No Bunny at Kung Fu Necktie Philadelphia

Featured artists were Joe Jack Talcum and No Bunny. It was a memorable 4th of July night at this cool club located under the El train.

Valley Forge, PA

Followed in George Washington's footsteps, viewed pretty gardens, and visited a world class museum.

Knoebel's Grove

Largest amusement park with free admission in America! The free admission, panning for gold and the sweet, powdery crackers made this park one of our favorites but the highlight was just hanging out with Aidan and Eric.

Yuengling Brewery,PA

Yuenglin, German for "good son" is America's oldest running brewery. The treat was the free beer at the end of the tour.

Minersville, PA

Welcome to beautiful Pennsylvania! Several people from this small town asked me where I was from and when I said Hawaii they blatantly asked, "Then, why are you here?" They don't give their state enough credit. Pennsylvania is beautiful-friendly people, natural beauty, and so much to do!
Scott grew up in Minersville and is otherwise known as a "coal cracker." It is a former mining town of row houses and middle class, blue collar workers. This city boasts great hiking trails, locally made ice cream, and delicious eastern European food like perogis, halupkis, and bleenies.
What made the visit so special were the childhood friends that he has not seen in 25 years. It was nice to finally put faces behind the names of I've heard so many stories of.

Diner Food, NJ

Cheap, large portions, and delicious food without all the fanfare are what New Jersey diners are known for. We practically cleaned our plates because the food was that good

6 Flags Great Adventure Park

Anna doesn't even waste her time with kiddie rides anymore. She has move on to the big time roller coasters-Batman, Superman, Dark Knight, Nitro and Thunder Mountain. Impressive! But she still enjoys the carousel and posing with the characters.
I always thought those parachute rides were dangerous. A skimpy bar keeping you "locked in" but one slip and you fall 23 stories. Scott and Anna agreed that the parachute was THE scariest ride.

Mario and Frank's Pizzarama

Large portions, delicious Italian food, and great prices are why people return time and time again to this family restaurant. The stromboli was yummy and vodka spaghetti divine, but the zeppole was the perfect, sweet ending to a fantastic homestyle meal.

Seaside Heights Boardwalk, NJ

Growing up in Hawaii has spoiled me. I'm used to the blue, clear waters, ability to frolic with sea turtles, and free admission onto our pristine beaches. The $10 rate to enter Seaside Heights stopped me in my tracks. Was it me or did every guy under 30 sunbathing look like The Situation?
Walked the boardwalk munching on salt water taffy and stumbled upon the house and store where MTV's Jersey Shore is filmed. Despite the crowd of on-lookers and excited young girls held back by security, I looked once and was content to leave.

Blueberry Picking, NJ

I found it meditative to be picking sweet, succulent, fresh blueberries.

Magnolia Bakery II

Magnolia Bakery founder Alyssa Torey sold the business in 2007 and it was purchased by a father, mother, daughter team. They have expanded into 3 other bakeries in NYC, 1 in Hollywood, and and in Dubai. I discovered this bakery on Avenue of the Americas by surprise. We had been walking for miles in the sun and the stifling humidity, threw in the towel, and finally hailed a cab. The cab ride and the Magnolia spotting were a relief.
This spacious, cute, and bright shop was just as special as the original. Scott came across the Chocolate Swirl Cheesecake and fell in love. I remained loyal to the gorgeous cupcakes!

Magnolia Bakery

The highlight of my NYC trip, the place I've been thinking about for months, the cause of my heart to flutter as I turn the corner on Bleecker Street and see the blue awning of the small bakery that started the cupcake craze. I stood in awe as workers expertly frosted cupcakes in pastel shades. I cherished each bite of my beautiful cupcake and thought, "Life is good."

Central Park

Located across the the street from our Helmsley Park Lane Hotel is the famous Central Park. We spent the day rowing a boat, walking the "mall", and people watching.

Billy Elliot The Musical

(Blog by Anna) Billy Elliot was an inspiration to me and my mom. I am a ballet dancer and I enjoyed seeing the live dancing. It inspires me to be a better dancer and try harder in my acting class. The actor/singer/dancer Jacob Clement was not only talented but handsome and funny.

FAO Schwarz

A kid's paradise! A store filled with every imaginable kind of toy.

Crumbs

Voted best cupcake in NYC. Larger than normal with diverse crumb toppings hence, the name Crumbs.