O so i've booked my big trip this year and the list is below. What i'm looking for is something that will make the city special.. something that is "local" that you would take your best friend. Something that says summarises your city.
I realise that this isnt a travel site and i should go to tripadviser but hey, seeing as i'll be taking photos, why not put it here too? :)
Miami
Cancun
Playa Del Carmen
Chichen Itza
Tulum
Washington DC
Boston
Toronto
Niagara Falls
Buffalo
New York
Not my city, but I'm close to both Toronto and Niagara Falls.
The falls will provide you with ample photo opportunities, so really, no suggestions there. However, I do believe they have nightly fireworks, so if you're into that, then there's always those. Ooh, also, not sure if you're into butterflies, but there is an awesome butterfly conservatory. Annnd, go under the falls (Journey Beneath the Falls). It's awesome and provides a great different perspective.
Toronto, I haven't explored too much, but of course there's tons of huge buildings, as well as some really cool older ones with great lines/angles/shadows/etc. There's also tons of different villages. Little Italy, Little Portugal, plus more. Check out Kenzington market if you get a chance, too.
I see Toronto on your list - why not Montreal - can't come to Canada and not come to Montreal - 6 hours by car - 4 by train - 1 by air. Great photo ops too.
i live near New York City and i LOVE taking pictures in Central Park. especially if you go in summer, there will be so many people outside that can make good subjects. here is a picture i took there this winter: http://365project.org/hdethlefs/365/2009-12-29 (this is looking out at buildings from inside the park). here also is a link to some photos i really like that are from Central Park and Prospect Park (in Brooklyn): http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2010/07/11/nyregion/PARKS.html?ref=nyregion
my favorite thing to do in Boston is to go to the Isabella Stewart Gardner museum. She was a boston socialite and her and her husband collected art. They built this amazing house, rather inside out and when she died she left it to the city of Boston. The artwork was all hung by her and hasn't changed since. Of course the other favorite thing to do is go see the Red Sox at historic Fenway Park. If you can't get tickets you can always take a tour of the park. Sounds like a fun trip.
Weng, this sounds great! Unfortunately, I haven't been to any of these places yet... NY and Niagara Falls are on my list, but I'll wait for you to check them out and give me some advice ;-)) I am sure your tip will be a blast - will be looking forward to photos! ;-)
P.S. If you make it to Saint Louis the salad offer is still on ;-))
cool stuff guys! thanks for all the tips! @Chris, thanks for the offer mate, buffalo is only for one day - the 12th and we're going to go to the dolphins vs bills game!!! woohoo!!! Although if you want to come join us on the gridiron game, let me know
I should also add that I'll be spending a couple of hours in toronto on a coffee crawl through the city :) @Dora... yeah i was contemplating montreal but in that leg of the trip, we were a little out of time. We were actually contemplating quebec but it just seemed that toronto would be an easier way to get to niagara falls and then to buffalo. But I definately have to come back and do canada on a different trip!
Weng- Both NYC and Washington DC are fabulous places to visit and are both FILLED with things to photograph! I'm sure you would have a fabulous time in either city, but if I had to choose just one my pick would be DC. Hope you have a great time wherever you go.
If you're going to be in NYC on a Monday, Wednesday, Friday or Saturday, check out the Union Square Farmer's Market (14th Street). Canal Street is always interesting for photos (and great for cheap knock-offs of pretty much anything you can imagine). Of course there are the obvious choices... The Empire State Buliding at night (although I've heard Top of the Rock at Rockefeller Center is actually better), the Statue of Liberty, Times Square, the USS Intrepid... I could probably come up with a list a mile long!
Last year when we were in DC, we went out to Arlington Cemetery...many, many photo ops there. There's also the National Mall, most places of interest are free (added bonus), and also Baltimore is actually not a long drive from DC either. Heard the Inner Harbour is a great place to go, but haven't gotten there yet.
For DC I would say the Holocaust Museum, it has a lot of really gorgeous old structures and things saved from the synagogue burnings.
In Boston, definitely go to Fanueil Hall (not sure on the spelling). With all of the people, food, and older structures, you'll definitely find something.
I live in Cambridge (across the river from Boston) and I would second the suggestion for Fenway park. Even if you don't love baseball, it's a beautiful park and the crowd is always fired up, in a uniquely Bostonian way. Otherwise, the Frog Pond in the Common (skating in winter, kids splashing around in summer), or dare I say, Harvard or Central Square here in Cambridge?
In Boston I would go for some gritty-down to earth- harbor pics. most def. Fenway park in awesome too, but when I think of my Boston I first think of all the gritty real-life places... like the T-stations... Harbor... nightlife on Lansdown St..etc
haha yea right, like you'd come to where I live to travel. Do you like corn fields and more cornfields? okay then good thing you arent coming here ;)
sorry I couldnt help!!
(and I was exaggerating on the cornfield thing...its not as bad as Iowa lol thats where my dads family is from...but theres not much to do here...still, have fun!)
ok if you are in Boston- got to have the Swan Boats, North Church and Paul Revere Statue, the skinny house, Beacon Hill and the Commons. Pretty much just walk the Freedom Trail- can get a map of the trail on line.
I'm not from any of those places, but I HAVE been to Toronto and the photo op's there are ENDLESS. Niagara Falls (and Niagara in general), the CN Tower (which is where I'm at in my user picture here), Royal Ontario Museum.. of course I'm a little biased because the only places I've been on that list are Toronto and Miami, haha.
Pam has a good idea with the Freedom trail in Boston and I agree that you should stop by Fenway for either a tour, a game or just to walk around.
You could start at the Boston Common and tour around there (Public Gardens, Beacon Hill) and then walk down to Fanuiel Hall and then keep walking down to the water. If you need any help while you are in town you can shoot me an email. My address is my firstname.lastname at gmail.com
Enjoy your trip
Niagara Falls - you MUST visit the Butterfly Conservatory...photo ops galore and cool place to visit as well. 1 of my faves in all of Ontario to go. Of course the Clifton Hill strip is always exciting, but about 20mins down the road there is a small town called Niagara-on-the-Lake...AMAZING place! Its all old Victorian era mansions. The Prince of Whales hotel is right on the main street and is unbelievably beautiful!
For Toronto- go to Cassa Loma or for a free version of some old archetecture, walk through some buildings at the University of Toronto (at the upper end of downtown)...and Chinatown there is really neat too.
wow awesome tips guys... i'm marking them all down for places to visit... I'm been told that i'm a little crazy when I organise things and go to the n'th degree ... reference, cross reference, the works :)
If you visit Toronto you must see Harbour front, and not far from there, a ferrie ride away is Toronto Island where you can have a spectacular view of the sunset with the CN tower and skydome in it.
I grew up near the Falls and Buffalo. Go to DUFFS for chicken wings, they are consistently voted the best wings in Buffalo, even better than the Anchor Bar where wings were invented. Duff's Famous Wings. 3651 Sheridan Dr Buffalo NY 14226.
The candian side of niagara falls is MUCH nicer than the american side, there are much more bars/shops, and generally it is more touristy. I would think about basing myself there if you are staying overnight. However the american side at the actual falls itslef is really nice, a great big park, etc. I Would also highly recommend the 'cave of the winds' tour at the falls. Here you put on a giant parka and walk down on special platforms right next to a small side falls, the water can actually hit you if you want and you feel the power behind it, it is really great! I would skip the maid of the mist boat ride unles you have lots of time, you just get another perspective of the falls.
damn steve, thats a good bit of advice. Yeah we were always going to be staying on the canadian side of the falls but its good to hear about the cave of the winds. Sounds like a must.
Well, I used to watch it back in the golden days when It was Jim Kelly and Dan Marino. I followed both the dolphins and the bills - I know its not the done thing but hey, I was in Australia, it was so far away that we could do what we wanted. But to cut a long story short, I get to see my 2 favourite teams! yeah baby!!!!!! I'll see YOU at the game :)
Not from any of those placces but my mom's from the Buffalo area so I've spent a lot of time up there.
One of the coolest buildings I can think of is the Buffalo Psychiatric Center. It's abandoned now, but just looks so awesome. If you can get there on a night with a full moon I'm sure you'll have no probleem getting a ton of spooky/creepy photos.
Also in Buffalo you can go up to the top of City Hall for a great view. I believe it's 28 floors. There's an elevator operator and everything, it's pretty sweet.
Along the Niagara River there's this place called Old Man River's, one of the most unique restaurants I've ever been to. There's this wooden boat outside for kids to play on, and outside dining. Really eccentric, I'm sure you'd get some cool photos.
There's also a battleship and a submarine that you can walk through somewhere in the Buffalo area. I was quite young when we did it and quickly became bored with the endless passageways but it'd probably be good for taking photos. And then the Buffalo Zoo, you can see some of the animals without even going into the zoo.
For Niagara Falls, all of the above suggestions are great. Also there's Fort Erie on the Canadian side.
On the American side, make sure you take the time to walk around on all the islands. You can park on Goat Island, then walk around on the Three Sisters Islands and Luna Island. The Niagara River is extremely fast and powerful around the Three Sisters, and it's awesome just being there, but Luna Island is hands down my favorite. The American Falls come down on either side of it, most of them to the right but a tiny section, called the Bridal Veil Falls, flows to the left of the island. You stand right on the edge of the falls, with just a guardrail separating you from the rushing water. One of the most awesome experiences I've ever had.
Hopefully all of this information is still valid, I haven't been to Buffalo for years (unfortunately, I miss it a lot).
Also I skimmed quickly but I don't think it's been mentioned...make sure you look up the holocaust memorial in Boston. They have five plexiglass/glass pillars etched with the numbers of all the prisoners in the Holocaust, and you walk though them. It's pretty incredible, and very sobering.
I also grew up and lived in Buffalo/Niagara Falls (I prefer Anchor Bar wings; crispier, not as saucy); definitely hit the Canadian side of the falls, the night view is also amazing. On the American side you can do the maid of the mist (bring something waterproof), and of course the cave of the winds both are worth getting wet.
I would also look up Letchworth State Park, it's a beautiful gorge with falls and trails. I like to go off the trail and see what I can get into (go under fences and such) If you can find them climb up to the train tracks too, it's a great view (they are still used though so be careful).
There is also Our Lady of Victory Church (near Father Baker) in downtown Buff and the botanical gardens are across and down the street.
Steve - I think everyone who lives in Buffalo or is from Buffalo is a die hard Bills fan! If there's one thing about Buffaloians, we are damn loyal!
I live in Boston now, but I haven't done much 'photoing' around. I know the aquarium is beautiful and I've taken some great shoots there. If you like historical buildings and cemeteries, downtown and Salem are great for those.
Weng, In DC, go to Union Station... there's GOBS to shoot...and if the crime is low, you can take lots of pics too :) Inside Union Station, there is an awesome tour for about $35 USD / person. You can sit on the top of a London style bus and get a gist of each place...There are, eh, 20ish stops or so along the way that hit the highlights...The bus comes around every 20 minutes or so to pick you back up. I was born and raised in DC and my last trip was centered around Union Station...stop for a bite to eat at the circle cafe in the middle front...not sure of the name, but their nachos are the best I've EVER put in my mouth...and, well, I like nachos :D
Toronto -Ontario science center. I've been there a couple times with school, and ive had so much freaking fun
Niagara Falls- Dave & Buster's Arcade. Went there over christmas with the fam and the (now ex) bf and spent wayyyyyy too much money on games. It was so much fun though.
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1. Vietnam war memorial
2. WWII war memorial
3. Korean War memorial
all three are within walking distance of each other
The falls will provide you with ample photo opportunities, so really, no suggestions there. However, I do believe they have nightly fireworks, so if you're into that, then there's always those. Ooh, also, not sure if you're into butterflies, but there is an awesome butterfly conservatory. Annnd, go under the falls (Journey Beneath the Falls). It's awesome and provides a great different perspective.
Toronto, I haven't explored too much, but of course there's tons of huge buildings, as well as some really cool older ones with great lines/angles/shadows/etc. There's also tons of different villages. Little Italy, Little Portugal, plus more. Check out Kenzington market if you get a chance, too.
Ok, don't laugh, but I could drive there and hand for a night. When?
hope this helps and have a great trip!!
P.S. If you make it to Saint Louis the salad offer is still on ;-))
@Chris, thanks for the offer mate, buffalo is only for one day - the 12th and we're going to go to the dolphins vs bills game!!! woohoo!!! Although if you want to come join us on the gridiron game, let me know
I should also add that I'll be spending a couple of hours in toronto on a coffee crawl through the city :)
@Dora... yeah i was contemplating montreal but in that leg of the trip, we were a little out of time. We were actually contemplating quebec but it just seemed that toronto would be an easier way to get to niagara falls and then to buffalo. But I definately have to come back and do canada on a different trip!
In Boston, definitely go to Fanueil Hall (not sure on the spelling). With all of the people, food, and older structures, you'll definitely find something.
sorry I couldnt help!!
(and I was exaggerating on the cornfield thing...its not as bad as Iowa lol thats where my dads family is from...but theres not much to do here...still, have fun!)
And from all the votes of fenway park, I guess I have to stop there :)
You could start at the Boston Common and tour around there (Public Gardens, Beacon Hill) and then walk down to Fanuiel Hall and then keep walking down to the water. If you need any help while you are in town you can shoot me an email. My address is my firstname.lastname at gmail.com
Enjoy your trip
For Toronto- go to Cassa Loma or for a free version of some old archetecture, walk through some buildings at the University of Toronto (at the upper end of downtown)...and Chinatown there is really neat too.
The candian side of niagara falls is MUCH nicer than the american side, there are much more bars/shops, and generally it is more touristy. I would think about basing myself there if you are staying overnight. However the american side at the actual falls itslef is really nice, a great big park, etc. I Would also highly recommend the 'cave of the winds' tour at the falls. Here you put on a giant parka and walk down on special platforms right next to a small side falls, the water can actually hit you if you want and you feel the power behind it, it is really great! I would skip the maid of the mist boat ride unles you have lots of time, you just get another perspective of the falls.
have a great trip!
Well, I used to watch it back in the golden days when It was Jim Kelly and Dan Marino. I followed both the dolphins and the bills - I know its not the done thing but hey, I was in Australia, it was so far away that we could do what we wanted. But to cut a long story short, I get to see my 2 favourite teams! yeah baby!!!!!! I'll see YOU at the game :)
One of the coolest buildings I can think of is the Buffalo Psychiatric Center. It's abandoned now, but just looks so awesome. If you can get there on a night with a full moon I'm sure you'll have no probleem getting a ton of spooky/creepy photos.
Also in Buffalo you can go up to the top of City Hall for a great view. I believe it's 28 floors. There's an elevator operator and everything, it's pretty sweet.
Along the Niagara River there's this place called Old Man River's, one of the most unique restaurants I've ever been to. There's this wooden boat outside for kids to play on, and outside dining. Really eccentric, I'm sure you'd get some cool photos.
There's also a battleship and a submarine that you can walk through somewhere in the Buffalo area. I was quite young when we did it and quickly became bored with the endless passageways but it'd probably be good for taking photos. And then the Buffalo Zoo, you can see some of the animals without even going into the zoo.
For Niagara Falls, all of the above suggestions are great. Also there's Fort Erie on the Canadian side.
On the American side, make sure you take the time to walk around on all the islands. You can park on Goat Island, then walk around on the Three Sisters Islands and Luna Island. The Niagara River is extremely fast and powerful around the Three Sisters, and it's awesome just being there, but Luna Island is hands down my favorite. The American Falls come down on either side of it, most of them to the right but a tiny section, called the Bridal Veil Falls, flows to the left of the island. You stand right on the edge of the falls, with just a guardrail separating you from the rushing water. One of the most awesome experiences I've ever had.
Hopefully all of this information is still valid, I haven't been to Buffalo for years (unfortunately, I miss it a lot).
Also I skimmed quickly but I don't think it's been mentioned...make sure you look up the holocaust memorial in Boston. They have five plexiglass/glass pillars etched with the numbers of all the prisoners in the Holocaust, and you walk though them. It's pretty incredible, and very sobering.
I would also look up Letchworth State Park, it's a beautiful gorge with falls and trails. I like to go off the trail and see what I can get into (go under fences and such) If you can find them climb up to the train tracks too, it's a great view (they are still used though so be careful).
There is also Our Lady of Victory Church (near Father Baker) in downtown Buff and the botanical gardens are across and down the street.
Steve - I think everyone who lives in Buffalo or is from Buffalo is a die hard Bills fan! If there's one thing about Buffaloians, we are damn loyal!
I live in Boston now, but I haven't done much 'photoing' around. I know the aquarium is beautiful and I've taken some great shoots there. If you like historical buildings and cemeteries, downtown and Salem are great for those.
Niagara Falls- Dave & Buster's Arcade. Went there over christmas with the fam and the (now ex) bf and spent wayyyyyy too much money on games. It was so much fun though.