Happy Phantom

If you love politics, it is the place to be. My favorite neighborhood is Adams Morgan – eclectic. The cost of living is a big deterrent. But if you can afford a place near public transportation, I think the Metro is very accessible. Oh, if you’re from up north, the summers can be unbearable.

The had a blast (even though it’s not traditional culture) taking a tour of the Seattle Underground.

http://www.undergroundtour.com/

Well, I always found those taco shacks to be pretty authentic. And cheap too. Quite an experience!

Madison Square Garden hosts the NY Red Bulls soccer team. Probably not so great compared to European ball, but still fun.

http://redbull.newyork.mlsnet.com/MLS/rbn/

Women’s basketball is also excellent and cheaper than some of the other mens sports.

http://www.wnba.com/liberty/schedule/

And don’t forget the Yankees. It’s just a piece of history even if you don’t care for baseball.

Have fun!

yup

http://www.spymuseum.org/plan/plan_ticketing.asp

Definitely get a Budapest card. My list of must see places:

- The Citadel on the hill.

- Visit the caves. There is even a cave winery which is a nice refresher for the hot days where you can sip wine in the coolness of the cave.

- Take a tour of the Parliament building.

- Walk the park along the Danube.

- Go to the Gellért Bath.

- Bring home some Hungarian Paprika and saffron from the street vendors. You will never find it that cheap again.

- Go shopping in the cobblestone area shops in the business district. There are wonderful cafes in this section too.

A few tips.

I went 8 years ago when bottled water was impossible to find. Perhaps it’s changes. But if you can find bottled water when you land, buy a few bottles before you leave the airport.

Most people within the city speak English, but once you get to the outskirts and the poorer areas, you’re down to hand gestures. I got lost and had to wave my way through a map at a few people to get back.

The people were wonderful and generous. Enjoy!

Depending on where you will be staying and when, here are my top picks:

City of Ithaca – shopping, great food and beautiful scenery. It’s unlike anyplace in NY. Very progressive city. It’s often called, “the free state of Ithaca.” There’s great hiking nearby too. Try Buttermilk Falls State Park

And the Cornell Lab of Orinthology
Ithaca Falls

Watkins Glen – yes, there’s a race track, but I recall, as a little kid the same age as yours, the beautiful hiking trail up the glen. It’s spectacular. If you can, camp at the Watkins Glen campground. It’s fabulous.

Corning Glass Museum – Something for everyone and the kids can learn how glass is made. http://www.cmog.org/

Don’t forget wine tasting. The Finger Lakes is known for their Reislings and Chardonnays. Check out Fox Run, Dr. Frank, Bully Hill, Glenora and Lamerou Landing. Or, just pull off whenever you pass a winery. Because you will.

Other things going on in early October:

Cohocton’s Fall Foliage Festival, Cohocton, NY 14826

Date: 10/4/2007 – 10/5/2008

http://www.fallfoliagefestival.com/

Grape Pumpkin Festival, Hammondsport, NY 14840 Date: 10/6/2007

(607) 569-2989

A Fall family favorite with hayrides, music, grape stomping, seasonal foods, games, and vendors.

http://www.hammondsport.org/PumpkinFest.htm

La Fayette Apple Festival, LaFayette, NY 13084 Date: 10/6/2007 – 10/7/2007

(315) 677-3644

The Northeast’s extraordinary craft show will feature over 250 crafters, variety of foods, multi-exhibits, a country apple gift shop, apple fritters and cider. Rides and games add to the festivities. …

http://www.lafayetteapplefest.org/

Have fun! You’re visiting at a spectacular time of year.

I agree partially with mikelabadie. You’ll want to time your travel as far away from rush hour as possible. And avoiding I=95 would be a good idea.

If you do, I’d make a few suggestions for your route. Take a look on the map to visit some farms and wineries along the way. Southern NJ is just beautiful and has some very nice places to stop.

If you’re traveling up NY’s Hudson Valley, stay away from the boring I-87. Consider the Taconic Parkway. Not a lot of places to stop, but a great ride for a motorcycle. I can let you know where the good places are to stop along the way.

You might also consider Route 22. More towns and villages along the way and beautiful as well. Both are excellent for leaf peeping too.

There are so many great places to stop in the Hudson Valley. My recommendations would be neverending.

For your trip through MA, mikelabadie is right. Western Mass has a lote to offer. I’d recommend Great Barrington, Lennox and North Adams.

The trip sounds like a ton of fun. But I would stress the rush hour driving avoidance in northern NJ, NY Metro area and even some of the Hudson Valley cities.

If you get serious, let me know. Tell me your expected route and I’ll let you know what’s around there.

Don’t miss the International Spy Museum which is about a block from Ford’s Theater (yes, where Lincoln was shot). Also, when you visit the National Mall and hit the obvious, make sure you don’t miss the WWII Memorial at sunset. Get there about a half hour before the sun touches the horizon, then spend some tranquil moments reading the carved stone and listening to the fountain as the sun sets. It is beautiful.

As for restaurants… Many options.

If you’ve never had Ethiopian, give it a shot for dinner at Meskereem in Adams Morgan on 18th Street and get one of the messobs which are variety platters so you can get a lot of tastes.

Georgia Browns in Dupont Circle is a classic choice for Southern Food.

My favorite Thai food also comes from Dupont Circle at Thai Tanic or Thai Phoon.

An early morning walk through the Embassy neighborhood is fun too.

Have fun!