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We’ll be back to our regularly scheduled posts, with some extra puppies that you might have missed in the interim.

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Thanks for the support!

We had a Polaroid and were regularly using it when they ceased producing film. Only Fuji offered a similar product in its Instax series and soon we purchased an Instax Mini 25 for ourselves.

The Instax Mini series comes in a few different models, offering different features and price points. The Instax Mini 7s is the basic camera with a manual lens and automatic flash. The Instax Mini 25 and Mini 50 both have automatic lenses and “intelligent flash,” that can make the background clearer than the 7s. The Mini 25 has a self-shot mirror by the lens while the Mini 50 has a self-timer mode. All of these use film made by Fuji that measures 2.0″ x 3.0″ which is about the size of a credit card.

The photos cost about $.80 each and sometimes it may be difficult to get the shot you’d want, especially at close range, but when you do get a great shot, it’s something you’d never be able to get with a different kind of camera.

Roosevelt Island, nestled between Queens and Manhattan, is easily accessible by the F train, but I recommend you take the Roosevelt Island Tramway at least once.

There’s a lot to explore around this island and it offers tremendous views along the East River.

There are also a few interesting spots to see on Roosevelt Island. There’s a lighthouse at the northern end and an old farmhouse as well. There used to be a prison, asylum, and smallpox hospital operating on the island. Some of the remnants of these structures are still around.

There is not much vehicular traffic, although cars can access Roosevelt Island via Queens. There is also a dedicated bus route on Roosevelt Island, which costs only 25 cents. The island isn’t very big and you could walk from side to side in minutes. Walking around the island would take a couple of hours.

A brand new park opened on Roosevelt Island opened in late October. We haven’t had the chance to visit the Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park, but it’s something we’ll hopefully get to see soon!

1. We put up our Christmas tree this week! Spider-Man always goes on top.
2. I love this new ornament from Story.
3. Lights!
4. We got this little corgi ornament in London.
5. These dogs, you guys. These dogs.
6. Thanksgiving with my mom.
7 & 8. Oh Molly’s, we have missed you!

Follow all of our adventures on Instagram at heyjenray and goodinthestacks!

Holiday Shows

Obviously, the most famous holiday show is the “Radio City Christmas Spectacular.” It’s held throughout most of November and to the end of December. It’s a natural part of growing up in New York City to go to this show at least once on a school trip, but the show changes from year to year, so it’s certainly worth repeat viewings. While this is the holiday blockbuster, we prefer a more intimate setting, like the holiday shows at the Irish Repertory Theatre. A few years ago we saw Dylan Thomas’ “A Child’s Christmas in Wales,” which was very entertaining. This year they are putting on the 1946 live radio play of “It’s A Wonderful Life.”

Macy’s

Going to Macy’s on Christmas is not for the faint of heart. Macy’s is a large undertaking when it’s not Christmas, but walking through the floors during the holidays is definitely worth it. Even if you aren’t willing to wait on line for Santa, there’s still a lot for you to see.

Visit a Museum

Go to a museum? Yes! In addition to having the greatest museums in the world, a lot of the museums get in the holiday spirit with special exhibits. The Children’s Museum of Manhattan is celebrating with the Grinch’s Holiday Workshop and the New York Botanical Garden puts on an awe-inspiring display with its annual Holiday Train Show which features miniatures of New York City, all made entirely out of plant parts! There are lots of other places to visit too!

Rockefeller Center

Might as well start with the most obvious one, right? In actuality, we used to avoid this place as best we could anytime during the holiday months. That kind of thing made us bad New Yorkers, but we rectified that a few years ago and had a great time looking at the tree and other decorated buildings. Make sure to stop at the NBC Experience Store to pick up some presents while you’re there!

Pop-up Shopping and Holiday Fairs

Fifth Avenue will always be there, but the many temporary shops that pop-up all over come just once a year. Most of these outdoor markets are already in some of New York City’s most popular areas, but some are shops that take temporary residence in a storefront for a few months. Some of the more popular markets can be found at Union Square, Columbus Circle, and Grand Central, although our favorite is at Bryant Park. There are also some holiday fairs like the Bust Holiday Craftacular, one of our favorite annual traditions!

Celebrate Hanukkah

Go see the world’s largest menorah or head to the 92Y for the many events they have celebrating Hanukkah. Or maybe venture to Hoboken to see Yo La Tengo during their 8-day Hanukkah stint at Maxwell’s. Don’t forget to eat some latkes, too!

1. Figure out how much time you have.

This is especially important if you are using public transportation and are relying on timetables and schedules. Obviously, the earlier you arrive and the later you leave, the more time you’ll have, but that may come at a cost in higher transportation prices.

2. Decide what you want to see.

Having a tight schedule means you need to figure out what you want to see. Figure out what is most important to you and make sure you do that, but also plan other things in the vicinity in case you are ahead of schedule.

3. Pick your route.

Planning your route through the city is very important for several reasons. For one, you want to make sure whatever you are going to is open when you get there. You also don’t want to travel more than you have to so there should be a logical route you take. Don’t double back on yourself!

If you plan ahead of time, a few short hours in a city can be enough to see everything you want.

8. Where To?

There are a few apps that provide a very similar service, but Where To? is my favorite. I like the interface and ease of use. It also has a fun augmented reality (added in-app purchase) that makes finding things directly around you more fun and simple.

7. Groupon

We’ve mentioned before about how we love using Groupon as a way to save money while traveling, but using the mobile app on the go is great to find something last-minute or to use one of Groupon’s Now! Deals, which are available for a short time, usually for that day only.

6. Foodspotting

One of the many food related apps available, Foodspotting is my favorite because it is a beautiful app that provides you with a lot of user-generated photos about local restaurants. Providing these visuals as the main focus certainly helps me in determining where I want to eat.

5. Goby

This is one of my favorite apps as well as one of my favorite websites. I always consult it when I’m trying to find something to do along the way. You can limit your search to a particular subject (out 350 subjects) to help you find something you’ll like. You can even search by date to find things like fairs or concerts that might be in the area.

4. Best Road Trip Ever

Similar to the Roadside America app, Best Road Trip Ever boasts a cleaner interface and a more user-friendly search. Featuring 10,000 offbeat destinations, this app can get you the same information as Roadside America, but at a better price.

3. Yelp

This popular app is great for finding out if the place you want to go is actually any good. People might say that it ruins the fun of a road trip and that discovering these things along the way is part of the fun. Even if I do find a place on the road, I’d actually want to know if it’s good or if it will poison me. No point in going to a place that will make you ill, especially if you are traveling.

2. Google Maps

I lament the loss of Google Maps from iPhone. Although there is still a way for you to get this information on your iPhone, it doesn’t feel the same. I actually held off from upgrading to iO6 because of this. Google Maps is invaluable when you are on the road and in an unfamiliar place. If you have an iPhone, you know how great it was, especially after using Apple’s native Maps app. Hopefully, it will reach the same level of Google very soon.

1. PennyFinder

If you have read our blog regularly, you may have noticed that we really like pressed penny machines. Most of our elongated coin finds were random and we just happened upon them, but this app let’s you find the nearest pressed penny machine based on your current location. You could also search by state if you wanted to plan your trip around finding pressed pennies (despite our love, we have not done this …yet!). It’s a really fun app with a simple concept that can add a memorable souvenir to your trip.

1. Jen is making these tiny Jayne hats (the squirrel is squirrel size)! Look for them on etsy soon!!

2. We went to Bareburger during the week. It’s one of our favorite restaurants in Queens.

3. I spotted this on the sidewalk. I have a feeling Sara put it there.

4. We took a trip up to Connecticut over the weekend, stopping by Books by the Falls in Derby.

5. We also stopped at the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum along the way. It had a lot of interesting things to see with many interactive exhibits.

6. On our drive up, we spotted this daring fellow on the road.

7. & 8. Our destination for the evening was The Space in Hamden, CT to see Jaymay, Jenny Owen Youngs, and Mirah.

Follow all of our adventures on Instagram at heyjenray and goodinthestacks!

I’ve always wanted to drive along Route 66. I’m not sure where we’d actually drive it, but maybe we’d make it to the end of it in California (or maybe we’d start there!). (via Appropriately Frayed)

One of my favorite things to read are books about America in the late 19th/early 20th centuries. This is especially true for anything travel related. After reading this post about the Fred Harvey Corporation, I want to head over to the Grand Canyon, where the remnants of this once popular chain of restaurants, hotels, and souvenir shops still exists. (via High Kick Travel)

I loved this post about why photographs are sometimes impersonal. It kind of reminded me of a post I wrote about why I think sometimes the story is better than a photo. Unfortunately, I can’t draw that well, so I can’t document my travels with lovely sketches like the ones done here. (via Thurstan Bassett)

Even though the High Line is so close to me, I’ve only been on it just once. After seeing these wonderful photos of the High Line, I need to go back there as soon as I can. (via These Vagaries)

Autumn is by far our favorite holiday! (via Stream of Consciousness)

BONUS PHOTO FROM THE ARCHIVES

We finally have gas in our car and are looking forward to driving up to see Jenny Owen Youngs and Mirah play in Connecticut! Here’s JOY at a show in Massachusetts.