53 Post(s)
  • North America316 Post(s)
  • Oceana1 Post(s)

Contact

  • carol@girlgonetravel.com

Follow @girlgonetravel

I’ve been a mom for a really, really long time. I’ve been a mom for a really, really long time. As the oldest of all my many, many siblings, caring for littles started very early in my life. I have cared for, changed diapers for, fed, rocked to sleep, booboo-kissed, advised, reprimanded, worried for, been frustrated and given anxiety by more kids than I care to count. Because I started caring for children so young, I was convinced I wouldn’t have any of my own. But I had my three beautiful boys.

I miss the little babies they were, sometimes to the point where it aches, but I love seeing the men they are becoming. I am most grateful to them for the ways in which they continue to help me discover more about myself both as a mom and beyond motherhood. My identity was never fully in being a mom, I never wanted that for myself and they all have respected, accepted, and given me space for that. And I love them unconditionally for it. Because as they start to find their own paths in life, I am not left with an empty anything, instead I find myself with a life fulfilled. Of which being their mom has been the greatest adventure.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the amazing mother figures, caregivers, and humans who have provided for another in loving, maternal ways regardless of biology and traditional roles and societal expectations. ♥️ May you find fulfillment, love, and joy in the ways you have tried to give to others who needed it most.
The Village of Monticello is located right off NYS The Village of Monticello is located right off NYS Route 17 (future I-86), mid-way between New York City and Binghamton. It is also the largest community of the Sullivan County Catskills. Like many rural downtowns across the U.S., Monticello has experienced some hardships. However, what I found especially lovely was how there is a vibrant BIPOC community, especially Latino, thriving with their small businesses and eateries keeping Downtown Monticello alive.

Imagine my delight to have seen several Dominican- Puerto Rican eateries serving and sounding like a slice of home. Last night’s treat was had at @nellys_latin_restaurant. 

Roasted pernil, grilled chicken, rice and peas, yuca, sweet plantains, ox tail, goat….the list goes on and on. Right here in Monticello, NY. I ate and washed it all down with a cool papaya shake, just like from the islands.

So, if driving through, be sure to check out downtown Monticello for some good Caribbean eats…and wait till I tell you about breakfast!!! Thanks @nickfingdavis for the find! 🇩🇴🇵🇷

#monticellony #catskills #goodeats @sullivancatskills
Nothing like the beautiful golden hour in @flxwine Nothing like the beautiful golden hour in @flxwinecountry.🌞

#myflx
These days you will find me walking in the rain, c These days you will find me walking in the rain, chasing waterfalls, and anything nature filled. Such is spring in the Finger Lakes 🌷

#fingerlakes #lifeinthefingerlakes #cascadillagorge #ithacany
I sometimes can’t believe how easily I fell in l I sometimes can’t believe how easily I fell in love with this life.

There was a time when my DREAM was to be one of those old NYC ladies living in a 4 story walk-up, and who people would often see pulling around her shopping cart from market to market. And while I long for a NYC that barely exists anymore, I do have to say I am still often surprised at how dramatically that dream has changed.

Now I dream of uninterrupted days spent tending to my garden and growing food and other pretty greenery I never knew I could. Or figuring out new recipes and sitting by the fire with my puppies on my lap.

I crave mornings made foggy by the adjacent lake, and early wake-ups by the sound of the passing horse and buggy on Sunday mornings.

Yeah. The world is big and there is so much I want to see still but I also love this place where it feels like nothing else matters, not even the mud on my hands and boots.

📸 Gardening bliss on a rainy day at @theflxcottage.
Yesterday, we headed to @tanglewood_nature_center Yesterday, we headed to @tanglewood_nature_center to scout a photography location. The focus was work. But as we took the 3 mile hike to the overlook, through the mud, in the rain…and the sun, because spring, and as the birds sung, the woodpeckers pecked, and the deer strutted, I felt myself feel lighter, happier, and at ease. With just a walk, in this beautiful place. Alongside my beautiful partner.

If you call the Finger Lakes home, I hope you can also appreciate it and the gifts it offers, even when we least expect it. And if you need a reminder, just go outside.

#tanglewoodnaturecenter #fingerlakes

Copyright © 2023 Girl Gone Travel | Privacy Policy | Copyright Notice