What I did: Niagara Falls- The United States and Canada each have their side of Niagara Falls. Coming from Toronto, I visited the Canadian side of the falls. Those coming from the United States rode past the falls on the Maid of the Mist, while those coming from the Canadian side (like me) rode on the Hornblower. The falls are very impressive, and worth checking out if you get the chance. Niagara-on-the-Lake- Niagara-on-the-Lake is a charming little town near Niagara Falls. It doesn't take long to walk through the town because it is so small. If I visit the falls again I would try to stay here. Visited a Winery- There are many different vineyards in Ontario, and there are also schools that allow student to study subjects related to wine and wine making. Canada offers a unique style of wine known as "Ice Wine." It was too sweet for me, but I was glad to get the opportunity to try it. Where I ate and drank: Sunset Grill- Sunset Grill is a nice cafe in the town of Niagara-on-the-Lake. They also have other locations in Canada. It is a nice place to get a quality, well priced bite to eat. The Exchange Brewery- The Exchange Brewery serves quality craft beer in Niagara-on-the-Lake. They offer flights, pints, and take home options as well. Grand View Restaurant- The Grand View Restaurant is right next to the falls. While it did have a nice view, the food was overpriced and not particularly high quality. I went with some friends so we could get out of the rain that swept into the area. In retrospect, it would have been worth it to walk up the hill to some of the other surrounding restaurants. Where I stayed and how I got around: I went to Niagara on a group tour that left from my hostel (Planet Traveller) in Toronto. In hindsight, it would probably have been worth it to just take a local bus as transportation. However, the tour guide did provide some context and there were some other perks such as cutting to the front of the line when we arrived at the falls. Also, it conveniently picked us up directly from our hostel. My favorite thing:
The falls are very impressive, and I really enjoy the opportunity to see them up close. My least favorite thing: Besides the falls, I did not get to see much of the surrounding area. If I went back I would like to explore more of the area around the falls. For next time: In addition to exploring the surrounding area, if I go to Niagara Falls again it would be fun to try the zip line they offer there.
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After writing my Chicago blog, I realized it was probably too long. As New York City is enormous, I have decided to split it into different posts. The previous post covered the Queens and Brooklyn Boroughs. This post covers Manhattan. What I did: Central Park- Central Park is a famous, enormous park in the middle of Manhattan. It is a nice area to go for a walk, ride a bike, relax, read a book, or have a picnic. High Line- The High Line is a renovated section of an old train line. It has been turned into a park/garden that goes down the southwest side of Manhattan. As with Central Park, it is also a great place to walk, relax, read a book, or have a picnic. It is not set up well for bikers, but it offers some great views. Times Square- Times Square is a New York City icon. The bright lights attract tourists from all over the world. It is worth walking through once, but there are other areas in New York that I prefer to spend my time at. Empire State Building- While not the tallest building in the world or even in the United States, at 102 stories tall, the Empire State Building is on the list of tallest buildings in the world. It provides some great views of the city of New York. I went after dark so I could see the city lit up, and I had almost no wait in line. Where I ate and drank: Shake Shack- Shake Shack is an iconic New York fast food company. While they take much more care with the sourcing and quality of their food, they are still not the healthiest option. However, it is worth a try when in New York. Russ & Daughters Cafe- Russ & Daughters Cafe serves some very high quality food. However, their prices are also a little high. Rise Brewing Company- Rise Brewing Company is just a hole in the wall coffee spot that has no indoor area and just a bench outside. However, it is the best cup of coffee I have had in Manhattan and one of the best cups of coffee I have had anywhere. Please Don't Tell- Located inside of Crif Dogs hot dog shop (who claim to serve "NYC's #1 Weiner) is a telephone booth. After dialing the correct number, the back of the phone booth opens up into a high quality cocktail bar. It is definitely worth checking out. Death & Company- Death & Company is an outstanding, high quality cocktail bar. The drinks aren't cheap, but they are worth it. Employees Only- Similar in quality and price to PDT and Death & Co, Employees Only is another high quality cocktail bar. They have also opened a location in Miami, Florida. 10 Below Ice Cream- 10 Below Ice Cream serves their ice cream rolled "Thai style" by placing the mixture on a cold plate and freezing it in front of your eyes. The novelty of it was cool, but in terms of flavor there are better options in Manhattan. Ample Hills Creamery- While 10 Below won the novelty ice cream battle, Ample Hills won the taste test. They serve excellent ice cream and offered great service and recommendations while I was there. B Flat- B Flat is a nice, minimally marked jazz bar. They have high quality drinks and food, but also have high prices. The music and setting were very nice. Coffee Project New York- Coffe Project is a nice coffee shop in New York City. The coffee was good, but not the best I had while in Manhattan. The staff was very nice, and the cafe was small and cozy. William Barnacle Tavern- William Barnacle Tavern is an interesting place. They opened prior to prohibition, and Al Capone is known to have frequented the location. Currently they serve two specialties: absinthe and crepes. They are also connected to the American Gangster Museum. With their history and their lack of television they have a unique ambiance that facilitates conversation. The Back Room- The Back Room is another one of the only places currently open in New York that was in operation during prohibition. The speakeasy still serves their drinks in teacups. The vintage ambiance has been maintained, and the drinks are high quality. McSorley's Old Ale House- If you want good food and drink at great prices, McSorley's is a good place to start. The staff was amazing, and the location has been open since 1854. Famous historic figures such as Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, and E. E. Cummings have visited the Ale House. The cash only bar offers two drink options (ale or porter), and serves them in pairs. The historic bar and its sawdust floors are worth a visit when in Manhattan. The Cannibal- For a place named The Cannibal, it was not a surprise that I was able to eat lamb heart tartare while watching No Country for Old Men. They also feature a large selection of craft beers that can be purchased to take home or to drink on site. The Dead Rabbit- Located in Lower (south) Manhattan in the Wall Street area, The Dead Rabbit has received numerous awards from many organizations. They were voted as the "World's Best Bar" of 2016 by Drinks International after receiving the title of "Best Bar in North America" in 2013, 2014, and 2015. The bar is outfitted with sawdust floors and features excellent cocktails that are relatively low priced. Marta- Marta is a high quality pizza place and Italian restaurant. It is not extremely cheap, but the quality is very good. Oddfellows Ice Cream- Oddfellows is an inventive ice cream place with locations throughout the New York City area. They offer unique, rotating flavors of ice cream. NY Pizza Suprema- Across the street from Madison Square Garden, NY Pizza Suprema is a nice place to try New York style pizza. It is not particularly heathy, but it is tasty and inexpensive. Where I stayed and how I got around:
To see more details on where I stayed and how I got around, visit my post on Queens and Brooklyn. My favorite thing: New York offers many different options. They have a nice amount of places to get quality food, drink, and entertainment. My least favorite thing: New York is massive, to the point that it feels too big to me. Also, it is a relatively expensive city. For next time: Next time in Manhattan I would like to try out some more places to get food and drink, and I would like to go to the "Top of the Rock." I would also like to spend more time in Lower Manhattan and visit the Statue of Liberty. After writing my Chicago blog, I realized it was probably too long. As New York City is enormous, I have decided to split it into different posts. This post covers the Queens and Brooklyn Boroughs. The following post will cover Manhattan. What I did: Flushing Meadows Park (Queens)- Flushings Meadows Park is a very nice and very large park. There are many sports fields, fountains, and walking trails. The USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, which hosts the US Open tennis championships, is located next to the park. Also next to the park is Citi Field, the home field for the New York Mets baseball team. Long Island City YMCA (Queens)- The Long Island City YMCA was a nice place to workout, and was only a short walk from my hostel. Long Island City Graffiti (Queens)- Long Island City has a nice amount of good graffiti throughout the area. It was fun to just walk around and admire the art. East River (Brooklyn)- As part of New York City's public transportation, there is a ferry that connects Brooklyn and Manhattan over the east river. It was a nice, scenic (and inexpensive) ride across the river. Where I ate and drank: Toby's Estate Coffee Roasters (Brooklyn)- Toby's Estate Coffee Roasters served me the best cup of coffee I have had in Brooklyn or Queens. Their nitro cold brew was excellent, and they have a cool environment in their shop. Brooklyn Roasting Company (Brooklyn)- Brooklyn Roasting Company had a good nitro cold brew coffee. The location I went to didn't have much to offer in terms of a cafe, but the coffee was good. Lhasa Fast Food (Queens)- Although tough to find, Lhasa Fast Food serves excellent Tibetan food for good prices. Located right around the corner from the Roosevelt Ave/Jackson Heights metro station, it is a small restaurant, and the air conditioning does not work very well. However, if you can find it by going past the cell phone store you will be rewarded with some tasty food. Yu Garden Dumpling House (Queens)- Yu Garden Dumpling House is a very good dumpling place in Queens. The food was very tasty and relatively inexpensive. Dos Toros Taqueria (Brooklyn)- Dos Toros Taqueria is similar to the Chipotle Mexican grill restaurants. They offer some customizable choices for relatively good prices. It is a very nice place to have lunch in the Brooklyn area. Birch Coffee (Queens)- Birch Coffee is the best coffee shop I have been to in Queens. They serve quality coffee in a relaxed environment. Where I stayed: The Local NYC- One of the biggest downsides to the New York City area is the cost of accommodation. Considering the alternatives, The Local NYC was well priced, but it is still the most expensive hostel I have ever stayed in. The rooftop provided some cool views of the New York City skyline, especially at sunset. The Local NYC is fairly close to a couple metro stops in Long Island City, so it is fairly convenient to get around. How I got around:
I walked and used public transportation to go everywhere I went in Brooklyn and Queens. The ferry across the east river was an inexpensive way to get some cool views on the water. The metro runs 24 hours a day, but it is seemingly always under construction and there can be significantly long wait times for some trains. My favorite thing: The views of the New York City skyline at sunset were very nice, and there were some very good food and drink options in the area. My least favorite thing: The cost of accommodation in the area is very high. The cheapest accommodation options in the New York City area were still higher than some of the more expensive options I have come across in many other cities I have been in. For next time: Next time I would like to visit the Jamaica area and try some of the food trucks there. When traveling, eating at restaurants for every meal can cause costs to rise quickly. A good way to save money and experience local culture is visiting local grocery stores and markets. Many hostels and other accommodation rentals offer kitchen facilities. There are various amazing food markets around the world, and just walking through them can be enjoyable. Some of my personal favorite markets include the Burough Market in London, La Boqueria in Barcelona, and the Jean-Talon Market in Montreal. While some markets offer food to be eaten on site, many offer food to take home (or to a hostel or apartment) to cook. Most markets will offer fresh, local produce, fish, and meat. Grocery stores can also be a good resource when traveling. It can be an interesting cultural experience to see the similarities and differences in grocery stores in different parts of the world. You don't have to eat at restaurants for every meal when traveling. Most people make most of their meals from food they buy from grocery stores and markets, and this can still be done while traveling.
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About MeWelcome to the Healthy Explorer Blog. If you like travel stories have a look around my blog and check out my podcast— maybe you'll find an extra spark for your own adventures.
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