Not Just an Ordinary Walk In The Park

Central Park is located right in the center of Manhattan in NYC. It was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1962. Central Park is managed by the Central Park Conservancy, a non-profit organization. They are under contract by with the city government. The park is bordered by West 110^th Street on the north, West 59^th Street on the south and Eighth Avenue on the West.  The parks border streets are known by Central Park North, Central Park South, and Central Park West.  The only street that retains its name is to the parks eastern border and that is Fifth Avenue.

Central Park is a public park that opened in 1857 on 843 acres that the city of New York owned. The park was designed in 1858 by the winners of the design competition, Frederick Law Olmstead a landscape designer and Calvert Vaux an architect. Their design came to complete fruition in 1873. The two also designed Brooklyn’s Prospect Park.

The park was originally 770 acres but was expanded to just under 850 acres. The beauty of the landscape design of the park is that it appears natural when almost the entire park is actually landscaped.  The lakes and ponds that are located in the park are actually man made.  There are seven major lawn areas, known as the meadows, one of which is called Strawberry Fields, after the Beatles hit. There are also smaller grassy areas that are popular for team and informal sports.  There are also grassy areas that are specifically set aside as quiet areas. 

Central Park is one of the most visited urban parks in the US, and receives more than 35 million visitors a year.  The park offers many activities there are two ice skating rinks, one of which is turned into a pool in the July and August, tons of walking paths, and bridle paths. Of course there is the Central Park Zoo, the Central Park Conservatory Garden, a wildlife sanctuary and a large area that is still dedicated to natural woods. There is a man-made reservoir that holds a billion gallons has a circular running track that surrounds it.  One of the perks of summer at Central Park is Shakespeare in the Park which takes place at the Delacorte Theater, an outdoor amphitheater.  Of course one of the must sees in Central Park is the historic Carousel; it was installed in 1951 from its original location of Coney Island, and is the largest in the US.

How To Miss The Crowds During The Holidays

A journey to New York City

New York is the most popular city for travel in the U.S. today, hosting over 50 million each and every year. This in mind, one of the most busy times for travel in New York is during the holidays. With millions of visitors on top of the already bustling city, its popular events and attractions fill up during the day. If you are travel savvy, you can avoid many of the biggest crowds and still have an ideal New York experience during the holidays.

Popular Attractions

Rockefeller Center's tree and rink will be must sees for anyone visiting during the holiday season. A long tradition makes the ceremony the festivities and of course the tree and the rink one of the most visited areas in all of New York. It is imperative that you plan around the crowds to enjoy these destinations. Plan on visiting the tree in the early morning hours to miss the crowds. Open from 5:30 am to 11:30 pm, after sunrise and until dark you will be fighting the crowds. If you plan on hitting the skating rink it is open from 9 am to 10 pm during the holidays but as the day progresses, the ice will become harder to skate and the crowds larger. Much like the tree, plan on visiting early to get the best experience possible.

Other popular destinations such as shopping downtown and other major attractions are also best explored in the early morning. If you have the option of purchasing tickets to skip lines, you will definitely want to choose this option during the holiday season.

Plan ahead and make the most of all your journeys by being savvy when you travel.

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A Journey To Portugal Reviewed With Island Trader Vacations

Barcelos is located in the Braga district in the north of Portugal. The Braga district is home to 89 parishes throughout this district.  Barcelos is well known for its Festas das Cruzes, the Festival of Crosses, which dates back to the early 16^th century.

The festival originated in the observance of the Lord of the Cross.  The story is told that the local cobbler Joao Pires was walking home from mass at the Chapel of the Savior one Saturday and he observed what appeared to be a black cross in the earth. This inspired the devotion to the cross.  The devotion was recognized in a temple that was then built nearly 2 centuries later, and this is the temple that is still the epi-center of the Festas das Cruzes.

Up until the 19^th century, the parties that surrounded the Festas das Cruzes were primarily religious in nature.  Hundreds of people from the surrounding region would make the pilgrimage to Barcelos in honor of this festival.  In the 20^th century the festival evolved into more of an actual festival.  There were fireworks and parades, as well as tournaments and horse racing.  Although the festival was still religious in nature it became more fun, and less staid and serious. The festival has long been a pretext for people in surrounding areas to meet up and do business, as their parishes are far apart from one another.  The festival has also long held a premise as a place of promise. A place to have innocent flirtations for the young, and for those that are a little bit older it is an opportunity for these flirtations to turn to dating and then marriage. The festival has long been a matchmaker.  If you are traveling in the area, and even if you are not religious, this festival gives you the opportunity to take part in a centuries old festival and one of the unique aspects of the culture of the area.