Category: Travel

Travel

Free Admission to Any National Park This Saturday

NPFNPF-P60197_14X48_v5.inddNational parks that typically charge entrance fees will be offering free admission this weekend to mark the start of National Park Week.

For one week each April, the National parks join the National Park Foundation (the official charity of America’s national parks), to celebrate America’s treasures. The theme for 2018’s National Park Week is “Park Stars,” celebrating everything from starry skies to superstar volunteers, park features, and resources. Parks, programs, and partners nationwide invite people everywhere to explore stories, experiences, and sites that brighten the National Park System and public lands.

DATES:
April 21 through 29, 2018

LOCATIONS:
National Park Parks across the country.
Use the “Find Your Park” locator by clicking here.

 

For more local happenings, news, and events, follow ColumbiaCountyCurrent.com on twitter @CoCoCurrent.

Jeff McKinney is a Realtor in Columbia County, NY. Connect with him on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, or Pinterest.

Travel

National Parks Free Entrance on September 30

NPFNPF-P60197_14X48_v5.inddThe National Park Service turned 100 years old in 2016. To celebrate the start of a second century, The National Park Service is waving entrance fees on certain days of the year.  The next free day is National Public Lands Day on September 30, 2017. 

FIND A PARK:
Screen Shot 2016-08-26 at 11.15.41 AMThe National Park Service makes it easy to find a park in your area, or on your vacation route. The park service’s website, nps.gov, has a Find A Park page, where you can use a drop down menu of every park listed alphabetically, or select a state on the map for more info on the parks in that state.

MORE ABOUT THE PARKS & ADMISSION:

National parks are commonly referred to as  “America’s Best Idea”, and there are more than 400 parks available to everyone, every day. The fee waiver includes entrance fees, commercial tour fees, and transportation entrance fees. Other fees such as reservation, camping, tours, concession and fees collected by third parties are not included unless stated otherwise.

There are currently  124 national parks that usually charge an entrance fee. The others are always free. While these free days are great, National Parks are always an economical trip, with entrance fees that range from $3 to $30 (you probably can’t even but a single lunch at a theme park for less than $30). Fourth grade students can get a free annual pass through the Every Kid in a Park program, and active duty military and citizens with a permanent disability can also get free passes.

 

For more local happenings, news, and events, follow ColumbiaCountyCurrent.com on twitter @CoCoCurrent.

Jeff McKinney is a Realtor in Columbia County, NY. Connect with him on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, or Pinterest.

Travel

Toy Fair in New York City

screen-shot-2017-02-19-at-9-32-57-amI’ll be in NYC for a few days attending the 114th annual Toy Fair at the Jacob Javits Convention Center. The American International Toy Fair is a toy industry trade show held in mid-February in New York City. The event is open to toy industry professionals, retailers, and press representatives. It is owned and managed by the Toy Industry Association. Toy Fair’s promoters describe it as the largest toy trade show in the Western hemisphere.

I’ll be posting pictures from Toy Fair on Instagram, so check me out there, instagram.com/jeffmmckinney.

I’ll also be tweeting from the show at @CoCoCurrent.

REAL ESTATE, Travel

So Long Hamptons & Hello Hudson Valley

The Hudson Valley region has frequently been referred to as the “Hamptons North”, but a recent article in BusinessInsider.com shows that our area is increasingly becoming The destination for vacations and second home purchases.  According to the article, while Average home prices in the Hamptons have fallen, the luxury real-estate market in the Hudson Valley, which is roughly the area stretching north from New York City along the Hudson River to Albany, is accelerating. The article also points out an increase among travelers who are visiting the area to take advantage of our numerous hiking options, and real-life experience trips.

Here’s a section of the BusinessInsider article by Madeline Stone:

Richard Ellis, owner of Ellis Sotheby’s International Realty in Nyack, New York, said he has witnessed a trend of New Yorkers buying property in the Hudson Valley over the last few years. Many vacation-home buyers he has done business with work in finance, have primary residences in downtown Manhattan or Brooklyn, and are in their mid-30s to 50s.

He has even worked with some clients who were specifically looking to trade in their Hamptons home for a quieter spot in the Hudson Valley.

“The lower Hudson Valley is certainly easier to get to than the Hamptons,” Ellis told Business Insider. “People who buy on our side of the river are not ‘keeping up the Joneses,’ so to speak. They’re looking to impress themselves, not others.”

These buyers value the proximity to Manhattan, outdoor activities, and stunning landscape that the Hudson Valley offers.

As a Realtor in the Upper Hudson Valley, I’ve been surprised by the large number of people house hunting in our area over the past few months. It appears as if people are trying to find, and buy homes during the winter, so that they can be ready to enjoy their homes in the nicer weather when it arrives in Spring. Chances are good that we will see an even greater number of people looking to buy in the region as the weather warms up.

You can see some of the homes that my agency has to offer on BeachAndBartolo.com. And don’t hesitate to email me, (jmckinney@beachandbartolo.com)  if you are interested in finding a home of your own in Columbia County.

Check out the full BusinessInsider.com article by clicking here.

 

For more happenings, news, and events, follow ColumbiaCountyCurrent.com on twitter @CoCoCurrent.

Travel

National Parks Free This Weekend

NPFNPF-P60197_14X48_v5.inddTechnically, the last day of summer for 2016 is September 21. That’s the day before the first day of autumn (September 22). However, here in the USA, Labor Day is the traditional end of summer, and the day is quickly approaching. What better way to celebrate the penultimate weekend of summer than visiting one of our nation’s National Parks? To sweeten the deal, this weekend (August 26 to 28, 2016) all the National Park Service sites that charge an entrance fee will offer free admission to everyone!

WHY FREE?
Screen Shot 2016-08-26 at 11.21.19 AM2016 marks the 100 year anniversary of the National Park Service. In fact, the actual birthday for the Park Service is August 25.  To celebrate this centennial, the Parks Service is hosting 16 free admission days throughout the year, and August 25 to 28 is the latest batch. These free admission days provide a great opportunity to visit a new park, or check in on an old favorite.

 

MORE ABOUT THE PARKS & ADMISSION.

National parks are commonly referred to as  “America’s Best Idea”, and there are more than 400 parks available to everyone, every day. The fee waiver includes entrance fees, commercial tour fees, and transportation entrance fees. Other fees such as reservation, camping, tours, concession and fees collected by third parties are not included unless stated otherwise.

There are currently  124 national parks that usually charge an entrance fee. The others are always free. While these free days are great, National Parks are always an economical trip, with entrance fees that range from $3 to $30 (you probably can’t even but a single lunch at a theme park for less than $30). Fourth grade students can get a free annual pass through the Every Kid in a Park program, and active duty military and citizens with a permanent disability can also get free passes.

FIND A PARK
Screen Shot 2016-08-26 at 11.15.41 AMThe National Park Service makes it easy to find a park in your area, or on your vacation route. The park service’s website, nps.gov, has a Find A Park page, where you can use a drop down menu of every park listed alphabetically, or select a state on the map for more info on the parks in that state.

Follow ColumbiaCountyCurrent.com on twitter @CoCoCurrent.