I Couldn't Think Of What To Call This Blog Post, So Here Are Some Places That Were Featured On News 12

Hello everybody!

Today I am going to do something a bit unusual. I am not going to write about a single place or event, nor am I going to talk about restaurants. 

Instead, I am going to take inspiration from News 12 Westchester. For those of you who are wondering what that means, they have a show called Road Trip Close To Home, where they talk about a variety of cool and interesting places you can go to. So today, I am going to talk about some of them, in hopes that what I have to say will encourage you to check them out!

One of the first places that I will be talking about is the Connecticut River Eagle Cruise in Essex, Connecticut. It will be happening in February and March, last for two hours, give you the chance to see eagles and other types of wildlife at a time when there are no other boats on the water, and though it takes place on a boat with a heated cabin, it would probably be a good idea to dress warm since the best views are from the open deck.

The next place that I am going to talk about is the Hyde Park Railroad Station Museum in Hyde Park, New York, which has a lot of information worth sharing. 

The station itself was established in 1914, and saw much use during its early years, as it was located between the Vanderbilt Mansion and President Franklin Roosevelt’s home in Hyde Park, but as automobiles and air travel became popular, train service at the station declined until it was eventually suspended 1953. It was still listed as a station until 1958, and then several years later, the station was sold to the Town of Hyde Park as the New York Central Railroad divested its assets. The building had begun to be fixed up to become a teen center, but the project failed to be finished, and by 1975, the building had fallen into disrepair and been heavily vandalized.

It was one day away from being demolished when the Hudson Valley Railroad Society took possession, and rented the station from the town for a dollar per year for fifteen years. They completed all the interior and exterior renovations needed, and converted it into a rail museum that they raise operating funds for with an annual model train show.

Some of the other features of the museum include The Freight House, which is now a family and railfan picnic area, displays including the Original Waiting Room, Ticket Office, and Baggage Room, a collection of railroad and New York Central Artifacts, and Model Railroad Layouts that range from Hudson Valley recreations to hands-on toys.

The next place that I am going to talk about is the Beardsley Zoo in Bridgeport, Connecticut, which despite being primarily outdoors is still open during the winter, and you can still see almost all of their animals. 

The next place that I am going to talk about is Monster Mini Golf in Garden City, New York, which is an indoor 18-hole mini golf course that is under black-lights. 

The next place that I am going to talk about is Millbrook Beef & Dairy in Millbrook, New York. It sells various cuts of Beef, Pork, and Chicken, Fresh Produce, Dairy Products, and Eggs.

The next two places that I am going to talk about are both located in Yonkers. 

The first is the Legoland Discovery Center, which features all sorts of fun things for families, including rides.

The second is iFLY Indoor Skydiving, which is skydiving inside a vertical wind tunnel.

The next place that I am going to talk about is an art studio in Norwalk, Connecticut called Kicksmith Studio. It is a sneaker customization studio that offers in-person classes, private events, and kids parties.

Since one of the places they talked about on the show was the whole Village of Ossining, I shall do so here as well. 

One of the first things they talked about was the Sing Sing Kill Greenway, which is a concrete walkway that goes along Sing Sing Kill’s rocky gorge, with the Kill Brook right beneath it.

The next thing they talked about was First Village Coffee, which not only sells coffee, but also records, fresh baked goods, and the walls are decorated with rotating artwork from local artists.

The next thing they talked about was a bookstore called Hudson Valley Books For Humanity. Not only does this store sell books, it also sells vinyl records, local pottery, and many other things.

I will now write about what they mentioned were highlights in Downtown Beacon.

The first place they talked about was called Bob’s Corner Store, which appears to be a delicatessen that is located across from Mt Beacon Park, so they have a lot of hikers come in, and their most famous foods are their Trail Wrap and Potato & Macaroni Salad.

The next place they talked about is called Glazed Over Donuts, which sells fresh made donuts with your choice of glaze and topping, such as a Chocolate Glaze with Graham Cracker and Marshmallow, Maple Glaze with Bacon, and Caramel Glaze with Pretzel.

The last place they talked about was the Yankee Clipper Diner, which is a name that I have a hard time taking seriously because of the movie The Other Guys, and it has been around since the 1950s.

The next place they talked about was a candy shop in Avon, Connecticut called BouNom Emporium. It sells sweets from The UK, Japan, Canada, Spain, Italy, Sweden, Korea, America, and all over the world. Some of the candies they have include Pandy Fruit Chews, Katjes Plant Based Gummies, some candy that is called Smash, some candy that is called Squashies, some candy called Smart Sweets, some candy called Chimes, some candy called Unreal, Pop Rocks, Sour Bubblegum Bottles, Giant Fried Gummy Eggs, Malaco Mini Sour Watermelon Slices, some candy called Swedish Bubs, Bon Bons, Kasugai Candies from Japan, Squid Game Cookies, Fiery Buldak Ramen, Kopiko Coffee Candy, Spicy Mango and Banana Gummi, and Swedish RocketStars. Not only do they sell such unique candy, these candies have also made them go viral.

The next place they talked about was a unique exhibit at the New Haven Museum called Pronounced Ah-Beetz, and it is centered around pizza, and it goes until October 2027. Yes, every single word that I just wrote was correct.

This exhibit examines the fun, the flavor, and the history of pizza, including its origin as an affordable means of feeding workers in the fields of Italy, and how it became the food of the poor in the United States. The Italian migration to New Haven led to Frank Pepe’s Pizzeria Napoletana, which then led to the opening of Sally’s Apizza, and then a mile away, Tony’s Apizza became Modern Apizza. The story of how these three restaurants became among the most iconically loved pizza restaurants in the country is a major focus of the exhibition.

The last place they talked about is the PEZ Visitor Center in Orange, Connecticut. This is a 4,000 square foot building that is dedicated to all things PEZ, and it features things such as the largest collection of PEZ memorabilia on display, a PEZ motorcycle built by Orange County Choppers, the world’s largest PEZ dispenser, a viewing area that lets you see their production area, a PEZ trivia game, a retail area, an interactive historical timeline, and more. If you want to visit, there are no guided tours, as everything is self-guided. Also, every month they offer a game for visitors, and game cards and directions are behind the world’s largest PEZ dispenser, and on your way out, you have to show your complete game card to one of the staff to claim your prize.

Overall, there are some really fascinating places that are just a car ride away from here, so go ahead and check them out!