Review of the New York in One Day Guided Sightseeing Tour with Viator | New York City Travel Tips

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For my latest trip to NYC, we were only going to be there for two full days. Even though I’ve been to the city a handful of times, I still like to see all of the classic sites every time I visit. It’s just not a trip to NYC without a ride on the ferry and a photo of the Statue of Liberty! When I found the New York in One Day Guided Sightseeing Tour with Viator, it seemed like the perfect way to maximize my time in the city.

We opted for the 9:00 am tour instead of the 10:00 am so that we’d have more daylight left afterwards to keep exploring the city. I’m not gonna lie, in my head I was wondering how in the world we were going to see all of the sites listed on the itinerary without getting stuck in major traffic or rushing through the experience. But honestly, it was one of the more peaceful and easy tours I’ve been on! I would definitely recommend this tour for any age group. There was a little bit of walking through Central Park and near Rockefeller Center, but nothing crazy. One of the ladies on our tour had just had knee surgery and decided to stay on the bus for a few of the sites, so you always have that option.

The meeting point for the tour was right near Times Square and fairly close to our super cute hotel, the StayPineapple Midtown. I highly recommend this hotel for couples or singles. It’s a great price, and incredibly clean and cute!

To start the tour, we hopped right on the bus and drove through Times Square and our tour guide, Don, was the perfect New York City native to tell us everything about literally every building we drove by. He grew up in the city and had plenty of stories to keep us entertained throughout the entire day.

It was definitely nice to watch the city go by in our nice, quiet, air conditioned bus. It was raining on and off throughout the day but Don provided us with rain ponchos, which came in handy when we were walking through Central Park. Don had some pretty interesting facts about the history of Central Park and how back in the day, children weren’t even allowed to play in the park! We got to see some beautiful buildings from within the park, though it was a bummer that the fog was covering the very tops of the skyscrapers. As a photographer though, I actually prefer a day with unique weather because I’d rather create a photograph that is unique and unlike the standard tourist photo that everyone gets. :)

After Central Park, we hopped back on the bus and made our way to Rockefeller Center. It actually wasn’t as crowded as we expected, though I’m sure it can get a bit crazy during the winter holidays. We saw some gorgeous views of the statues, churches, and skyscrapers surrounding the area and were given plenty of time for photo ops. It would be super fun to take this tour during the holidays to see the famous Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree and ice skating rink though!

As we were walking throughout the area, we even got to see Leslie Bibb and Jenna Bush live on the air on the Today Show! It was our only celebrity sighting of our whole NYC trip, so the tour was totally worth it just for that! We just recently finished watching The White Lotus, so I recognized Leslie Bibb right away and couldn’t believe she was right there in front of us!

After our celeb sighting, we hopped back on the bus and made a quick pit stop for a view of the Empire State Building. Then it was time for our Staten Island Ferry ride! I always love a boat ride so this was probably the highlight of the day. It’s just a great way to see the beautiful skyline from afar and snap your classic Statue of Liberty photo. After our ferry ride across the river, we hopped right back on it to come back to the city. Our tour guide gave us very specific instructions so that no one got lost or left behind.

Once we made it off the ferry, we hopped back on the bus and made our way to the World Trade Center and ate lunch in a cute food court called Gansevoort Liberty Market that had plenty of food options for everyone. We had a hard time deciding what we wanted because everything looked delicious! We opted for a hot noodle soup though because it was surprisingly chilly for a rainy day in June in New York City. It was delish!

We ended our tour with a somewhat somber visit to the 9/11 Memorial, but our tour guide, Don, had some lovely words to share about the incredible strength and positivity that came from such a catastrophic event. He gave us a few minutes to walk around the memorial and pay our respects, and then we got back on the bus to head back to our initial starting point near Times Square. After the tour was over, my husband and I wandered back to Times Square and popped into the famous M&M store. There is so much to do over there, so it’s a great way to keep the day going after the sightseeing tour is over.

WOULD I RECOMMEND THE NEW YORK IN ONE DAY GUIDED SIGHTSEEING TOUR?

Absolutely! Especially if it’s your first time in NYC, it’s a great way to get your bearings and cross a ton of landmarks off of your bucket list without having to figure out transportation yourself. It was super nice to not have to worry about the metro or taxis or ubers or traffic. Our bus driver knew all of the shortcuts and secret routes to keep us on track throughout the day. We got back to the Times Square area around 3:30, so it was a good 6.5 hour tour. It didn’t feel crazy long though, mostly because we were always on to the next thing! But I never felt rushed or overwhelmed. I told my husband that it was one of the most relaxing days I’ve ever had in NYC! I’m so used to rushing down into the subway and feeling stressed about figuring out where the heck we’re going. At this point, we’ve done quite a bit of traveling but it’s still near impossible to not get totally stressed at some point on every trip. While I do wish the weather had cooperated with us a little more, the dreary rain kind of made everything feel a little more special and memorable.

This tour is great for families, seniors, or first time visitors. Even as someone who has been to NYC multiple times, I learned so much about the history of the city and all of the incredible architecture and buildings that we saw along the way. Our tour guide, Don, was the perfect quintessential NYC native, and had a bit of that New York sarcasm and directness that really helps you to get the full understand of NYC culture. We had the best time! And if I ever bring my parents and siblings up to NYC, you better believe we’re going on this tour because I’m not trying to be the one with the pressure of dragging a group of people around a city like New York. I was worried that the tour would be a bit boring since I’d seen all of the sites before, but I truly loved getting the full NYC experience and it was exactly what I wanted for a quick visit to all of the top landmarks.

If you’re interested in booking this same tour, you can find it on Viator here! Or you can check out my other recommended tours all around the world in my Viator shop here. :)

Thanks so much for stopping by! I hope you have the best trip!

P.S. Make sure to stop by Don Antonio’s for the best pizza you’ll ever have. Go for the one that’s lightly fried. Yes, fried. It’s incredible.

<3 Myles Katherine

Minolta AF Tele 35 mm Camera Review with Kodak UltraMax 400 Sample Photos in San Diego, California

(By using the affiliate links and/or codes in this blog post it supports Myles Katherine Photography. We may get a small kick back by you doing so.)

When I stumbled across the Minolta AF Tele in an antique shop and noticed it was fully functioning, I knew I’d found a gem. I’m always on the hunt for vintage point-and-shoot cameras because they are great for traveling and because they each have their own character and vibe when it comes to the photos. I have another 35 mm Minolta camera, the Minolta Maxxum STsi, which is one of my all-time favorite 35 mm cameras. You can read my full review of that camera here! Before the Minolta Maxxum STsi, I’d never had any experience with Minolta cameras, but I’m started to learn that they are definitely a standout when it comes to vintage cameras.

I decided to take the Minolta AF Tele with me on a recent trip to San Diego and I’m obsessed with how the images turned out. Not only was it incredibly easy to use, the photographs also have the perfect retro film vibe that I wanted for my California photos.

HISTORY

The Minolta AF Tele was originally produced in the late 1980s to early 1990s and was created as an accessible camera for beginners and professionals alike. The specific model of the camera featured in this blog post was manufactured in Japan. You can check the bottom of the camera for an imprint to see where yours was produced! The Minolta brand, in general, is a Japanese company, though some of the Minolta cameras are manufactured in other countries as well. I’ve learned over the years that if I see that a camera was produced in Japan, it’s usually a slam dunk. They also typically have a nice aesthetic design and seemingly last forever.

Point-and-shoot cameras really started to gain traction in the 1980s so it was a bit of a competition between all of the major camera companies to produce amazing compact film cameras that were easy to use for the average consumer. The Minolta AF Tele was one of those cameras, though maybe not quite as popular as cameras like the Canon Sure Shot ( I’m still on the hunt for one of these). I find it to be unique and interesting and I definitely never plan to give mine up!

FEATURES

The standout feature of this camera is it’s dual lens system. While it is a compact camera, the lens has two different focal lengths that you can easily switch between. There is a 35 mm f/2.8 lens and a 60 mm f/4.3 telephoto lens. There are other versions of this camera, like the Minolta AF Tele Super, that have slightly different lens options built into the camera.

The Minolta AF Tele also has a built-in flash, a fill-flash button, a self-timer, auto advance, auto rewind, and a tripod mount. This camera is fully autofocus, so there is no need to worry about taking the time to manually focus. However, this also means there are really no manual features at all, so you’re a bit limited when it comes to creativity.

There is also no option for multiple exposures. There is a film rewind button on the bottom of the camera, but it rewinds the film roll all the way back to the beginning, so you will be shooting over your entire roll. While you can still overlap images in this way, it gives you way less control than a camera with a dedicated multiple exposure feature.

The fill-flash button is also a nice addition to the camera, especially if you are shooting with a subject that is back-lit. The main flash will automatically come on when the camera senses there is not enough light, but it’s nice to have the option to turn the fill-flash on when needed.

The camera will automatically set the ISO for your film as well, as long as the film is DX coded, which most films are.

It takes a Lithium CR-P2 battery or two AA batteries, which is a very interesting feature I’ve never seen before in a camera. But it’s definitely nice for those moments when your battery dies on you while traveling and AA batteries are the only ones you can find.

And obviously, one of the best things about these point-and-shoot cameras is that they are compact and easy to travel with! While the Minolta AF Tele is a bit more bulky that other cameras of its class, it is still a nice, small size compared to 35 mm cameras with detachable lenses and zoom lenses.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I’m kind of obsessed with this camera. The dual lens system is just plain fun to experiment with and gives you that little bit of extra zoom when you’re traveling if you see something farther away that you’d like to photograph. I’m also pleasantly surprised by the sharpness of the lens, especially at the 35 mm setting. It seems a little softer when using the 60 mm lens option. I’m a little bit bummed that there is no multiple exposure option, but I usually assume this is the case with most point-and-shoot cameras from that time period. It’s a rare feature that most people didn’t care for, particularly the average, everyday consumer. This camera is somewhat limited in terms of creativity, considering it doesn’t have any manual features other than the fill-flash, but it’s still a super fun point-and-shoot that is great for capturing candid moments with friends and family, and for traveling with a 35 mm film camera that doesn’t weigh a million pounds or take up a ton of space in your bag.

This is definitely one of those cameras I’ll just quickly grab when I’m running out the door for a family day or a night out with friends. I’m sure it will be joining me on many more trips in the future too. If you see this one out in the wild, snatch it up! I got lucky and found mine for $20, but it seems that the average going rate is about $25 to $70. I’d pick one of these up sooner rather than later if I were you, because these vintage point-and-shoots just keep getting more and more popular!

For these photos, I used Kodak UltraMax 400 35 mm film, but if you’d like more film recommendations, make sure to check out my blog post, The Best Color Film for 35 mm Cameras!

WHERE TO BUY THE MINOLTA AF TELE 35MM CAMERA

eBay

Etsy

Amazon

KEH Camera

If you found this post helpful or inspiring, I’d love it if you considered signing up for my Patreon! For as little as $1 a month, you’ll get early access to all of my YouTube videos, plus tons of photos that I don’t post anywhere else. Depending on which tier you choose, you could also receive seasonal prints and/or discounts! I always use all of the proceeds towards cameras, film & processing.

If you have any questions, I’m always happy to help! You can contact me here, or leave a comment below! Thanks so much for stopping by! You can also check out my B&H Photo storefront & Amazon Storefront for more camera/film recommendations. :) Have a magical day!

<3 Myles Katherine

SAMPLE PHOTOS


And of course, I have to share all of my favorite photos from my trip to San Diego with you!!!

Review of the Richmond Ghosts: Sinister Scares of Shockoe Bottom Tour | RVA Ghosts by US Ghost Adventures | Fun Things to Do in Richmond, VA

(By using the links and/or codes in this blog post it supports Myles Katherine Photography. We may get a small kick back by you doing so.)

Edgar Allen Poe Museum, Richmond, Va

Whenever my husband and I are visiting a new city, we love going on ghost tours. It’s a great way to learn the history of a new place. We’ve been on ghost tours in London, England, Savannah, GA and Alexandria, VA but somehow we had never been on one in our hometown! Richmond, Virginia is an incredibly old city with a lot of unique history, including the location where Patrick Henry gave the famous “Give me liberty, or give me death!” speech. It’s also home to the Edgar Allen Poe Museum! It was nice to enjoy our city from a different perspective and to feel like we were on vacation for an evening. :) We booked the Sinister Scares of Shockoe Bottom Tour with Richmond Ghosts and even filmed a little YouTube video we’ll be sharing soon, so stay tuned! In the meantime, I’ve included a few photos and favorite moments from our tour below! Oh, and P.S. - Use my code MYLES10 for 10% off your booking with RVA Ghosts!

The tour started outside of Havana ‘59, a local Cuban restaurant with a rooftop bar. I actually just photographed a wedding here in April and it was gorgeous! I’d recommend arriving early to the tour and popping in there for dinner or a quick drink. It’s an incredibly beautiful restaurant and lovely Richmond staple.

Our tour guide, Bryce, was a great storyteller and also gave us a few tips about local restaurants and things to see around the area if you were a visitor. Our first stop was right outside the Richmond Randolph 19 which houses the oldest masonic lodge in America. He told us some spooky stories about the building and the ghosts that frequent it.

A few of our other stops included the Edgar Allen Poe Museum (which I highly recommend a separate visit inside the museum because it’s one of my favorite spots in Richmond - I’ve photographed at least 5 weddings there and it’s odd, unique, and perfectly spooky), the Church Hill Tunnel and JewFro restaurant (a building with a lot of spooky history). The tour was right at sunset so we watched the moon emerge as we wandered through the city which made the tour even more ghostly.

There were a few other stopping points along the way and our guide kept us interested and a little spooked out the whole time. He had an energy that was perfect for ghost tours - slightly theatrical and a little serious with a hint of sarcasm. Loved it! He even pulled out an EMF ghost-hunting device and let us witness it lighting up when spirits were near.

The main street we walked along was N 18th street, a lively part of town with lots of bars and restaurants. If you’re going on this tour with young children, I’d recommend booking the tour for a Monday-Thursday, as the area can get a bit wild on the weekends.

The tour was only an hour long so it would be a great option for kicking your night off if you’re planning on hanging out down there for an evening or grabbing dinner at Havana ‘59 before or after. If you want to continue your evening with spooky haunts, I’d recommend checking out Grandstaff & Stein, a speakeasy that requires a password to get in (check their instagram @booksellersrva!) and has delicious cocktails and food with a prohibition-themed bar. This is actually one of our favorite bars in Richmond!

WOULD I RECOMMEND THIS TOUR?

RVA Ghosts also has a few other tour options like the Haunted Pub Crawl (also in Shockoe Bottom and a great option if you’d prefer to drink with friends along the way), the Hollywood Cemetery Tour (a beautiful cemetery in a quieter part of the city - and also the tour is earlier in the day) and the Drink Richmond Walking Tour in Scotts Addition. I think if I were to book this tour again, I probably would book the Haunted Pub Crawl instead, because it would have been nice to actually go into some of the buildings (and grab a drink, of course)! Though, most ghost tours I’ve been on in other cities don’t include building admission so we weren’t expecting it, but I think it would add an extra layer of fun.

While the Sinister Scares of Shockoe Bottom Tour with RVA Ghosts is somewhat short and sweet, I enjoyed the theatrics of our tour guide and have gained a little more insight into the history of our town. Though, now when I walk by these spots in Shockoe Bottom I’m definitely going to only think about these super creepy ghost stories! I’d recommend this tour if you just want a little something to kick off your night with friends, and I’d follow it up with a visit to Havana’ 59, Grandstaff & Stein and the Roosevelt or Patrick Henry’s Pub in the Churchhill district. And if you’re going all out with a full-spook day, I’d do the Edgar Allen Poe Museum in the morning, the Hollywood Cemetery Tour at 3 pm and finish your day with either the Haunted Pub Crawl in Shockoe Bottom or the Drink Richmond Walking Tour in Scotts Addition. If you want to truly experience the history of Richmond while you’re here, I highly recommend staying in The Jefferson Hotel. It’s known for its ghost sightings and has been around since 1895! My parents stay here every time they visit and absolutely love it. It’s a stunning hotel, especially during the Christmas season. Historical figures like F. Scott Fitzgerald, various US Presidents, and Elvis even stayed there! It’s probably one of the most gorgeous hotels I’ve ever seen, if we’re being honest!

I hope this blog post has helped you plan your visit to Richmond with RVA Ghosts! It’s a unique, diverse city with so much culture, history, and tasty food. Make sure to check out the Jasper Bar too (amazing cocktails) and Stella’s main location in the West End (incredible mediterranean food) if you want more recommendations. :)

If you’re interested in taking the exact tour from this blog post, you can find it here! Or check out more of the Richmond Tour options with RVA Ghosts here. And don’t forget to use my code MYLES10 for 10% off your booking!

Have a magical (and spooky) day!

<3 Myles Katherine