God, I am exhausted!

I did not know how I pulled it off but I did. Teaching three classes while taking three classes and serving on four Executive Boards plus all my volunteer work. I never sat still from Thanksgiving to New Year’s and I am still at it.

Christmas never starts in December for me. It starts just after Halloween ends. One holiday just seems to blend into another as the holiday season has moved from Thanksgiving weekend to Halloween weekend to start the holiday season. I swear, we sit at the Halloween Parade talking about Sinterklaas four weeks later and then there is it is. Literally four weeks later.

My Christmas started on Thanksgiving Weekend. I joined my family for the Thanksgiving Buffet Dinner at the Lambertville Inn again this year. I almost did not go as I had a major paper in my Digital Marketing class at NYU plus another paper due in my Hotel Sales & Marketing class. That on top of the fact that I was so busy working at Bergen Community College that I would have never had a good time knowing there was so much work to do. A couple of very late nights later, there I was at the brunch again with my family.

The Thanksgiving Brunch at the Lambertville Inn dining room.

https://www.facebook.com/events/lambertville-station-restaurant-and-inn/thanksgiving-at-lambertville-station-restaurant-and-inn/1395840094621526/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g46551-d114479-Reviews-Lambertville_Station_Inn_and_Restaurant-Lambertville_New_Jersey.html?m=19905

The marvelous selection at the Lambertville Inn for Thanksgiving.

Enjoying the Pasta Bar at the Lambertville Inn.

There was such a great selection of entrees, soups, salads, sides and desserts it took some time to just take a taste of everything. On top of a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, you could have roasted chicken, ham and Prime Rib plus a complete Pasta and Salad Bars.

Enjoying my Thanksgiving Dinner with my family.

For dessert, they had an Ice Cream Bar and fresh miniature pastries to choose from.

The Dessert and Ice Cream bar at the buffet.

It was really nice and we had a wonderful time. The food and the service are excellent and no one has to clean up. That is the best part with everyone running around working so much. I felt like I did not have time to breath let alone to take time out for myself. I actually felt guilty if I was not working on a paper for school or grading something. I am glad that my family convinced me to come out and enjoy myself.

The weekend didn’t end with Thanksgiving Dinner. The next day was Christmas Tree drop off for the Men’s Association as the Annual Christmas tree sale started on Friday morning. We got a text at 7:30am that the driver had just pulled up and needed everyone to show up early. Most of the guys did not show until around 8:45am-9:00am when we were originally were supposed to arrive. Still, we got the truck emptied in 45 minutes and sold our tree of the day at 9:30am. That is a new record for us. We also sold our first tree at 9:30am which was a record for us. We sold three trees by 12:00pm which we never do (We sold out in three weeks and two days).

Christmas tree drop off for the Hasbrouck Heights Men’s Association took about 45 minutes this year due to all the high school volunteers that we had that morning.

My blog on the HHMA Tree Sale for 2023:

https://mywalkinmanhattan.com/category/hasbrouck-heights-mens-association/

The Christmas trees got piled and tagged very quickly in 2023. We had our first sale at 9:30am, the earliest we ever had since I have sold trees.

The video of the drop off:

I had stayed that morning and afternoon until 3:00pm when I had to go home to work on both my Digital Marketing and my Customer Service papers for class at NYU. Before I left, we sold 37 trees and three stands. Not bad for the first day of sales and was the sale would be for the next two weeks. I have never seen trees fly off a lot so fast. We were not just getting customers from Hasbrouck Heights, we were getting them from the surrounding towns of Lodi, Hackensack and Wood Ridge but they were coming as far away as Wyckoff, Franklin Lakes and even from Hoboken and Brooklyn. Talk about word of mouth.

That evening I attended the annual Holiday Parade in Downtown Hasbrouck Heights and it was well attended but I still thought it would have had more people. The bands were a bit off key but it is still a fun parade. It got really cold later that evening. The temperature must have dropped twenty degrees from the time that the trees were dropped off to the start of the parade. Still it was a nice way to start the holidays.

The Hasbrouck High School Marching Band opened the parade downtown.

The floats in the parade.

The Santa Float was at the end of the parade.

The Tree Lighting ceremony ends the parade every year. It was really cold that night.

The week in between Thanksgiving and the first week of December was tough for me as I had three papers to work on and it was the week before my students at Bergen Community College presented their final projects to me. It was stressful as we had the last of our Board Meetings to discuss the final touches to the projects.

Then came Sinterklaas weekend and the Bergen County Firemen’s Home Association Christmas weekend where I had already committed months earlier to help volunteer for both events. Talk about being stretched thin that weekend. The year before I was bringing my computer up for my Business Analysis class on my Rockaways History in Tourism project and this year it was Digital Marketing project on New York City Tourism+Conventions and Customer Relationship Management on Luna Park (which I had to write the paper all by myself and contribute to the PowerPoint). Trust me, it was a weekend of long days and nights.

That weekend started at the Kingston, NY Snowflake Festival, followed by the Sinterklaas festival and parade the next day and then the Bergen County Firemen’s Home Christmas Party after that. I never stopped running around.

It was a rather gloomy Friday and before I headed up to the Hudson River Valley for the Snowflake Festival and Sinterklaas (and everything else), I stopped by the Ringwood Manor to tour the house and see all the Christmas decorations and visit my friend, Leah, who I had worked with when I was still working for the County. She was helping at the Ringwood Manor as a volunteer.

The house was so beautifully decorated for the holidays, and I was impressed by what the volunteers from the Woman’s Club had created in decorating the house for Christmas.

The Ringwood Manor at 1304 Sloatsburg Road in Ringwood, NJ decorated on the outside.

http://www.ringwoodmanor.org/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g46774-d9564482-Reviews-Ringwood_Manor-Ringwood_New_Jersey.html

My review on VisitingaMuseum.com:

https://visitingamuseum.com/tag/ringwood-manor

The formal Dining Room decorated for the holidays at Ringwood Manor.

The Ryerson section of the Manor decorated for the holidays.

I was able to spend the early part of the morning touring the house before I left for my trip. The house was magnificent and so tastefully decorated for holidays. Every room including the Carriage House and the Barn were decorated with some type of theme (see my review TripAdvisor). I was able to take about an hour and a half out of my schedule to really enjoy the self-guided tour.

After the tour, I headed up to the Hudson River Valley. Though the weather was on the warm side, it was drizzling when I got there at 6:00pm. I had been touring the Ringwood Manor earlier in the day and it was cloudy and miserable when I left.

I stopped at Auntie El’s Farm for a quick lunch and it was wonderful. I just had snack of an Jamican Beef Pattie and a Black and White cookie and that was all I needed to keep me going for the afternoon.

Auntie El’s at 171 Route 17 South at Christmas time is a pretty spectacular place.

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g48625-d4557200-Reviews-Auntie_El_s_Farm_Market_and_Bakery-Sloatsburg_New_York.html?m=19905

My review on LittleShoponMainStreet@Wordpress.com:

The lunch was pretty amazing.

It is a pretty cool place at the holidays.

I finally got to Rhinebeck and checked into my hotel, The Hampton Inn Poughkeepsie and then made my way across the river to the Snowflake Festival. It was just getting in full swing when it started a light rain. I walked around for a bit watching the fire eaters and admiring the decorations before I decided to head back to Dutch Reformed Church to relax inside and hear the entertainment. That’s when it started to rain.

The “Snowflake Festival” on Friday, December 1st in Kingston, NY.

My blog on the Snowflake Festival and Sinterklaas:

In 2023, the weather had been gloomy all day and misty so it was not the best conditions for an outdoor festival. It was to my surprise that when I got there at 6:00pm it was really busy. They may have been a light drizzle but that did not keep people away.

The crowds on that misty Friday night in downtown Kingston, NY were very large.

https://www.kingston-ny.gov/Tourism

I walked all of Front Street in Downtown Kingston Stockade section admiring all the Christmas windows of the merchants and the snowflake decorations all around the downtown.

Downtown Kingston in the rain the night of the 2023 Snowflake Festival

The snowflakes that adorned the downtown.

As I walked through town, I passed crowds of people walking through the drizzle and watching a fire eater perform. So many people did not have umbrellas and the drizzle started to get worse. I figured I wanted to go someplace warm and headed over to the Dutch Reformed Church. I did not have the agenda yet but I wanted to go someplace that was inside.

When I got to the church it was once again beautifully decorated with garland and lights and the stage was rocking with violinists who were performing in sync. The concert was awash with lights and holograms dancing overhead.

The Strawberry Fiddlers performed that evening in the Dutch Reformed Church

The Strawberry Hill Fiddlers performing that night.

I stayed for four songs and it was really nice to just relax and enjoy the music. I really enjoyed the concert and I found it really engaging and entertaining. After this, I wanted to see more of the festival and hoped that the rain had stopped. No such luck as the rain continued and got worse as I left the church. I was able to sneak some Dutch cookies and cider before I left and the sugar gave me more energy.

The irony of it all was as I left the church and the rain continued, over the loud speaker near the picture taking booth, Gene Kelly singing “Singing in the Rain” from the iconic film “Singing in the Rain” came on and it synced perfectly with the rain and I had to take a video of it as it matched perfectly with the rain coming down but people still having a good time.

The video of the rainstorm during the festival when “Singing in the Rain” was played on the loudspeaker. Just as the song started it started to really pour and the song syncs to the downpour. Talk about irony:

I walked around the church and was back at the Kingston Volunteer Firefighting Museum and I stopped in as the rain started to stop. I wanted to dry off again. I had toured the museum the last two years and I just took a short tour of the museum. Christmas lights adorned the museum and the antique fire truck outside the museum that the kids were able to climb.

The nicely decorated firetruck outside the museum that evening at the Kingston Volunteer Firefighters Museum.

https://www.facebook.com/volunteerfiremansmuseum.ofkingston

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g48003-d3367598-Reviews-Volunteer_Fireman_s_Hall_Museum_of_Kingston-Kingston_Catskill_Region_New_York.html

My review on VisitingaMuseum.com:

As I passed the museum, I could not believed that people were taking horse drawn rides in the rain but they did and they looked like they were having a good time. I walked down Fair Street where the Senate House was nicely decorated for the holidays to see Santa. That line was the longest as the mist continued. I bypassed even seeing him but I could see him entertaining the families waiting in line to see him.

Even in the rain the lines to see Santa were long and people waited patiently to see him.

The Senate House decorated for the holidays.

Home

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g48003-d3225491-Reviews-Senate_House_State_Historic_Site-Kingston_Catskill_Region_New_York.html

My review on VisitingaMuseum.com:

I walked around the downtown watching the musicians and entertainers as the rain started to subside later that evening and they had a group of Victorian carolers performing by the bank on Wall Street right by the most beautiful wreath I have seen this holiday season on the historical building. The effect was quite nice.

The Victorian Carolers performing by the old bank building.

The wreath on the bank building was quite spectacular against the stonework.

It was getting colder that evening as I was walking around and the rain stopped and I knew from last year where to get some hot chocolate. So I went over to the Ulster Savings Bank Lobby and had a cup with some cookies that the bank every generously sponsors each year for the event.

While I was there I was listening to Mrs. Claus tell stories to the kids and this woman really looked like Mrs. Claus. While she was telling stories, the Coach Street Players choir was singing Christmas carols. It was a nice way to spend the end of the evening. I was getting hungry after a long trip and even longer day of classes and I wanted to relax.

Mrs. Claus was just finishing to a crowd of children for storytime.

The Coach House Players at the Ulster Savings Bank lobby performing.

By 7:30pm, things were starting the wrap up and the weather was clearing. Most of the bars and restaurants were packed that night or closing for the evening. Wing Shi, the Chinese restaurant I love in Kingston, still does not have any seating inside and there was no place to sit outside so I went to Opa Gyros Greek Restaurant at 333 Wall Street in downtown Kingston. I have wanted to eat here last year watching them serve gyro meat last year on platters but by the time I walked in at the end of the festival last year, they closed at 8:00pm. I went in at 7:30pm for dinner this time and had a wonderful meal.

The inside of Opa Gyros at 333 Wall Street.

https://www.facebook.com/p/OPA-GYROS-100053865739437/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g48003-d4450418-Reviews-Opa-Kingston_Catskill_Region_New_York.html?m=19905

The delicious Gyro sandwich with Greek fries.

The sandwich was delicious and I really enjoyed the food and service.

After dinner was over, it was about 8:15pm and the festival wrapped up really quickly. By the time I turned the corner, most of the businesses had closed and the people were gone. All the activities were over and even Santa had left by that point. There were some people milling around but by 8:30pm, the town was quiet. I was able to walk around the downtown one more time and then I left for my hotel as I had to be in Rhinebeck early the next morning to help with the Sinterklaas parade. I slept very soundly at the Hampton Inn in Poughkeepsie.

Christmas windows in Kingston, NY in 2023.

Christmas windows in Downtown Kingston in 2023.

When I got to the Starr Library the next day, I was ready to go. There was a threat of rain too but by noon time the sun started to peek out from the clouds and it cleared for the rest of the day. The weather became a balmy 53 degrees which is unusual for this time of the year and we had a nice day for the event. I got to the Starr Library at 10:00am on the dot to start set up for the parade and it was a nice morning. We had plenty of people and we got the job done in about an hour. Set up was easy when you have the same people to help every year.

We started to unload the puppets at 10:00am.

Unloading the puppets took about 45 minutes.

The Owls are like old friends to me

The Four Seasons standing guard

The Sweepers were new puppets this year.

Setting up the serpent was my first job that morning.

I have been setting up the stars since my first year in 2014 helping out with the parade.

We were done setting up for the parade by 11:30pm and we had to meet back at the library by 3:00pm for the parade staging and get the volunteers to their puppets. That’s when the fun begins with that. I walked downtown to go to the Opening Ceremony which had started at noon and was able to watch the last 45 minutes of the Opening Ceremony at the Beekman Arms Ballroom. That is always interesting.

The Opening Ceremony in 2023 with the Anteater and his court.

The Opening Ceremony at the Beekman Arms with Coordinator Jeanne Fleming.

The Opening Ceremony at the Beekman Arms

The Anteater on the prowl at the Opening Ceremony.

The Anteater at the Opening Ceremony

The video of the “Evil Anteater”:

After the Opening Ceremony was over, I stayed to hear story teller, Jonathan Kurk, tell the story of Sinterklaas and the story of the miracle of Christmas.

Storyteller Jonathan Kurk entertains at the Opening Ceremony

After the Opening Ceremony completed, I decided to explore the town. I walked around downtown Rhinebeck which is always amazing at Christmas time. It is a wonderland of lights and sounds and delicious smells as all the charities and local organizations try to sell baked goods and hot dogs all over Main Street to raise money of their organizations.

The musicians on stilts are always a favorite at Sinterklaas.

The video of the band in action:

The musicians are out in full force playing on stilts and walking around the town engaging the crowds of people. Since it was a nice day this year, the downtown was getting packed earlier than it had in previous years. After listening the musicians on stilts, I figured I should go visit the Ant Queen before it got too busy. I visited her just in time as after I left the line, it got even longer behind me.

The Ant Queen on her hill in the Courtyard.

The Courtyard got really busy when I was finished visiting the Ant Queen.

The Ant Queen in the Courtyard with the crowds growing that afternoon.

After I left the Courtyard, I walked around for a bit and then realized that I had to get checked into my other hotel that night so I walked back to the library, got my car and left to go to Quality Inn in Hyde Park where I was staying that evening. After I checked in, got my room and settled in I headed back up to Rhinebeck. The crowds grew even larger in the hour that I left and all the parking spots by the library were now gone as well as most spots in the downtown. I had to park six blocks into town near the exit to the fairgrounds. That would be fun when the parade was over walking back to that.

As I entered the downtown, the Grumpuses started their dance.

The Grumpuses dancing down the Main Street.

The Grumpus dance

The Grumpus Dance

The Grumpus Dance

After I saw the Grumpus dance in the downtown, I was able to walk around for a bit before getting back to the library. I saw some of the roaming musicians, the Dancing Bear and the Pocket Lady roaming around the Downtown. Between checking into my hotel, looking for parking and just walking back to the Main Street, I did not have much time to enjoy the entertainment this time around.

Downtown Rhinebeck got busy during the day.

Admiring the Christmas windows at the stores.

The Christmas Tree by day

After I got back from the hotel and parked some nine blocks away. I walked through the town again looking at the all the performers and bands going in and out of the now closed Main Street. The crowds had really grown once the clouds cleared and it was sunny again. As the last of the sunshine disappeared by 5:00pm, the lights came on and that is when Rhinebeck truly shines. This started with the town Christmas tree which lit brightly by the main parking lot.

The Christmas tree was brightly lit when I left the downtown area for the library.

I made my way back to the Starr Library and that is where the real magic starts. Getting ready for the parade. Every year, I come back to the library at 3:30pm and help get everyone to their puppet. The parade line up starts at 6:30pm and then the parade heads down the hill. It is the most magnificent site.

The Snow Angel on stilts.

The Stars always start the parade.

The video of the parade:

The Turtle entertains the crowds in Downtown Rhinebeck, NY.

The Mouse and the Frog couple in the Sinterklaas parade as we entered Downtown Rhinebeck, NY.

More of the parade:

The Geese and Bee puppets as we enter Downtown Rhinebeck, NY.

The parade in full swing in Downtown Rhinebeck, NY.

The crowds were huge the night of the parade.

The whole town comes out for the Sinterklaas Parade.

As we entered the parking lot to end the parade, the crowds arrived to the main stage where the Closing Ceremony takes place. I could not believe that another parade had ended. I will blink my eye and it will be here again. It is so funny how fast it all goes.

The Closing Ceremony with Sinterklaas.

The Closing Ceremony.

The Closing ceremony song:

The backdrop of the stage after the Closing Ceremony was over.

All the puppets walked by the main stage and we dropped them off with Alex and Sophia. I then watched the rest of the ceremony and then the closing remarks. Another parade was over. The fire throwers came on and did their routine and that ended the parade. I said my goodbyes until next year and then proceeded to Village Pizza for a slice before I went back to the hotel.

The owner I could tell was exhausted. He waited at the door of his restaurant and asked people what they wanted to order. I thought that was rude but figured he was protecting his bathrooms. The restaurant was still busy almost 45 minutes after the parade was over and remained busy throughout the time I enjoyed my pizza. They limited the slice menu to just plain and pepperoni so it made it an easy choice. I was exhausted by the time I got back to my hotel, took a quick shower and had the best night’s sleep in weeks. I was tired!

After breakfast the next day, it was off to Boonton, NJ to the New Jersey Firemen’s Home to volunteer for the Bergen County Firemen’s Home Christmas Party. It was the first time in three years we had had the full party with entertainment and dropping off presents. The members had time before the party to socialize with each other and I even got better acquainted with the Firemen’s Home resident dog, Wells.

We no longer had to wear masks up at the home and that made for a more engaging environment. It had been a long evening the night before with the end of Sinterklaas and that very busy parade. I slept so soundly at the hotel that I felt refreshed and ready to go. I can highly recommend the Quality Inn in Hyde Park, NY. It might look a little dated but the beds give you the most relaxing slumber and will totally relax you.

After having my waffle breakfast, which is my tradition every year, it was off to the NJ Firemen’s Home again. It was a really gloomy day and I had to spend my morning wondering why the WIFI was not working. Thank God, I had finished most of my writing before I left the Hampton Inn the day before.

The waffle breakfast at the Quality Inn in Hyde Park, NY is something I look forward to each time I stay at the hotel.

https://www.choicehotels.com/new-york/hyde-park/quality-inn-hotels/ny343

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g60801-d590312-Reviews-Quality_Inn_Hyde_Park_Poughkeepsie_North-Hyde_Park_New_York.html?m=19905

When I got to the home, it really got dark outside and rainy. Talk about no fun being outside. Inside though, the NJ Firemen’s Home was decked out beautifully for the holidays. Talk about festive and jolly, with several Christmas trees all over the home and garland everywhere.

One of the many Christmas trees at the NJ State Firemen’s Home.

My blog on the Bergen County Firemen’s Home Party:

https://tbcfha.wordpress.com

We enjoyed Sweet Rolls and Crumb cake for a late Continental Breakfast before the entertainment and had a nice time just catching up with one another before the craziness of the holidays started. Everyone was running around at parties and get togethers.

Signs of the season were everywhere as the home was decorated to the hilt for the holiday season. This was our last event of the season as the Bergen County Firemen’s Home Association held its Annual December Meeting and Entertainment afternoon at the NJ State Firemen’s Home in Boonton, NJ.

Even the fire hydrant display was decorated.

The sign welcoming people to the party.

We had our annual Christmas Party at the NJ State Firemen’s Home and it was nice to be back. Masks were a thing of the past and we were able to see everyone again. It made for a more engaging afternoon.

The home’s Christmas tree with our gifts to the residents, a embordered jacket.

We started our day with a get together of the members before the entertainment began. It was nice to just sit back and talk to the other members before the entertainment began. Our President brought us the most delicious crumb cake and glazed raison buns and these devoured very quickly by the members.

We even got a chance to bond again with the resident dog of the NJ State Firemen’s Home, Wells, who was a former seeing eye dog that has now found a home here keeping our retired firefighters comforted and engaged. He walks around having everyone spoil him with petting and treats. Even he has to watch his weight at the holidays. All I know is that he loves being loved by everyone and likes to spread that love.

NJ Firemen’s Home resident, Wells with BCFHA Vice-President Justin Watrel.

Our entertainment for the afternoon was Dana and Daddy O, a singing duo who sang Christmas songs and told jokes. They were were good.

Dana and Daddy O performed that day for the residents and us.

Member Jerry Naylis asked his daughter and grandchildren perform again this year (Jerry was away on a conference). Daughter Stephanie Naylis-Quirk and her daughters, Regan and Riley Quirk , played the piano and sang to the residents of the home. The children sang lively Christmas songs and led the room in a sing a long with favorites “Jingle Bells” and Regan’s solo, “Silent Night” and Riley’s solo, “I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus”.

Stephanie Nayles-Quirk with daughter Riley and Regan, who sang so nicely that afternoon.

Watch the girls performance for the residents:

After the ladies took their bows, it was time to hand out the Christmas presents from the Bergen County Firemen’s Home to the residents. This year the gift to the residents of the home was a beautiful ‘firemen’ blue jacket that had each resident’s name on it. It was a very personal and touching gift to our fellow retired firemen who we wanted to remember at the holidays. They were very touched by this.

BCFHA Vice-President Justin Watrel with NJ State Firemen’s Association President and BCFHA member Bob Ordway handing out gifts at the Christmas Party.

While members were handing out gifts, other members were serving desserts and other refreshments to the residents. Everyone had a delicious treat that afternoon after they had their lunch. The home provided delectable cupcakes both regular and sugar free to satisfy everyone’s sweet tooth.

BCFHA members Peter Devries and Glenn Corbet serving desserts to the residents.

After the day of entertainment was over, the members got together and took our annual member group shot. It was a fun afternoon for everyone involved. We have managed to provide the residents with all sorts of entertainment, barbecues and special events while never losing the spirit of helping our fellow fire fighters.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of our firefighters, retired and still active from the Bergen County Firemen’s Home Association.

It was a fun weekend but when I got home it was all homework and projects. It was a long evening but I got everything done. It would be a long week of presentations both at NYU and at BCC.

The week started out with my presentation of my project for the New York City Tourism+Conventions for my Digital Marketing class, which went by very well (I got an “A” on this) and then my presentation for my Customer Retention Class on Luna Park (I got another “A”). With those two big presentations for Graduate school done, I then had to concentrate on my students at Bergen Community College’s three final presentations on Wednesday and Thursday. It would be a stressful five days.

Still it was beginning to look like Christmas in the Village. After classes were over, there was time to walk around and admire all the decorations that people had put up and admire the Christmas tree in Washington Square Park.

The Christmas tree at Washington Square Park is always picturesque.

The diner on Greenwich Avenue decorated for the holidays.

Christmas decorations on the side streets in the Village.

Single tree in the window of a Greenwich Avenue window in the Village.

Before I got to my students presentations, I had been looking online at the Carnegie Hall website at the upcoming concert with New York Pops that I was still considering when I saw that singer Amy Grant was going to bring her Christmas concert to Carnegie Hall. There was NO WAY I was going to miss this. I had been dying to see her in concert for years at the holidays and I never saw her come to New York City before. So I arranged the tickets and after my presentation it was off to Carnegie Hall for dinner first and then the concert.

The Front of Carnegie Hall the night of the Amy Grant concert.

https://www.carnegiehall.org

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d116237-Reviews-Carnegie_Hall-New_York_City_New_York.html

The inside of Carnegie Hall the night of the concert.

The concert hall was packed that night.

Amy Grant on stage at Carnegie Hall after singing “Love will find a Way”, her huge hit from the 1980’s.

Amy Grant singing this in concert forty years earlier in 1983 and sounded exactly the sound!

She sang this in the Christmas concert in DC a couple of days before she came to Carnegie Hall.

I am not going to even get into too many details of how excellent this concert was and how she engaged the audience that night with a mix of classic and religious Christmas songs from her playlist and add many more religious and inspirational songs in the second half of the concert. Her and her guest artists that night gave a superb concert that really put me in the holiday spirit after an extremely long semester and cheered me back up. The only problem was that she never sang “Sleigh Ride” which she sings beautifully and my favorite Christmas song she performs. For another concert but it gives me an excuse to see her again.

Amy Grant singing my favorite version of the Christmas song “Sleigh Ride”.

I swear myself and everyone who attended the concert that night were still humming as we left Carnegie Hall. After such a wonderful concert, I had to have some dinner and I was dying for some pasta. Patsy’s which is around the corner I was trying to go in but they were fully booked for everything for the rest of the night so I went to Amore Pizza Cafe at 370 West 58th Street for dinner after the concert. This restaurant never disappoints me.

Amore Pizza Kitchen at 370 West 58th Street

https://www.amorepizzarestaurant.com/

My review on DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com:

I ordered the Clams and Spaghetti that I remembered ordering last year this time so I had to have it again. It was just as good as I remembered and worth the trip to the restaurant. Everything here is delicious.

My Clams and Spaghetti dinner

The Clams and Spaghetti here is excellent.

After the concert and dinner were over, I felt much better about myself. It had been really rough up until this point and I still had to face the rest of the week. I swear I hummed “Find a Way” for the rest of the evening. That had been the highlight of my night.

I walked around the Central Park South and admired all the decorations on the buildings. Then I went to see the tree at Rockefeller Center and the crowds had lessened this late in the evening. It was so much nicer to admire the tree.

The Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center was spectacular this year.

Skating at Rockefeller Center is always popular.

I then walked around Midtown to look at all the decorations that Manhattan is known for. This is Corporate Christmas at its best. The streets of Fifth and Sixth Avenue compete every year to see who does it best. There are wreaths, trees and decorations that celebrate the holidays in an elaborate way. It really represents Manhattan and its traditions during the holidays.

Corporate Christmas on Sixth Avenue during the holidays.

The decorations on West 57th Street during the holidays.

The Snowflake on Fifth Avenue and 57th Street.

West 55th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenue.

West 55th Street by Eighth Avenue is always decorated with lights.

I was nice to just walk the streets of Manhattan in the late evening and have time for myself to reflect, all while I was humming “Find a Way” the whole time. I had forgotten how beautiful New York was during the holidays and could not believe has fast things happened after Halloween. It was like Christmas was on overdrive and then it was there.

I really needed that night because it would be full steam ahead for the rest of the week as my students presented their projects and PowerPoints to me back to back on Wednesday and Thursday. Plus I had the extra pressure of having guests from Glen Rock Town Council and the Museum at the Station coming to the Glen Rock project and members of the Executive Board of the Bergen County Historical Society coming Thursday night to that presentation. With the exception of a few hiccups, all went by well with all three presentations.

Wednesday was the most grueling with “I’m Glad I’m in Glen Rock: Be a Tourist in your own Town” and “Go Bulldogs Go-Open House 2024” back to back that day. It was going to be a lot of note taking and making sure that the students were ready for the presentations with grooming and dress code standards to attend to that day. Some of these kids had never dressed like this before.

The “I’m Glad I’m in Glen Rock” Team did a really good job on their presentation but there were some problems in the Marketing Team that needed to be addressed. They had put way too much explanation on what Marketing is and less of a presentation on the subject matter.

My Executive Team from Paramus for the “I’m Glad I’m in Glen Rock, NJ-Be a Tourist in your own Town” project.

This got revamped when we got an invitation from Glen Rock City Hall to present the project to the Mayor of Glen Rock and the Council on December 19th, the week before Christmas in City Hall. That put pressure on that class to get it done on time. We would end up revamping the entire Marketing part of the project.

My blog on “I’m Glad I’m in Glen Rock, NJ-Be a Tourist in your own Town”:

https://mywalkinmanhattan.com/tag/im-glad-im-in-glen-rock-nj-be-a-tourist-in-your-own-town/

My class who worked on the “Go Bulldogs Go”, the Spring 2024 Open House did a great job presenting their project that night as well. I was just upset that no one from the college bothered to show up. The ideas the kids came up with were excellent and would have been good had they been done in real life.

My Executive Team in Paramus for the “Go Bulldogs Go Open House 2024”:

My blog on “Go Bulldogs Go-Open House 2024”:

I did not have much time to relax as I had my third presentation the next night for the Team marketing the Bergen County Historical Society. That had been an experience as I heard so late back from the Society to help us that the students had only four weeks to pull it all together. Again, this is where the students always impress me.

My Executive Team in Lyndhurst for “Tourism for the Bergen County Historical Society”

My Blog on “Tourism at the Bergen County Historical Society”:

This team I had also taken out into the field, and we went to the Bergen County Historical Society the night of one of their Board Meetings and we were able to tour all three historical houses and the displays in the Steuben House. They were able to see the grounds and see the outside property. Many would revisit that weekend to take pictures and film the Washington’s Crossing event that weekend. After I took them out into the field, I took them out for a pizza dinner. They deserved it!

I was able to handle all three of these projects, my five Graduate papers and three classes, the Sinterklaas Parade, Christmas tree drop off and sales, the Bergen County Firemen’s Home Party and keeping up with all my Christmas blogs and updating all the historical houses that I was visiting for my blog. I have to say that I was in the car, on the bus and walking a lot but somehow, I pulled the first week of December off without losing my mind. There were still three more weeks to Christmas and a whole lot more to do.

After the last Team project was done for the Bergecco-Parc Consulting Inc. concept, I had to hand in my Term paper on the “The Chalfonte Hotel” in Cape May for my Hotel Sales and Marketing class the next morning. Thank God, I had finished it a week in advance and had handed in it in early. It made that Friday morning class easy, and my Professor at NYU seemed relieved that he did not have to chase after us.

The evening I went to the Open House Christmas tour of the Merchant House in Manhattan. I had been on the haunted tour a few weeks earlier and wanted to see the Christmas decorations. I was lucky that I was able to get on one of the last tours of the evening.

The Merchant House at 29 East 4th Street for Christmas.

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d285699-Reviews-Merchant_s_House_Museum-New_York_City_New_York.html

My review on VisitingaMuseum.com:

The Merchant House dining room decorated for a Christmas party.

The Parlor decorated for Christmas.

The tour was the perfect way to decompress after a long week and that was the hardest week of the holidays behind me. There were other papers to write and things to do so it was nice to just walk around the home and enjoy the decorations.

The second weekend was just as busy as the first one. We lucked out and it was a very mild Saturday afternoon. I made another trip to the Hudson River Valley to visit more decorated houses for my blog, VisitingaMusuem.com.

Many of these homes are rarely open during the year, let alone for the holidays and you have to plan at the right time to visit them. My first home was the Madame Brett Homestead in Beacon, NY, which is only open the second Saturday of the month and then after that I visited Boscobel, which is in Cold Springs, NY. In between those two, I was able to visit the Putnum County Historical Society, which was still open before my trip to Boscobel. It was a lot of running around up and down Route 9.

Beacon, NY is such a great town to visit. The stores and restaurants are really nice, and the town was so nicely decorated for the holidays. I was able to walk around the downtown before my tour at 1:00pm and it gave me some time to revisit some of the stores I had not seen in a while.

The downtown was nicely decorated for the holidays. While it does not have the same charm as Rhinebeck or Red Hook being a bigger downtown, there is a more artsy, hipster look to it with the street artwork and store displays.

I walked around the town admiring the gift shops and the clothing stores and looking at what they were carrying for the holidays.

https://beacononhudson.com

This was the difference in Beacon versus towns like Red Hook and Millerton. The stores there cater to the locals and there is a charm to the everyday merchandise that people need as opposed to rows of gift shops that cater to visitors. It begins to look like a version of a mall and less like a community. Still there are many stores here that have a personality and some very playful displays. Finding an evil snowman in one store was a play on the holidays.

The Madame Brett Homestead at 50 Van Nydeck Avenue in Beacon was not as decorated as I thought it would. The tour guide that I had in the summer said how the Garden Club decorated it so beautifully.

The Madame Brett Homestead at Christmas time.

The Madame Brett Homestead at 50 Van Nydeck Avenue in Beacon was not as decorated as I thought it would. The tour guide that I had in the summer said how the Garden Club decorated it so beautifully.

https://www.hudsonrivervalley.com/sites/Madam-Brett-Homestead-/details

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g47291-d263800-Reviews-Madam_Brett_Homestead-Beacon_New_York.html

My review on VisitingaMuseum.com:

Welcoming you during the holidays.

The beautiful Dining Room at the Made Brett Homestead during the holidays.

After the wonderful and informative tour of the homestead and a full walk around the downtown area, which was really beautiful during the holidays I had to find a place for lunch.

Santa’s reindeer?

I stopped in BJ’s Soul Food for lunch to regroup for the afternoon of walking and touring. Talk about the most delicious Cheeseburger that you will sink your teeth into. God, that hit the spot. Their menu was extensive and I will have to remember this the next time I visit.

It was then I realized that I had not been to Boscobel, the historic mansion in Cold Springs Village down Route 9 since before the pandemic and wondered if it was decorated and open for touring like the other homes. It had not been on the Hudson River Valley listing of decorated mansions because not every home was open in the winter.

The Cheeseburgers at BJ’s are excellent.

https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=167111366808842

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g47291-d4514959-Reviews-BJ_s_Restaurant-Beacon_New_York.html?m=19905

As I was reading the local newspaper, there was a private touring night that evening and I called and got the last reservation at 6:00pm. Talk about luck! After I finished eating, I left Beacon and headed down to Cold Springs. I never realized how close they were together because I got down Route 9 in record time and it was only 4:30pm.

I had passed the always closed Putnam Country Historical Society and this time around they were open so I visited there first before returning to Boscobel. Talk about a very underrated little museum. The Society museum was packed with information on the history of the town and the country plus a display on the Native American history of the area. They also had an interesting display of the former foundry’s for iron producing that I never knew were in this area.

The Putnam History Museum at 62 Chesnut Street in Cold Springs, NY.

https://www.putnamhistorymuseum.org

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g47508-d2252339-Reviews-Putnam_History_Museum-Cold_Spring_New_York.html

My review on VisitingaMuseum.com:

This is a great little museum displaying some of the most interesting Native American art that I have seen in a long time. It was very detailed in the displays and had a lot of Lenape artifacts that were displayed. For such a small museum, they mounted two interesting shows.

The museum was having a major exhibition from their collection of Lenape art from the local area including a canoe that had just been authenticated as a reproduction but still historically accurate. The exhibition was very detailed on the life of the local tribes in the Cold Springs area.

The back section of the displayed the foundries that used to dominate the towns surround Downtown Cold Springs. A surprising change from the sleepy historical town it is now.

The recreation of the canoe that was thought to be real but still authentic in its style and make.

The Foundry display and articles made in the area.

I was only at the museum the last 45 minutes it was open but was able to enjoy all the exhibits. After this weekend, they were closing until the Spring so I was happy I was finally able to get inside.

I then left for Boscobel, the home of the Dyckman family that had been moved to this spot in the 1960’s. The interesting part about Boscobel is that it was brought to its current location piece by piece and rebuilt here. I had not been here since 2018 and was lucky that they could fit me in for the tour. It was an amazing evening and the mansion was so beautifully decorated for the holidays.

Boscobel when I arrived for the Christmas tour of the mansion. It was not quite twilight at that point.

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g47774-d207321-Reviews-Boscobel_House_and_Gardens-Garrison_New_York.html

My review on VisitingaMuseum.com:

https://visitingamuseum.com/tag/boscobel-house-gardens

Boscobel all lit up after the night fell. It was a fairyland of lights.

The Grand Staircase at Boscobel

The decorations of the Grand Staircase at Christmas time.

The Dining Room set for a Christmas feast.

The Back Drawing Room with the ‘Christmas Table Tree’

The Gardens that night.

The fountains that night.

The Gift Shop and the Meeting Room where the reception after the tour was held.

When I finished the tour of the mansion I joined all the other people who were on the tour with me for refreshments in the gift shop. It was really nice.

They had hot cider and chocolate along with cookies, candies and fruit for us. I thought this was a nice touch after the tour. They also had contemporary Christmas music playing while we all talked amongst ourselves.

After the tour was over, I stopped in downtown Cold Springs to tour the business district. It is hard to believe that this sleepy little hamlet filled with upscale stores and restaurants was once the center of the boundaries.

The downtown is now filled with upscale stores and restaurants that cater to both locals and tourists. Being on the train to Manhattan has also changed the town. More people from the City have moved up here seeking the slower and ‘quaint’ lifestyle of the Hudson River Valley.

Downtown Cold Spring, NY at Christmas time.

https://coldspringliving.com/mainstreet.htm

Cold Spring, NY is such a beautiful little town both during the holidays and in the summer when I have visited. It always has something going on. In the summer, I have been to concerts here and walked though their downtown admiring the stores and looking at restaurant menus. The parks here are really nice as well. Both the Gazebo and the Band Stand were beautifully decorated for the holidays.

The Gazebo in downtown Cold Springs near the train station.

The Band Stand in Downtown Cold Spring, NY decorated for the holidays.

I got home rather late that night and then had to be up the next morning early to be in the City again from the ‘Holiday Brass’ concert at Lincoln Center. I had been waiting to see this concert for years. When I had chance to get tickets, I jumped at the chance to see this concert.

Everyone taking a bow.

The band playing for the holidays is such a special treat.

The Holiday Brass taking a bow that afternoon.

It was such a wonderful afternoon of Christmas music done by the Brass section of the New York Philharmonic. I had been dying to see this concert for years and it was very much worth the hype. The men and women of the band were excellent. It was a great way to spend the afternoon. I stopped for lunch at Amore Pizza Kitchen up on 58th Street and had their pats Bolognese. Their food is just amazing.

The Linguine Bolognese.

I went home and worked on my research papers for the rest of the afternoon. My Digital Marketing paper was due that Monday on New York City Tourism+Conventions and my Customer Service paper on Luna Park was due on Tuesday. I had finished both before this weekend started but had to put the final touches on them. I got ‘A-‘ on them both and pulled off straight ‘A’s again both Fall semester and for my ‘J’ Term class in Abu Dhabi. I had never worked this hard before in such a short period of time.

I also had to give my classes their Christmas Quiz Four on planning the Corporate Christmas party and these students never cease to amaze me what they can do in such a short period of time. The menus and well wishes were so creative. I would have to spend the rest of the week preparing their finals. I kept saying to myself one more week.

The weekend before finals at Bergen Community College began, I snuck up to the Hudson River Valley to see one more set of decorated houses.

I had visited the Clermont mansion up in Germantown, NY earlier in October for the Halloween tour and it had been since pre-COVID since I had seen the house decorated for the Christmas holidays. I attended their Open House as well during the day and checked the schedule and Staatsburgh, the other Livingston mansion was having their Open House that evening with entertainment similar to the evening in Boscobel. It was the perfect way to get my mind off finals week.

As I toured the homes along the Hudson River, I stopped at some of the small towns that line the east side of the Hudson River. They are usually so beautifully decorated for the holidays and trust me they did not disappoint. I started in downtown Germantown right near Clermont. I had visited the town for Halloween and the town was nicely devoted for the fall. It Christmas time that these towns start to shine.

With a combination of historical buildings and some garland, decorated trees and wreathes all one these historical buildings give these towns a festive look and they look like something out of a Currier and Ives woodcut.

Downtown Germantown, NY at Christmas

Downtown Germantown, NY at Christmas

Germantown has its charms and it seemed the whole town was covered in garland.

The Reformed Church of Germantown at 20 Church Avenue at Christmas time.

https://m.facebook.com/people/The-Reformed-Church-of-Germantown/100064967280917/?locale=en_GB

After a quick tour of Downtown Germantown, I went to the Open House at Clermont. Talk about a beautiful mansion that was not overdone.

The outside of the Clermont Mansion that was decorated for the holidays.

https://parks.ny.gov/historic-sites/16/details.aspxhttp:/clermontstatehistoricsite.blogspot.comwww.friendsofclermont.org

https://www.friendsofclermont.org

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g47780-d263704-Reviews-The_Clermont_Mansion-Germantown_New_York.html

My review on VisitingaMuseum.com:

The front steps decorated for Christmas in 2023.

The Christmas tree on the porch.

The entrance hallway of the front door from the top of stairs.

The Library at Christmas time.

The decorated tree in the Library.

The Dining Room at Christmas time.

The Living Room decorated for Christmas

What was nice about the Open House is what a beautiful day it was to not just walk around the inside of the house but the grounds as well. I got some wonderful pictures of the Hudson River and of the grounds. It will be nice to come back up in the Spring and see the gardens again

After the tour, I stopped by the front of the house where they had a fire pit where we could roast marshmallows by an open fire. That was fun as I had not done that in a long time. The marshmallows got caramelized on the outside and gooey on the inside. That was so good.

When I got back to the Visitors Center, they had an array of holiday treats for us there as well. They had Hot Chocolate and Apple Cider, Christmas cookies, candies and other snacks to enjoy while we looked over the displays. I did enjoy that.

I did not have to be at Staatsburgh until later that evening for their Open House so I decided to visit the other small towns around the area to see how they were decorated and getting ready for the holidays. I swear I love the Hudson River Valley during Christmas time. One town is nicer than the other and they do a lot to make their downtowns look so festive. I decided to stop in Tivoli first, a small hamlet just south of the mansion.

Downtown Tivoli at Christmas

Downtown Tivoli is a small quaint little town right on the Hudson River. When you drive through the downtown it is the last stop.

The downtown was busy when I got there as the Tivoli Fire Department was doing their “Santa Around Town” like we do and the kids were all waiting for Santa to come back to the firehouse.

The old Historic Firehouse decorated for the holidays.

The firehouse plaque. The building has had many uses.

The park right by the firehouse where Santa would be dropped off later that afternoon.

The merchant flower boxes decorated for the holidays.

The Christmas tree right near one of the businesses.

I never did get to see Santa that day but was able to walk around the town and enjoy the weather. It was so nice outside that you really did not need a coat. It was crisp but not cold and was perfect for touring the downtown. I left all the kids as they kept telling their parents they could hear the trucks coming back. I headed to Red Hook to check out how nicely downtown there was decorated. There is something special about Red Hook, NY during all the holidays. They just know how to decorate their downtown.

Downtown Red Hook, NY at Christmas time.

https://www.redhookhudsonvalley.com

https://www.redhookvillage.org

My blog on Exploring Red Hook, NY:

https://mywalkinmanhattan.com/tag/downtown-red-hook-ny

Downtown Red Hook decked out with garland and bows at the building where the Corner Counter Gourmet Shop is located.

The inside of the Corner Counter had all sorts of holiday treats to choose from.

Annabelle’s Village Bake Shop is always so nicely decorated.

I love Red Hook’s Christmas tree every year. It is so nicely decorated.

When I think of a town that is a step into the past, I always think of Red Hook. It has more of a localized feel than Rhinebeck to the south, which is place that people come up from the City for the weekend for dinner and an overnight of shopping and touring the local mansions. Red Hook has that family feel to it. Even the stores and restaurants are where locals come to eat and shop. Slowly though over the last few years I have noticed that is beginning to change. The stores have been getting gifty and more expensive. Still it is one of the nicest downtowns to visit just before Christmas.

After my tour of Red Hook, it was off to the other Open House that night at Staatsburgh, the home of the Mills Mansion. That is always a treat to visit when it is decorated for Christmas.

Staatsburgh-The Mills Mansion and home of the Mills-Livingston family at Christmas.

https://parks.ny.gov/historic-sites/staatsburgh/details.aspx

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g48676-d107418-Reviews-Staatsburgh_State_Historic_Site_Mills_Mansion-Staatsburg_New_York.html

My review on VisitingaMuseum.com:

Staatsburgh, the home of the Ruth and Ogden Mills, is one of the most beautiful decorated houses in the Hudson River Valley and I have visited almost all of them. The house is a wonderland of decorations all done around a theme. Last year was Masks and their relation to the balls that used to happen during the Winter Season in New York. This year the celebration of the seasons decorated the rooms.

The main staircase up to the first floor rooms. This once lead from the kitchen and the servants quarters in the basement.

The Library Christmas Tree on the first floor is the most elegant room in the house. It feels like someone is home for the holidays.

The Christmas tree leading to the main hallway and the front door. This is where the Mills family portraits are located.

The portrait of Ruth’s mother in the main hallway leading to the Dining Room.

The Dining Room decorated for Christmas Dinner.

The Hyde Park Quartet performed the night of the Open House in the Dining Room.

The Butler’s Pantry with all the food prepared for the Mills Holiday Dinner.

It was nice to take my time visiting both mansions and seeing the opulence of the holidays and how dedicated the volunteers were in decorating them. There was so much care and detail to each of the houses I saw that evening. Also, the entertainment and food was a nice touch on both events that made them enjoyable and affordable to so many people who have an interest in these homes.

After the tour of Staatsburgh, I headed back up to Red Hook for some dinner before I left for home. I had the final quizzes to prepare when I got home and final holiday preparations before the last week of work before the holidays. Still I did not want the night to end. I drove to Red Hook for some dinner but toured around Staatsburgh after dark. It can be a magical place too at the holidays.

The outside of the Mills Mansion on the evening of the Open House.

The Staatsburgh Fire Department decorated for the holidays.

https://www.facebook.com/rooseveltfiredistrictenginecompany4

The River & Post at 57 Old Post Road decorated for the holidays.

https://riverandpost.co

St. Margaret’s Church on East Elm Avenue in Staatsburgh at twilight.

https://www.facebook.com/stmargaretstaatsburg

I went to my traditional place for dinner when I am up for the holidays at Village Pizza III in downtown Red Hook and the food and the service are always wonderful. The prices are so fair, the owner is not gouging everyone after COVID like every other restaurant is doing and the food is excellent.

Downtown Red Hook at night with all the lights on.

The Christmas tree in Downtown Red Hook with Petals & Moss Flower shop next door.

Annabelle’s Village Bake Shop and Little Pickles in Downtown Red Hook decorated for the holidays.

The bank building right across the street from Village Pizza III is always nicely decorated.

It was nice to walk around on a quiet night and admire the decorations. It is beginning to rival Rhinebeck in beauty. Dinner was amazing as usual.

Village Pizza III at 7514 North Broadway in Red Hook earlier in the day.

https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=113437418688745

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g48473-d819096-Reviews-Village_Pizza_III-Red_Hook_New_York.html?m=19905

My review on DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com:

Dinner was excellent as I ordered Spaghetti & Meatballs with a salad. The perfect way to end the day. Their red sauce is fantastic and the meatballs are homemade and have the perfect blend of cheese and garlic.

The perfect start to the meal, a crisp salad and fresh warm Italian bread. You can go through a basket of it very easily.

The Spaghetti and Meatballs at Village Pizza III are delicious.

After dinner and another quick walk around the downtown to admire the lights, it was time to head home. Before I left, it was still pretty early. I decided to cross the river and visit Woodstock, NY before I headed home. I knew I would not have time to travel back up and wanted to see what their Christmas tree downtown looked like. It is always so unique to say the least.

Woodstock, NY has a lot of meaning to me during the holidays. It is where I went to decompress after my father passed away and I just got lost in myself. The mountains and the woods are so beautiful that drive around and forget everything else.

My blogs on Woodstock at Christmas time:

https://mywalkinmanhattan.com/tag/christmas-in-woodstock-ny

https://mywalkinmanhattan.com/tag/christmas-in-woodstock

The Woodstock Green at Christmas time.

I forgot how beautiful Woodstock is during the holidays. I just parked the car and walked around the downtown for about a hour. Just admiring the lights and decorations can put you in the holiday spirit.

The Woodstock Christmas tree was beautiful this year.

I forgot how picturesque the town was at night and this year especially they really did a nice job on the tree. The tree as usual had an unusual shape to it but the decorations were just dazzling on it. I walked around the downtown square remembering all those years of parades and the way Santa came into town. On this quiet night, it brought back many fond memories. I just could not believe how quiet it was that evening. The stores were all closed and the restaurants were all so quiet.

The restaurant I used to eat at every Christmas Eve with their disaster of entrees has not closed and replaced by a new owner.

Downtown Woodstock preparing for the holidays.

After the tour of Woodstock, it was time to go home. Talk about a trip down memory lane and touring all these wonderful towns at Christmas time really shows the beauty and traditions of the Hudson River Valley and why I love visiting there so much.

The week before Christmas was preparing for the holidays and getting Final exams done. NYU was finally done of the semester and those straight “A’s” made me happy and in the festive spirit. All of my students got their “A’s” on their projects as well. Their final exams would be on Wednesday and Thursday so there was work to do for them as well.

On Thursday morning, I had made a call and drove down to Pennsville, NJ to visit the Pennsville Historical Society and their Christmas decorations all over the house and the surrounding buildings. I knew I could never get down on the weekends prior to Christmas and I really wanted to see them after missing them for the last two holiday seasons. So I made an appointment with the President of their Society and off I went the Thursday before Christmas for the three hour trip down to the end of the Turnpike to Pennsville, NJ.

My blog on visiting the Historical Sites of Southern New Jersey:

It was well worth the trip on a glorious December afternoon. I met the ladies for the appointment at 1:00pm and it was well worth the trip. The house and the small outer buildings were beautifully decorated for the holidays.

The Pennsville Historical Society at Christmas time.

http://www.pvhistory.com/

https://www.facebook.com/p/Pennsville-Township-Historical-Society-100063738798811

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g46726-d24140695-Reviews-Church_Landing_Farmhouse-Pennsville_New_Jersey.html

My review on VisitingaMuseum.com:

https://visitingamuseum.com/tag/visiting-pennsville-nj

Entering the historic kitchen at the holidays.

The Living Room of the home.

The decorations in the outer buildings on the estate grounds were just as spectacular as the main house.

The whole tour was one surprise after another with each beautifully decorated room after another. Just when one room looked the best you saw another one that topped it. Even the outside buildings that have all the themed collections such as the above amusement park were just as creative. It is one of the nicest decorated homes that I saw this Christmas. Both this and Staatsburgh were pretty amazing.

Since I had time after the tour was over instead of driving immediately back up the turnpike, I stopped in both Salem and Mullica Hill on the way home to see how they were decorated for the holidays.

Downtown Salem, NJ during Christmas time.

https://cityofsalemnj.gov

The homes in the historic district of downtown really decorated for the holidays.

The historic district of North Market Street was decked with garland, bows and trees.

I had about 45 minutes to stop at the Salem Historical Society in downtown Salem to take some pictures of the Keeping Room Christmas tree. That is what attracted me in becoming a member of the museum.

The Salem Historical Society at 83 Market Street at Christmas time.

https://www.salemcountyhistoricalsociety.com

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g46799-d13368307-Reviews-Salem_County_Historical_Society-Salem_New_Jersey.html

My review on VistingaMuseum.com:

https://visitingamuseum.com/tag/salem-county-historical-society

The Keeping Room is the oldest section of the Salem Historical Society and the most interesting part of the old house.

Instead of the traditional tree in the Keeping Room, the Society opted for a Victorian tree in the middle of the museum. I was a nice alternative.

I had just enough time to see the new exhibition “Toys of the Past and Present” which featured all sorts of wonderful antique dolls, games and playthings.

The quick half hour tour of the museum took longer as I got caught up in the exquisite antique toys which I have such a fascination in since my days at FAO Schwarz. The museum’s collection was quite extensive and the tour guide explained a lot of how they developed as playthings. I scurred and got out as I would have taken all day in this wonderful museum.

I then headed up to Woodstown to see how they decorated their downtown and it was just as nice. Woodstown is a nicer little town with less problems than Salem. It is more of a vibrant business district with small independent businesses.

Downtown Woodstown decorated for the holidays.

https://historicwoodstown.org

The downtown was lined with snowman and wreathes.

The homes in their historic district were decked out for the holidays as well.

My last stop on my way home was downtown Mullica Hill, which is such a great little town for nice shopping and great restaurants. Of the three towns this is the most vibrant but it is also closer to Rowan University so the business and traffic of the college town is felt up this way. Its historical downtown was decked out for the holidays as well.

The Downtown Mullica Hill business district decorated for the Christmas holidays.

https://www.facebook.com/MainStreetMullicaHill

https://downtowndifferent.com/mullicahill/newjersey

Downtown Mullica Hill decorated for Christmas.

Downtown Mullica Hill homes that surrounded the downtown added to the beauty of the holidays.

All the stores and restaurants looked like they were vying for ‘Best Decorated Business’ with all the embellishments all over the buildings. I am sure it looked just as nice at night. There was not much time to spend in any of these towns because I had a final for my Business 101 class and I had to be back by 6:30pm. I just made the class with a half hour to spare. I gave my last exam that night and then scrambled all night and the next morning to finish my grades by 5:00pm. I handed them in by 3:00pm on Friday, December 22nd and drove back from the college content. I just put the Fall semester behind me.

I could not believe it. I pulled straight “A’s” in Grad school, ran three very successful and creative projects with my students, one being presented in front of the Mayor of Glen Rock and some of the Council members and all of my Executive Board commitments from running the Halloween Decorating Contest the last week of Halloween, to assisting in parties, get togethers and holiday events benefiting charity. Do not ask me how I ran around this much. I still ask that of myself.

Christmas Eve and Day

I finally caught my breath for a day when classes finally ended at BOTH colleges. NYU classes had ended the end of the second week of December and Bergen Community went all the way up to December 22nd. My last class was Thursday night the 21st when I had to give my final examination to my Introduction to Business students and then the grades for all three classes had to be submitted on Friday by 5:00pm on December 22nd. I felt like I was playing beat the clock the whole month of December. It just would not stop.

I had two days to get the house ready for my brother and sister in law to visit so I cleaned the house from top to bottom. Did six loads of laundry washing all the sheets and comforters, did all the grocery shopping and prepped pancake batter, baked cookies and brownies and made a lasagna with homemade meatballs for dinner I was going to make for my family to have everyone meet my new sister-in-law. When I dragged myself up on Christmas Eve day to visit the cemeteries, I was already burnt out and tired. Talk about a long three weeks.

After visiting family and saying prayers and dropping off flowers at the grave sites, it was the four hour drive down to my mother’s for Christmas Eve. It may seem like a long time but I always enjoy the drive. It gives me time to think and reflect back on the semester. Don’t ask me how I pulled everything off from Halloween to Christmas but I was able to get it all done, meet all my commitments, pull off straight “A’s” and have the students produce excellent projects that they should be very proud of for the rest of college. It was an amazing four months with so much accomplished. Now it was time to relax and enjoy the ride.

I just relaxed as I drove down the New Jersey Turnpike and just passed cars on their way to their holiday celebrations. Thank God the highway was not busy. I got down to my mom’s in less than four hours this time. Along the way down to her home, I got to see farmhouses all decorated for the Christmas holidays and that is always interesting.

Confucius Chinese Restaurant is where we spend our Christmas Eve dinner and I could not believe how packed the place was at 7:00pm. We saw so many of my mother’s friends and neighbors that it looks like everyone else has gotten the same idea that we have on what a pain it is to cook for both days. Going out on Christmas Eve has been our tradition for years.

Confucius Chinese Restaurant at 57 Wilmington Avenue in Rehoboth Beach, DE.

https://www.confuciusrb.net

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g34048-d555742-Reviews-Confucius_Chinese_Cuisine-Rehoboth_Beach_Delaware.html?m=19905

The owners are always so nice to us and very welcoming. Even after the busy dinner rush was over and we were one of the last parties to leave they both took the time to come to our table to wish us a Merry Christmas.

The food is always delicious and somehow we end up ordering a lot of the same dishes. We went through three orders of dumplings, two orders of Soft Shell crabs, an order of Spring Rolls, Moo Shu Pork, General Tso’s Chicken, Hunan Beef Noodles, Tai Lake Chicken and Garlic Shrimp with two big sides of white rice. For dessert, I ordered the Vanilla Ice Cream which was a throw back to the days of the Cantonese dinners we ate with my family as kids.

The Moo Shu Pork is one of my favorite dishes.

One of everyone’s favorites at dinner is the General Tso’s Chicken. The chef makes so good.

As a family we go through so much rice you would think this was a special dish.

What is the best way to end a wonderful Chinese meal is a bowl of vanilla ice cream.

Finishing a meal with Vanilla Ice Cream is such a tradition.

After dinner was over, we walked around Downtown Rehoboth Beach (it was such a warm night) and got to enjoy the beautiful decorations. The downtown Christmas tree was really nice that night. The town is very festive during the holidays and my mother said that you can not even drive into town for the tree lighting ceremony unless you were already downtown that day. I could believe it. It was busy on Christmas Eve night.

The Christmas tree in downtown Rehoboth Beach, DE was dazzling.

The decorations by the Gazebo.

More decorations by the Gazebo.

My brothers and I by the Christmas tree.

Us in front of the Rehoboth Beach Christmas tree.

Christmas Eve was a time we just kick back and relax before the real works begins the next day for Christmas. We all pitch in now with the cooking, serving and cleaning up. It is a lot more fun that way and give my mother a helping hand.

My mother’s Santa Collection at Christmas.

Mom’s decorations at Christmas.

Mom’s Christmas tree in the Living Room.

Her handmade Santa collection is the highlight of the holidays and her decorations.

I was exhausted by the time that we got home from dinner. My siblings had been done at my mom’s for a couple of days so they were all relaxed. Between classes and all the driving I was worn out. While everyone else stayed up to talk, I got ready to go to bed. I went to bed and slept for over nine hours. I could not believe what a deep sleep I went into. Five weeks of running around took its toll on me. I got up late on Christmas Day morning. Still I was up first and got to admire my mother’s house decorated for the holidays.

The table was set for Christmas Day a few days in advance so I got to see it that night.

The Dining Room decorations.

After breakfast, we had some time to relax and open presents. This is not the extravagancy that we had as kids but we got to laugh and talk while we opened our gifts to one another.

My brother thought it would be funny to give each of us this tee-shirt as a joke to my mother and her wooden spoon when we were growing up.

One of the small gifts to my mom, a handmade Santa that I found with a artist in Beach Haven.

After the gift giving, breakfast and getting ready it now time to cook. When you have a houseful of guests on their way you have to be prepared. My older brother and I got into our ritual of helping my mother in the kitchen.

My brother and I help my mother in the kitchen as it takes time to cook and greet guests. I think this is what makes the holiday more fun when we are all in the kitchen working together.

My mother also likes the fact that we are helping with the clean up and serving. She passing that part of the holidays on to us. We helped her with all the preparations that morning and the dinner looked picture perfect. We have a ball helping cook and plan our Christmas meal.

I was cooking that morning and afternoon. I was making my homemade Potato Croquettes. These are are really popular at Christmas dinner.

Our dinner starts with appetizers with Shrimp Cocktail, cheeses and dips. When you have a lot of guests it is a nice way to start the meal. These were traditions that my aunt started years ago when we used to spend the holidays growing up.

The appetizers

The final dinner set out for guests.

The team work for our holiday dinner was the result of a lot of hard work.

My mother’s Prime Rib roast came out like perfection.

My mother and our new sister in law at her first family Christmas.

Finally sitting down for dinner and relaxing after a long holiday season. Our family had a nice time at Christmas

Dinner at Christmas time. The result of team work and a lot of preplanning. My mother’s delicious Prime Rib, which was cooked perfectly, the potato croquettes and the sauteed string beans. The perfect holiday meal.

My dinner at Christmas at Mom’s.

Our desserts at the end of dinner.

For dessert, my mother ordered a specialty twelve layer cake and my sister in law made a special Russian cake from her family’s tradition. My brother and I made Christmas cookies so there was more than enough for the twelve people having dessert.

Mom’s Twelve Layer cake for dessert.

It was a really nice Christmas dinner and we had such a nice relaxing time. It was a wonderful afternoon and evening with family.

Our family at the holidays. It was so nice to see everyone at Christmas.

It was a relaxing evening once everything was cleaned up and the other guests left later that night. We just sat around and laughed and talked about Christmas’s past.

The next morning, everyone was on their way and my brother and sister in law stayed with me. While they were doing their thing in the city, I visited a lot of the sites around the City for the post Christmas week. New York City is always packed the week before Christmas and New Year and you have to elbow everyone by the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree. That’s why I try to avoid that section of the City.

I went uptown to the Cloisters to take a tour of the decorations and hear about the history of the decorations used for the Medieval holidays. I forgot they Three Kings Day was coming up and they changed the tour. So a large group of us walked with our tour guide in not such great weather (it was misty and gloomy out), and looked for the symbolism of the Three Kings.

The Met Cloisters at 99 Margaret Corbin Drive

https://www.metmuseum.org/visit/plan-your-visit/met-cloisters

My review TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d106609-Reviews-The_Met_Cloisters-New_York_City_New_York.html

My review on VisitingaMuseum.com:

The tour took us all over the museum in search of the images of the Three Kings. The story had morphed over the years from three ‘wise men’ to the ‘Three Kings” and the interpretation of the story.

The ‘Three Kings” in stained glass.

The ‘Three Kings’ in tapestry.

The beautiful plants at the Met Cloisters during Christmas.

The Cloisters at Christmas in 2023.

After touring the museum, I went outside and toured the neighborhood. My next stop was the Dyckman Farmhouse up the road. For some reason, they had already taken down their Christmas (and when I asked the person in charge that day gave me attitude). I can see from the outside of the house it needs a lot of work. The plantings in the summer hide most of this.

The inside of the house is decorated for a family that owns a prosperous farm in Upper Manhattan. The kitchen was set for a late afternoon lunch and the bedrooms were designed for the family and their guests.

The Dyckman Farmhouse at 4881 Broadway

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/dyckman-house-museum/history

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d108018-Reviews-Dyckman_Farmhouse_Museum-New_York_City_New_York.html

My review on VisitingaMuseum.com:

https://visitingamuseum.com/tag/dyckman-farmhouse

The Parlor at the Dyckman Farmhouse

The smokehouse in the back of the home.

It was really cold and gloomy outside when I left the Dyckman Farmhouse. Still there was a hint of Christmas in the air when I walked down to 207th Street and at the William Tighe Park just off it. There were still Christmas trees up and the neighborhood decorated for the holidays.

The unique tree at William Tighe Park at Dyckman and Seaman Streets

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/lt-wm-tighe-triangle

My review on MywalkinManhattan.com:

https://mywalkinmanhattan.com/tag/william-tighe-park

The Christmas tree at 207th Street in Inwood.

The neighborhood was still decked for the holidays and people looked like they were stretching the holiday to the full 12 days of Christmas.

I got hungry walking around the neighborhood and I headed to G’s Coffee Shop around the corner for some lunch. I love this little neighborhood hangout. It is a place that every neighborhood should have, friendly service and wonderful food.

G’s Coffee Shop at 634 West 207th Street

https://www.instagram.com/gscoffeeshop207

My review on TripAdvisor.com:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d17445018-Reviews-G_s_Coffee_SHop-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

My review on DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com:

On this cool afternoon, I was starved and was in the mood for a Cheeseburger and fries and G’s always does such a nice job with their burgers. It did not disappoint me this time either.

The Cheeseburger platter and fries at G’s Coffee Shop is not only delicious but reasonable as well. The service is excellent.

After a wonderful lunch, I walked around the neighborhood and looked at the other decorations and walked in and out of stores to see what was new. Inwood and Washington Heights is changing before my eyes like other neighborhoods in Manhattan. It seems when they rezoned the City during the Bloomberg administration. The whole neighborhood is getting new buildings and parks that don’t look like they are catering to the local population. Already I can see this area changing.

Since my schedule was open for the rest of the afternoon, I decided to walk down to 181st Street to Esmeralda’s Bakery for a snack. I also wanted to see how they decorated the shopping area for Christmas. Washington Heights main shopping district is always nicely decorated for the holidays.

The 181st Street Shopping District

The stars on the 181st Street that decorate the shopping the district.

The core of the Washington Heights shopping district during Christmas.

I stopped at Esmeraldo Bakery at 538 West 181 Street for a snack and the place was pretty busy for a late afternoon.

Esmeraldo Bakery at 538 West 181 Street

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d5098947-Reviews-Esmeraldo_Bakery-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

My review on DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com:

I had to have one of their sugar doughnuts and they are the best when they are freshly made. It was the perfect sugar high for a gloomy afternoon. Esmeraldo’s Bakery is one of the few quality bakeries left that I can find that does not overcharge for a doughnut, roll or cookie. Her prices are very fair and the selection is always fresh and everything is delicious. It was the perfect pick me up while I was walking around the Washington Heights shopping district. There was still a little Christmas feel around

The selection at Esmeraldo Bakery collection.

The amazing sugar doughnuts at Esmeraldo Bakery are worth the trip uptown.

I walked around the business district and around the 181st Street shopping district realizing how much had changed since the summer and how many small businesses had closed. New businesses have opened up but I was surprised how many places had closed since I toured in August. The rents must be going up here as well.

I went back to the subway stop and admired the Christmas trees one more time as darkness fell. There was a real Christmas spirit up town as well.

The Christmas tree at 207th Street lit for the evening.

The Christmas tree in William Tighe Park.

I really enjoyed seeing the decorations uptown that I have never seen before and realized that there were traditions all over the city. Washington Heights does their own unique job decorating their neighborhood.

On the night before they left for the New Year’s celebrations, my brother and sister in law wanted to take me to dinner at a ‘typical New York” restaurant. I told them of a wonderful restaurant in Times Square at the Marriott Marquis called the “Broadway Lounge” that I had been to many times with the most spectacular views so we went there. The food and service did not disappoint us and the views were spectacular.

The Marriott Marquis in Times Square at 1535 Broadway.

https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/nycmq-new-york-marriott-marquis/overview

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g60763-d93507-Reviews-New_York_Marriott_Marquis-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

The inside of the Broadway Lounge on the 8th Floor of the Marriott Marquis overlooking Times Square.

The Broadway Lounge Review:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d1465849-Reviews-Broadway_Lounge-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

The Broadway Lounge never disappoints me because as the food is pricey it is also very good and the quality I have found to be excellent. The view is the reason why everyone comes here and my sister in law made the reservation so that we could sit next to the window and that was dazzling.

The view of Times Square from our table. It is just dazzling.

The food lived up to the view this evening. I had the Three Cheese Grilled Cheese sandwich with fries with a Coke and for dessert we shared a White Cake with Fresh fruit. Very simple comfort food on a cold and somewhat gloomy night. Still the food and the service were wonderful and gave us a chance to catch up before they left and to how beautiful Manhattan is in the evening.

The delicious Three Cheese Grilled Cheese sandwich with fries and a Coke.

The White Vanilla Cake with fresh fruit that we shared for dessert.

I was a nice meal and a perfect way to ring in the New Year together early.

On New Years Eve morning, they left to celebrate the holiday in the City and I stayed at home to spend a quiet New Year at home. I run in the New Year by watching the last minute of NBC and then went to bed. Not the most exciting New Years Eve but I just wanted to stay in and relax. It had been a long month. This is how I welcomed in 2024.

Now you know why I am so exhausted! My feet never touched the ground since Halloween night.

I wanted to share these pictures around Manhattan during the holidays:

The dazzling West 55th Street at Christmas time.

Christmas on West 55th Street closer to Fifth Avenue,

Christmas lights on West 45th Street

The Christmas lights on West 55th Street.

A Christmas tree on Eighth Avenue.

Corporate Christmas tree at West 58th Street.

The Dior sign for the light show at Saks Fifth Avenue.

1251 Sixth Avenue-A corporate Christmas.

The Star on Fifth Avenue.

1221 Sixth Avenue-A corporate Christmas.

West 57th Street at Christmas.

The skaters in Rockefeller Center by the Christmas tree.

The tree at Rockefeller Center.

The Christmas Tree at Rockefeller Center the Sunday after the Epiphany.

The true beauty of New York City and especially Manhattan is in the details of it. It just amazes you! I do not know how I did it all and still got straight “A’s”.