Orchids at the New York Botanical Garden

Hidden away in a beautiful corner of New York City at 2900 Southern Boulevard in the Bronx, is an amazing place for all those in love with the plant kingdom, The New York Botanical Garden.

Just 20 minutes from the Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan, this center for all things green will surprise you with the wealth of things there to do and to see. Right now there are three exhibits and special events of interest:

•    Tropical Paradise from January 19 until February 24, 2013: Feel like you are on vacation to a tropical paradise while still in New York, in the middle of the winter.
•    Manolo Valdés: Monumental Sculpture: Until May 26, 2013: Seven huge sculptures by the famed Spanish artist are on exhibit, highlighting to observers the connection between art and nature.
•    Magnificent Trees: November 17, 2012 until April 14, 2013: Incomparable photography that highlights the beauty of the Botanical Garden’s trees by landscape photographer and member of the Board of Advisors Larry Lederman. The photographs accumulated over the years as Larry explored the Gardens throughout the years and seasons.

Aside from the special events the Garden is involved in crucial issues affecting all of us every day, including: conservation, research, education and much more. So treat yourself to a wonderful exploration of the diversity of the plant world at the New York Botanical Garden.

Statue of Liberty

Winter might be the best time of year to visit the Statue of Liberty. Lines are shorter with less tourists and natives willing to bundle up against the cold winds blowing up river. But if you are a hardy soul and don’t mind the chill, then you can save yourself hours of time on line and have a great experience.

Most people choose to visit the great sculpture, which was a gift from the French people in the 1870s, via ferry boat from Battery Park in Lower Manhattan. But if you really want to beat any possibility of crowds you can sail over to Liberty Island from Liberty State Park in Jersey City, New Jersey. Same tour, shorter lines.

After a visit to the statue take the ferry over to Ellis Island and tour the Immigration Museum. It is a wonderfully told story of the people who sought the American Dream as they fled poverty, persecution, and violence in their homelands. There is no doubt you will come away inspired and thankful that the United State of America has been a safe haven for so many, and an opportunity for more.

There is no charge to visit the island, but unless you swim or have your own boat, you will have to pay $13 for the roundtrip ferry ticket. An audio tour of the museum is $8. For more information you can go to the website of the National Park Service, who administers the park and museum.