New York, Storm King Art Center

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Activity: Storm King Art Center

Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Description: Sculpture Garden outside of New York City. Great for a bike ride around the sculptures or a picnic. It is accessible by car or a 1 hour bus from Manhattan Port Authority. The land is 300 contiguous acres  and founded over 50 years ago.

Telluride, CO~ Blues & Brews

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Activity: Telluride Blues and Brews Annual Festival

Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Description: The location was gorgeous. The food was delicious. The weather was great in the day, but it did get very cold at night. The music was wonderful to enjoy and there were options for all ages. The ticket included a beer tasting day while listening to the opening bands. There is the option to stay locally or camp outdoors. I would highly recommend this festival,  but be warned that it is not easily accessible. Flight to Denver than 6+ hour car journey was the most economical way to get to Telluride. 

 

Must do- Gondola ride to the top of the moutain

NYC weekend getaway: Jazz lawn party & Sheep's Meadow

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Activity: Jazz Age Lawn Party on Governor's Island

Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Website: http://www.jazzagelawnparty.com/ 

Cost: $35-55 pp for General admission. VIP and tables are also available

Details: This is a lawn party where everyone is dressed in 20s theme attire and brings a picnic to listen to jazz. I am not exaggerating when I mean everyone is in costume, so go prepared. 

First you take a ferry to Governor's island which is short ride and only $2 round trip. Then you walk a short bit to get to the party. Arrive early for the best spot or take your changes with a late arrival as we did. 

We had a wonderful meal courtesy of a friend who picked out a buffet of Whole Foods appetizers. I would say the majority of people brought a picnic or had already eaten. Alcoholic beverages are not allowed inside so be prepared to wait in very long lines for any drinks. First you have to buy tickets to the drinks which still did not cut down on the wait time for the second line to cash in the ticket. 

Pro: theme was executed nicely (vintage cars, memorabilia, etc.) and the music was nice.

Cons: lines were long for food, water, and drinks. Preparation is key for a good time.

Recommended: Groups of friends for a day activity

Part 2

Sheep's Meadow- The last picture was taken from a day in Central Park at Sheep's Meadow. A hot and sunny day in Manhattan leads to a craving for nature and the outdoors. The best and most accessible way to find this is with a trip to the park packed with sun screen, water, and of course more picnic snacks.

Hobby Club: Hunger Games themed Archery

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January 21, 2015. Dear Diary, today I will improve my archery skills. The end.

The goal to "improve" my archery skills was a pretty low threshold given that I had only done it once at a summer camp when I was about 12 years old. Needless to say I succeeded. I also had a lot of fun in the process. My friend and I found it slightly competitive and highly addicting.

Archery is easier than I remember. Not as easy as Katniss makes it look, but you get the point. First we started with proper training from Archery Pro Shop. By the time my friend and I arrived we had missed the morning rush and we arrived before the afternoon crowd. It was painless to wait for a 15 minute instruction and a bow sizing. We shot a few arrows in the store so the manager could check our form and recommend adjustments. Secondly, we took our rented gear (~$26 for the day including bullseye) and make the quick drive (or walk) over to Golden Gate Park.

Once we arrived at the field we had to wait about 15 minutes for a target to open up. It is first come first serve. I assumed it was a SATURDAZE novice activity for everyone, however I was mistaken. There were professional archers including some teenagers training for international archery competition. I didn't know that was a real thing!

After the wait for the target, my friend and I set up camp and did some rounds on our own. If you were lucky you got a target next to someone willing to teach you some tricks, unfortunately that was not our situation. We did have fun practicing and working our way further and further from the target to odd angles to see what would happen.

Long story short: It was inexpensive. We had a great time. No one hit a bullseye.

Until Next Time. Stay Tuned.