Contest: Win 2 New York CityPASS Ticket Booklets from Thirty Four Flavours & CityPASS!

I’m off to New York in a few weeks and I can’t wait! It’s been a year and a bit from my last holiday and I’m looking forward to kicking back and enjoying myself.

I’m ready for my trip to New York City with my trusty CityPASS in hand.

Visitors to New York City can find it overwhelming, but not if they have CityPASS – the very best attractions hand-picked and wrapped up in an easy-to-use ticket booklet. Because CityPASS is valid for 9 days starting with the first day of use, there’s no need to feel rushed – save time on your research, see the city that never sleeps at your own pace, and truly enjoy the experience.

Getting a New York CityPASS ticket booklet is simple. No matter how, where or when you buy, you’ll see the same huge savings and get the same price.

Using New York CityPASS is easy. Simply show up at the attractions with your booklets or voucher. The pros at each place will know just what to do.

Once you have your booklets, your party can split up and visit the attractions in any order you wish. And your New York CityPASS booklets are good for nine (9) days starting with the first day of use, so there’s no need to rush through the attractions; you can see them at your own pace. A CityPASS booklet you buy today expires February 28, 2018. A voucher you buy today must be exchanged for a booklet within 6 months of purchase.

The tickets in your booklet are actual admission tickets good for one visit (unless otherwise noted). You’ll want to leave them in place for the pros at the attractions to tear out. If tickets are removed, they’ll be considered invalid. Sorry, but rules are rules.

You’ll love CityPASS. They have hand-picked the top attractions for you, so you don’t need to spend time researching. And with CityPASS, you’ll save up to 40% over regular admission prices.

Because your New York CityPASS booklets are good for nine (9) days, you can visit the attractions at your own pace—see several attractions in one day, or spread them out over your whole trip. You’ll be able to fully experience the attractions and still have plenty of time to explore the city.

What am I checking out with my CityPASS booklet? Voila!

The Empire State Building Experience +Exclusive Feature

American Museum of Natural History

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Top of the Rock Observation Deck   or   Guggenheim Museum

Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island   or   Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises +Exclusive Feature

9/11 Memorial & Museum   or   Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum

Thank you to the generous folks at CityPASS who have gifted Thirty Four Flavours with two pairs of CityPASS ticket booklets to New York! Send an email, tweet, or inbox me whilst I am on my adventures in New York and let me know you why you would like a New York CityPASS for your chance to win two New York CityPASS ticket booklets. Contest closes on Monday November 28, 2016.

Good Luck! See you soon!

http://www.citypass.com/

Royal Ontario Museum: ‘Pompeii – In the Shadow of the Volcano’ from Saturday, June 13, 2015 – Sunday, January 3, 2016

As part of my staycation, I checked out the ROM’s ‘Pompeii: In the Shadow of the Volcano’  exhibit which tells the dramatic story of an ancient civilization frozen in time and features 200 remarkable objects, many of which appear for first time in Toronto.

Exploring Pompeii and its fate through six distinctive sections, the exhibition’s introductory experience underscores what we know about the city and the ancient Romans who lived and died there. Three key displays establish that the exhibition’s focus is on those people, the volcano that buried them, and the wealth of objects remarkably preserved by the destruction. The volcano, introduced in this section, remains a looming, menacing presence throughout the exhibition. Here, visitors are able to touch a large piece of pumice from Mount Vesuvius. From the mid-18^th century, extensive excavations of Pompeii provided unparalleled knowledge of ancient Roman life. The exhibition’s Out of the Ashes  examines the rediscovery, establishing that, with its eruption, Mount Vesuvius transformed a relatively minor Roman city into one of the world’s most famous archaeological sites. Pompeii is a veritable “time capsule” of well-preserved artifacts.

The exhibition’s central dramatic moment comes with Time Runs out for Pompeii . An immersive experience engulfs visitors as the disaster’s chronology is explained and visitors learn how and why the eruption was so catastrophic.

Finally,  The Human Toll reveals the devastating loss of life.   The dramatic story of discovery and preservation is enhanced as visitors encounter casts of the inhabitants of Pompeii at the moment of their demise. These people, whose lives were similar to ours in many respects, reveal life’s fragility in the face of natural disaster.

If you would like to go to the ROM on CityPASS please take advantage of my giveaway!  Toronto @CityPASS Ticket Booklet Giveaway! https://thirtyfourflavours.wordpress.com/2015/11/10/toronto-citypass-ticket-booklet-giveaway/

http://www.rom.on.ca/en#/gallery/recent

Toronto CityPASS: Royal Ontario Museum and Toronto CityPASS Giveaway!

I’m well into my Toronto staycation. Today I visited the Royal Ontario Musuem with my trusty Toronto CityPASS and it was indeed quite the adventure!

What did I see?  The Wildlife Photographer of the Year (WPY) exhibition!  It opens at the ROM on November 21 and is on display until March 20, 2016 and it was my first stop!

The Wildlife Photographer of the Year (WPY) exhibition presented by Quark Expeditions opens on Saturday, November 21, 2015 at the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM). The exhibition, on tour from the Natural History Museum (NHM) in London, showcases the natural world’s most astonishing images from professional and amateur photographers from 96 countries. This year’s show features photographs from three Canadians including the overall winning image from Don Gutoski, of London, Ontario.  Gutoski’s photo, A Tale Of Two Foxes, was taken near Wapusk National Park, near Cape Churchill, Manitoba. Also featured are photographs from Connor Stefanison, the Rising Star Portfolio Winner, and Josiah Launstein, a Finalist, 10 Years and Under. WPY is the most prestigious wildlife photography competition in the world and attracts more than 42,000 entries from around the world. The exhibition is now in its 51st year and is making its third appearance at the ROM this year.

Turtle Flight from David Doubilet demonstrating a hawksbill turtle as it swam past the photographer was such a beautiful testament to our earth and how precious it is.  Seeing a wee turtle navigating itself in the ocean’s realm is such a lovely reminder that life goes on even in the deepest of oceans when we are locked in the hustle and bustle of our everyday lives.  The pause in inhaling this photo was dream like.

Beetle Beauty and the Spiral of Love from Javier Aznar Gonzalez de Rueda captured Jewel weevils getting ‘busy’ in their glowing and iridescent forms.  These beetles looked like they were either dipped in oil or worse something out of an Alien film.  I smirked at the cheekiness behind the photo.

Make sure you check out the Butterfly in Crystal snap from Ugo Mellone.  As winter approaches Toronto – it’s a nice reminder of what is buried unknowingly under our feet as we traipse in and out of the snow for the next few months.

A Whale Of A Mouthful from Michael AW will leave you awestruck.  Think National Geographic in 100D.  It was truly a feat to capture such a vivid and daring photo of a whale amongst a school of fish.  A gobsmacking shot.

Exhibition Details

WPY is on display in Third Floor, Centre Block where photographs are installed with custom light boxes creating a dramatic view of the natural world. The exhibition is both family-friendly and attractive to the expert photographer, with 13 categories ranging from Youth Awards, to design and landscape images, and stunning animal portraits.

New this year is a ROM Photographer of the Year contest, which encourages visitors to submit their best wildlife photos. The winning image, selected by panel of ROM judges, will win an Arctic Expedition for two valued at $24,000 (CDN), generously donated by WPY Presenting Sponsor, Quark Expeditions. Contest entries can be submitted between November 18, 2015 and January 31, 2016, using Twitter and Instagram (entries must include @ROMtoronto and #ROMWPY). Details are available at: www.rom.on.ca/contest.

Add The Wildlife Photographer of the Year (WPY) exhibit to your visit when you use your CityPASS at the ROM for a small additional fee.  It’s well worth it!

Here’s a lil more info about the Toronto CityPASS for your ROM visit the next time you are in Toronto.

Once you have your booklets, your party can split up and visit the attractions in any order you wish.

You’ll get to skip many ticket lines with CityPASS. Look at the tickets in the booklet for entry instructions at each attraction.

There’s no need to rush through the attractions because you have nine days to use your Toronto CityPASS booklet. That’ll give you enough time to fully experience the best attractions while leaving plenty of time for shopping, dining, shows, etc. Explore at your own pace – see several attractions in one day, or spread them out over your whole trip.

Admission for the Toronto CityPASS Includes

1 CN Tower

2 Royal Ontario Museum

3 Casa Loma

4 Toronto Zoo

5 Ontario Science Centre

I am giving away two Toronto CityPASS’ ticket booklets to pass on my Toronto staycation buzz! Thank you CityPASS!

What are the rules when entering the Thirty Four Flavours and Toronto CityPASS Giveaway?

Please sign up to Thirty Four Flavours Facebook https://www.facebook.com/thirtyfourflavours, Twitter https://twitter.com/34flavours, or email subscription to enter the draw. When you have signed up please send me a Facebook message, a tweet or email (thirtyfourflavours@gmail.com) telling me which Toronto CityPASS attraction you are interested in visiting. Easy peasy! I will announce the winner on Monday November 30, 2015.  Good luck!

http://www.citypass.com

http://www.rom.on.ca/en#/gallery/recent

Toronto CityPASS Ticket Booklet Giveaway!

As part of my Staycation adventures I thought I would stay close to home and check out Toronto’s tourist attractions to channel my inner wanderlust. What better way to be a tourist in your own city on a budget with a trusty Toronto CityPASS ticket booklet in hand.

Getting a Toronto CityPASS ticket booklet is simple. No matter how, where or when you buy, you’ll see the same huge savings and get the same price.

When you buy online, choose between receiving a voucher that you can print or have the booklets shipped to you. Easy as pie.

Vouchers couldn’t be easier to use – just bring your printed voucher to the first attraction you visit, and they’ll exchange it for your CityPASS ticket booklet. Just note that you may run into a line when exchanging your voucher during peak times. And, it’s always a good idea to bring your ID (attractions may ask for it).

You can also buy once you get to the city. It’s simple – just make the purchase at the first attraction you visit. The team there will know just what to do to get you in as quickly as possible. Piece of cake.

A CityPASS booklet you buy today expires February 28, 2017. A voucher you buy today must be exchanged for a booklet within 6 months of purchase.

I am giving away two Toronto CityPASS’ ticket booklets to pass on my Toronto staycation buzz!  Thank you CityPASS!

What are the rules when entering the Thirty Four Flavours and Toronto CityPASS Giveaway?

Please sign up to Thirty Four Flavours Facebook https://www.facebook.com/thirtyfourflavours, Twitter https://twitter.com/34flavours, or email subscription to enter the draw. When you have signed up please send me a Facebook message, a tweet or email (thirtyfourflavours@gmail.com) telling me which Toronto CityPASS attraction you are interested in visiting. Easy peasy! I will announce the winner on Monday November 30, 2015.  Good luck!

Check out my Toronto staycation adventures starting next week!

http://www.citypass.com/

CityPASS New York: The Guggenheim Museum

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Full disclosure, I only discovered the Guggenheim Museum 5 years ago after watching a Sex and the City episode.  Horrible, I know.  But it is the truth.

I knew that when I was in NYC last week, the Guggenheim Museum would be a part of my journey purely so I could swoon over the Frank Lloyd Wright designed building not because of Carrie Bradshaw’s influence.

A little history about The Guggenheim Museum, in June 1943, Frank Lloyd Wright received a letter from Hilla Rebay, the art advisor to Solomon R. Guggenheim, asking the architect to design a new building to house Guggenheim’s four-year-old Museum of Non-Objective Painting. The project evolved into a complex struggle pitting the architect against his clients, city officials, the art world, and public opinion. Both Guggenheim and Wright would die before the building’s 1959 completion. The resultant achievement, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, testifies not only to Wright’s architectural genius, but to the adventurous spirit that characterized its founders.

The Guggenheim Museum’s proximity to Central Park was key; as close to nature as one gets in New York, the park afforded relief from the noise and congestion of the city.

Nature not only provided the museum with a respite from New York’s distractions but also leant it inspiration. The Guggenheim Museum is an embodiment of Wright’s attempts to render the inherent plasticity of organic forms in architecture. His inverted ziggurat (a stepped or winding pyramidal temple of Babylonian origin) dispensed with the conventional approach to museum design, which led visitors through a series of interconnected rooms and forced them to retrace their steps when exiting. Instead, Wright whisked people to the top of the building via elevator, and led them downward at a leisurely pace on the gentle slope of a continuous ramp. The galleries were divided like the membranes in citrus fruit, with self-contained yet interdependent sections. The open rotunda afforded viewers the unique possibility of seeing several bays of work on different levels simultaneously. The spiral design recalled a nautilus shell, with continuous spaces flowing freely one into another.

Now that I understood the back story to Wright’s vision I decided to delve into the art that lay ahead within the space.

I wasn’t sure what to make of the Christopher Wool exhibit (running from October 25, 2013–January 22, 2014) at first.  I loved the punk rock, spray, black and white grand scale pieces but was confused about his intent.  The pieces had a NYC accent and reminded me that I was in NYC experiencing NYC as I glided through the space.

The silkscreen has been a primary tool for Wool since the 1990s. In his earliest screen printed paintings, he expanded on the vocabulary of the pattern works, enlarging their stylized floral motifs for use as near-abstract units of composition. In this period, Wool frequently sabotaged his existing forms as a way to covertly generate new ones, layering the flower icons in dense, overlapping configurations that congeal into a single black mass or become obscured with passages of brusque over painting. He also introduced a new, entirely freehand gesture in the form of a looping line applied with a spray gun—an irreverent interruption of the imagery below that evokes an act of vandalism on a city street.

Wool’s first major photography series Absent Without Leave (1993) was interesting. Taken during a period of solitary travels in Europe and elsewhere, the images are saturated with an atmosphere of alienation and shot in a raw, abrasive style that disregards any concern for technical refinement. A similar spirit of disaffection pervades a parallel body of photographic work titled East Broadway Breakdown (1994–95/2002), but in this series Wool focused on a more familiar topography, documenting his nightly walk home from his East Village studio. Highlighting the city’s unadorned, off-hours existence, the photographs depict a nocturnal landscape emptied of citizens and stripped down to a skeleton of street lamps, chain-link fences, blemished sidewalks, and parked cars.

Indeed very Punk Rock and raw.   I felt like the ghosts of Johnny Ramone, Sid Vicious and Nancy Spungen stood around greeting Guggenheim guests as I peeked at the photos posted.

In contrast the Kandinsky in Paris, 1934–1944 (running from June 28, 2013–April 23, 2014) was all class.

Perhaps more than any other 20th-century painter, Vasily Kandinsky has been linked to the history of the Guggenheim Museum. The collection includes over 150 of his works, which are regularly presented in a dedicated gallery at the museum. The current selection, Kandinsky in Paris, 1934–1944, examines the last 11 years of his life. After the Nazi government closed the Berlin Bauhaus (where he had been a teacher) in 1933, Kandinsky settled in the Parisian suburb Neuilly-sur-Seine. In France, his formal vocabulary changed, and diagrams of amoebas, embryos, and other primitive cellular and plant forms provided the sources for the whimsical biomorphic imagery that would be predominant in his late paintings. Instead of his characteristic primary colors, Kandinsky favored softer, pastel hues—pink, violet, turquoise, and gold—reminiscent of the colors of his Russian origins. He also increasingly experimented with materials, such as combining sand with pigment. While Kandinsky found that his art had affinities with Surrealism and other abstract movements in Paris, he never fully immersed himself in the city’s artistic environment. Drawn from the museum’s permanent collection, this intimate presentation features paintings from a prolific period of Kandinsky’s career.

The Guggenheim Museum provides a wide variety of modern to classic art to absorb.  It is easy to navigate which is so unlike the MET.  Starting from the building’s fifth floor and working my way down was a delightful way to experience art and be in art.

The hidden spaces which held additional art, respite to catch your breath or a bathroom break, photography, museum curated snapshots, an open space lobby to loiter and have a chin wag over what you have just seen provided for a well rounded and fulfilling artful experience.  I wanted to sit in the space all day and people watch.  Thank you for the romance, Guggenheim Museum.

http://www.guggenheim.org/

Staycation Essentials

CityWalks Toronto from Chronicle Books

TORONTO CityPASS

Moleskine City Notebook: Toronto

For the next two weeks I am on a Toronto Staycation.  I decided earlier this year that I was going to scale back and do some off the beaten track walking tours, discovering of new neighbourhoods in my hometown and most of all visit Toronto’s finest museums, galleries and attractions at cheap and cheerful pricing.

Before I start on the Essentials of a Staycation, let me tell you how great it is to wake up in my own home, make my own hearty breakfast with tea and being able to lounge a bit before heading out.  I like the feeling of not having to rush and just moving slow after a year of work where I am run off my feet.   I came home a short while ago and warmed up some spaghetti and meatballs I had made last night with a glass of wine.  It’s a good life!

Now onto the Staycation Essentials.  I purchased three essentials which I used today to the fullest.  The three pieces I encourage you to pick up are the City Walks: Toronto, a TORONTO CityPASS and the Moleskine City Notebook:  Toronto.

City Walks: Toronto

50 Adventures on Foot

By Neil Carlson, Maps by David Lindroth

4-1/16 x 5-5/8 x 1-1/4 in; 50 cards, tri-fold intro card, 50 color maps

Published in February, 2008

This deck of cards comes complete with detailed maps and insider information.

Walks include:

The Harbourfront

Queen Street West

The Entertainment District

Toronto Islands

Bloor Street

REVIEW:  I want to be on my feet and walking for the bulk of the next few weeks in Toronto.  There are so many neighbourhoods I want to explore and get to know a little better.  The ‘City Walks: Toronto 50 Adventures on Foot’ is the perfect for my needs.  The cards are a perfect size to slide into my Moleskine and to refer to quickly as I am walking.

Sure TTC (transit maps) are okay but you want quick tips in an easily digestible fashion, The ‘City Walks: Toronto 50 Adventures on Foot’ is your ally and a nice compliment to the TORONTO CityPASS. The CityPASS will put you in key neighbourhoods and the ‘City Walks: Toronto 50 Adventures on Foot’ will guide you to explore further into the attraction’s neighbourhood.

The information on the card is brief; it provides public transportation ideas, excellent hints on cool and off the beaten track cafes and restaurants to check out as you travel from one destination to the next, interesting notes on what you should be observing and shortcuts.  The maps are colourful, a decent font size for review, defined landmarks so you know at a glance where you are and most importantly closest subway and bus stops if you get fed up and want to stop walking.  😉

http://www.chroniclebooks.com/titles/city-walks-toronto.html

TORONTO CityPASS

Toronto CityPASS is a booklet of admission tickets to Toronto’s 5 must-see attractions at 43% off the combined admission price. Save US$ 46.42 per adult and US$ 34.23 per youth, ages 4-12.

Included Attractions:

1.CN Tower

2.Royal Ontario Museum

3.Casa Loma

4.Toronto Zoo

5.Ontario Science Centre

CityPASS booklets are valid for nine consecutive days beginning with the first day of use.

Booklets include one-time admission tickets, detailed attraction information, coupons and a map.

REVIEW:  So as you can see – a really neat and comprehensive way to see a city by using a CityPASS. Plus offering and amazing value for the budget friendly traveler like me.  Speaking to what I mentioned earlier in this post – by using a CityPASS you are introduced to not only the best in cultural activities and exhibits but you can also venture out to off the beaten path jaunts that you wouldn’t necessarily would have been exposed to. The element of surprise whilst travelling makes me happy.

I am planning on visiting the Royal Ontario Museum, Casa Loma and the CN Tower using my TORONTO CityPASS in the next 2 weeks.  Attractions I have not visited in years and they are in my own city!

Sometimes strictly limiting your research to that of a travel book and internet searches isn’t all that and a bag of chips. Check out the CityPASS next time you travel to a big city. They are currently available in cities such as:

Atlanta | Boston | Chicago | Hollywood | Houston | New York | Philadelphia | San Francisco | Seattle | Southern California | Toronto

CityPASS

Customer Service

1 (888) 330-5008

Mon-Fri, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. MT

Sat-Sun, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. MT

info@CityPASS.com

http://www.citypass.com/toronto

Moleskine City Notebook:  Toronto

The City Notebook is easy to use and self-contained. It’s for city travelers who come and go;

occasional and regular visitors – for tourism, leisure, work, culture. It’s also for city residents, as it’s

the pocket-sized pad to accompany new urban lifestyles.

The City Notebook reflects the individual lifestyles of people who are independent and free-thinking.

People who live their lives at a fast pace, always connected, but who can relax and enjoy themselves; people who are creative, and selective in their tastes.

The City Notebook is a perfect companion for those exploring the magic of the city.

The City Notebook is useful in planning a trip, organizing a stay, gathering information, news,

internet addresses. During a trip it’s helpful to note down useful information, personal reflections,

addresses, experiences. In this way you can retrace your journey, revisit memories, exchange

information, and update it for your next visit.

Each 228-page notebook is thread-bound, featuring a black cover, elastic closure, inner pocket and

three bookmarks in different colors.

It includes:

 Key map with the layout of the city

 Subway map

 Zone maps

 Street Index

 Translucent sheets for tracing itineraries over city maps

 City File – a tabbed organizer for food, drinks, people, places, books and 48 adhesive labels for personalize it according to individual preferences

 Detachable sheets for exchanging messages

 Blank pages for jotting down information, recording discoveries and stories

REVIEW:  I own quite a few Moleskine notebooks but this City Notebook for my fair city of Toronto is a godsend.  I have a Smartphone but I’m pretty old school.  I like being able to look up addresses in a notebook, I like to write down by hand my thoughts, experiences and most importantly write down ideas to follow up on when I get home.

The compact ability of the Moleskine City Notebook is also helpful.  I don’t want to be carting around a mega backpack in my own city so being able to pop in a lil notebook with a pen is all I need.

The maps are detailed and up to date.  If you don’t want to look like a tourist in your own city, the map sizes are perfect.  For visitors this notebook is for you.  You won’t look like you have a sign that says ‘rob me’ with this discreet notebook.

The 96 page archive with 12 tabs, 76 blank pages, 32 removable sheets for loose notes, 12 translucent sticky sheets to overlay and reposition are the luxe elements to this notebook.  When I am at home I like to dump all of my pieces of papers and notes on the floor and to provide my thoughts with some sense of order.  When I’m on the road this notebook has helped in offering me some OCD comfort.  Everything has a place in this notebook and the pages are so soothing especially when you want to capture all of your thoughts before they are whisked away in the romance of a city moment.

If you are a newbie traveller or a seasoned one like me, Moleskine City Notebook for Toronto is what you need as part of your toolkit to keep your organized, creatively stimulated and focused on the next destination to be conquered.

Check out Moleskine’s other awesome City Notebooks!

http://www.moleskine.com/web/us/