Historic City of Boston

 

Boston is one of the oldest cities in the US.

The best way to start and to get an overview of the city is to hop on a trolley. The Upper Deck Trolley Tours give you a chance to hop on and off all day and take you to 21 historical stops.

If you like to walk, then take the Freedom Trail, which is a 2.5 mile, brick-lined route that leads you to 16 historical sites.

When you get hungry, head to the Quincy Market (below), which offers variety of foods including desserts.

 

For more information visit:

http://bostonsupertours.com/

http://www.thefreedomtrail.org/

http://www.faneuilhallmarketplace.com/

Hudson River Waterfront Walkway, NJ

The Hudson River Waterfront Walkway goes from Bayonne, past Liberty State Park and the Statue of Liberty all the way north into Hoboken and is over 18.5 miles long. Hop on a bicycle to enjoy it all.

My favorite part of the boardwalk is in Newport (below), which offers not only panoramic views of Manhattan, but also gives a feeling of a small community.

 

For more information visit:

http://www.hudsonriverwaterfront.org/

http://www.destinationjerseycity.com/vendors/hudson-river-waterfront-walkway/

http://www.newportnj.com/amenities/parks-walkway

The Liberty State Park, NJ

The Liberty State Park is a waterfront park of approximately 300 acres developed for public recreation.  

The Liberty Walk promenade stretches for 1.3 miles offering magnificent views of the NYC skyline, the Statue of Liberty and the Ellis Island. You can walk or bike as well as fish at the promenade. Off the promenade, picnic areas with tables are provided. Ferry services are available to both islands.

Within the park The Liberty Science Center offers interactive exhibits that focus on invention, health, and the environment.

 

For more information visit http://www.libertystatepark.org/

Mystic, CT

 

Mystic, CT, is known for two things: pizza and the seaport with the historic museum.

‘Mystic Pizza’ starring Julia Roberts made Mystic a very popular destination. You can still grab a slice of pizza and watch the famous movie at the famous pizzeria (below).

Mystic Seaport – The Museum of America and the Sea is the nation’s leading maritime museum. You can aboard historic ships and stroll through a re-created 19^th century village (below).

At the Olde Mystic Village you can step back into the 1700s. Experience early American charm with over 60 quaint shoppes in a colonial New England style setting.

For more information, visit http://mystic.org/

The CliffWalk in Newport, RI

 

The CliffWalk stretches for 3.5 miles along the eastern shore of Newport, RI. The walk combines the natural beauty of the rocky shoreline with the architectural marvels of Newport’s gilded age. The trail was designed in 1975 as a National Recreation Trail. The trail starts at Easton’s Beach (Memorial Blvd) and ends at Bailey’s Beach (Bellevue Ave) with many exits along the trail.

The CliffWalk is one of the main attractions in Newport with historic mansions and busy downtown full of quaint shops.

 

For more information, visit http://cliffwalk.com/

The Newport Mansions, RI

The Newport Mansions of Rhode Island consist of nine mansions, plus The Breakers Stable and Carriage House, Green Animals Topiary Garden, and the Newport Mansions Museum Store.

“Each house you visit is an authentic icon of one of the great eras of American history. Hunter House was here when the Battle of Bunker Hill was fought; Chateau-sur-Mer saw the age of global commerce by American clipper ships like Flying Cloud; and The Beakers opened as the Vanderbilt’s latest achievement in the era in which railroads revolutionized the nation much the way jet-liners and the internet would a century later.”

Hunter House offers exquisite colonial furniture

Chateau-Sur-Mer offers hand-carved Italian woodwork, Chinese porcelain and collections of rare trees

The Breakers – the 70-room summer estate of Cornelius Vanderbilt’s interiors feature rare marble, alabaster and gilded woods throughout

The Elms houses monumental art works, including wall-sized Venetian paintings, Chinese Lacquer panels and tapestries

Rosecliff offers audio tour bringing you closer to the lives of Rosecliff’s families. The house also includes the Victorian Wardrobe exhibit featuring historic costume collections designed by the great Parisian couturier Charles Frederick Worth

Marble House also offers audio tour, the house contains 500,000 cubic feet of marble, an ultimate statement of Gilded Age privilege

Kingscote still possesses original rooms from each era featuring Tiffany glass, rare furniture, silver collections, and Chinese decorative arts

Chepstow is a charming Italianate-style cottage containing original family furnishings, a collection of the 19^th century American paintings including Hudson River landscape

Isaac Bell House is a masterpiece of the American Shingle-Style featuring open floor plan

The Isaac Bell House with Kingscote “illustrate Newport’s evolution as a premier place for great design, fine living, and the creation of a distinctly American style of architecture.”

Green Animals Topiary Garden includes dozens of fanciful animals, a sailing ship, teacups, spirals and other geometric shapes.

 

For more information including special events, visit www.NewportMansions.org

Elephant Festival of Jaipur, India

Elephant Festival is celebrated in the city of Jaipur, where it is the most popular festival in India on the day of Holi in March. Holi means spring religious festival of colors, which engages people in throwing colored powder or water at each other. Jaipur dedicated this spring festival of colors to elephants, celebrating the royal past of the city when royals entered ceremonies on beautifully dressed elephants. In the Indian culture, elephants are symbol of royalty. The festival starts with parade of elephants painted with bright colors, decorated trunks and saddle cloths, and adorned with beautiful jewelry. The most magnificently decorated elephant receives an award. The festival comes alive with elephants accompanied by dancers and musicians. This spectacular event combined with spring festival is the most colorful and exciting festival in India, which kids keenly await. This event attracts people from around the world.

http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/photography/photo-of-the-day/elephant-festival-jaipur-india/

http://www.festivalsofindia.in/elephant/