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Showing posts from October, 2014

Warrington Farm, Queenstown, MD

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  Warrington Farm is kind of a rip off in my opinion. $2 to pet a couple animals (cows, pigs, and horses) maybe isn't so bad, but $30 for a pumpkin is, especially when down the road at Blade Orchard you can get pumpkins just as large for $6. Besides the price, Warrington doesn't even grow their own pumpkins. They buy them at Councell Farms in Cordova, just like anyone else can, then they sell them at a higher price to make a profit. Definitely a not-nice move. But they're right off the highway and are in a convenient location, so if you want convenience and don't care about prices, feel free to stop by.

Ringling Museum, Sarasota, FL

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Back in August, I visited the Ringling Museum in Sarasota, Florida. This museum is all about the Ringling Bro's Circus. Being as I went on a field trip, I did not get much time to explore but the little I could I found interesting. I wish it had been an actual circus, but the miniature displays that were actually quite large were very impressive. It was like being a giant looking down upon a circus or like God watching from above - the figurines moved and everything! The museum however was only one part of the place however. Outside there was a garden and there were several other buildings still left for me to explore by the time I had to leave. The giftshop and Starbucks on site made the heat more bareable, but took valueable time away that I would have liked to spent in another building or looking more at the cool trees outside, or maybe even playing on the playground I saw. Because I went on a field trip, I'm not sure the price, but I'm sure it would have b

Homeless in Hollywood Book Review

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*****Spoiler Alert***** Homeless in Hollywood by Jim Alexander Rice is an account of the author’s single-minded determination to break in to the business as an actor/scriptwriter. Over a two to three year period, the main character (author) lives hand-to-mouth on a Hollywood filming studio, dodging guards while trying to gain employment and a movie deal. It is inspiring and a bit scary at times. As much as I would like to be a best-selling writer, I have not felt the passion for it as the author so obviously has. The story was easy to read and follow. The danger and suspense of the constant threat of discovery brings an emotional draw to the tale. At times the extreme differences between the people who worked at or were stars of the Hollywood studios compared with the number of homeless people “living” just beyond its walls seems surreal. Why is there such a disparity? The author’s account feels like a fairy tale when he crashes studio parties and rubs elbows with the rich a

Review Statue of Liberty

Statue of Liberty Liberty Island ,  New York City ,  NY   10004 First tip: Book your trip well in advance if you want to go up to the pedestal and the crown. You must be at least 4 feet tall in order to go to the crown. There are no elevators to the crown, just hundreds of steps. I booked this trip online. It was only about $18/adult. This price includes access to the pedestal if there are enough tickets for it on the day you want. The park service only gives out a certain number per day. Book early. I believe the crown access is $4 more. If you don't get pedestal or crown access the price is the same just to walk around the island and Lady Liberty. There is one elevator that is run by the ranger so there is a long wait. If you're healthy, you can head up the hundred or so steps to the pedestal. Once there, the access to the outside is about three feet of space all around. You have to squeeze by people to walk around the entire statue. If you have crown tickets, you have

Review Ritz-Carlton New York, Battery Park

The Ritz-Carlton New York, Battery Park 2 West Street ,  New York City , NY   10004   (Financial District)    This was the first time we had been to New York. We were going to the Statute of Liberty so we decided to splurge a bit and stay in Manhattan. The Ritz Carlton near Battery Park was the perfect location. We were within walking distance to the Statue of Liberty ferry, the 911 Memorial and Wall Street. We visited the Bull on Broadway Street and the American Indian Museum (which is free as part of the Smithsonian). The hotel staff were very helpful and pleasant. I was impressed that they remembered our names every time we came through the lobby. Everything was clean and nicely decorated. When we arrived, they had welcome cookies and milk for our children. I thought that was a nice touch.  The room was spacious and had a view of the street and nearby buildings instead of the river. But we didn't mind. It did have a mini bar but you have to request for it to be unlocked. We d

Review Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum

Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum 6th and Independence Ave., SW ,  Washington DC ,  DC   20560   (National Mall)   First tip: Go early in the morning. This was an amazing museum. Anything that you could think of relating to air and space was there. From the very beginnings of the thought of flight to looking out beyond our solar system. There is so much to see and discover. There are two floors and 10 or more separate sections of exhibits. There are airplanes suspended from the ceilings. There are satellites and rockets that had at one time actually been in use. There are many interactive exhibits and so much information that we could not see or read everything. There is a two-floor gift shop as well to purchase child-sized space suits, toy airplanes, science games, T-shirts, hats, postcards, books, etc. It is a Smithsonian museum so it is open free to the public, but they do accept donations. It was a wonderful visit. If you see anything in Washington DC, this is