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Top Ideas to Enjoy a Romantic Trip in NYC With your Partner

New York City is a great place to spark a little romance. So here are a few ideas to try next time you are in the Big Apple…
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An ideal romantic getaway is one that the couple will remember for years to come. Here, we provide you with information on where to find the best places to eat, drink, stroll under the moonlight, where to find luggage storage nyc and how to enjoy a perfect romantic getaway in NYC with your partner. Keep reading to find out the top romantic ideas that will wow your partner.

1. A Dinner Cruise

There is something about dining in the night and seeing the skyline and the stars that add a touch of fantasy to this romantic getaway. You can even find a dinner cruise in NYC that offers you a four-course meal along with some really cool music and dancing. You can choose from different themes such as “Champagne Cruises” or choose to go for sightseeing cruises, harbor tours, etc. So pick what suits your taste and enjoy a memorable dinner date on water.

2. Taking A Trip To The Hamptons Or Montauk

Traveling to and from NYC takes up a lot of your time, so you need to figure out a weekend trip that won’t take up too much time. Then the best way is to go out east from NYC and explore some really cool places such as The Hamptons or Montauk. These beach towns offer a laid-back environment with beautiful beaches and some great food options like seafood, Italian cuisine, etc. There are also many local activities for couples like kayaking, horse riding, etc. Plus they aren’t that crowded which will give you and your partner some quality time together.

3. A Trip To The Cloisters Museum Or Gardens

This museum is an excellent option for couples who love art and architecture. It’s located right in Fort Tryon Park and offers some of the most beautiful landscaping work. The interiors of the museum are designed keeping in mind ancient European art and architecture, which you will love. The Cloisters Museum was opened to the public in 1938 and covers some 20 acres of land, so there is enough room to explore the outdoor part as well. And if you’re visiting on a Sunday, it offers free admission, so that’s another reason to go there with your partner on a weekend trip!

4. A Trip To Brooklyn Bridge Park

This park is one of my favorite places for spending time leisurely with friends or family. It has some beautiful landscaping work done at the entrance, which gives you an idea about what’s coming up. The most popular section of this park is “Jane’s Carousel”. It has been acquired by the city and will remain here for the next 25 years. This carousel is one of the best examples of old-world craftsmanship, and you can choose to spend some time riding upon it with your partner. The landscape around the carousel will take you back in time, so all in all, it’s a perfect place for couples who love history. And if you want to do some exercise as well, there are also tennis courts nearby where you can play with your partner or meet other like-minded individuals.

5. A Trip To The MOMA

If you and your partner are a big fans of paintings, then you must visit the Museum of Modern Art in NYC with them. This museum is one of the most popular museums in New York City and has a collection of more than 100,000 works of art including paintings, sculptures, etc. You can spend hours admiring these art pieces without realizing how time flies! You can also choose to go on special evenings where classical music concerts are held. Plus, since it’s located right at the heart of midtown Manhattan, there are lots of eateries nearby so that you can have lunch or dinner together before or after visiting this museum.

6. A Trip To The Central Park Zoo Or The Brooklyn Animal Farm

If your partner loves animals, then head out to the Central Park Zoo or the Brooklyn Animal Farm. These are fun places where your partner can enjoy animal rides, feed them and spend some quality time with their favorite animals. The Central Park Zoo is a great option for those who want to go on a weekend trip since it offers free admission on most days. Plus there is lots of greenery and landscaping workaround so you and your partner can also take a nice long walk in this park after visiting the zoo.

There are many great places to visit in New York City with your partner. The options mentioned above should give you a nice starting point. Make your plan of action and go explore this beautiful city full of magic.

Make your visit a truly wonderful one by storing any unnecessary bags at luggage storage Port Authority.

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How To Choose A Bathtub

A long and soothing bath is the ultimate relaxation after a long, hard day’s work in the modern world. The entire bathing experience can become arduous and cumbersome if your bathtub is extremely worn out and dysfunctional. Victoria Plum has some of the latest designs and materials for bathtubs you can want. But do you understand the practicality and performance of the choices of bathtubs available to you?

Consider the following factors before purchasing a new bathtub to add to your bathroom.

Correctly Determine The Dimensions Of A Bathtub

The size of the bathtub is one of the most crucial factors when purchasing a new bathtub. The easiest way to go about this is to purchase the same size bathtub if you already have one. The following are UK standard bathtub sizes

    1. Small Bath Size:         1,400mm to 1,500mm length X          700mm width
    2. Average Bath Size:    1,700mm length                           X          700mm width
    3. Large Bath Size:         1,800mm length                           X          800mm width

The standard height for a UK bathtub is 550mm and it will have a capacity of 200 litres. The following are the steps you need to follow to measure for a bathtub.

    1. Select the area of the bathroom where you will place the tub. If there is a door close to it, consider how far the door opens.
    2. Measure The Length: Measure the distance next to the wall where the bathtub will be placed. The measurement will often be from one corner of the wall to the other corner.
    3. Measure The Width: From the longest wall, measure the vertical space where the bathtub will be placed. Remember that there should not be anything in the way such as cabinets, fixtures, or a basin.
    4. Measure the Height: Measure the distance from the floor to the top edge of the bathtub. This measurement will be especially handy if you need to install a bath panel.

The bathtub will sit just beneath the tiles if you have tiled walls. This means that there might be a little variation in size in the measurements you have taken and actual sizes. Finally, measure your bathroom door to make sure that the bathtub can fit through the bathroom door. It might sound obvious, but a lot of people often make this mistake and realize it when it’s too late.

The Benefits & Drawbacks Of Bathtub Materials

Bathtubs can be made from many different materials and each material has its advantages and disadvantages. You can even find wooden bathtubs that claim to be functional for a long time to come but that is just not true. Here we look at some of the more practical options for bathtub materials.

Acrylic: This is a lightweight material that is sufficiently durable and has good insulative properties. This is a very affordable choice and can be easily repaired. This is not a very fancy option because it can get scratched and stained.

Cast Iron: A cast iron bathtub is an investment in an extremely durable and long-lasting material. Cast iron bathtubs come in many different designs and are extremely good at keeping hot water warm. The drawback of this material is that it is extremely heavy.

Fibreglass: This is also an affordable and popular option but it is not so good of an insulator. Fibreglass will be a practical option in warmer areas. Fibreglass can be scratched and stained easily over time.

Marble: Marble is one of the best materials for a bathtub but it will require maintenance every now and then. A customized marble bathtub can be extremely expensive.

Steel: A steel bathtub looks like a cast iron bathtub but it is not as durable as cast iron. Steel bathtubs can chip easily as they get older. This might not be the best option if you want your bathwater to stay warm.

5 Tips To Make a Large Family Vacation Work for Everyone!

A family vacation is one of the great experiences in life, but if you want to include grandparents, cousins, and everybody in between, there are a few things you need to remember… CONTINUE READING >>

Everybody is now at the point where they’re looking forward to going on vacation again. And now you may be thinking about bringing the entire family onboard. A family vacation is one of those great experiences in life, but if you want to extend the invitation further out and have a massive family vacation with grandparents, cousins, and everybody in between, there’s a few things you need to remember.

Check for Accessibility and Safety

One of the great benefits of most booking platforms is that you can learn from other guests’ experiences. If there is an auntie or grandparent that needs a fully accessible bathroom, will the accommodation provide this? Additionally, you will need to think about accessibility in terms of travel. Many people opt for specialized vehicles in this respect, but there are also many charter buses that provide accessibility. And in terms of the family vacation, this means that you will all be traveling together, which will be great for the family bonding.

Book a Larger Place Than You Need

It’s tempting to think that you can just book one big self-serve destination, but it’s best to find places that have one extra bedroom than you need. This is for the very simple reason that if you’ve got a dozen family members under one roof, it can provide a quiet space, but also, the more rooms you have in the accommodation, the more bathrooms and living spaces there will be. Also, it provides sufficient storage. It’s important to have a living space with more living rooms, but always make sure you do your homework and check the reviews and photos.

Think of Ways to Save Time

Flexibility is important during your vacation, and if you decide to rent cars, you may want to think about two different vehicles rather than a minivan, this is especially true if you have a lot of teenagers or younger adults because this means that there are two distinct camps of traveler, which will make the journey a bit more age-appropriate, and they won’t be as many culture clashes!

Find Activities That Everyone Will Enjoy

It sounds obvious, but if there are young children coming on vacation as well as your octogenarian grandparents, you need to have a number of activities that everybody can enjoy. It’s important for family members to split up and do their own thing, but when there are activities that everybody can take part in, for example, board games, it is a great way for everyone to interact.

Make Plenty of Memories

Finally, don’t forget that this is an occasion for the entire family you are not going to experience again, either due to aging family members, or the fact it was too stressful to organize! Make sure that you take plenty of photos, and you can make a photo album or an online collage. A picture of your grandmother laughing with one of the children or your pet licking the baby’s ice cream is going to be an amazing memory that you will forever treasure!

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How to Plan Your Dream Trip

It can be easy to have that dream trip as something to do someday, but you can plan that trip you’ve always envisioned by following these simple steps… CONTINUE READING >>

Have you always wanted to lie on a Caribbean beach? Maybe the ski slopes of Aspen are more your style, or perhaps you’ve always wanted to spend a week in Paris or Tokyo. It can be easy to keep that one dream trip dangling as a someday, but too often, that’s all people ever do. You don’t have to be one of them. Even if you’ve never planned anything more complicated than a weekend at your family’s cabin by the lake, you can plan that trip you’ve always envisioned by following the steps below.

Consider Your Options

First, what kind of a trip do you want to take? For example, if the Caribbean beach is your dream, do you want to stay at an all-inclusive resort? Do you want to go with someone, or on our your own? Do you want to sign up for a tour? What kind of accommodations do you hope to have? Will you spend most of your time in museums and eating at fancy restaurants, or are you more into nightclubs and street food? Be realistic about what you will enjoy, but don’t be afraid to push yourself out of your comfort zone either.

Start Saving

Knowing what kind of a trip you want to take will give you a ballpark idea of how much money you’ll need. This is all you really need to start saving. If you’ve never tried to make or stick to a budget before, this is a good time to start. The trip will be a great reward for your diligence. Tracking your spending using an app can tell you where your money is going and help you figure out where to cut back. There are many different ways to lower your monthly expenses. For example, if you have student loans, you could refinance them with a private lender and pay less each month, using the difference to help you pay for the trip of your dreams. You could also go out less, shop less, cook at home more and find other little ways to put aside cash for your trip.

Do the Research

If you love spontaneity, you might shy away from this step, but rest assured that research and planning won’t take away your opportunity to be impulsive. In fact, it could make it easier to travel on the fly since you’ll be aware of things like what kind of prices you can expect, when public transportation is running and whether there are safety precautions you should be aware of. There’s a wealth of information available online, from forums and social media groups to travel blogs and more.

Keep in mind that information is only as good as the person providing it, so you shouldn’t necessarily rely on the advice of a random person on an online forum. However, there are people who became travel bloggers who have staked their reputation on their reliability. Guidebooks can still be a good source of information as well, but since they can’t be as timely as the internet, be sure to double check any of the information you find in them that you’re relying on.

We are happy to present this collaborative post to offer valuable information to our readers.

A Location Shared Is A Travel Problem Halved Where Your Bank Is Concerned

Sharing your location with your bank as you travel can help you enjoy the monetary ease and benefits that have remained frustratingly out of reach on trips until now… CONTINUE READING >>

Money can often be a worry when we travel, and not just because of the cost of our trips themselves. Uncertainty regarding spending budgets is also a problem for many, and can open us to either high exchange rates or hidden card fees.

Luckily, as on-the-go online banking continues to increase in popularity, many travelers are discovering an unexpected way around these setbacks, and it comes in the form of simply turning on location services within banking apps before heading away.

Banks like the Bank of America are especially now utilizing tools like ip geolocation api to make travel easier at all ends. Here, we consider how, far from breaching your privacy, giving your bank a little location legroom could prove to be mutually beneficial overall.

Frictionless travel

It’s not unheard of for banks to shut down cards because customers from Florida suddenly start purchasing in Barcelona. Unfortunately, this can lead to significant monetary disruptions that, in many instances, require you to show ID in a physical bank branch before your money is released again.

Setting up travel alerts by contacting your bank directly in advance used to be the only way to avoid this, but often long bank call waiting times meant that even this could be tricky. By altogether replacing travel alerts and instead tracking your vicinity at any given time, banking location services therefore make it far easier to travel without monetary friction, and to rest easy that your cards aren’t about to become null and void on your first day abroad.

Fantastic savings

According to Bankrate’s 2017 survey, the average cost of out-of-network ATM withdrawals was $4.69. While using your bank’s own ATMs while abroad can help to avoid this, finding them isn’t always easy. Not to mention that, even if you were able to find a relevant ATM, you may have to pay more to travel there in the first place!

Admittedly, geolocation doesn’t knock these charges on the head as such, but it does provide you with an easy way to view nearby ATMs to ensure as many free withdrawals as possible. Geolocation discounts offered by many banks can also help you to find deals or cashback with nearby retailers that ultimately offset even the fees that you do face.

Fraud protection

We all take steps to secure our homes when we go away, yet it’s astounding how few of us protect our finances against fraud as we travel. This is especially problematic seeing as criminals often target tourists, and claiming your money back might be more complicated if you’re a victim of fraud overseas. With geolocation, however, banks are able to track our phone locations according to the nearest cell towers, etc., meaning that they can better pinpoint, and automatically block, purchases that happen outside of that vicinity.

With all of this in mind, simply sharing your location with your bank even for brief periods as you travel could help you to enjoy the monetary ease and benefits that have remained frustratingly out of reach during your trips until now!

We are happy to present this collaborative post to offer valuable information to our readers.

Things to Avoid When Decorating Your Kids’ Bedroom

Creating a safe and joyous space for your little ones is one of the greatest joys of being a parent. So here are some common things to avoid when decorating your kids’ bedroom… CONTINUE READING >>

Creating a safe and joyous space for your little ones is one of the greatest joys of being a parent. So many parents make a playroom for the children, yet the bedroom is also a fun area for most. But kids are different from adults, and hazards are everywhere, even with things you wouldn’t expect. So here are some common things to avoid when decorating your kids’ bedroom.

Sharp Edges

Young children really don’t understand the laws of physics. For example, as you know, two atoms of the same dimension cannot occupy the same physical space. Unfortunately, kids have no regard for the Pauli exclusion principle. Therefore, they tend to bump into things, seemingly randomly, yet some suspicion that they’re up to something. Whatever it is they’re up to, sharp edges will cause physical injury to your children.

You can help reduce this by installing furniture and items designed for kids. Some furniture specialists like Tylko provide a child-friendly furniture range. Rounded edges are just 1 of 5 Reasons to Get a Tylko Shelf in Your Kids’ Room. Rounded edges will significantly reduce the chance of breaking the skin should your children accidentally bump their heads or try to climb on the furniture. Or when they nibble on the edges.

Toxic Materials

Speaking of nibbling, babies and toddlers love to stick things in their mouths or chew on stuff. The dangers of this should seem quite obvious. Yet many modern materials are toxic to children. In addition to the risk of cuts to the mouth, teeth might become damaged. Yet, the most severe issue is ingesting toxic materials or solvents such as those used in the manufacture of synthetic materials or varnishes and paints for wood.

Soft engineered wood is mainly used for children’s furniture. Therefore, if you buy wooden furniture for your kids, it is best to purchase certified wood free from toxins and contaminants such as formaldehyde. Manufactured woods like MDF can be toxic depending on the manufacturing process. However, reputable children’s furniture manufacturers will not use these woods. They should also use child-friendly paints and varnishes free from solvents and polyurethane.

Overcrowding

You always want your kids’ bedrooms to be their own little paradise. A place where they can safely play, laugh, learn and grow. As such, it is easy to cram a room full of toys, games, and stuffed animals. In addition, bedroom furniture like shelving, units, and wardrobes are also typically present. Yet many present dangers such as collapse and tipping over if not constructed, installed, or used correctly.

For example, a shelf crammed with board games may collapse under the weight. A wardrobe with additional toys on top might tip over. And a case full of heavy books might come away from the wall and fall on a child. In the US alone, over 400 children per year are fatally injured from climbing on furniture.

It is therefore imperative that you install items properly, don’t overload a shelf and only use items as intended. It might look cute to place an army of stuffed animals on a shelf above the bed, but make sure that:

    • The shelf is installed properly
    • You don’t exceed the safe weight limit.

Or you could potentially create an injury waiting to happen.

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Is there a Future for Tapas Tours in a Post-Covid Spain?

Tapas are a way of life in Spain. But on the other hand, they may not be the best fit in our current Covid risk reduction environment…
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Tapas are a way of life in Spain. In fact, we have made it a point to include an evening of enjoying them every time we travel through this beautiful country.

Along the way we have found that while there are definite similarities throughout the country. Ham, olives, and cheese are nearly universal, each region has some unique variations.

We learned that in the Basque region tapas are called pintxos, made with small slices of bread topped with a mixture of ingredients. A toothpick is used to hold things together, which is where the name comes from, “pincho”, means spike. The “tx” spelling is Basque for the “ch” sound.

In Madrid we found fantastic offerings on almost every street corner. Then in Catalonia we could hardly imagine a visit to one of our favorite cities in the world without indulging in a few tapas tours in Barcelona.

But now, like everything else, the Covid pandemic has changed how people feel about going out and socializing while enjoying these delicious bites. Restrictions, and people’s hesitancy to be in public places, has caused this delightful custom to suffer huge setbacks.

We love everything about Tapas, so we certainly hope that this is a temporary situation and that in the near future things can and will get back to normal.

But if we are to explore the future of tapas in Spain, perhaps we should begin by looking back at the origin of tapas. That brings to mind two questions, how did tapas begin, and how did they get so popular?

As with most things that have been around for centuries, there are any number of stories about where, when, and how Tapas first appeared. Several of them revolve around royalty, usually a king, discovering just how dandy it was to have a little snack with his drink.

Of course, back in those days pretty much everything had to start with the king, and then the rest of the folks would follow along. However, some of the other stories that don’t involve royalty sound more likely to us.

Such as, serving a drink with a saucer on top of it to keep the flies out, or covering cheap wine with a plate of strong cheese to hide the smell. Both of these fit well with the meaning of the word tapas, which is a cover or a lid.

Another likely story is that because tapas bars were designed as standing-only for customers, people who ordered a snack had nowhere else to put their plates except on top of their glass.

No matter how it all began, the whole process is very social. People stand and talk, share food from communal plates at the bar, and generally eat with their fingers, so it is easy to see how this became such a popular pastime.

On the other hand, it may not be the best situation in our current Covid risk reduction environment. But we hope that as vaccination rates increase, and they are now nearly 80% in Spain, things will begin to return to how they were pre-pandemic.

Another big step toward getting back to normal is how tapas tours organizers are coming up with creative ideas to improve people’s protection while still enjoying this wonderful tradition, and how participants are open to cooperating in order to ensure everyone’s safety.

We feel confident that the next time we visit Spain, hopefully next year, we will be perfectly comfortable enjoying everything about the palate pleasing practice of partaking in tapas to our heart’s content.

David & Veronica, GypsyNester.com

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