Just a New York minute!

New York City Vacation Packages (NYCVP) is offering a 2-night stay in midtown Manhattan so locals can see the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and take part in some of the festivities that attract tourists to the City during the holiday season. 

“Thanksgiving Staycation” packages begin on November 25, with accommodations at a choice of several midtown hotels including The Warwick Hotel, Flatotel, Intercontinental Barclay, New York Helmsley, W New York, Westin New York at Times Square and several Hilton properties. Package prices start at $409 per person based on two adults sharing a room at the Holiday Inn NYC-Manhattan 6th Ave. 

Vacations include a Wednesday afternoon guided excursion to the balloon inflation and parade staging area, followed by a tour of department store window displays. On Thursday morning before the parade, guests are invited to a private continental breakfast at Applebee’s Grill on 50th St., one-half block from the 7th Ave. parade route. “Staycationers” can step outside the restaurant to watch the parade and use the comfort and convenience of the facility during the entire parade. 

Also included is a Thursday evening traditional Thanksgiving buffet dinner at the Manhattan Club and an exclusive Breakfast with Santa on Friday morning. Guests will receive admission passes to several popular sites and attractions in the City, including the Empire State Building Observatory and the American Museum of Natural History, and special reduced rate parking coupons for Central Parking garages. All taxes and most gratuities are included in package prices. 

Space on NYCVP’s Thanksgiving Staycation is limited and must be reserved in advance. Bookings can be made at travel agencies, on the company’s website www.nyctrip.com or by phone at 877 NYC-TRiP. 

New York City Vacation Packages is a tour company devoted exclusively to leisure travel in the Big Apple. The company is a member of NYC & Company, the National Tour Association, American Society of Travel Agents, ASTA Tour Operator Program, Greater Manhattan Chamber of Commerce, New York State Travel and Vacation Association and the Better Business Bureau. 

After last week's announcement by Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar (first reported here) that the Statue of Liberty's crown will again be accessible to visitors, little has been released regarding the details. This we do know:

• The crown will be open to visitors on July 4, 2009 for two years, after which it will again be closed for work on a permanent safety and security renovation.
• Park rangers will lead groups of 10 up the 168 winding stairs to the crown. 3 groups per hour will be permitted.
• No system has yet been announced to determine who will actually be able to climb the steps to the crown.

In the meantime the base, pedestal and observation deck are still available inside the Statue for visitors. However guests need a ferry ticket and an advance reserved ticket in order to get inside. These reserved tickets can be difficult to get, particularly during busy tourist seasons in New York City.

Our recommendation is to participate in NYCVP's Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island Escorted Tour, which departs daily through September 14 (Friday through Monday after September 14). Tickets to get inside the Statue are an included feature of the Tour.

The Tour leaves from a convenient midtown Manhattan location, close to all major Theater District, Broadway and Times Square hotels. Subway fare and ferry ticket is included as well.

For more information about the easiest way to visit the Statue of Liberty, click here or paste in your browser: http://www.nyctrip.com/Pages/Details.aspx?TourID=11