Hoboken and Clifton, New Jersey, USA - 5th May 2012
By: Spac the Bear
Happy Cinco de Mayo!
Today - "the Fifth of May" - is considered a celebratory day for Mexicans in the U.S. and also in regions of Mexico. Of course, many Americans use it as an excuse to drink lots of tequila, but who are we to argue? Columbus and I have our sombreros and are ready to party!
Truth be told, we were really going for a car ride to Hoboken, New Jersey (about 27 km from Little Falls where my host, Spac, lives), to visit some of Spac's relatives. It is nice to be back in the car with the gang, even if it is for such a short trip.
That is Terence, Columbus, me, Nibbly and Graham.
According to local history, the very first organized baseball games in the world were played right here in Hoboken. This town is also famous for being the birthplace of the great American singer Frank Sinatra. Today, it is most well known as one of the gateways to New York City.
New Jersey has many, many diners. It is one thing the state is well known for, above all others. What makes New Jersey diners so unique is that they are open all day and all night, 365 days a year, and they serve breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert all day long, every day.
This is Hoboken's popular Malibu Diner.
We did not go in the diner, today, however. Maybe some other time we will go to one of these places.
Instead, we decided to take some more photos in the town.
As I said, Hoboken is known for its proximity to New York City, which lies just across the Hudson River. People pay a lot of money to live on the east side of the town, just so they can have this view.
The big building in the distance is the new Freedom Tower which is being constructed in the spot where the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center once stood but were destroyed by terrorists in 2001.
Maybe someday soon Spac will take me across the river to the big city.
At the end of the night, we went to the Clash Bar in Clifton, New Jersey, to see Spac's friends' band play.
The band is called Dr. Void and the Death Machines and they play music known as "psychobilly", a sort of ramped up version of rockabilly with songs often about macabre subjects.
Even though it was Cinco de Mayo, we decided to drink whisky instead of tequila. Good thing I shared this with Columbus and Spac. It's a small glass for a human...but I could swim in there!
At the end of the night, we went to White Castle for some good-tasting but bad-for-you food.
Good night!
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Posted May 18, 2012, 1:31 am
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Long Island, New York, USA - 13th May 2012
By: Spac the Bear
Zum Muttertag!
or, as they say here in America, Happy Mother's Day!
This weekend, we travelled with our host, Spac, to Long Island, New York, to spend Mother's Day at his grandparents' home. Long Island is a strip of land that extends east of New York City.
In order to get to Long Island, we had to get on a bus to New York City and then get on a train to the island. Unfortunately, we did not have a lot of time to spend in the big city, but I got to see a few sights along the way.
This is the Port Authority Bus Terminal where all the buses coming into the city arrive and depart.
Here is the office of The New York Times, the standard-bearer of all journalism!
We walked through Times Square and along Broadway. People from all over the world come here to see magnificent stage productions like the ones on the signs behind me.
I am right in the middle of Times Square!
You know how on TV, you can see the big bright ball dropping to ring in the New Year in New York City? Well if you look closely, you can see the ball at the top of that building in the middle!
Looking down 42nd Street from Eighth Avenue.
You can not leave New York City without eating a big pretzel from a street vendor!
Midtown Comics - the best comic book store in the whole city!
I am now in the garment district. That is quite a large needle and button. Imagine how big the garment must be that requires a button that big!
And you can not go too far in this city without seeing a Starbucks Coffee shop. It seems like there is one on every corner!
We had a train to catch, so we went to Penn Station and got on the train to Long Island. The windows were very dirty, but this is the New York borough of Queens through which we are passing.
Then we were out of New York City and in Nassau County.
And finally, we made it to our destination, Ronkonkoma, Long Island, in Suffolk County.
For Mother's Day, Spac took his grandmother shopping at the mall.
They had a Build-a-Bear Workshop there. It's where Spac buys all his clothes.
And then Spac gave his grandmother this wonderful "bouquet" of fresh fruit.
It was a wonderful weekend.
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Posted May 25, 2012, 9:25 pm
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Little Falls, New Jersey, USA - 26th May 2012
By: Spac the Bear
This evening we visited the 9/11 memorial in my host Spac's hometown of Little Falls. People from all over this area of New Jersey died in the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, so many towns have memorials to remember them by.
Those steel beams came from the wreckage of the World Trade Center.
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Posted Jun 12, 2012, 1:29 am Last edited Jun 12, 2012, 1:30 am by Spac the Bear
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Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA - 15th June 2012
By: Spac the Bear
Oh boy, what a fun adventure we are having this weekend!
Today we rode a bus to Atalntic City, which is more than 100 miles south of Little Falls. It is quite the tourist attraction, especially in the summer, because it has big casinos in fancy hotels, giant retail outlet stores for all-day shopping, and Atlantic Ocean beaches.
But we were not going there for any of those reasons. We were going to a three-night concert series by Spac's favorite rock band, Phish! I have listened to them with Spac (he plays their music all the time at home), but now I can see them play live.
We arrived in Atlantic City in the afternoon and started taking pictures of the big, fancy casino hotels from the bus:
There is the Trump Taj Mahal...
....and there is Showboat.
It was a beautiful day. So when we got off the bus, we took our time and walked around before getting on a train to Absecon, a neighboring town, where we were staying in a less-fancy hotel.
Caesars is another big casino and hotel, with an ancient Roman theme.
And Trump Plaza is in the middle of the main downtown strip.
Near all the hotels and casinos is a section known as "The Walk" - several streets containing giant outlet stores for retail brands like Nike and Disney, as well as other clothing, home goods, and entertainment brands.
Then we got on the train to Absecon, checked into the hotel, and got right back on the train into Atlantic City again. There is the city as we approach it:
Once we were in the city again, we went to the concert field, which was actually the site of what was once a small municipal airport. It was a perfect place for a concert because it was a large piece of flat open land with both grassy areas and pavement (the Tarmac for the airplanes).
The band started playing while the sun was still out.
There were tens of thousands people having fun. There was even a Ferris Wheel!
As it got darker outside, the lights onstage got brighter and we moved a little closer to the stage. The band sounded great! And the speaker system was excellent because the sound was clear and loud.
Phish fans have a custom that dates back to 1997 in which they throw lots and lots of fluorescent "glowsticks" up in the air and around the audience during certain parts of songs. Here is a photo of some flying glowsticks!
The very end of the show was loud and bright. We took a short video of the very end.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9G-osG1Pa9Q&feature=player_detailpage
After the show, we took a bus back to Absecon. But before walking back to the hotel, we stopped at the nearby Phoenix Diner for some late-night food.
There is nothing quite like New Jersey diners. The state, in fact, is known throughout the country for their diners. I asked Spac what makes New Jersey diners unique. What makes them different from other restaurants?
He explained to me that they are all open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and they serve breakfast, lunch and dinner all day long!
Let us look at the menu!
The menu is enormous! There are several pages of selections. Look at all the choices!
This is amazing! If I wanted a sirloin steak at breakfast time or belgian waffle in the evening, I could?
How do they do it? I think the cooks must be magicians.
We decided on an omelet with egg whites, feta cheese and spinach, some hash brown potatoes, rye toast, a glass of orange juice, and a cup of decaffeinated coffee. Perfect meal for 2 a.m.!
We learned two other special things about New Jersey diners. The portions are BIG and the cost is small!
After we filled our little bear bellies, we walked back to the hotel. Time to go to sleep. It was a big day...and we still have two more to go!
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Posted Jun 28, 2012, 1:32 am Last edited Jun 28, 2012, 1:35 am by Spac the Bear
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Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA - 16th June 2012
By: Spac the Bear
It was another beautiful day in southern New Jersey!
After sleeping late and eating some breakfast in Absecon, we went back into Atlantic City and straight to Bader Field (the concert site) for another night of Phish.
As the sun began to set, the band went onstage, but we decided to spend the first half of the show in the outlying area and the parking lot.
I asked Spac, "There is a rock concert going on and you want to stay in the parking lot?" He explained to me that the parking lot of a Phish show is special. The fans set up their own little marketplace, selling food, clothing, souvenirs, and other merchandise that other fans enjoy. They call it Shakedown Street. It is a tradition started by fans of the group The Grateful Dead many years ago which has continued on with Phish fans.
Plus, we could hear the music perfectly from there!
After eating two big burritos and drinking a few beers, we went into the concert grounds.
As it got darker, we continued to stay on the outskirts of the audience, where the audience members have extra room to dance. And we joined them, dancing the night away to the groovy music!
The area around the perimeter contained many vendors of food and drinks. Our bellies were full from the parking lot, but we decided to take a look at what they had to offer.
For the second half of the show, we kept moving forward through the crowd, little by little, until we were up front, though a bit off to the side.
Look at all the people behind me!
Click the following link to see me dancing to the song "Run Like an Antelope". Check out the bright lights and all the glowsticks being tossed around!
http://youtu.be/VU2LijurYM0
After the show, we decided to spend some time walking the famous Atlantic City Boardwalk because it was such a pleasant night (if a little breezy). All the casinos, restaurants and hotels are in the eastern border of the city and they are lined up along the boardwalk which is along the Atlantic Ocean beach.
Here we are in front of Boardwalk Hall, an indoor concert hall where Spac saw Phish two years ago in the autumn.
Caesars, all lit up at night.
Three bears on the Boardwalk at 2 a.m.
We had a lot of fun today, but it is time to go back to the hotel in Absecon now. Good night. More fun to be had tomorrow!
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Posted Jun 29, 2012, 7:20 pm
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Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA - 17th June 2012
By: Spac the Bear
We sure have been lucky! Three gorgeous days in a row in Atlantic City!
Instead of taking the train, we took the bus from Absecon to the city today.
We spent a little more time today walking around the city before the show, and we were glad we did because we found this statue of my traveling buddy's namesake, Christopher Columbus!
Each day, we walked through the residential neighborhood of Atlantic City to get to Bader Field for the concerts. It is strange and a bit sad that a city with so much money coming in from casinos and hotels can have areas that seem so much less affluent. But the residents seem to have a tight sense of community here. I would see them gathering together and enjoying each others' company.
Also each day before the shows, we stopped at this neighborhood pub for a beer, to mingle with the locals and pay much less for a drink than we would in the concert grounds!
And then it was back to Bader Field, walking along what used to be an airplane runway for one more night of Phish.
Once again, we spent most of the first set on the outskirts, dancing and singing along with other enthusiastic fans.
And once again, we worked our way forward to be up close for the final set of the weekend, this time on the opposite side...
...and directly under these speakers!
Watch me dancing as the band plays "Roses Are Free" in this video! http://youtu.be/2vvZ5uuBIcc
And in this video the band is playing the Beatles song "A Day in the Life" as I dance a bit and look out over the crowd! http://youtu.be/sfdm407bJU0
But eventually, the concert had to come to an end, as all good things do. We had great fun, but it was time to go back to the hotel in Absecon for one more night before going home tomorrow.
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Posted Jul 5, 2012, 11:38 pm Last edited Jul 5, 2012, 11:47 pm by Spac the Bear
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Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA - 18th June 2012
By: Spac the Bear
In the morning, we ate breakfast at the hotel before getting on the train one more time to Atlantic City where we would get on the bus back to New York City.
We took a few more pictures in Atlantic City before getting on the bus, like at the Atlantic City Convention Center...
...Bally's casino...
...the Korean War Memorial...
...and Tropicana casino.
We also learned that the popular American board game Monopoly, in which players buy and sell real estate, is based on properties in Atlantic City. Street names such as Baltic Avenue, Atlantic Avenue, and even the Boardwalk, all show up in the game.
It was a nice afternoon, so we decided to go down to the beach to see the Atlantic Ocean one more time before finally getting on the bus and going back to our host's home.
It was a long bus ride because there was a lot of traffic going to into New York City. We have never seen so much traffic before! And then we had to get on ANOTHER bus to get back to Little Falls, where Spac lives.
When we finally got there, we were greeted by our friends, Puppy Graham, Nibbly the Bunny, and Terence the Digi...and there was a package on his doorstep!
It is another Toy Voyager! He is a monkey astronaut named Major Trevor Bananas. He is from the city of Chicago, in the State of Illinois in the USA, and this is very first Toy Voyager trip. He even brought his own towel!
We had such fun telling Maj. Bananas and the gang about our Atlantic City trip and told him that we were excited for him to come along on our next adventure with Spac.
But there will be plenty of time for all that later. Now, it was time to go to sleep.
Good night!
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Posted Jul 13, 2012, 12:13 am
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Woodland Park, New Jersey, USA - 23rd June 2012
By: Spac the Bear
When we were in Atlantic City, Columbus and I bought postcards to mail home. Today we went to the post office to do just that. Columbus sent his card to his home in Stuttgart, Germany, and I sent mine to my home in Essen, Germany. Our new Toy Voyager friend, Major Trevor Bananas, came along too!
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Posted Jul 16, 2012, 2:32 pm
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Woodland Park, New Jersey, USA - 27th June 2012
By: Spac the Bear
Spac took us to his workplace in Woodland Park today. We offered to help out hoping it would be fun. But it was not.
Columbus answered the phone while Maj. Bananas worked the keyboard and I worked the mouse.
We did not mind doing a little bit of work, though, because Spac says we will be going on another grand adventure soon!
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Posted Jul 19, 2012, 1:21 am
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Paterson, New Jersey, USA - 30th June 2012
By: Spac the Bear
Today, Spac told us all to get in the car for a little local educational adventure.
Off of Main Street in Little Falls (where Spac lives), there is a walkway along what used to be part of the Morris Canal.
It has an interesting history. Read this sign and see!
The Passaic River flows through this area, too. It is a long, winding river that goes through many towns in northern New Jersey. And see that waterfall behind me, those are the "little falls" that give the town its name.
Spac told me there are some bigger falls, called the Great Falls, just a few miles down the river. He said that Columbus, Major Bananas, and I could see them if we wanted. It was a nice day, so why not?
So we passed through the borough of Totowa as we followed the river.
Then we continued to follow the river into the borough of Woodland Park...
...until we arrived in the City of Paterson, where we followed the river some more.
There was even a World War I memorial on one of the bridges over the river.
There they are! The Great Falls! At 23 meters high and 79 meters wide, they are quite big for being in the middle of New Jersey.
In 1976, the area was designated a National Historic Landmark, commemorated by this bell and plaque.
But a few years ago, President Obama (formerly a senator from Maj. Bananas' home state!) signed a bill that turned it into a National Historical Park, which means it is now governed by the National Park Service and receives funding as such.
Did you see that bridge in the picture before? We're going to go up on that bridge to get a closer look!
So what makes these falls so special, anyway?
Well, it looks like they have some historical significance that goes way back to the 1700s.
It seems this fellow, Alexander Hamilton, envisioned these falls as the epicenter and power source of the USA's first fully industrialized city. Paterson was to be that city.
Unfortunately, because he got gunned down by a man named Aaron Burr, Hamilton never got to see his dream realized, but eventually, the Great Falls did indeed become a power source for Paterson's industrial mills in the 1800s until the development of electrical plants. And even now, the falls produce hydroelectric power. Hopefully, you can zoom in an read the interesting facts on this sign.
Leaving the park area, we saw a trail across the road. Spac mentioned that he had never noticed it before, so we all decided to take a look.
Sadly, this city has no shortage of vandals that write graffiti in public places, but if you can read over the graffiti on this sign, you can see that this trail was once a raceway for the water flowing from the falls through the system of mills, back in the 1800s.
On the way home, we stopped at Veterans Memorial Park, also in Paterson.
What a fun and educational day. I learned a lot about the history of this area of Passaic County!
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Posted Jul 20, 2012, 1:37 am Last edited Jul 20, 2012, 1:39 am by Spac the Bear
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