Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Best Places to Watch the 112th Annual Mummers Parade


January 1 will be the start of the New Year, and the annual Mummer’s Parade up Broad St. in Philadelphia.

The parade, which begins at 10 a.m., begins in South Philadelphia and ends at the Philadelphia City Hall, with approximately 8 hours of parading between.

The city is suggesting that spectators leave their cars behind and use SEPTA regional rail and buses to get into the city (although if you get there early enough, there is plenty of parking).

If you plan on watching the parade from the sidewalk along Broad St., plan on getting to the parade route early and be sure to set up near a drill location, where the String Bands and Fancy Brigades stop to perform.

According to VisitPhilly.com, these spots are at the intersection of Broad and: City Hall, Sansom, Pine, Washington, Ritner and Shunk.

If there is no space there, a second option is to watch from a staging area. VisitPhilly.com says those are: Broad Street and Washington Avenue for the Comics at 10 a.m., Broad and Moore Streets for Fancies at 10:30 a.m., and Broad Street and Oregon Avenue for String Bands at 11 a.m.

However, Fancy Brigades (the most iconic looking of the Mummers) only get as far as Washington Ave. and then head to the convention center, where they put on two ticketed Broadway-style performances in the afternoon – one at noon and one at 5 p.m.

Of course, the best place to watch the show is from the judging stands at City Hall, but tickets for these seats must be reserved in advance from the Independence Visitors Center. (This is also where you can purchase tickets for the Fancies shows at the convention center.)

So make a day of it, enjoy the parade and all the city has to offer, and start a new family New Year’s Day tradition.

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Zappos Tour


Love Zappos? Yup, can’t beat free shipping and great deals, right? Well, if you’re visiting Las Vegas and have some time to spare, schedule yourself a tour of Zappos. Currently located in Henderson, the company has purchased the old Las Vegas city hall building and has plans to move in there in the near future.

The tour takes you around the company’s main headquarters and shows you that the company’s culture of fun isn’t just something they talk about, but something they live every day.

As tour groups approach different areas of the company, such as couture of teens, the employees have different ways of welcoming you, from jingle bells, to cow bells, clappers and more.

They also have a throne room, with tiaras, crowns and even a Zappos scepter with a banner above that reads, “I am royalty and part of the Zappos family” where you can stop and take pictures.


Water, popcorn, and sodas are all complimentary during the tour. We also received a copy of the CEO’s book, "Delivering Happiness" and the 2010 Culture Book as gifts for taking the tour.

While you’re waiting for your tour to begin, register your name and e-mail address and a 20% off coupon for Zappos will be e-mailed to you.

Monday, December 12, 2011

Ethel M Chocolates


In Henderson, NV, just off the 215, is Ethel M Chocolates, which offers a free, self-guided chocolate making tour and a free botanical cactus garden.

Chocolate makers work Monday through Friday, except on holidays, making fantastic chocolate confections. As you walk through the factory, signs guide your eyes to show you what you are seeing and signs around the windows and behind you tell you more about making chocolate, about Ethel M chocolates and the history of chocolate.

The best part, at the end of the tour, there is a free sample of their milk, dark, or white chocolate awaiting you. (I tried their dark chocolate, which is very dark. I’m accustomed to Hershey’s Special Dark, and this was much, much darker dark chocolate.)

The tour leads you into their store where you can purchase candy, confectioneries, truffles, and all sorts of items made with, coated in and filled with chocolates.

Next door there is also an M&M’s World store for the kiddos who may not have the sophisticated taste buds for Ethel M Chocolates.

Before you leave, make sure to take a stroll through the botanical cactus garden, with all sorts of cacti, more species than most people know exist. It’s beautifully sculpted and the walking path leads you through the garden.


During the holiday months, the gardens are covered in lights and at night light up for a “prickly” holiday adventure. Santa is also there to greet the little ones.

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Ferraro's


Food and dining options are plentiful in Las Vegas, especially on The Strip. However, sometimes it’s nice to walk away and enjoy the (relatively) quiet serenity of the city and get away from the bleary-eyed casino-goers.

Ferraro’s, on Paradise Rd., is just a short drive or a two mile walk from Las Vegas Blvd. and offers some of the finest service and cuisine I have ever experienced.

The restaurant has a standard menu and seasonal specials. They also appreciate the locals who come in. During the summer months, show a local ID and be treated to buy one, get one entrees. From September to June, on Friday and Saturday nights, locals enjoy 50 percent off the standard menu.

Portions are a nice size, without being huge, but you don’t leave hungry, either.

I ordered the penne fiorentina, penne pasta in a red sauce with spinach chicken and garlic. It was good, but definitely needed something, I would have added either roasted pine nuts for a crunch or kalamata olives for a zing. The garlic was whole cloves, beautifully roasted, melted on your tongue like butter and not at all bitter.

The table also ordered vitello saltimbocca, which had a nice, thick slice of prosciutto topped with a perfectly thick layer of mozzarella and melted until the cheese was gooey and the prosciutto was crisp on the edges.

We also ordered salmon, which was perfectly moist and flaky, and a nice size portion. As well as lasagna, which is a perfectly composed standard and beautifully plated.

Ferraro’s, a family owned restaurant, is located at 4480 Paradise Rd., just across from the Hard Rock Hotel.