7/9/24 Visit: We were greeted at the dock by Joseph…read moreMassaro's daughter Donna. She transported us and four others by private boat to tour their private island home. Mr. Joseph Massaro had purchased Petra Island for $700,000 in 1996. Frank Lloyd Wright designed a house that Joseph Massaro built. There's a guest house (The Chahroudi Cottage) and the Main house (The Massaro House). The Massaro House is built around a 12-foot-high, 60-foot-long boulder that forms the exterior of the entry and an interior wall. A smaller rock is also used as a wall in the kitchen and bathroom. During our visit, we had the pleasure of meeting Barbara Massaro the wife of the owner. The Frank Lloyd Wright design (The Massaro House) is a special day outing. It's $150 pp. but definitely worth it. Hope you enjoy the photos from my visit. A restroom is available on the Island, after the boat tour. On the dock, there's a designated parking area for Petra Island Tours.

This was not an easy haul from the city by train, but it was quite the adventure!…read more It was such a trek I almost didn't go, but am so glad I did! I took the 80 minute train ride from Grand Central to Croton Falls, a tiny little hamlet that basically looks like a one horse town once you get off at the station (a deli, a cafe, a general store, a wine shoppe, a post office, and that's about it). Then I had to figure out how to get a Lyft to the dock, about five miles away in Mahopec (which was no easy feat, but not impossible). The dock is easy to find by the address they give. The owner is nice and makes a ton of "dad jokes" and the daughter, who is a local chef, helps out. She is also very kind and is the one who keeps things organized and keeps her dad in line ha! They furnish the relaxing, brief boat ride over and back. This house is definitely one of a kind. Situated on an 11 acre island, this is a Frank Lloyd Wright designed/inspired home (there is a story behind designed/inspired that you'll learn about on the tour). Honestly, this would be my dream home/getaway/zombie apocalypse home! Anyone who knows anything about Wright will see him everywhere in this structure. The architecture is absolutely breath-taking. I found myself fantasizing what it must be like to relax on any of the numerous terraces overlooking the water, or how it must feel to enjoy the breeze blowing through the many large pivoting doors. Anyone would be able to enjoy the beauty of this house, not just Wright fans (though they would be the most blown away). The story of the house is pretty interesting, though at times it gets a little heavy into the owner's work and finances. They make the argument that this home is more interesting and beautiful than falling waters, and given the stats (for example, 26--I think--skylights vs. zero) I am inclined to agree. The tour cost 150. For me, it was worth it. They are letting us into their personal residence. They furnish the boat ride. And I can't imagine the property taxes and maintenance. My friend who actually found this tour and suggested it tapped out after she found out the price. But to each their own--I felt it was totally worth it. Again, the owner/owning family is super nice and welcoming. The owner's daughter even offered me a ride back to the train station (I had already called a Lyft), which I felt was above and beyond. This is a small lake-side community with small shoppes and restaurants. Almost feels like Maine or Connecticut in New York, but I wouldn't want to insult the people of Mahopec if that's not an appropriate comparison! Again, the owner's daughter is a chef, and has a local breakfast and lunch spot. You could come out for the day, enjoy the scenery, local people, have some great food, and make a day of it (though this is probably best done by car rather than train!)

We purchased tickets for Thanksgiving weekend, but a severe storm hit Chicago. The venue failed to…read morenotify us of the closure until 20 minutes before our scheduled start time. By then, we had already driven 40 miles in dangerous conditions, only to be forced to turn back. We were told we could reschedule, which we did for today. Unfortunately, my child became sick, and now they are refusing to reschedule again. The least they could do is offer reasonable flexibility given the original cancellation could have been handled more appropriately. Instead, they are keeping our money despite their own failure to communicate and accommodate. This is unacceptable and apathetic given we spent $200 and were put at severe risk. I fully expect their response to this post to cite "company policy," but policies don't excuse poor customer service. Taking responsibility and making a reasonable exception for their mistake would be the right approach.

We had a great visit to this interactive installation in the heart of FDR State Park. The prices…read morewere pretty steep but we just missed the pice hike for the peak of the season. It was a wet night with some snow and rain. We just missed the Rian and it was lightly snowing when we arrived, which added to the mystique of the forest ambience. Some pro tips would be to wear warm clothing, pack an umbrella, and wear thick socks under some wellies, because you will be walking for the entire event and if there has been any precipitation, the ground will definitely be muddy. We lucked out on the night we visited because of the weather. There were definitely less people than I'm sure there are, on drier days. We picked a time where the sun would have just set but it would still be early enough for our kiddo to enjoy the event without getting cranky. Parking was well-choreographed. There are people everywhere to direct you where to go. We parked pretty close to where we needed to enter. Weeknights are going to be the go-to time because there are much less people than on weekends. Admission was pretty seamless. We pre-ordered our tickets and parking online which made everything easier. We walked in with no issue. The bathrooms weren't terrible but be advised that they are port-a-potties. When we finally began the experience, we were amazed. The staff gave great energy, despite the weather. They were very engaging with the crowd and acknowledged the kids, making it a memorable experience. The displays were amazing. My husband and I loved the nostalgia, remembering the movies through all the scenes. There were also nods to Fantastic Beasts, throughout the experience. We each got to discover our Petronus, kiddo has a bunny, hubby has an otter (?) and I have a honey badger (yerrr). We tried Butterbeer, had marshmallows covered in chocolate, saw Dementors destroyed , and enjoyed some light food at the end. I even bought an Elder Wand for myself. This is a one and done event. I probably won't be back unless the prices are considerably decreased but I would love to bring my kiddo back after she's old enough tow aych all of the movies with us. It would be a completely different experience for her and that would be great to witness.

I've been traveling multiple times a month for the last 5 years and always use Blacktie…read moreTransportation to get me there and back. The owner Ed is a true gentleman and the drivers are always punctual and arrive in beautiful vehicles that are in like new condition and super clean. They are the only company I will use in the tristate area. I can not recommend them enough.

The Best Car Service around. Prompt, professional, and very nice cars. I always use them for…read moreairport trips.

This place is a life saver, I, was one of those stupid people who didn't realize that my passport…read morewas about to expire in like 3 weeks and I had a trip planned, and paid for. The staff at Justin was amazing. They were so professional and so calming. They first told me, I got you. It's all good. They took me through the process step by step, took the required photos and got my information. All in all I got it. P.S. I had to get a visa for China and the website was overwhelming to me. But have no fear, Justin documents to the rescue. To get all the paperwork for our visas would have been a nightmare. Again they were indispensable. We got everything we needed and there were no problems.

I cannot say enough great things! We have a family trip to Mexico coming up and I didn't realize…read morethat my passport had expired because we lived in a time warp during the pandemic. I called around various services and really liked Jackie who I spoke with at Justin Documents. She immediately was calm, collected and reassured me that they could take care of the passport renewal in time. When I went to their office with the materials I needed to provide, they were beyond helpful, evaluating every line of my documentation and even my passport photo to ensure that no small detail caused my renewal to be rejected. I got them everything on TUESDAY morning and they had my new passport that THURSDAY! I was amazed. And while the service isn't cheap, it's on par with or less expensive than many competitors. So glad I took the chance on them!

Excellent service, always on time, great drivers. When someone asks about needing a car service in…read morethe Yorktown area, I always highly recommend Yorkies.

I have been using Yorkies for a long time. Alway on time best drivers ever. So ready to make all…read moreyour needs a priority. Prices really reasonable. I have recommended so many people to Yorkies and they all thought they were amazing.

Fast and efficient drivers that care and go above and beyond for their customers. Being disabled…read morethey go overboard to make you comfortable

Would recommend. Great service - pleasant driver & reasonable rates - even came a bit early!!read more

Very friendly Always get a Text to confirm my pickup an…read morehour before reservation , absolutely love that Cars are always clean AC or Heat when needed Great drivers Low ambient music Thank you

Good service very fast and reliable I like the lady driver…read moreshe's nice. She got my son to the trim on time.

Kervin helped us plan our trip to Beijing and Hong Kong. Kervin is 1) very knowledgeable 2) very…read moreaccommodating and responsive 2) he was also able to help answer our questions about the visa application process. The itinerary provided by Explorient was just perfect. Everything was well planned and took place without a hitch. From the moment, we were picked up at the airport, we knew we were in good hands. The tour guides made everything so easy! We transitioned so smoothly from one activity to another. They called ahead so that we were able to avoid as much wait time as possible. We were able to bypass long wait time at some sites by being with the guides. In Beijing, we would've been very lost without our tour guide, Grace, as English is not very widely spoken there. We were very pleased with the overall services. We highly recommend Explorient and would definitely use them again in the future.

Explorient and specifically Kervin Yu was recommended to us, (my husband and daughter), by a…read moreprofessor friend who lived in Japan while his parents were in the diplomatic corps as he was finishing high school. Our daughter was attending a weeklong conference in Tokyo with Google/YouTube and had asked us if we were interested in joining her, as she planned to do some more touring after her conference was over, over the Thanksgiving holidays in 2019. We jumped at the chance. We had ideas about some of the cities and activities we were interested in, however, we also had to take into account the use a rollator, as I was planning on a hip replacement early in 2020, and it was crucial that I rely on it. I had already booked the three of us in a brand new boutique hotel close to our daughter's Tokyo conference for the first week when she would be working and my husband and I would be visiting sites. Kervin seamlessly, incorporated the Tokyo week into our touring and included tours with our daughter whenever her schedule allowed. He paired us with private guides throughout the trip, who were knowledgeable and most enjoyable. From Tokyo, we visited Takayama, Shirakawa-go, Kyoto, Nara, Hiroshima and back to Tokyo for our return home. Explorient worked with us when we preferred a different hotel in Kyoto, and all the activities and guides they provided based on our preferences were top notch. Ranging from rickshaw tours, boat tours, tea ceremonies, cooking lessons. foodie tours, sake tasting, shrines, temples, and museums visits, (just to name a few), as well as all our train travel including Shinkansen trips and luggage transfers were on time and without glitches. We look back on this holiday and on Explorient's expert guidance as one on our most if not the most enjoyable of all our vacations. We will not hesitate to call on Kervin Yu again in the future to provide us a most delightful experience; we highly recommend Explorient and Kervin. Vivian F. Berkeley, CA