New York | She Scribes

An event 200 million years in the making…

June 19, 2013 By Kimberly Leave a Comment

I know that I have readers from around the country, and even in different countries. This information may or may not interest you. If you are in the New York City area, or are planning a visit this summer, this is certainly something worth checking out.

This first fun event applies to those who’ll be in Manhattan, Brooklyn and/or Hoboken, NJ this Thursday (June 20, 2013).

On Thursday, June 20th (2013) a unique “fashion trend” will be hitting the streets around the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn, as well as Hoboken, New Jersey.

The Bronx Zoo is sending 50 people out on the streets wearing a very distinctive accessory that ties into the zoo’s newest adventure, Dinosaur Safari.

This summer, Bronx Zoo guests will be immersed in the wonders of the prehistoric world as they hop aboard a paleontologist’s wagon and take an exciting journey back to a time when dinosaurs ruled the world. Visitors will encounter 16 large-scale majestic animated creatures, as well as baby dinosaurs and nests, representing numerous species that once roamed various areas of the globe.

The limited engagement outdoor exhibit setting will evoke a primeval forest where visitors will ride through a prehistoric environment that showcases the brilliant colors, scales, and fins that latest scientific research reveals may have adorned these incredible beasts. By comparing these adaptations of dinosaurs with similar features found in modern animals, the visitor will get insight into why animals look the way they do across time and the fascinating adaptations that help them thrive and survive.

Guests will disembark at the Dinosaur Safari Field site and experience what it feels like to be at an archeological dig. Guests can uncover fossils at three fossil digs, explore real dinosaur artifacts, pose for a picture atop a mighty T Rex, and even control a robotic Stegosaurus! Within the park, visitors can create hands-on dinosaur crafts and fossil rubbings, take home a memory from the dinosaur merchandise cart, catch the 4-D experience; Ice Age; Dawn of the Dinosaurs and watch the magical new theatrical performance of Adaptations! A Dinosaur Musical.

It sounds like a lot of fun. My family and I are planning to visit the Bronx Zoo this summer to check it out for ourselves. I’ll be sure to post my review about the experience.

Here are the locations of the Bronx Zoo Dinosaur Safari street team so that you can keep an eye out for them if you are in the area. The team members will be handing out discount cards for 20% off the Total Experience tickets (which includes the Dinosaur Safari).

If you happen to spot one of the street team members feel free to share on Instagram (@theBronxZoo) with #DinoTail and share the experience with your friends.

Check out this funny video that shows you what to look for. I love the faces of the people passing by. Too funny.

Here are the street team locations.

Locations for “Dino Tails” Street Teams:

Battery Park City: Battery Place – Chambers between West St. and Hudson River Esplanade
Pier 25 & Esplanade: Chambers – North Moore St.
Gramercy Park & Union Square: 14th – 23rd St. between 1st and Park Ave. (Union Square is between Union Square E & W)
Stuyvesant Square (2nd Ave. between 15th and 17th St. • Gramercy Park (20th – 21st between Irving and Lex) • Union Square (14th – 17th St. between Union Square E & W)
Hudson River Park: N Moore St.–16th St.
Hudson River Park: Chelsea Lawn 17th St.–34th St.
Financial District: Bowling Green – Barclays St. between Church & Water
Brooklyn Bridge: Barclay–Worth St. between Broadway & Pearl St.
Soho-Nolita: Canal–Houston St. between 6th Ave. & Bowery St.
West Village: Houston–14th St. between Hudson St. & 6th Ave.
Greenwich Village-Noho: Houston–13th St. between 6th Ave. & Bowery
Chelsea: The Highline and Chelsea Market
Chelsea: 14th–22nd St. between 6th–11th Ave.
Chelsea: 23rd–30th St. between 6th–11th Ave.
Penn Station/Herald Square: 31st–37th St. between Broadway & 9th Ave.
Hell’s Kitchen: 43rd–54th St. on Hudson River Park & 38th–50th St. between 8th &11th Ave.
Columbus Circle-Lincoln Square: 51st – 68th St. between 6th & West End Ave.
UWS: 70th–82nd St. between Central Park West & West End Ave.
UWS: 83rd–103rd St. between Central Park West & West End Ave.
Lower East Side: Below Houston St. between Bowery & Columbia St.
East Village-Alphabet City: Houston–14th St. between Bowery & Avenue D
East Village: East River Park and Stuyvesant Town
Flatiron District: 14th–26th Sts. between 1st & 6th Ave.
Murray Hill-Medical City: 27th–42nd St. between 1st & Madison Ave.
Midtown East/Grand Central: 42nd–50th St. between 1st & 6th Ave.
Midtown East: 50th–63rd St. between 1st & 6th Ave.
UES: 63rd–79th St. between 2nd & 5th Ave.
UES: 79th–96th St. between 2nd & 5th Ave.
UES: 63rd – 96th St. between FDR Dr. & 2nd Ave.
42nd Street: 42nd Street between 10th and 2nd Ave.
34th Street: 34th Street between 10th and 2nd Ave.
23rd Street: 23rd Street between 11th and Park Ave.
5th Ave: 5th Ave. between 59th and 14th St.
Central Park: 59th–72nd St.
Central Park: 68th–83rd St.
Central Park: 81st–97th St.
Central Park: 97th–100th St.
Brooklyn: Park Slope, Flatbush Ave.–14th St. between 5th & 8th Ave.
Brooklyn: Prospect Park, south of Center Drive
Brooklyn: Prospect Park, north of Center Drive
Brooklyn: Brooklyn Heights, Atlantic Ave. to Old Fulton St., East River to Court St./Cadman Plaza
Brooklyn: Dumbo, Nassau St. to East River, Bridge St. to Brooklyn Bridge
New Jersey: Hoboken

The Dinosaur Safari street team members will be at these locations on Thursday, June 20th from noon to 6:00 PM.

Looks like it’s going to be a “Dino-mite” summer at the Bronx Zoo!

Kimberly

*I am a Bronx Zoo ambassador. I received a free family membership in exchange for my participation. There was no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own and not influenced in any way.

Scare up some family friend fun at the NY “Ascarium”

Filed Under: New York, New York City (NYC), Travel Tagged With: Bronx Zoo, Dinosaur Safari

One of my favorite “hidden gems”

April 25, 2013 By Kimberly

I love books. I don’t always have the chance to read (in fact I next to never have a chance ), but I still love books. I’ve amassed a large collection over the years. I even have many books from my childhood that I had saved to share with my own children. I even saved some of my children’s favorite books to share with my grandchildren some day.

One of my life’s dreams even involves books. My #1 dream is to own a house (a nice house, not like the one from the Tom Hanks film Money Pit). My next dream is to take my family on a REAL vacation (like Disney World). I also wouldn’t mind a new (used) car and to be a “normal” weight. My life dream that involves books is to open up a used/new book store and coffee house. I have it all planned out. I would offer new and used books, host story time for children, offer workshops, crafts for children and more. I would also offer coffee, teas and baked goods from a local bakery. Of course renting a storefront and buying the supplies requires capital ($$$) which we simply do not have. I would be nice though.

One of the things on my “Bucket List” is to write a book – or – have one of my photographs appear in a book. That would be awesome too.

So as you can see, I ♥ books.

Yesterday was my husband’s birthday (he’s “29 and holding… ha ha). He wanted to spend the day walking around the town he grew up in – Nyack, New York. The weather was perfect and I love walking around Nyack, so that was fine with me.

Nyack is about a 19 miles (or a half hour give or take) Northwest of Manhattan (NYC). It’s an old town right on the Hudson River. Rosie O’Donnel has a beautiful house in Nyack. It’s even home to a haunted house that was the center of a lawsuit (Stambovsky vs. Ackley). The house on 1 LaVeta Place was declared legally haunted and the owners failed to disclose that to the new buyers.

Nyack’s business section is peppered with antique shops, boutiques, restaurants and art galleries. Hidden among the stores is what I like to refer to as a “hidden gem”. The shop is called Pickwick Book Shop. It’s located at 8 S Broadway if you ever happen to be in the area.

Pickwick sells both new and used books (among other things). Most of the books are used. In fact, some are very old (very, very old!).

Books are not only on the floor to ceiling shelves but also piled high where ever you look (no exaggeration). It’s almost impossible to find anything specific you are looking for. It can also be a bit overwhelming at times. However I never go into the store with anything specific in mind. I go to browse and to see what surprises I can find.

Many of the books look like they came straight out of someone’s attic or from a garage sale. That is fine with me. Where a book comes from doesn’t affect it’s words or what the story is about.

I love to visit the Pickwick Book Store to explore the books. Every now and then I’ll find a book from my childhood, or I’ll stumble across an old, out of print book that looks interesting.

I love looking at the old illustrations. That is my favorite part about browsing through the books. Yesterday I found a “who done it” mystery book geared towards children (I can’t remember the title) where the girl on the cover was dressed like she was straight out of the Patty Duke show. I love it!

Books everywhere!

Hubby browsing the books.

My husband even found a few books over the years at Pickwick that he’s enjoyed, and my hubby is not much of a reader.

Children’s book, old cookbooks (the kind of cookbook your grandmother would have had), reference books… you name it, you can find it there.

The books are not always cheap, even the used books. But often you can score a great deal. They even have sales on books and in front of the store you’ll find boxes of books available for a dollar or two.

I’m sorry that a few of the photos are fuzzy. I always feel awkward taking pictures inside stores. I don’t want people to think that I’m up to no good.

If you happen to find yourself in Nyack, New York, and you love books, you might want to take some time to check out Pickwicks. While you are at it you should take a stroll around town and enjoy some good food and the various galleries. Or you can sit down by the Hudson River and relax for a bit.

Kimberly

*I was not compensated for this post. I am simply sharing a fun location to visit if you ever happen to be in the area.

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Filed Under: Baby, New York, Ramblings, Travel

A Perfect Day in New York City

April 13, 2013 By Kimberly

This post is published as part of the 100 cities to home swap before you die initiative from Knok.com.

If you had the opportunity to live in any city around the world, even if it was just for a week or two, what city would you want to live in? Some cities that come to mind for me include Los Angeles, San Diego, Paris, London, Rome and Sydney.

I live just outside another amazing city – New York City. New York City is one of those cities you need to visit at least once in your life. Better yet – live in New York City, even if it’s for a week or two.

I was asked to write an article about a city I felt should be one of the top 100 cities to home swap before you die. The idea is from Knok, a online service that helps people find houses they can “swap” with other members.

If you ever saw the movie The Holiday, the lead characters Amanda Woods (Cameron Diaz) and Iris Simpkins (Kate Winslet) swap houses for the Christmas holiday. Amanda goes to live in Iris’s small cottage just outside of London, Englad and Iris travels thousands of miles from chilly England to the gorgeous sunny beaches of Los Angeles, CA. In the movie the ladies swap (or exchange) homes. That is the service that Knok provides it’s members.

When I was approached to write about a city I feel you should live in before you die, it’s only natural that New York City came to mind.

The number one thing I love about New York City is that there is so much to do no matter where you are in the city. Every day can be a new adventure for you if you were a New York City resident (even a temporary one).

I was asked to describe my perfect day in New York City. This is how I would love for my day to go.

My perfect day in New York City would start off with breakfast at the Russian Tea Room (150 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019). When I was a young girl my mom always talked about taking me to the Russian Tea Room. The restaurant was closed down for a long time for renovations. My mother passed away before she was able to take me there. It has been a life long dream of mine to go there at least once in my life. Therefore my perfect day in New York City would start off with breakfast at the Russian Tea Room. Eggs Benedict or Russian Toast both sound delicious.

After a satisfying breakfast I would head over to the Museum of Natural History and Hayden Planetarium (200 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024). I ♥ the museum! I could go there every day of the week and not get bored with it. There is so much to see there. My favorite places within the museum are the Milstein Hall of Ocean Life, the North American and African Mammal Halls and all of the Dinosaur Halls.

Most people like to meander through the museum. Not me. I love to stop and read up on all the exhibits. That is why it takes me all day to just make my way through half the museum.

In addition I love to take in the latest show at the Hayden Planetarium. If you’ve never been to a planetarium before it’s a really cool experience.

After spending a few hours at the American Museum of Natural History and Hayden Planetarium I’d like to head out across the street to Central Park for some lunch. I don’t need a sit down restaurant. There are plenty of side walk vendors that sell hot dogs, pretzels and ice cream. I would grab a hot dog and stroll through the park and admire it’s beauty. Maybe I would even stop and enjoy some entertainment by street performers.

After a brisk walk through the park and an on-the-go lunch I would make my way down to Rockefeller Center and make my way up to the Top of the Rock (30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10112). The Top of the Rock is a observation platform high above the city, located at Rockefeller Center. Visitors can get an amazing panoramic view of New York City.

Once I was finished at the Top of the Rock I would do some window shopping along 5th Avenue. One of my favorite shops to explore is FAO Schwarz Toy Store. I wouldn’t mind stopping by Lindt too for some truffles.

After all that walking and shopping I would need to have something to eat. There are plenty of fantastic restaurants on every street in New York City. I’d like to take it one step further by having dinner on a Spirit Line Dinner Cruise. Not only can I rest my tired feet but I can also enjoy mouth watering food, live entertainment and spectacular views of New York City as we set sail on the Hudson River. We could even get up close to the Statue of Liberty.

This is how I would spend my perfect day in New York City. Of course this is only a tiny sampling of the wonderful things you can do in New York City. You can always enjoy a Broadway show, or even the Christmas Spectacular at Rockefeller Center during the holiday season (I highly recommend that show!). Time Square is a must see, especially at night. You can also check out places like the 911 Memorial, Madame Tussuad’s Museum, Ripley’s Believe it or Not, the Empire State Building, sports and music events at Madison Square Garden, visit Grand Central Terminal, enjoy amazing foods in Little Italy, check out Peking Duck in China Town, enjoy some sweet treats at Dylan’s Candy Bar and so much more.

Something I really want to do is take a helicopter ride over Manhattan. I’ve taken a helicopter from Manhattan to an air strip in New Jersey, but I would love to also fly over New York City too.

If you ever have the opportunity to spend some time in New York City and really live here like a true New Yorker, you will never be at a loss for what to see or do. New York City is bursting with attractions, fine dining, great shopping and amazing history. That is why I feel that New York City is one of the top 100 places you should live before you die.

If you could recommend one city in the world to live in before you die, what city would you recommend? I would love to hear about it. Feel free to leave a comment and tell me more.

You can also find more New York City related posts and experiences here on my site. You can either do a search for New York City or you can click on the New York City tab in the drop down menu for Travel.

Kimberly

*I am receiving a gift for my participation in this campaign. There was no monetary compensation. The opinions expressed are my own and were not influenced in any way.

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Filed Under: New York, New York City (NYC), Travel

New York City History for Kids: From New Amsterdam to the Big Apple

January 3, 2013 By Kimberly

My family and I live in the suburbs of New York City. Depending on traffic I can cross into Manhattan in about 35 minutes. Of course one little fender bender on the George Washington Bridge and traffic can be backed up for HOURS. I haven’t been in traffic on the bridge (yet) but I have been stuck in traffic on the West Side Highway.

We try to get into the city as often as we can. We don’t usually go down “just because” because it costs at least $40 to park (plus tip), gas and tolls (I think the GW Bridge is up to $12 now). We tend to venture in if there is an event I was invited to attend with my family, or if we are doing “touristy” things.

We have seen many places around the city and visited many historic landmarks, but when it comes to the history of one of the world’s most famous places, we don’t know anything about it. We learned a little bit out the history of Central Park this past summer when we took a tour, but that is about it.

New York City has a rich history that spans hundreds of years. From the early Dutch colonists to the Patriots who rebelled against the British during the American Revolution, there is clearly more to the Big Apple then just big buildings and expensive restaurants.

We have several books about New York City. Most of them are photo books (coffee table books). It’s nice to look at photos of the amazing architecture. Sadly we won’t have any books that give us more information about the city.

I received a copy of a book to review called New York City History for Kids: From New Amsterdam to the Big Apple. It’s a book geared towards children (ages 9+), but as an adult I was able to read parts of the book and learn more about the city. Believe it or not adults can benefit from reading this books too.

Here is a brief overview of the book.

In this lively 400-year history, kids will read about Peter Stuyvesant and the enterprising Dutch colonists, follow the spirited patriots as they rebel against the British during the American Revolution, learn about the crimes of the infamous Tweed Ring, journey through the notorious Five Points slum with its tenements and street vendors, and soar to new heights with the Empire State Building and New York City’s other amazing skyscrapers. Along the way, they’ll stop at Central Park, the Brooklyn Bridge, the Statue of Liberty, and many other prominent New York landmarks. With informative and fun activities, such as painting a Dutch fireplace tile or playing a game of stickball, this valuable resource includes a time line of significant events, a list of historic sites to visit or explore online, and web resources for further study, helping young learners gain a better understanding of the Big Apple’s culture, politics, and geography.study, helping young learners gain a better understanding of the Big Apple’s culture, politics, and geography.

We gave this book to our son for Christmas, along with an interesting 3D puzzle of New York City. I thought they went great together. He could learn about the history of NYC while building it too.

I was worried that the book might be written in a way that was boring or not interesting enough for my “reluctant reader” . Thankfully it is written with children in mind. The book is packed with history, famous landmarks, famous people and more but it’s written in such a way that keeps a child’s interest. Or at least it has my son’s interest. As I mention previously, he’s a reluctant reader however he loves anything and everything about New York City. I have actually seen him reading the book. I dare not mention that I saw him (he might stop reading – he’s weird that way). As long as I see him with the book in his hand from time to time I’m happy.

A lot of the illustrations in the book are old. There are a lot of maps, diagrams and drawings that are in black and white. My son even commented that he wished there were more current images and photos. I guess when kids see things like that they think about history books and that might be a turn off for some children (unless of course they are really into history).

I like that my son has been able to tell us a few things about NYC that we never knew. As a mom it makes my heart smile when we’re ad dinner and he’ll say “Did you know…” and proceed to tell us something about NYC that he read in the book. It also reminds me of how little I know about NYC. I know nothing!

The book does come with over 20+ activities that help children understand some of the historical things they are learning about in the book. Sadly my son wasn’t interested in any of the activities (at least not yet anyway). It might just be the getting over the holidays and getting back into the swing of things at school. Perhaps when they have Winter break or over the weekend he might take interest in some of them. I know one of the crafts is to make a model of Fort George. That sounds like something he might be interested in. There is also a “how to” for playing stickball. I think he might enjoy that too. From what my husband tells me his father (who was born and raised in the NYC Burrough of Queens) used to love to play stickball.

If your child or grandchild enjoys learning about history, or perhaps as a fascination with the Big Apple, you might want to consider picking up this book. It might make a great teacher resource too if you are doing any lessons on New York.

New York City History for Kids: From New Amsterdam to the Big Apple is available at many book retailer locations (both online and offline).

Kimberly

*I received a free book copy in order to do this review. There was no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own and were not influenced in any way.

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Filed Under: Books, Children, New York, New York City (NYC), Reviews

Win Two Tickets to Spirit of New York – Winner’s Choice! (Giveaway ends 12/12/12)

November 28, 2012 By Kimberly

If you live in the Tri-State area (NY, NY, CT) or even in Eastern PA, you might be interested in a really nice giveaway in honor of Spirit of New York Cruise Lines 25th Anniversary. I’m giving away two tickets to the winner’s choice of cruise (except holiday or themed cruises).

Spirit offers passengers three levels that are climate controlled (so you won’t freeze in the Winter or sweat in the summer). The ship also have over sized windows so you can take in the breathtaking views of Manhattan and the surrounding area. You can even stroll around the deck for some fresh air and even more amazing views of the Hudson River.

One of the things on my “Bucket List” was to go up in a Helicopter. I considered it “bonus points” if I was able to see Manhattan from a Helicopter. Last year I knocked two things off my Bucket List in one day – I went on a Helicopter and saw Manhattan from above, and I went on a hot air balloon ride (both in the same day!).

I’ve been in Manhattan, and I’ve flown above Manhattan, but I’ve never been “around” Manhattan via the Hudson River. That is something I added on my Bucket List after I saw the photos my daughter took from the cruise line.

My daughter has been on a Spirit Cruise for her friend’s birthday. She has seen TWO Broadway plays (with chorus at school). Two things that I really want to do. I’m jealous!

Spirit is run by Entertainment Cruises.

One of the reasons why I want to go on an the Entertainment Cruise is so I can capture amazing photos of New York City.

Check out these photos that my daughter took when she was on the Spirit Cruise ship(her first name is the same initial as mine – and yes, she’s an amazing photographer).

She snapped these photos with a little pocket camera. I wonder how pictures would come out with my Nikon?

My daughter was on the dinner cruise with her friends (and the birthday girl’s parents). Both lunch and dinner cruises are available with Spirit of New York.

Entertainment Cruises offer lunch cruises, dinner cruises, holiday cruises and themed cruises. Your ticket not only gets you on board one of the beautiful ships but it also covers your cost of food and entertainment.

Each cruise offers you a meal from the Grande Buffet with includes a bountiful array of salads, entrees and side dishes. Of course no delicious meal would be complete without dessert. Appetizers and cocktails are also available for purchase (not included in the ticket price). Coffee, tea, ice tea and water are complimentary.

Dinner cruises also include live entertainment. At night your talented server staff will delight you with unique solo performances of some of your favorite songs. From line dances to Top-40 hits, Spirit’s DJs know how to get everyone up and dancing and rock the night away.

You can finish your meal or your evening with a lovely stroll across the deck to take in the sights and sounds of Manhattan and New Jersey.

I checked out their holiday cruises. WOW! If I had the $$$$ I would take my family to the New Year’s Eve cruise or the Christmas Eve cruise. They make both nights truly memorable. Some day I’ll do that with either my family or just my hubby.

The cruises are family friendly (lunch and dinner cruises). You might want to check on the specifics for holiday and theme cruises just to be on the safe side. Alcohol is available for purchase on the ships.

The Spirit Cruise ship sound like a lot of fun and I’m looking forward to going on a cruise with my family someday soon.

If you would like to learn more about Spirit of New York or Spirit visit www.SpiritofNewYork.com. You can also make reservations online too. You can even find them on Facebook – www.Facebook.com/SpiritofNewYork.

For more information about Entertainment Cruises visit www.EntertainmentCruises.com.

In honor of the Anniversary of Spirit of New York, Entertainment Cruises would like to offer a lucky winner TWO Tickets. The winner can chose from a lunch or dinner cruise (holiday and theme cruises are not available with this giveaway). The retail price of this prize ranges from $97.80 – $169.80 depending on which cruise the winner selects.

This giveaway is open to anyone but you have to be available to come to NY to get aboard the ship. This giveaway will end on December 12, 2012 at 12:01 AM (EST). The winner will be chosen at random using a random number generator from all eligible entries. The winner will be notified via e-mail and will have three days to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

To enter please leave a comment on this post and tell me WHY you would like to win the tickets.

For extra entries you can use the Rafflecopter widget (below) but you must complete the initial entry requirement or the additional entries won’t qualify.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Kimberly

*I was not compensated for this post. I posted this for the enjoyment of my site readers. Any opinions expressed are my own adn are not influenced in any way.

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Filed Under: Giveaways, New York, New York City (NYC), Travel Tagged With: Spirit Cruises, Spirit of New Jersey, Spirit of New York

Scare up some family friend fun at the NY “Ascarium”

October 20, 2012 By Kimberly

My family has been planning on a trip to visit the New York Aquarium. Every time we have it planned something always has to happen to prevent us from going. At this point I’m DETERMINED to get to the New York Aquarium.

We were supposed to go earlier today but we had to drop my husband’s car off at the mechanics and my car can only drive local. The NY Aquarium is about a 90 minute drive from where we live, without traffic. The last thing I’d want is for my car to breakdown some where in Manhattan or Brooklyn. Sigh…

A couple of weeks ago my family visited the Bronx Zoo to check out the zoo’s Halloween festivities called “Boo at the Zoo”. If you are interested in learning more about it you can read my post here.

The New York Aquarium is also having Halloween activities and events on the following weekends…

October 13-14, October 20-21 and October 27-28 (2012).

We’re going to try and make it down there next weekend. We do have plans already for that Saturday but we’re going to see if we can find a away around them. My family and I would really like to check out the NY “ASCARium”.

Check out all you can see and do at the NY Aquarium on the special Ascarium weekends.

Ascarium: A Pirate Adventure, brings a new thematic to the NY Aquarium as a part of this season’s Halloween celebration. A range of pirate themed, kid-friendly, not so scary experiences will be part of this year’s festivities to continue the tradition of providing Brooklyn and area families with a great destination for their Halloween celebration.

This year’s activities will include:

Haunted Seafari; The Tragic Tale of Captain Paul Looter

This year’s seafari adventure takes guests into the sunken ship of Captain Paul Looter, an awful pirate captain and a deep-sea criminal. Guests will enter the quarters of Captain Looter, where he still guards his gold coins, gold objects and scores of treasures from beyond his watery grave.

Our ship explorers then head into the Briny Brig, where our deteriorating devil crew are paying the cost for their pirating as well as their overfishing the waters and poaching some of the seas most magnificent, and endangered species. They are egged on to exit the ship and have a few choices…will they WALK THE PLANK to their doom Or will they head ON DECK?

Walking thru the Brig Portal…our treasure hunters will find the deck of the ship. Finally finding their way, our explorers are dumped onto the seashore, where all is NOT well. The effects of Looter & his slimy crew have polluted this craggy-rocked landscape. But it seems that Captain Looter has learned his lesson. His ghostly image speaks to us to let us know that he realizes now – that treasures are not in gems or gold, but the greatest treasure of all is the marine life and clean water that support our planet and it inhabitants.

Location: Explore the Shore

Timing: 11:30am – 4:30pm

Pirate School!

Pirate School! is a madcap, swashbuckling one-man family vaudeville show created and performed by veteran New York physical comedian and actor David Engel. During Pirate School! the bumbling professor Billy Bones teaches youngsters how to be good pirates with zany lessons on how to stand, talk, sing and laugh like Buccaneers, skulls talk, cutlasses drop and pets run amok. And there’s marine conservation information incorporate as part of the programming. Ultimately Pirate School! aims to satisfy children’s universal curiosity about the briny Buccaneers of yore while subtly boosting their self-esteem and pro-social skills by prompting them to be more empathetic, responsible, courageous Corsairs.

Location; Seaside Pavilion

Timing; October 13,14,27,28

11:00am, 1:00pm, 3:00pm

Musical Performance

The Brigands, a four piece musical group performing period pirate and nautical related music, will be the featured musicians. Their performances will include songs, ballads and fiddle tunes from roughly 1680 onwards, from the Golden Age of Piracy, thru the Tall Ships era right up to modern day with songs from virtually every Pirate movie ever made. Program will be screened to assure that the Aquarium’s message of conservation is maintained, and any songs from the whaling period will not mention harvesting of marine life. The program will include many audience participation songs, suitable for general audiences and families. Dancing Pirate Gypsies will accompany through dance and encourage audience participation.

Location; Seaside Pavilion

Timing; 11:30am, 1:30pm, 2:30pm, 3:30pm

The Sea Gypsies: Dancing Pirate Gypsies

There is a long history of gypsies dancing for pirates when they came to shore. Gypsy women would often marry pirates and chose a life at sea. Our gypsy dancers will not only dance while the Brigands play but will perform independently. The Dancing Pirate Gypsies will perform a number of different dances - each have a different theme and prop relevant to the pirate gypsy theme, example: pirates swords and fans, Romani gypsy festival dance. Audience participation is encouraged.

Location: Plaza

Timing: 11:00am, 12:30pm, 4:30pm

Spooky Pirate Storytelling, Mindreading and Juggling

Astounding Pirate Feats

Join Pirate “Mad” Dudley McMudd as he uses audience suggestions to create a percussive, chilling, ear-shattering sea shanty about piracy, the high seas and the marine life that inhabits it. Then watch him risk life, limbs and his reputation with amazing feats of juggling, mind-reading and balancing a dangerously dirt-ridden Mud Pie!

Location: Plaza

Timing: October 13, 14, (no performance 10/20, 21) 27,28 12:00pm, 2:00pm, 3:00pm, 4:00pm

Pirate Tales

Join Pirate “Mad” Dudley McMudd as he uses audience suggestions to create a frighteningly spooky, fun-filled tale about piracy, the high seas and the marine life that inhabits it. Then watch him risk life, limbs and his reputation with amazing feats of juggling, mind-reading and balancing a dangerously dirt-ridden Mud Pie!

Location; Seaside Pavilion

Timing; October 20,21 Only -11:00am, 1:00pm, 3:00pm

Pirate Games of Skill

2 Pirate Games of Skill will be available for guests to test their pirating abilities. They include the Sink the Armada Cannonball Toss and a Pirate Ring Toss.

Location: Ocean View Room

Timing: 11:30pm – 4:30pm

Discover Creatures of the Deep

Get under the microscope and learn about SKELETON shrimp, discover the facts about VAMPIRE squids, GOBLIN sharks and more.

Location: Ocean View Room

Timing: 11:30am – 4:30pm

Pirate Crafts

Guests will be able to create their own unique Haunted Pirate Ship Wall Hanging Collage. Using their imagination they can create the ship and the sails along with cut out marine animals such as a sea jelly, a shark, along with decorations of the season.

Location: Seaside Pavilion

Timing: 11:30am – 4:30pm

4-D Theater - Curse of Skull Rock

Location: 4-D Theater

Times; As scheduled

Treat Stations (11:00am – 4:00pm)

Location: Ocean View Room

Kids can engage in safe trick-or-treating activities in the park.

The New York Aquarium is located in the Coney Island area of Brooklyn, NY.

For more information, directions, times and ticket prices visit the official website, www.NYAquarium.com.

In addition to these events, each child (ages 3-12; children under 3 are free) in costume will receive a free child’s general admission with the purchase of one full-priced adult general admission ticket. Valid for Ascarium 2011 dates only. Limit two per family, may not be combined with any other offer.

When we went to the Bronx Zoo for “Boo at the Zoo” we saw A LOT of children, and even some adults, in costume.

If you live in the NYC or Tri-State area, the NY Aquarium would make a great family adventure.

Look for the NY Aquarium on Facebook too!

Wish me luck that we can get to the Aquarium next weekend. If we do I’ll upload some photos in another post.

Kimberly

*As a Bronx Zoo ambassador I received complimentary membership in order to visit and do this review. There was no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own and are not influenced in any way.