I decided to do a few more Did You Knows for this week's fast five, so hope you get something out of this one!
1. Did you know that there was a park called Morningside in Manhattan and that they are supposed to have a waterfall?
The park is located on a cliff, so this makes a waterfall entirely possible. There is a lake, so that makes a waterfall even more possible. The powers that be actually made a man made waterfall in this park. It's roughly 20 feet high and is embedded in the cliff next to the lake. Pretty cool right?
I went to visit the waterfall the other day, however, and it was dry. I don't know if it's the season, if there was something wrong with the pumps or what. I'd heard that they'd recently done some work on the pumps to make sure it was flowing and I saw a lot of pictures and videos online, but when I got there it was dry. Just a heads up!
You can reach Morningside Park best by taking the B, A, or C, lines to 116th St. and walking west. If you take the 1 line to 116th St. you'll have to walk across Columbia University Campus and that isn't as easy as it sounds.
https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/morningside-park
https://www.morningsidepark.org/
https://www.centralpark.com/things-to-do/attractions/morningside-park/
https://foresyteapp.com/morningside-waterfall-new-york/
2. Did you know that the Waterbury Line on Metro North is shutting down for 10 months? That's right. 10 months, starting July 20th, 2026. They expect to reopen on June 1st, 2027.
There have been many changes to the Waterbury line over the years, although I suspect they're still using the same trains, and this is just the latest. The state of Connecticut decided that in order to fix all the platforms at all of the 6 stations that are exclusively on that line; they'll get it done fast and better if the trains aren't in the way. Fair assessment.
Don't worry, you can still take advantage of the free parking and the lack of dealing with Bridgeport's transportation hub traffic. There will be buses throughout the duration of the upgrades and you'll still be able to use your traintime app for tickets.
https://www.wshu.org/connecticut-news/2026-05-01/ct-metro-north-train-stations-upgrades
https://valley.newhavenindependent.org/2026/07/01/waterbury-branch-to-use-buses/
3. Did you know that if you take an American Cruise on an American Cruise Ship, you'll only be dealing with Americans?
Let me explain this one. In the United States, there are cruise lines that only travel places in the country. There are some exclusively Alaskan cruises, Mississippi River cruises, Puget Sound area, Chesapeake Bay, coastlines, great lakes and the likes. This particular area of cruise travel has some unique laws in our country.
If your cruise company only travels in the United States of America with no other ports, your company needs to be owned and operated by Americans. The ship must be made by an American company and staffed by Americans, while being an American run cruise company. I'm not joking. I didn't know that, but there it is.
What do I think about this? I'm not sure. It's called the Jones Act and it's not new. It comes from around 1920. I'm all for supporting American products and companies. The government has made no such restrictions on international cruise ships operating within American based companies. It's a point of conversation. Just found out and thought I'd share.
https://www.tipsfortravellers.com/legal-restriction-on-usa-cruise-ships-shorts/
https://www.help.cbp.gov/s/article/Article-1004?language=en_US
https://www.barneslawfirm.com/how-the-jones-act-affects-cruise-ships/
https://naylorlaw.com/blog/how-does-the-jones-act-affect-cruise-ships/
https://www.sutliffstout.com/jones-act-cruise-ships/
4. Did you know that tipping is more prevalent in several South African locations than it is in the United States?
Bet that one never occurred to you. I've been bombarded in recent years with tipping situations. I buy a bottle of water at a stand and they want a tip. Sorry, you don't see the cashiers at Walmart doing that. It seems as though we have the most intrusive and constant tipping society in the world. When I visit Europe, tipping is mostly not done, and if it is, it's by choice. So, how on Earth could there be anywhere that's crazier on tipping than here?
My friends, that place is South Africa. From what I understand, Apartheid is over, but some of the issues linger on. Apparently, and I don't know for sure, because I've never actually been there; segregation and the wealth gap larger than the Grand Canyon are still alive and well. I heard a story just last week that some restaurants still seat certain people in the back and others in the front. True story.
At any rate, to make some extra cash, the people doing various unskilled and menial jobs are reliant on tips. They need to get by. So, remember when you're tooling around South Africa; tip.
Tip your bartender, housekeeping, servers and waitstaff, valets, guides, gas station attendants, and more. It's customary there.
https://www.capetownmagazine.com/tipping-south-africa
https://www.expertafrica.com/south-africa/info/tipping-in-south-africa
https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g293740-i9186-k14701257-Tipping-South_Africa.html
https://travel.stackexchange.com/questions/108672/tipping-in-south-africa
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=318aSmggvdg
5. Did you know that there's a cat boat in Amsterdam?
There are a lot of things that we all hear about Amsterdam. Getting around by bike and boat, all the canals, the red light district, hash bars, Anne Frank. We hear a lot of that stuff. What I'd never heard about was the cat boat.
I find this fascinating, because we all know that there are a lot of homeless cats in the world and they need a place to live and someone to care for them. shelters are not uncommon. However, I was intrigued to hear about a bunch of homeless cats being cared for and living on a boat. I've had cats and they were never a fan of water. This is something I never would have thought of.
At any rate, they are cared for and comfortable and a little bit spoiled. They are available for adoption and if you want a kitty; there are plenty there to choose from.
https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/de-poezenboot-the-cat-boat
https://all.accor.com/a/en/limitless/thematics/off-the-beaten-track/cat-boat-amsterdam.html
https://www.help.cbp.gov/s/article/Article-1384?language=en_US
https://www.state.gov/transition-center/returning-to-the-u-s-with-pets
That's all I have to say about that. I hope you found these items a bit interesting and somewhat helpful. Sorry to say that the waterfall in Morningside Park is dry. But, it is. I'm rummaging around New York City on my YouTube Channel, "Adventures for Anyone With Terri Dixon" that's me! If you'd like to check out what I'm up to right now, here you go; https://www.youtube.com/@adventuresforanyone2026
Thanks for joining me! Never stop adventuring! Enjoy!
No comments:
Post a Comment
I love to hear thoughts about the places in this blog. Feel free to converse on what you read. Check out my other locations and enjoy the ride.