#74: Museum Mile (Page 686)

Sept. 3, 2010: Dave and I went to NYC to see the US Open, but we went a day early because I really wanted to see the Metropolitan Museum of Art ("The Met"). Here is Dave in front of the beautiful building.

A View from the top floor

One of my favorite Renoir paintings

The roof (this bamboo structure was a pice of artwork on display on the roof -- you could even get tickets to climb up this piece of art!)

Beautiful view of Central Park and the City from the roof of The Met.

Breakdown: Price: Technically, it's free. (Gasp! Something free in New York??) However, they do suggest a $20 donation per person. But whatever you can afford (even if it's nothing), they let you in! There are 12 exhibits on the first floor as well as a cafeteria. There are 14 exhibits (everything from Japanese Art to Musical Instruments to Islamic Art and European Paintings) on the second floor. And then.... there is the Roof Garden. The Roof Garden was so cool. There is a bar and a gorgeous view! However, it's only open May - October.

Verdict: I do appreciate art, but, as I've said before, I'm not a die hard museum lover. So, I think I probably could have died happy without having gone to The Met. Having said that, I'm still glad I went and it was a very impressive museum with an amazing collection.

#73: Historic Downtown New York (Page 684)

July 2003: The view of Historic Downtown from the top floor of the American Express building...

which also happens to look over Ground Zero. This is what it looked like one year and 10 months after the attack. Fortunately, I did see the WTC buildings prior to the attack. I went to NYC during the summer of 1992 or 1993 (I can't remember now) and have a picture of myself (in a Disney T-shirt tucked into white shorts, which is why I'm not posting the picture!) with the WTC buildings in the background. We climbed the Statue of Liberty on that trip as well.

Verdict: Everybody has to see Downtown New York at least once - because you have to see the Statue of Liberty! (Ferry service is available from Battery Park to the Statue and Ellis Island). But, for me, it's kind of a "been there, done that" place. I frequently go to NYC, but now that I've seen the WTC (before and after), the Statue of Liberty, etc., it's not a place I want to go back to again and again, but Times Square, Central Park, etc. are places I could do over and over again. So, do it once, but then if you go back to NYC, you can skip this and spend your time on the millions 0f other things to do in the vicinity!

#72: New York City (Page 677, 2nd Ed pg 841)

July 2005: Rockefeller Center

No trip to NYC is complete without a Broadway Show! We saw Sweet Charity with Christina Applegate.

Frozen hot chocolate at Serendipity.... yum!

May 2008: Dinner at Club 21

The Plaza

I happen to be married to a man whose favorite (American) city is NYC. And, we happen to live just 4 hours away from NYC. Thus, in the 5 plus years we have been married, we have been to NYC probably a dozen times. And we have loved every single time! There is so much to do, see, experience, etc. We love, love, love NYC!

Verdict: Absolutely! You MUST experience NYC in your life!

#71: Cooperstown (Page 672; 2nd Ed pg 837)

July 1991: My family took a vacation to upstate New York. Cooperstown was one of our stops because we are all HUGE baseball (Chicago Cubs) fans. Cooperstown is supposedly where the game of baseball was originated by Abner Doubleday (and thus, the name of the ballpark in Cooperstown) and is also home to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.
This picture is from July 31, 2005 when Ryne Sandberg (one of my all-time favorite baseball players) was inducted into the Hall of Fame at Cooperstown. Unfortunately, I wasn't there.....

But I was in Chicago in July of 2007 when Ryne Sandberg (who became Manager of the Peoria minor-league team) was in town. So, while this picture isn't of Cooperstown, I just had to put it with this post :)

Verdict: If you're a baseball fan like me, then yes, this is a MUST do! If you're not a huge baseball buff, do it anyway. Cooperstown is a delightful town!

#70: The Las Vegas Strip (Page 660; 2nd Ed pg 823)

Like I said in my previous post, I lived in Vegas for over three years (Sept. 1999 - Oct. 2002), so I have been to "The Strip" more times than I can count. This (grainy, pre-digital era) picture was taken in 2000 of me by the famous Vegas sign leading up to the strip with Mandalay Bay in the background.

Spring 2000: Me with my friend, Veronica, who flew in from Chicago to visit me. Here we are inside the Venetian, one of my favorite hotel/casinos.

March 2000: My parents and little brother came out to visit me! Here we are at the very top of The Stratosphere (after Ricky and I went on the roller coaster at the top) overlooking Vegas.

Verdict: I absolutely LOVE Vegas! I have heard many people say that they have no desire to go to Vegas because they don't gamble. Well, neither do I, but I was thoroughly entertained with the city for over three years! There are so many fabulous shows, restaurants, concerts, sights, etc. And virtually all of the casinos are hotels that are absolutely amazing to walk through. And parking (including valet) is free! So, yes, regardless of whether or not you gamble, "The Strip" is a must-do!

#69: Bellagio (Page 660)

I lived in Vegas for over three years (Sept. 1999 - October 2002), so I have seen the Bellagio countless times. This was in 2000 with my friend, Dave Ihlenfeld.
And this was in 2002 with my parents and my little brother Ricky with the water show in the background.

Verdict: I LOVE Bellagio. It is absolutely one of my favorite parts of Las Vegas. And it was an absolute must-do whenever I had out-of-town guests. I love, love, love the "dancing water" set to music that went off every 15 minutes at night. I would just get sucked in and want to stay there all night. And I loved walking around inside as well - dozens of fabulous shops, restaurants, even a great museum! And it also had an absolutely beautiful conservatory full of fresh flowers that were always made into some gorgeous design. Yes, the Bellagio is absolutely something you should see in this lifetime!

#68: Legal Sea Foods (Page 646)

Nov. 14, 2009: Legal Seafood is one of Boston's "institutions." It is known for it's fresh seafood, rich New England clam chowder and, of course, it's Boston cream pie.

Verdict: So, here's the thing.... while I agree it was a very nice place to enjoy a meal, I'm not a seafood lover, so if you're like me, then this is definitely something you can skip before you die!

#67: Chesapeake Bay (Page 643; 2nd Ed pg 803)

March 31, 2007: The Inn at Perry Cabin
Our breakfast with a gorgeous view

Our beautiful room

The view from our balcony of the Bay

The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels

Just two months after our first child was born, my husband surprised me with a weekend getaway to St. Michaels. We stayed at the beautiful Inn at Perry Cabin.

Verdict: While I wouldn't necessarily rank this as one of the things you positively have to see/do before you die, I did love it. St. Michaels is quaint, charming and beautifully tucked next to the Chesapeake Bay. The town is lines with pre-Revolutionary homes. It was very peaceful. But it also had lots of fun shops and some great restaurants!

#66: Obrycki's (Page 643; Listed as Baltimore Crabs in 2nd Ed, pg 802)

My daughter takes after me --not a big crab lover!
But my niece, Becky sure is!

Digging in.....

And the whole effect.... butcher paper, mallets, lots of crab shell "scraps"....

If you've been to Obrycki's, then you probably realize that none of these pictures were taken at Obrycki's! I went to Obrycki's on May 7, 2009 as I was invited to a Pharmaceutical-sponsored dinner. Since it was a business dinner, and I was eating with a bunch of people I didn't know, I didn't take any pictures. But, how do you do a blog on eating crabs Maryland-style without pictures?? So, I "borrowed" some from one of our family crab-feasts that we had just 3 months after my dinner at Obrycki's.

Verdict: I'm not a seafood lover and, to be honest, I'm somewhat morally opposed to eating crabs. It just seems wrong and almost barbaric to beat the heck out of a crab (even though he's already dead) to get a tiny bit of meat. Most people could easily eat 6-12 crabs for a meal. I just don't think it's right for 10 crabs to die so that one person can eat one meal. But this blog isn't about my morals. Regardless, I think Obrycki's is something you can pass on. However, if you are a crab lover and you're visiting Maryland, then by all means, Obrycki's has what you are looking for -- butcher paper, mallets and all!

Note:  Definitely a move in the right direction to change this entry from Obrycki's in the 1st edition to "Baltimore Crabs" in the 2nd.  Baltimore is famous for it's crabs and there are several places you can have this experience, so no need to single out Obrycki's!  And while I don't every crave crabs myself, we've had a lot of fun over the years taking family and friends out for crabs when they come visit (I have now lived in Baltimore two separate times for a grand total of 15 years.)

#65: Preservation Hall (Page 638; Listed as New Orlean's Music Scene in 2nd Ed, pg 798)

January, 2004

Verdict: I'm not a jazz lover, but thought this was worth seeing/experiencing nevertheless. I wouldn't put it on your top 1000 list if you're not a jazz lover, but if you are, it should definitely make your list. The ambiance is just quintisential traditional jazz and the bare bones venue just makes you soak it all in that much more.

#64: The New Orleans Restaurant Scene (Page 635; 2nd Ed pg 635)

January, 2004: So, this isn't exactly a restaurant (it's a piano bar), but you must admit, it's pretty cool looking! We actually went here the night before this picture was taken and loved the look of the place so much, we came back the following day to take a picture. And the other reason I'm using this picture is because for some stupid reason, I didn't take a picture of what should really be here..... Commander's Palace. We ate at Commander's Palace, located in the Garden District, and loved it!
Enjoying some of the yummy food (this is a beignet) that New Orleans has to offer.
Verdict: For the most part, it's really, really high in fat and calories. But it's also really, really high in taste, flavor and variety. So, as long as you're just visiting and not moving there.... Enjoy and Indulge!

#63: The French Quarter (Page 634; 2nd Ed pg 796)

January, 2004: My friend, Lisa and I decided to head to New Orleans for a 3-day weekend. We found a good deal on air fare and neither of us had ever been, so why not?

The famous Cafe du Monde, located on the edge of the French Quarter and famous for it's beignets. It's a great place to soak in the sights, sounds and delicious smells of the city!
Verdict: Admittedly, this was pre-Katrina and I haven't been back post-Katrina, so I'm not entirely sure how much is in tact, but at least pre-Katrina, the French Quarter was fabulous and we loved it! The shops, restaurants and sensory images all around you were so fun!

#62: Superdawg (Page 628)

December 2007: We went to my hometown of Naperville, IL for Christmas and, in looking through my 1000 Places to See Before You Die book, I noticed there was something we could easily squeeze into my week home and get checked off my list: Superdawg!

Verdict: Didn't see what the big fuss was all about. Definitely something you don't need to experience before you die!

#61: Art Institute of Chicago (Page 624; 2nd Ed pg 785)

So, here's the thing. I grew up in a suburb of Chicago, so needless to say, I've seen the Art Institute dozens of times. However, the last time I was actually INSIDE the Art Institute was in High School, I believe. So, if I do have any pictures of it, I have no idea where they are. However, since my husband was just in Chicago a few weeks ago and hit up the Art Institute while he was there, I have pictures for my blog after all! Here is in in front of the lions outside the Art Institute on Michigan Avenue.

Seurat's famous pointillist work: Sunday on La Grande Jatte from 1884.

Grant Wood's American Gothic

Verdict: I remember studying the La Grande in school and being fascinated to see it in "real life." There are numerous very famous works here and it is a fabulous art museum. In fact, we recently went to "The Met" in NYC and my husband said he preferred the Art Institute to The Met. So, if you're an Art Lover, don't miss the Art Institute of Chicago!

Note:  This is no longer a separate entry in the 2nd Edition.  It is simply listed as one of the attractions under "Chicago."  And I can see why.  Chicago is simply a must do before you die experience as a whole.  And this museum, among many other sites, attractions, restaurants etc all rolled into one is the Chicago experience.  

#60: Oahu (Page 618; 2nd Ed pg 775)

I have been to Oahu 3 times: January 2002, January 2006 and September 2006. These pictures are all from the September 2006 trip. Highlights of the trip were the Polynesian Cultural Center, which has natives from many of the islands in the South Pacific demonstrating what is unique to their country. Top off the day with a luau and fabulous show! They do a great job!
Pearl Harbor

Ocean Front Dining

And the North Shore!

Verdict: Hawaii is one of the most fabulous places on Earth, in my opinion and Oahu has a lot to offer. The above are my favorites. However, Waikiki is totally overrated. You don't feel like you're on an island; you just feel like you're in a city by a beach. And the beach is my least favorite of any beach I've been to on any of the Hawaiian islands - rocky and crowded. So, spend a day at Waikiki to see what all the fame and fuss is about, but don't stay there for the week. If you're going to stay in Oahu for more than a day or two, my suggestion is to stay on the beautiful North Shore.

#59: Maui (Page 617; 2nd Ed pg 770)

January and September 2006: Maui. I've been to Maui twice and both visits were in 2006. It was a good year! One of my favorite things we did during our January visit was Whale Watching, which wasn't going on during our September visit, so I'm glad we were able to do that.
Road to Hana. Everybody's got to do this once. And why not do it in style.... rent a convertible!

Here I am with my sister at one of our first stops on the Road to Hana. We had fun jumping into this waterfall. But it was cold!

One of the many beautiful sights....

"Halfway to Hana" is the name of this stop and they have the best shaved ice! In fact, I consider it a highlight and necessary stop on The Road.

Round 2: In September, we traveled "The Road" again with my brother and his wife. She had driven to Hana before and knew about this beautiful black sand beach.

And we visited the grave sight of one of my favorite people, Charles Lindbergh. As you can see, I'm pregnant on Trip Two. So, now I can tell my first born, Lacey, that she's been to Hawaii and loved it!

Verdict: One of the things I don't have pictured here is Kaanapali, which is one of my favorite spots on Maui - great snorkeling, swimming and beach. I LOVE Maui! And yes, it is a must-do before you die! Kaanapali, whale watching and other Maui sights are something I could do over and over again. But the Road to Hana.... do it once and call it good!