Galway, Ireland

Galway  –  Is an artsy, university town with a lot of young people in the city. This is a good city for walking because of the stores. The city is scattered with canals and bridges giving it an air of Amsterdam. Plenty of things to see, I would recommend seeing the Spanish Arches. Beside the arch is the Galway City Museum with free admission to see Churach, Irish skin boat, exhibits. Galway Cathedral has large public parking space. If you want to ferry to Aran Islands there is a station beside the Spanish Arch.

Newgrange

Newgrange – If you have time for only one sight to see in Ireland, this is what you must see. Newgrange is a burial caves built by the Neolithic people. It is slightly older than the Stone Henge infact, this is also called the wood henge because there were originally columns built out of wood.  This cave took a few hundred years to build only to be used for less than one hundred years and the interesting thing is it is only used twice a year for fifteen minutes during the Solstice. It was designed to face the Horizon such that during a solstice, the cave will illuminate until the sun moves out. No traces of burn marks have been found in the cave meaning the Neolithic people never used torches for light. It took so many years for them to build because different stones were used from different parts of Ireland. The construction can be equated to the construction of the pyramids.

Poulnabourne Dolmen and limestones

Poulnabourne Dolmen – A five thousand year old portal tomb stone table surrounded by pavements of stone. The stone is just like any other stone but the ancient limestone bedrock is definitely a sight to see. It’s almost like a miniature grand canyon.

Hills of Tara

Hills of Tara – This is a sacred place in Irish history. A lot of things have happened here, laws were passed, burials, parties and lot of folklore and stories written about it. At 900 ft. it gives a magnificent view of Ireland. It went into decline as Christianity was adapted. Since most structures on the hills were built of wood, you’ll only see a mound, church and a small cave. The view of the city is pretty good.

Dublin, Ireland

Dublin – Dublin is one of the nice cities for walking. Grafton street is a pedestrian street with good shopping. It’s close to Trinity college where “The Book of Kells” is displayed. At the end of Grafton street is St. Stephen’s Green park. North of Grafton street is Temple Bar area, another walking street.  This is a great place for pub hopping and watching plays. On weekends there are street fairs particularly by Rory Gallagher Corner. Temple bar connects to Henry Street, another great pedestrian shopping street. Intersecting Henry Street and O Connell street you will see “The Spire”. A modern monument. O’ Connell Street is where you can take the bus to the airport.  There is also a Viking/Midevil area where the City Hall and Dublin Castle is located. I would recommend taking a free Irish walking tour. You only have to tip the guides. The guides do a fantastic job of explaining Irish history with a lot of humor. Of course there is the Guinness tour. Admission includes a free Guinness. The Guinness in Ireland is definitely much better then what they sell in the U.S. It’s taste like chocolate milk over there. North of the Guinness Factory is The National Museum with free admissions to their exhibits.

Belfast, Northern Ireland – Local bus from Dublin to Belfast takes around three hours and cost 15 Euros.  It’s a great way to see the country side. Belfast is part of the United Kingdom so currency used is the Pounds. Different banks print their own money and it’s accepted anywhere in the country. However, not all currency printed in Northern Ireland are accepted in England. Only the money with the Queen of England can be used anywhere in the United Kingdom.

Due to the conflict between catholic and Protestant in the past, many tourists try to avoid visiting Northern Ireland. The city is actually pretty safe. You will see a lot of Murals on the walls. A famous one is the Solidarity wall. It’s a wall of a flour mill and the murals here changes over time because I saw one with Barak Obama’s portrait. This wall is along Falls Road. Walk further north and you’ll see the Sinn Fein Headquarter with a mural of Bobby Sands, a famous hungerstriker. Further north is Milltown cemetery where other IRA’s volunteers are buried including Bobby Sands.

Queens University is a good place for a stroll. There is a good park, and a tropical forest green house.

Giant's Causeway, Northern Ireland

If you made it all the way to Belfast, you definitely should see the Giant’s Causeway. It’s a World Heritage Site. Natural hexagonal rock formation formed naturally millions of years ago along the coast. Same geological formation are found in Scotland hence came the familiar Irish Folklore about Finn MacCool and Benandonner. Also check out the famous Rope Bridge. If you don’t walk on the bridge, just looking at the cliffs and waves is quite a sight.

If you don’t want to rent a car, there is plenty to see in Dublin and perhaps you can take a trip to Galway or Belfast through the local bus or train.

Glendalough, Ireland

Geldalough – Meaning the Glen of two lakes because it is literally surrounded by two large lakes with surrounding forest. You will see 6^th century monestatic ruins in this park and an old cemetery. The site has been pillaged by the Vikings, English and eventually declined to ruins due to the number of pillages. A famous saint, St. Kevin, lived in this area famous for fasting, sleeping on rocks and eating only what he could catch for seven years. The most interesting thing about this place is seeing the Celtic crosses and the peacefulness of the area.

Ring of Kerry – The ring of Kerry is a 110 mile route along the Iveragh Peninla. A very scenic route. There is a ferry to Skelling Rock to see the Skelling Michael, an isolated island where monks have built monastery, by the tip of the peninsula. These days, you will only see ruins but can still go up their stairs and experience the beauty of this area.  Killarney is a city nearby with lots of hotels. It is also pretty close to Blarney and MuckRoss’s house.

Muckross's House

MuckRoss’s House – A beautiful house beside a large lake in Killarney. Guided tours are available for this house for around seven Euros. This house was built in 1843. The tour offers a glimpse of life in the past. There are a lot of old chandeliers, furniture, bathrooms and paintings. The house has been updated over time to modern living conveniences but still displays a lot of its past characteristics. If you don’t do the house tour, you can take a stroll around the lake and gardens.

Cork – Cork is the second largest city in Ireland. Despite it’s size, you can see all sights within a couple of days. The city is walkable. Some sights are on a hill like the Cork Butter Musem and St. Anne’s Shadon. English Market , Cork Vision Center are located in the island between the north and south channel. St. Patrick street is a great shopping area. English market is at the Grand Parade. Cork City Goal is a jail museum; Lifetime Lab and Cork Public Museum are other sights to see.

Dingle Peninsula –  If you have your own car, and want to experience the same scenic view as Ring of Kerry without the tourist bus, this is the loop to travel. Unlike the Ring of Kerry, there are plenty of small town to stop for a bite of local pastries. Along the way, there are also plenty of bed and breakfast places very near the beaches. When driving on this route, make a stop on Inch Peninsula, Slea Head, Dingle and Tralee. Slea Head is the tip of the peninsula. You’ll see a statue of Jesus Christ and a lighthouse across. Inch Peninsula has a beautiful beach where you can take your four wheels for some off roading J Don’t forget to stop by Courtney & Sons Bakery for  puff pastries.

Cool Double Deck Mega Bus and Cute Driver Icon

The bus will take you from a parking lot in Washington DC, next to Chinatown, to Penn Station in Manhattan. The closest subway stop to the parking lot in Washington D.C. is Gallery Pl/China Town.  The closest subway stop to Penn station is the blue line, 34^th Street Penn Station.

Bolt Bus is another great bus company. The difference between the two is the type of bus and their destination. Buses from Washington D.C. to New York go direct with Mega Bus but Bolt Bus stops at other destinations like Baltimore and Philadelphia. Mega Bus only makes those tops coming back down from New York. Bolt Bus has cool new buses but they are not double deckers and price may be slightly higher.

Busses runs pretty frequent, you can pretty much catch a bus every hour starting 5:00 a.m.. The last bus from DC to New York is at 11:59 a.m. The Last bus from New York to Washington D.C. is at 1:00 a.m. and first bus is at 6:40 a.m and runs almost every hour.

Megabus Interior Pictures and Picture of Advertised $1 ticket offer

Tickets can be purchased online or at a kiosk in New York. I wasn’t able to find a kiosk at Washington D.C., Baltimore or Philadelphia. It’s best to make advance purchase because I’ve seen people frantically trying to call and get a ticket on a midnight trip but unable to reach customer service because offices are closed. If you have a computer with you while you travel, you can use the WiFi from the bus to purchase your ticket and show the bus driver your confirmation.

Hope this was helpful and happy traveling!

Las Vegas Strip MoteCarlo, Vadara, MGM Grand

Aside from seeing the new construction and changes in Las Vegas, I’ll talk about what’s there to see and do. If you’re into Poker, this city is the melting pot for poker players. Tournaments are hosted in every hotel on the strip and downtown. If you’re not a poker player but love to watch Poker on TV, you’ll probably run into the taping of The World Poker Series during fall or Head’s up poker tournament during spring.  It’s free to view the tapings and if you’re line up early, you might be able to get a seat on the stage where you’ll be offered freebies from the sponsors or end up being on TV.  Be sure to bring your favorite poker artifact because you can get signatures from great poker players like Daniel Negreanu, Phil Helmut, Phil Ivey, Doyle Bronson, Gus Hansen, Joe Cada “The kid”,  Antonio Esfandiari  “The Magician”, Vanessa Russo,  Huck Seed as well as poker show hosts like Leeann Tweeden. Aside from famous poker players and show hosts, I’ve also seen a lot of celebrities in these events like Jay Z. If you are lucky you might run into Alex Rodgriguez and CC Sebatsian in Vegas. One baseball player you’ll likely run into if you are at the Forum Shops at the Ceasar’s is Pete Rose giving autographs one of the sports memorabilia stores.

2009 World Series of Poker Tournament

Las Vegas offers a pretty good shopping experience because it caterers to a wide range of audience all within the Strip. From Ferarri dealer at the Wynn to Rolex watches and Patek Philipps, limited edition Judith Libber bags, sun glasses with major blings. In Palazzo, you will find unique stores like the rare book bookstore selling the original Lewis and Clark journal to original letters from George Washington.  Across Venetian, is the Fashion Show Mall.  The Las Vegas Premium Outlet is around a $15 – $20 cab ride away. If you are into UFC, there is a UFC memorabilia store at Mandalay Bay. While you’re there, don’t forget to check out Minus 5 Degrees Bar. This is a bar all made out of ice from the chairs to the bar table. It opens at 10:00 p.m.

Mandalay Bay is one of the older hotels in the Vegas Strip but a lot of the older hotels in this city have kept up pretty well with the newer competition. The hotel has nice shops and monorails connecting the Luxor and Excalibur.  Their room rates are a lot cheaper.

Down Town Las Vegas, Fremont Street and Golden Nugget Shark Tank

If you are really looking for deals, check out downtown Las Vegas, the original Vegas Strip. You can get a room for around $25 per night in the area. You’ll also find a lot of great deals like $3 margaritas, $11.99 steak and lobster, $2 drinks and the list goes on. There is a pedestrian road called Fremont Street Experience interconnecting the downtown hotels.  If you stop by Golden Nugget, you can see the world’s largest shark tank at the pool area. Stop by the first hotel in Las Vegas, The Golden Gate Hotel & Casino, it still has the double swing wooden doors and old pictures of Las Vegas. The hotel has the very first telephone in the area with the number 1. During 1959, they were the first to server 50cents shrimp cocktails. Due to inflation, it’s currently $1.99 but with bigger shrimp and still the best deal in Vegas.

To get to downtown Las Vegas, you can take the Deuce Bus from the strip. It’s $3.00 per ride or $7.00 for a 24 hour pass. The bus runs pretty frequently and a good way to see the strip if you are tired of walking 

Hope this was helpful and happy traveling!

Yak and Ox Safari Picture

If you’ve never been to a Safari and you live on the East Cost or are visiting the East Coast, you should definitely check out Six Flag’s Wild Safari. When my little sister told me we were going to the Six Flag’s Wild Safari in New Jersey, I wasn’t too into the idea but once I got there and saw the animals standing so close to you, I was completely absorbed to the moment. In fact, I think this park would give you a better experience than a true African Safari because they purposely populate the park with a lot of animals to ensure that you really see something when you’re there.

Giraffe and Zebras from Six Flags Wild Safari

The ticket price is $19.99 and children below two are free. Park opens 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.. They are only open during summer. It’s about a four mile driving trail and you will see over 1,000 animals. You will see giraffes, Elephants, Rhinoceros, bears, lions, kangaroos, zebras, monkeys etc. Some of the animals are caged like the Lions but other, wonder around freely.

Rhinoceros and Elephants Six Flags Wild Safari

The park is located at Jackson, New Jersey along with the other Six Flags them parks like Hurricane Harbor and the Great Adventure. Passes to all parks are available so you can visit the other parks at discounted rates. The direction to the park:

From New Jersey and New York: NJ Turnpike to Exit 7A, I-195 E to Exit 16A.

Alternate route: Garden State Parkway to Exit 98, I-195 W to exit 16. One mile west on Rte. 537 to Six Flags.

Bear and Kangroo Six Flags Wild Safari

Hope this was helpful and happy traveling!

 - – Mark Twain’s letter to the Territorial Enterprise, dated Dec. 23, 1865

Fisherman's Warf Sea Lion

San Francisco is unlike any city in the United States. It has cold summers; warm winters and a large colony of resident Sea Lions.  Thirty miles away is Sonoma and an hour away is Napa Valley, America’s most famous wine region. The birthplace of companies like goggle and eBay , people in San Francisco are very entrepreneurial. Every body you talk to will probably have a business plan tucked in their file somewhere.

 In this blog, I’m going to talk about how to go around and what to see and do in San Francisco, California.

If you like walking, it is easy to get around San Francisco on foot but beware of the hills.

San Francisco View of the Bay

Some of the roads can have 45 degrees incline. Their Subway, the BART, is a good way to get around. The average one way fare within the city is around $3.00. If you are going to and From San Francisco International Airport it’s around $9.00 one way.  To get to the airport, shuttle vans are available for $11 per person. For parties of three or four, limos or cab offers a better rate, $38 one way.  Muni’s, their local bus system can take you almost anywhere in the city. One day passes are $11, three-days $18 and one week $24. This includes San Francisco’s iconic cable car. The cable car is a great way to get from Fisherman’s Warf to Chinatown to Union Square or to Embarcadero Station. Single rides are available for $5.

Union Square

Union Square – San Francisco’s central shopping district. This is a great place to wonder around and shop. There are plenty of hotels in this area. It’s walking distance to Powell Street Cable Car station and  BART. West Field mall is on Market Street and the old U.S. Mint is nearby. A few blocks north of Union Square is Chinatown.

Chinatown Gate

Chinatown – San Francisco Chinatown starts along Grant Avenue and Bush Street. This is where to find the Chinatown gate.. San Francisco has a large Chinese population. They migrated to the area during the gold rush and later helped build the railroads. Grant Ave. has Souvenir stores and restaurants. If you are looking for a market place to buy fresh fruits, crabs, fish and meats head over to Stockton Street. It runs parallel to Grant and it’s mostly where the locals do their grocery. There are also great Chinese bakeries along Stockton and Washington Street. This is a great are to grab a bite if you are on a budget.  As you go further north of Chinatown, you’ll hit North Beach, San Francisco’s Italian Town.

North Beach – This is the Italian town and there are plenty of coffee shops in this area.   With San Francisco’s awesome weather, you can pretty much sit outside all year round. A few blocks north of North Beach is Fisherman’s Warf.

Fisherman's Warf & Alcatraz

Fisherman’s Warf – You must visit this area if it’s your first time here. Pier 39 is a two floor shopping and restaurant area extending out to the bay. There is a Marina as well as a Sea Lion habitat. Barges are placed along the bay for Sea Lions to rest on. Some of the Sea Lions migrate and come back annually; others have decided to make it their home.  Seafood in the Warf is pretty good but if you are looking for excellent crabs head over to Pier 41 or 43. That’s where they have the best crabs. Each restaurant has special Lemon Butter sauce. I ate at Nick’s #5 and they had a tasty spicy lemon butter sauce mixed with onions and garlic. Crab Sandwiches were also pretty good.  

The wharf’s where to take cruise ships and tours to Alcatraz. It’s pretty close to the prison island and you can get a good view of the Golden Gate. If you want to go to Golden Gate, bike rentals are available near Pier 39. There are lookout points before and after crossing the bridge.

Golden Gate Bridge

Golden Gate Bridge – This Bridge was completed in 1937. The bridge was once considered impossible to build due to the foggy weather, sixty miles pr hour winds and strong ocean currents.

It ended up being built to withstand 100 mile per hour winds and earthquakes. The bridge is not exactly gold.  It’s  painted International Orange. The color was chosen because it blended well with its natural surroundings.

Crooked Street – The world’s most corked street is San Francisco’s crooked Street. Its a few blocks away from the Fisherman’s Warf at Lombard Street between Hyde Street and Leavenworth Street.

Grafitti at Haight

Golden Gate Park and Haight Ashbury – Haight is the artist area of San Francisco. You will see plenty of street performers, Graffiti walls and very artsy café’s and restaurant. It is a little like the SOHO of Manhattan or La Boca of Argentina. The only difference is its right next to the Golden Gate Park. For a tourist there is nothing spectacular about the park. It’s a little dirty and can be dangerous to walk at night.

Sonoma and Napa Valley – If you rent a car for a day or join a wine tour or have friends that can take you around, check out Sonoma and Napa Valley, America’s most famous wine region. Sonoma is home to Buena Vista Winery, the Valley’s very first winery. Most of the wineries are open for wine tasting and tours but they all close by 5:00p.m. Drive along the back roads from Sonoma to Napa to get a really nice view of the grape plantations. It’s comparable to riding the train along Italy’s Tuscan Region.

Hope this was helpful and happy traveling!

 Three hotels along the edge of New Jersey are Comfort Inn, Homewood Suites and Sheraton. Sheraton Lincoln harbor hotel is located in Weehawken but is worth mentioning because it is along the bus lines from the former two hotels. It’s also within walking distance to the Lincoln Harbor Weehawken Ferry Station with ferries taking you directly to Midtown Manhattan. Homewood Suites provide free shuttle service to the Ferry terminal as well.

 The Fare to and from New York City ferries are around $10.25 one way.  A ten trip pack is around $97.50. Edgewater has three ferry stations. On the north, is the Edgewater Landing. This station has very limited hours so it’s not recommended. Port Imperial / Weehawken Ferry Station is in the middle with routes to Midtown Manhattan, 39^th street, World Financial Center and Pier 11/Wall Street station. Finally, Lincoln Harbor station is at the south with routes to Midtown Manhattan’s 39^th street.

 If you want to save a little money, New Jersey Transit’s Bus #158  runs along River Road to Manhattan’s Port Authority and the fare is only $3.50 one way. The bus driver accepts cash or prepaid tickets which can be purchased from the kiosk at Port Authority. Bus #150 travels from Port Authority to Edgewater’s River Road to Fort Lee and then back to River Road and finally Port Authority.  Last bus from Manhattan to Edgewater is at 1:30 a.m. The bus stops are all along River Road and are pretty close to the hotels.

 The third way to get to Manhattan is via Mitsuwa bus. Mitsuwa is a Japanese grocery in Edgewater on River road. The grocery has some really awesome Japanese fast food, sushi, udon and sweets. They have buses leaving the grocery for Port Authority (Gate 51) for $3.00 one way. To get back to Mitsuwa, simply go back to Gate 51 in Port Authority to catch the next bus. This bus will reach Manhattan quicker because it doesn’t have any stops.

The United States has lots of outlet malls all around the country catered to different geographic locations. However, there is no outlet mall like Woodbury Commons. This is by far the ultimate outlet mall experience according to feedback from a number of shopaholics. There are people who come all the way from Europe, West Cost and Asia making this their first when they land into New York. What makes this outlet mall unique to other places are the number of stores. Woodbury Common Premium Outlets has over a hundred stores from the likes of Armani Exchange, Coach, Prada, Gucci and many more for bargain prices. My sister was able to buy a Burberry scarf for $2.50 because they where having a one day only sample sale. Can you believe Armani, had an 80% off sale in their outlet store.

Woodbury Saks 5th Ave, Chanel, Furla

Guess, Gymboree, Jockey

  Best of all this is only a shuttle bus away from Manhattan or one hour and fifteen minutes drive. Bus fare is $42.00 round trip for adults and $21 for children. If you have a large party, it might be more economical to rent a car for a day.

Short line bus ticket can be purchased from their website.

Shortline buses to Woodbury Commons Premium Outlet

This is their Manhattan schedule. Busses are available at Port Authority (42nd Street & 8 avenue) on the 3rd Floor or New York City’s East side (23rd and 3rd, 33rd and 3rd, 50th and 3rd, 72nd and 3rd, 86th and 3rd, and GW Bridge Bus station).

Buses Depart Daily Year Round From: (Except Nov 26, Dec 25 & Easter Sunday)

Return Bus Schedule:

Expect theme park lines to stores if visiting during holidays such Thanksgiving, Labor Day, Independence Day, and Christmas.

Below are lists of Woodbury stores.

Food Pavilion

Happy Travelling!

Las Vegas Panorama.

Las Vegas is one of the most famous tourist destinations in the United States. Casino towns are everywhere, Macau, Atlantic City, Reno etc. but there is no place like Las Vegas. It is famous for gambling but anything can happen in this city. It is the ultimate playground and no place in the world can top this city’s fun level. Magic shows to wrestling, poker tournaments, dancing, drinking, eating, expensive cars, extravagant hotels, exotic animals. Most things happen along the Las Vegas Strip because major hotels are located here. In 2006, an acre of land at this strip is worth over a million dollars.  The original Las Vegas is located in Downtown Las Vegas but there isn’t much to see there.

Grey Line shuttles are available when you arrive at the airport to and from any hotel in Las Vegas. Round Trip or one way ticket can be purchased on the bus or in a ticket window in the airport. The fare is around $7 one way and $12 round trip. When you are ready to go back to the airport, give them a call 24 hours in advance to schedule a pick up.

Las Vegas Monorail

If you hotel is located between Tropicana to Sahara, it is accessible via the Las Vegas Monorail system. Fares are $5.00 for single rides, $12.00 One Day Pass and $28.00 for three days. Accessible hotels are :

The hotels listed above are along the monorail route but some maybe a bit of a walk to reach the nearest station. Hotels on the East Side of the strip are generally pretty close and West side a little farther. Wynn might be the only hotel on the east side that would require a bit of walking to the next station because you have to pass through two huge hotels, Palazzo and Venetian, to get to the Harrah’s/Imperial Place Station.

 An alternative to the monorail is the Deuce bus, a double decked bus which runs along the strip twenty four hours a day and runs from down town Las Vegas all the way to Southern strip terminal. So it passes through all the hotels in the strip. The fare is $7 for a 24 hour access pass and $3 for single rides.

 Cab rides averages around $8- $10 between Las Vegas strip hotels or a few blocks away from the strip.

 Las Vegas Sights

The hotels themselves are quite a sight. Venetian is a miniature replica of Venice with canals and gondola rides. The entrance to the hotel is a  replica of Plaza Di San Marco and a lot of wonderful shopping and food in the hotel. Next to the Venetian is the newly opened Plaazzo. Don’t miss the living garden show at the Palazzo with moving trees, and statues singing and transforming into a fountain.

 Next door is the Hilton Flamingo hotel with a small park featuring flamingo birds from different parts of the world.

 Across is Treasure Island featuring “The Sirens of Treasure Island”, free nightly shows at 7:00 pm, 8:30 pm, 10:00 pm and 11:30 pm.

 The Wynn and Encore are very upscale hotel with a golf course in the property. It’s amazing how a whole pine tree forest surrounding the hotel is surviving in Las Vegas’s desert conditions. This hotel has a Ferrari museum and shop.

Las Vegas Paris Hotel

Paris is another interesting hotel. It is a replica of Paris with the Arc de Triomphe welcoming the cars to the hotel. It has an eifel tower and elevator rides are avialble to the top for a panoramic view of Las Vegas Strip. It also features cafes along the sidewalk and Bus stops similar to the Parisian Metro.

Bellagio Hotel Lake

Across Paris is Belaggio. Bellaggio is a really nice hotel. Inside the hotel is a conservatory atrium with beautiful flowers. Outside is a really large man-made lake with hourly shows. It features a syncronized foutian shows with, lights, sound and music. A must see during your Las Vegas visit. For poker fans, Bellagio has a private room with all the famous players on the wall. A player there can easily win/lose $1MM+ in a given night. Tha’s almost an acre of land in Vegas J

 Cesar’s Plalace is a nice repica of Rome. It features large indoor shopping, large Casino and this is where a lot of poker tournaments happen. If you want to catch a glimpse of famous poker celebreties, this is the place to be.

Phil Hellmuth, Daniel Negreanu and Vanessa Rousso

LeAnn Tweeden, NBC Host & Huck Seed

Planet Hollywood used to be the Aladin. It was renevoated from desert style theme to Hollywood shops. It’s a huge hotel with great shopping.

MGM Grand has a live lion habitat. The baby lions in the habitat are behind a sound proof glass. You can wacth them, sleep and play. If you have a lot of extra time, at the back of MGM grand, you can also watch unaired shows and rate them. Your opinion will be used as a guage to weather they will air the show or not. Pretty cool!

New York New York is a replica of New York. This hotel has a nice walking street similar to the cobble stone rodes  found in New York City’s Little Italy and SOHO.

Hooters hotel right across MGM Grand. You will find signature hooter’s waitress dealing cards in this place. There is a resturant inside serving the same excellent food as other Hooters in the country.

Las Vegas MGM Grand Lion Habitat

Have fun in Las Vegas and happy travelling!

NYC Subway

New York City has three major airports, Jhon F. Kennedy (JFK), Laguardia (LGA) and Newark (WER). Jhon F. Kennedy and Laguardia is located in Queens, New York and JFK is at Jamacia, New York.  Taxi, car service, bus services, local bus service and trains are available depending on the airports. Buses and trains tend to be the cheapest means of transportation. Car services and taxis are the most expensive.

Car services typically charges around $85 – $90 from Newark to Manhattan not including toll and tip (Around $20 – $30). Laguardia car service to New York is a little pricier ($90 – $100) not including toll and tip ($20-$30). JFK car service to New York is around $100 – $110 not including toll and tip ($20-$30). These car services can be found when you arrive at the airport.  Once in a while the drivers will approach you as you exit the airport.

If you only want to go to Manhattan and want to use car service, Supershuttle (1-800-BLUE-VAN) will probably offer a better rate.

Busses are the cheapest ways to travel to and from New York Airports.

Laguardia Airport (Queens New York)

There are two MTA buses that travel to Laguardia, M60 and Q48. M60 will take you to Manhattan where you can transfer to a subway. It will stop at Lexington Avenue and 125th street for transfers to subway lines 4,5,6. Lenox Avenue and 125th street is another stop for transfers to subway lines 2 and 3. Then St. Nicolas Avenue and 125th street for transfer to subway lines A,B, C, and D. Finally West 110th street and Broadway for transfer to subway 1 line. If you want to walk downtown to Manhattan, the last bus stop is 106th street and Broadway. The walk from here to Porth Authority, 40th street takes around 1.5 – 2 hours depending on how fast you walk.

The bus fare is USD$2.00 with a free transfer from M60 to subway or vice versa if you pay with Metro Card. Otherwise it would be an extra USD$2.00 for the subway.

Here is the M60 Schedule

 The second option would be to take the Q48 bus to Flushing. It will take you to Main Street and Roosevelt Avenue which is the last stop. Here you can transfer for subway line 7. Line 7 will take you to Manhattan.

Here is the Q48 schedule

The bus fare is USD$2.00 with a free transfer from Q48 to subway or vice versa if you pay with Metro Card. Otherwise it would be an extra USD$2.00 for the subway.

Jhon F. Kennedy Airport (JFK)

Arriving at Jhon F. kennedy Airport, the JFK Air tran will take you to subway transfers. If you are headed to Manhattan, you can take the Airtrain to Howard Beach or Jamaica Station and transfer for subway line A at Howard Beach. Transfer to subway line E,J,or Z to Manhattan. Subway line A, J and Z will take you to Brooklyn as well. Subway line E will take you to queens. Jamaica station also has transfers to LIRR (Long Island Railroad)  for long Island destination.

Map of JFK Air Train

The fare is USD$5 plus USD$2 for the subway totaling USD$7.

Newark Airport (EWR)

Airtrain can be taken from Newark Airport to Newark Liberty International Airport Station. From here there are transfer to NJ transit, PATH or Amtrak to New York City. NJ transit and Amtrack will take you to New York  Penn Station at Seventh Avenue and Eight Avenue between 31st Street and 33rd Street. There are subway connections here to any destination in Manhattan.

The PATH train will first take you to Jersey City, Hoboken then to Manhattan PATH station at 33rd street or at Wall street.

If you want to go to Manhattan, I would recommend NJ transit or Amtrak because the travel time is shorter 30 minutes via NJtransit or Amtrak versus 40minutes to 60 minutes with PATH. NJ transit or Amtrak is also less confusing.

Newark AirTrain Map

The fare is USD$5.50 which includes a free transfer to any of the connecting trains.

Direct Buses

If you happen to have a lot of luggage and would rather take a bus directly to Manhattan and not worry about transfers, there are bus services for that as well.

Newark Liberty Airport Express Bus

Newark Liberty Airport Express leaves every fifteen minutes to and from Newark Airport to and from

• Port Authority Bus Terminal
• Bryant Park – Fifth Ave
• Grand Central Station

The fare is USD $15

New York Airport Service (NYAS) is a bus service for JFK and LaGuardia airport. The bus will shuttle you to and from either airports to:

• Grand Central
• Port Authority
• Penn Station
• Bryant Park
• LGA Airport
• Midtown Hotels (between 31st and 60th Streets

One way fare to and from LaGuardia Airport is USD$12 Round trip is USD $21.

One way fare to and from JFK Airport is USD$15 Roundtrip is USD$27.