I am a graduate of Stony Brook University, and I have a degree in History. I am an avid traveler, with an extensive knowledge of geography, a passion for photography, and a knowledge of animals too. I enjoy pop music of the 1980's, fine dining, movies, baseball, basketball, and rugby.
December 11, 2016: After a long day aboard Via Rail, my mom and I were ready to explore BC’s largest city. However, as stated in my last Via Rail article, we were super late getting into Vancouver; it was almost 11 pm and we were drained of any energy to sightsee. Luckily, we were staying at one of the finest, if not THE finest hotel in all of Vancouver: The...
I woke up from a peaceful night sleep. It was a beautiful night but a bittersweet morning as well. It dawned on me that it was my last night on the train; I had grown to really enjoy my own cozy bed with a mobile view. Oh, and don’t get me started on the bathroom. Small, of course. But it was so nice and it was all mine! If I had to rate this room and...
If you find yourself wandering around the tall buildings off Michigan Avenue in the Chicago neighborhood of Streeterville, you may pick up the faint scent of donuts and chicken wafting in the windy city breeze along Erie Street. Keep your head up past all the tall buildings and you’ll find the marquee pointing your way into Do-Rite Donuts. This donut joint...
Delicatessens are as much a part of New York City as the subways, taxis, and the New York Knicks struggling to have a winning season. There’s Katz’s Deli in the Lower East Side, 2nd Avenue Deli on the east side, and Ben’s Deli in midtown. For a taste of deli, however, that is off the beaten path but very delicious, head to Mile End Delicatessen in...
In one corner, hailing from the corner of 2nd avenue and 1st street on the Lower East Side of NYC, just a short walk from Katz’s Deli and the Landmark Sunshine Cinema on Houston Street, is the Blue Ribbon Fried Chicken. In the other corner, hailing from the corner of 25th Street and Broadway in the Flatiron district, just a stone’s throw from the iconic...
December 9, 2016: I slept so soundly throughout the night. The movement of the train rocked me to sleep. The Via Rail Canadian, a massive, metal bassonette provides the perfect mix of ambiance and comfort when dozing off under the stars of the Great White North. My one regret was that I did not get up in the middle of the night to see Saskatoon, which our train...
December 8, 2016: When we last left our wandering Yanks in Canada, my mom and I had just completed a morning tour of Manitoba’s capital, Winnipeg. Back on board our railway vessel, we waited to pull out of the station. I was busy scrolling through photos and organizing them while my mom was attending to her needlepoint projects. So, business as usual. In...
From the hallowed halls of the Manitoba Legislative Building, our tour group headed off towards the lavish neighborhood of Wellington Crescent. Situated a stone’s throw from downtown Winnipeg, this is one of the most expensive neighborhoods in all of Canada. The houses within this neighborhood are big and beautiful. Most of the residents have a median...
My 31st birthday arrived on a dark and frigid Thursday morning in the city of Winnipeg. When my alarm clock went off, the sun hadn’t even risen but in lieu of sunlight, the numerous skyscrapers and their neon marquees shone beautifully in the cold morning air. I couldn’t sleep a wink last night; I was too excited to doze off and all I could think about...
Snow. Nothing but snow. I awoke to a strange new world blanketed by glistening powder accompanied by towering evergreens. In just a few eyewinks, I went from a rain-soaked Torono to a frozen wilderness; a world where Princess Elsa and Jack Frost had definitely worked their snowy magic. No sign of Olaf and Bunnymund, unfortunately. From another view, it also...