Aviously

Because, aviously…

One of my more popular travel posts, and the one that is most open and revealing, is my cost breakdowns of my trips, so that you can see if you can do it, or try parts of it.

Here are previous editions from Niagara, Virginia, and San Diego.

Below are Attractions, Hotels, and Gas Costs + Tolls


ATTRACTIONS

Cooperstown, Baseball Hall of Fame = $23

Lake Placid Bobsled Run = $9

Lake Placid Olympic Center = Free

Whiteface Mountain = $12

Montreal Olympic Stadium Tour = $24.70

Montreal Clocktower = Free

Vermont Teddy Bear Factory = $4

Rock of Ages Quarry = $4

Ben & Jerry’s Factory Tour = $4

Springfield Museums = $16.50

Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame = $24

TOTAL COST OF ATTRACTIONS = $121.20


HOTELS

Best Western, Saranac Lake – Booked via Best Western = $98.90

Best Western, Montreal – Booked via Best Western, Two Nights = $308.39

La Quinta Inn & Suites, Springfield – Booked via Priceline = $87.97

TOTAL COST OF HOTELS = $495.26


GAS AND TOLLS

Gas Costs = $114.23 covering 1114 Miles…which comes down to about 10 cents a mile! (Or 30MPG at $3/Gallon)

When I went to Niagara, I spent a lot of time on the NY Thruway, and going thru Staten Island…these ran the tolls up.

This time, 3 out of my 5 tolls were in NYC, equalling 90% of the cost.

Hugh L. Carey Tunnel = 5.76 * 2 = $11.52

RFK Bridge = $5.76

NYS Thruway, Harriman Toll Plaza = $1.19

NYS Thruway, Amsterdam = $0.95

TOTAL COST OF GAS AND TOLLS = $133.65


TOTAL COSTS

Attractions — $121.20
Hotels — $495.26
Gas and Tolls = $133.65
TOTAL = $750.11

Finally learning what a Quarry is? PRICELESS

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass is a great place to learn the history of the game, and all the players that turned it into the game it is today.

This three-story building has a different focus on each level, as you start from the top floor and work your way down:

  • Third Floor: Take a lap around as you follow the history of the game from the beginning until today, as the ceiling has the pictures of all the Hall of Famers, and there is an assortment of memorabilia, from rings to basketballs, and keys to the city.
  • Second Floor: Jerseys, sneakers, basketballs, and trophies. From every team and every era. Sections on the NBA and MAAC, and areas devoted to The Media and Coaches. This also starts the parts that are great for kids. Import yourself into NBA Jam, practice your jumps and see how high you can grab a rebound…see if you can palm a basketball or just shoot arcade-style hoops. And the really cool part? Try your hand at being a member of the media. Sit behind the “Sports desk” and give the highlights from the game, or slide into the radio booth and give your own take on some of the most famous calls in basketball history.
  • First Floor: Center Court, a rack of basketballs and an open court to shoot around on. Along one wall are all the different styles of hoops thru the years, so you can try your luck on the old-fashioned literal basket. There’s also a row of hoops, at different heights, to see how high you are able to dunk.

What’s that? Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks want to give you free drinks for your birthday? Who would say no to that?

But it’s not just them that want to give you free stuff, it’s tens of companies, and there’s one company that will put it all together and remind you who to take advantage of to get these deals.

The company is called Huledet, which is Hebrew for “birth”, and by signing up on Huledet.com you’ll get an email on the first of your special month, with a list of online offers, and some local ones to cash in on.

  • Free magazine subscriptions
  • Free Beef Jerky
  • Discounts to Basic Outfitters, Fanchest, Grow & Behold
  • Deals 16 Handles / Burger Bistro / New York Comedy Club / Peapod
  • Free slice of pizza at Bravo Pizza

Not every deal will be good for everyone, but Happy Birthday regardless!!

The fifth museum at the Springfield Museums is the Dr. Seuss Museum, and it may be the centerpiece of it all, as they all surround the National Memorial Sculpture Garden.
In case you missed them, the first four were the Science Museum, the Springfield History Museum, the George Walter Vincent Smith Art Museum, and the Michele and Donald D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts.

Let’s split this into two parts, the Museum and the Garden.


Dr. Seuss Museum

This museum is great for kids and super cool for adults.

The ground floor is meant for kids, as they have characters from all sorts of Seuss books, from Horton to The Cat in the Hat, and Yertle the Turtle to Things 1 & 2.

When you head upstairs you get to experience the life of Theodor Seuss Geisel. They have his study and desk, as well as sketches that he made, and a family tree. Other things include his stuffed animal, which he kept with him his whole life, and his Hollywood Walk of Fame Star.
They also have notes and cards that he sent to relatives for birthdays and other occasions.

This is a fun place to relive your youth and discover new Seussian adventures, as I did with the book “You’re Only Old Once”, which turned out to be an adult book for those visiting the Doctors and popping pills.


Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden

In the middle of this grouping of museums is a nice lawn, dotted with sculptures of all sizes to commemorate Dr. Seuss. A tall Yertle statue to a tiny little Lorax are the side notes to the two larger pieces.

Horton Court includes Horton and a bunch of other smaller creatures, all next to “The Storyteller”, which has Dr. Seuss and The Cat in the Hat sitting there writing a book, and a giant copy of “Oh The Places You’ll Go”.

We all know I love my Marvel shows, and I’ll watch almost all of them, and it’s not just the ones that are exclusive to Netflix.

I’ve given shows like Legion (on FX — couldn’t make it out of Season 1) and Inhumans (ABC — which turned into a pretty “Meh” mini-series) a shot, and have been hooked onto the movie-like episodes of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Earlier this year Hulu rolled out The Runaways, and last night Freeform/ABC Family wrapped up Season 1 of Cloak & Dagger, with an announcement already happening of a Season 2.

Cloak & Dagger follows the stories of Ty (Aubrey Joseph) and Tandy (Olivia Holt), who both suffered the deaths of family members on the same night, triggered by an explosion at sea, which ties their lives together in strange ways.

As they grow older, the two discover they have powers, in the form of a cloak and dagger, and when they use them, they are tied together in ways they don’t always like.

This show is super underrated and insanely good. The story is strong and intriguing, and a really fun watch, and if someone has any interest in Marvel, they would love this show.

The second of the two art museums and fourth of the Springfield Museums is the Michele and Donald D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts.
This follows the Science Museum, Springfield History Museum, and the George Walter Vincent Smith Art Museum.

This museum focuses on fine arts and ceramics, featuring beautiful drawings, ceramics, and busts.

Galleries at this museum include the “Dutch and Flemish Gallery”, “19th Century French Gallery”, and the “Blake Court” (seen below) that features front and center “one of the country’s most celebrated works in American art, The Historical Monument of the American Republic by Erastus Salisbury Field”.

There is also a “Modern and Contemporary Gallery” to help round things out.

The first of two art museums that I’ll look at in the Springfield Museums, is the George Walter Vincent Smith Art Museum.
If you missed the first two, check out the Science and History Museums!

This museum houses the collection of George Walter Vincent Smith and his wife Belle were large collectors of art and items, and the exhibits here show their vast collection.
The family offered the collection to Springfield, on condition that they build a house for it, and it has been opened since 1895.

Some exhibits include:

  • Italian sculptures, Tiffany stained glass windows, American paintings salon
  • Japenese Arms & Armor – They had a large collection of arms from around the world, but their Japenese collection is the largest.
  • Art of the Islamic World – Some really great rugs with nomadic weaves are on display here
  • Kids Design Glass – This exhibit is really cool. It lets kids, under the age of 12, visiting in the summer months draw their own designs, and the winners’ designs get turned into glass sculptures!

I’ve seen the movies you’ve made. You never had any pride. Why start now?

Before it even starts, the Comedy Central Roast of Bruce Willis gives him a kick straight where it counts. And while most of it is about making fun of his age, which is an old joke…they never won’t be funny.

Comedy Central always does a great job with these, and this one is no different, as Bruce Willis is a ready and willing target and most of the dais is funny. Here’s a rundown of the night’s cast:

  • Roastmaster Joseph Gordon Levitt – He hit the mark on some, but missed on others, doing well as the host — B+
  • Nikki Glaser – The Comedy Central Radio host kicks things off with her typical comedic style, which can be an acquired taste — B
  • Kevin Pollak – The longtime funnyman pulls out his Christopher Walken impression, mixed into his great one-liners — A-
  • Cybill Shepherd – She is one of the great understatements of this roast — B+
  • Lil Rel – One of two “brothers” on the list, and the first to mention Yippee Ki Yay, he couldn’t wait to Get Out on stage — B
  • Edward Norton – Maybe the greatest actor on stage, in the longest set of the night, breaks down Bruce’s career in the best ways possible — A
  • Martha Stewart – Comedy legend, and a woman toughened by her time in jail, she gets better each time in front of a podium — B+
  • Dom Irrera – An actual legendary comedian, Dom makes his presence felt, with laughter from start to finish — A
  • Dennis Rodman – The worm has managed to get onto the stage, and that may have been the biggest mistake of the night, as his humor is just flat — C+
  • Demi Moore – The ex makes an appearance, ribbing on his failures — B
  • Jeff Ross – The Roastmaster General, and the one thing holding these roasts together (because he thinks a roast is a type of food), but he’s always funny — A-
  • Bruce Willis – When the man of the hour gets on stage, he doesn’t let down, topping the night off right — A

Here are some of the lines I enjoyed more from it:

“Let’s see Bruce Willis in action, because no one wants to see him in comedy.” – Joseph Gordon Levitt

“Bruce was at Ashton’s wedding, with Demi. His gift was a toaster and 90 million dollars.” – Joseph Gordon Levitt

“It’s odd to see Dennis Rodman here. If you know Bruce…he’s not fond of the blacks.” – Kevin Pollak

“I had the honor of playing Martha Stewart in two different movies. But the only one to truly capture Martha, was the FBI.” – Cybill Shepherd

“I just look at our marriage like the Sixth Sense. You were dead the whole time.” – Demi Moore

“You look like Sir Patrick Stewart…if he operated a ferris wheel.” – Jeff Ross

“Die Hard is not a Christmas movie. It’s a Bruce Willis movie.” – Bruce Willis

Song of the Day. The most popular segment on this site, as voted on by the writers…aka: Me.


Solo by Clean Bandit feat. Demi Lovato

I declared this song the “Song of the Summer” before I even heard it, just based on it being Clean Bandit, who has made numerous appearances here with Rockabye (with Anne-Marie) and Symphony (Zara Larsson), as well as Song of the Year in 2014 with Rather Be, and they were teaming up with Demi Lovato.
But initial listens didn’t impress me, but like most good songs, it has grown on me over time!

I wanna f-woop, woop woop, but I’m broken hearted
Cr-cr-cry but I like to party
T-t-touch but I got nobody
Here on my own
I wanna f-woop, woop woop, but I’m broken hearted
Cr-cr-cry since the day we parted
T-t-touch but I got nobody
So I do it solo


Back To You by Selena Gomez

I love the sounds in this song, which I know is usually said for something like a rock song, but it really does have a nice ring to it.

We never got it right
Playing and replaying old conversations
Overthinking every word and I hate it
‘Cause it’s not me
And what’s the point in hiding?
Everybody knows we got unfinished business
And I’ll regret it if I didn’t say
This isn’t what it could be


Sit Next To Me by Foster The People

Foster the People was the first ever song of the day, back on April 15th, 2013, with Pumped Up Kicks, and it’s taken until now for them to get back into the mix.

Come over here and sit next to me
We can see where things go naturally
Just say the word and I’ll part the sea
Just come over here and sit next to me
And I’ll take you high


Meant To Be by Bebe Rexha feat. Florida Georgia Line

I don’t mean to be so uptight, but my heart’s been hurt a couple times
By a couple guys that didn’t treat me right
I ain’t gon’ lie, ain’t gonna lie
‘Cause I’m tired of the fake love, show me what you’re made of
Boy, make me believe
But hold up, girl, don’t you know you’re beautiful?
And it’s easy to see

The Springfield History Museum, or what’s formally known as the “Lyman and Merrie Wood Museum of Springfield History”, is the second of the five museums in Springfield that I’m going to focus on, the first being the Springfield Science Museum.

This museum focuses on the history of Springfield, and all the things that gave the town flavor over the years, with its exhibits including:

  • Automobile Gallery – Some of the earliest cars were test driven on the streets of Springfield, some of which are on display here
  • Indian Motorcycle Collection – The Indian Manufacturing Company made Springfield home for the first half of the 1900s and holds some ‘cycles that had been in the Indian Motorcycle Museum, formerly of Springfield
  • Smith & Wesson Gallery of Firearms History – S&W sponsor this gallery, showing guns throughout time, from wars to sports, and history of guns in America including some of the more famous ones
  • Granville Brothers Aircraft – Two planes hang in a two-story room right past the entrance, showing some of the fastest racing planes ever built
  • Downtown Retail Gallery – Some of the early stores of Springfield are on display here, including Steiger’s and Friendly’s Ice Cream
  • Made in the Valley: The Industrial Revolution was huge in Massachusetts and some really famous companies made their way thru here, including Milton Bradley, Breck Shampoo, and Merriam-Webster!
    • Hasbro GameLand – A full gaming area, with coordination tests, imagination stations, and a memory game, all showing off some history from Milton Bradley