Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade: a balloon handler’s scoop

by Jamie Rhein on

Maybe watching the Macy’s Parade is one of your Thanksgiving traditions. Maybe you vaguely know what it is. The gigantic helium balloons manned by volunteers who keep them from whacking down tourists like they are prone to do in the stiff gusts of wind that whistle down the streets of Manhattan, are the most famous features. The idea is to have people enamored by a six-story high Sponge Bob, Mr. Potato Head and Dora the Explorer floating by, not scared to death. Then there’s the Broadway numbers, glitzy floats, rousing marching bands and the TV personalities who yuck it up, often commenting on the shitty weather–or like today, gushing about it’s perfection.

No matter how much commercialism is heaped into the parade, the balloons are amazing. Here’s a video of a woman from Alaska who had a dream of becoming a balloon handler, and she did. There’s tips for how you can become a handler yourself. Also, she explains what is involved in actually doing to the job.

For more parade insider scoop, this You Tube video goes into the background of the Macy’s parade. Watch for the section about a girl who learned to play the tuba in less than a year so she could march in it. It’s another heartwarming Thanksgiving tale.

And still there’s more. For another video that gives up close looks at several balloons, check out this You Tube offering. And, here’s a few more to get you in that parade mood: Seuussical the Musical, the Sesame Street Float, a high school marching band from 1987 and the All Star Drum and Bugle Corps.

Skiing in Vermont started earlier this year

by Jamie Rhein on

The weather this year has been cooperating with Vermont–at least so far. I’ve read that Mount Snow opened last weekend. Other Vermont ski resorts opened this weekend, as well. Apparently, this is the earliest people have been able to hit the slopes in Vermont in almost 10 years. With the Thanksgiving weekend coming up, and the winter holidays close behind, I can imagine the resort owners and the people who work there are feeling gleeful. There are 20 Alpine ski resorts in the state, so if you can’t find a place to ski, you’re not looking that hard. The Web site “Ski Vermont” lists all of them.

Here are a few that are open already:

  1. Mount Snow just made fresh snow. Check out the deals. Kids 5 and under, ski for free and there’s a 10% military discount.
  2. Killington is the largest resort in the eastern United States. There’s a ski package you can buy to cut down costs.
  3. Okemo Mountain was named good for families by Ski Magazine. Here kids 6 and under can ski for free. If you buy a 3-day or more lift ticket, you can ski at two other resorts, Mt. Sunapee in New Hampshire and Stratton Mountain, also in Vermont, during that time frame pn the same ticket. Neat. Mt. Sunapee is not open yet. Stratton is scheduled to open November 21.

With the ski season upon us, expect more Gadling coverage. Here is a link to some past posts. Neil has one later today on a place where skiing is perhaps the last thing you’d think about when planning a trip there.

Making Christmas festive while on the road

by Jamie Rhein on

While the song might say, “There’s no place like home for the holidays,” being on the road offers the excitement of places new and getting away from it all. Particularly, if staying at home means endless hours of decorating, baking cookies, and trying to make a day “perfect.” Instead of feeling relaxed with that holiday glow, you’re left feeling frazzled and about ready to bite someone’s head off.

Being on the road also avoids the let down feeling after presents are opened, the food has been eaten and darkness has set in because it’s winter and 5:30 pm (or therabouts), at least if you live in the northern hemisphere. However, being on the road can be a let down if you like the holiday trimmings and want to have some visual markers that a special time of the year is in one’s midst.

I’ve been on the road a few times on Christmas, and being one of those people who adore the holiday, but also adore travel, I have found a few ways to combine the best of both. Tinsel is a good place to start.

One Christmas we headed to Nepal to trek from Jomsom to Pokora on the apple pie trail. In my backpack, I packed a long tinsel garland, a silver musical bell that shook and played three Christmas songs when you smacked it, and stocking stuffers for the friends we were traveling with. I asked for everyone to give me one clean sock to put their loot in, including those gold foil covered chocolate coins. We also did a name draw where each of us received on nice present from someone in the group. Christmas Eve I pulled out the the bell and the garland to decorate the small, rough guest house we were staying at for the night. We also had gifts for the guest house owner, her kids and our guide and sherpas.

Another Christmas was spent in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. It was my son’s first Christmas, and my daugher was nine. I bought some wall decorations, Santa hats and their stockings with us in our suitcase. While shopping Christmas Eve, I found some more Christmas ornaments to add a festive flair to our hotel room.

Last year, we went to Florida for Christmas. Christmas Eve was spent in Orlando. My four-year-old, soon to be five year-old, was happy to see traveling didn’t mean forgoing Santa and a tree. I bought a small table top tree, ornaments, a nativity scene and my kid’s stockings along. The tree even lit up. In each hotel room we decorated the tree and hung up the stockings. It established each place as “home.” Redecorating the tree went fairly quickly, and repacking was a me and kids’ task. The ornaments fit in a tupperware container so packing was easy and kept the ornaments from getting tangled. Toilet paper squares work wonders.

And, don’t forget to bring a favorite holiday CD along with you. Music works wonders for creating a joyous mood. If you have any ideas that you’ve tried on the road to help make the season bright, let us know.

More than pie comes in pumpkin: Try ice cream for the holidays

by Jamie Rhein on

Last week my son dropped a pint of ice-cream into the shopping cart when I wasn’t looking. I picked it up to return it to the freezer–until I saw it was pumpkin. I caved.

Pumpkin ice-cream is one of the reasons the thought of cold weather and less daylight filled days doesn’t totally send me over the edge. It’s one of those, “Ah, yes, there you are. I’d forgotten about you” seasonal foods.”

Although, I’m not an ice-cream snob, when it comes to pumpkin the best is the best. My favorite place to get some in Ohio is Graeters, a small company founded in Cincinnati in 1870. Today there are Graeters ice-cream shops in Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky.

Since there are 7 days until Thanksgiving. As a Turkey Day countdown, here are 6 other places that serve up pumkin ice-cream right about now. Count Graeters as #1.

1. Graeters–Here’s the link to getting Graeters on-line. They’ll ship anywhere in the United States.

2. Double Rainbow–This company was founded in San Francisco in 1976 if I did the math right. There used to be a Double Rainbow in Albuquerque when I lived there but there was a name change and now I can’t remember why. I think it was because the company franchised and the owners in Albuquerque weren’t part of it. The ice-cream was yummy. It’s won Best in America awards and can be found in Hong Kong. The web site has a link where you email to find the one closest to you.

3. Homemade Ice Cream and Pie Kitchen–This Louisville, Kentucky favorite started out as a lunch counter. The home page black and white photo reminds me of the one in “Back to the Future” where Marty McFly saved his dad from a thrashing by Biff. Today, there are several Louisville locations and two others. While your savoring the ice-cream, you can use their free Wi Fi.

4. Fosselman’s— This place has a long list of being named the best awards. This one has been gathering a following since 1919. You can buy their ice cream in several stores, but if you want to grab a taste where it’s made head to its retail shop in Alhambra, California, near L.A.

5. Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory— I couldn’t find a web site for this one, but I came across a many reviews. Here’s one that appeared in New York Magazine. This is a critic’s pick. The setting interests me, for one thing. The factory and shop is located in a 1920s fireboat house. Classic. From the description, it sounds like this is just across the bridge from Manhattan.

6. Bassetts Ice Cream–Any ice cream business that’s been run by the same family for five generations has to be pretty darned special. Established in Philadelphia in 1861, Bassetts Ice Cream can be found in ice cream parlors Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. Here’s the link to tell you where to find it, but for an historic experience head to the Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia where Bassetts Ice Cream store is run by members of the Bassett brood.

7. Bedford Farms Ice Cream–Another historic ice cream business, Bedford Farms has been dishing up scoops since 1880. Located in Concord and Bedford, Massachusetts, this parlor is a New England favorite.

And if you have any of your own favorites, let us know. With December’s holiday bounty, a few more ice cream spots could take us there nicely.

Paypal offers 50$ rebates on NWA flights

by Grant Martin on

If you’re flying anywhere in the next few months (say, Thanksgiving or oh, Christmas) and Northwest Airlines is an option, check out the 50$ rebate that Paypal is offering on bookings. You have to book between November 13th and 21st, but the terms and conditions don’t stipulate when you have to fly.

As with most other rebates, you’ll have to wait 6-8 weeks for your money to show up, but the benefit here is that you don’t have to fill in any paperwork or cash a check — the money just shows up in your account in a few weeks. And if you’re like myself and most of the other people out there on the interwebs, you’ve already got a Paypal account that’s linked to your bank; all you have to do is select the Paypal option, the money comes from the same place and you get 50$ back.

Make sure you follow the booking link before you pay.