Amsterdam Favorites 🇳🇱

Top Five To Do in Amsterdam

  1. Stromma Dinner Cruise
  2. Xtracold Icebar
  3. Try DE NACHTWACHT’S
  4. Diamond museum
  5. Tulip museum

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My first time visiting Amsterdam was earlier this spring, I really enjoyed it. I was surprised with how nicely the city was laid out, and how easy it was to find the attractions that I wanted to see while I was there. I purchased an I Amsterdam city card that allowed access to all the public transport and many museums and attractions. It was very easy to walk around or take the public transportation of trams, buses, and metro. Also, the spring weather was amazing with all the tulips in bloom. It would often be hot and sunny during the day, and then a little cool at night. The things I enjoyed doing were the Stromma dinner cruise, Xtracold Icebar, Diamond Museum, Tulip Museum, and finally eating at DE NACHTWACHT’S. First, the Stromma dinner cruise is a fantastic way to see the city of Amsterdam at night. The cruise lasts a total of 2 ½ hours giving customers the opportunity to enjoy some of Amsterdam’s famous attractions from the canal while enjoying a four-course meal including drinks. Some of the attractions we viewed included the Anne Frank House, the Westerkerk Church, A’DAM LOOKOUT Tower, Maritime Museum, and the Nemo Science Museum. Secondly, a fun evening in Amsterdam was visiting the XtraCold Icebar. The icebar is an attraction that requires entry by reservations. When first entering the bar, customers will be given three tokens each. Two of the tokens are used for two free drinks inside the icebar itself, and the other is used for a complimentary drink in the lounge bar. Customers are given thermal coats and gloves when entering the ice bar to help keep warm since the temperature is -5 °C. When entering the icebar, customers are mesmerized by the ice room that is lit up in colorful lights. In fact, the mug was even made out of ice. It first looked like a frosty mug that was placed in the freezer, but it was actually an ice shaped mug. Gassan Diamond Factory and Museum is a jewelry store in Amsterdam that offers free tours of the factory. During the tour, customers learn all about the facets of grinding the diamond, as well as the history behind the diamonds. We also learn is the four C’s of a diamond. These include cut, color, carat, and clarity. They have their own patent on the Gassan 121 diamond cut that has 121 cuts in the stone allowing more light to pass through the stone giving the stone a brilliant and beautiful sparkle. Next, if you love tulips as much as I do, then the tulip museum is a must. The tulip museum is a great place to learn about the history of tulips. It is also a great place to take kids, especially with all of the different color tulips. The total time it takes to go through the museum is about 30-60 minutes. Also, I always thought tulips were native to Holland, but instead they are native to Central Asia. Finally, DE NACHTWACHT is a steakhouse in Amsterdam located within a four-minute walk from the Xtracold Icebar. It is the best steakhouse in Amsterdam. They also have a variety of seating throughout the dining room, the bar, and the outside patio. The food is a little expensive, but very fresh, which makes it truly worth it. The staff was very well trained, and they take very good care of their customers. I look forward to going back someday! Here is the link to the I Amsterdam city card: https://www.iamsterdam.com/en/i-am/i-amsterdam-city-card

© 2018 Sundown Pointe

 

DE NACHTWACHT (Amsterdam) đź‡łđź‡±

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DE NACHTWACHT is a steakhouse in Amsterdam located within a four minute walk from the Xtracold Icebar. It is the best steakhouse in Amsterdam. They offer a variety of food giving customers the option to pick from different types of meat including chicken, lamb, steak, and salmon. When customers walk in, they will find a variety of seating throughout the dining room, bar, and outside patio. The food was very delicious from start to finish. A few of my favorites included the Dutch shrimp cocktail, mixed grill, and the cheesecake with raspberry ice cream. YUM!!!!! One of the things customers will find is the food is a little expensive, but very fresh, which makes it definitely worth it. The staff was very well trained and they take very good care of their customers. Finally, customers who go to DE NACHTWACHT will find the atmosphere very relaxing in both the dining room and the bar, and full of activity outside on the patio.Oh, and before I forget, a fun fact that I learned which I thought I’d share with you all is DE NACHTWACHT is the Dutch version for night watch. If you are interested in checking out DE NACHTWACHTonline, click here: http://de-nachtwacht.nl/index.php?lang=EN

© 2018 Sundown Pointe

 

 

Turner’s Seafood in Melrose, MA

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Turners seafood is one of the best seafood restaurants in Massachusetts. They have two restaurants located in Melrose and Salem, MA. Turners is a family owned business that serves a variety of fresh seafood from Oysters to Lobster. They have their seafood delivered fresh every day. Their raw bar offers a variety of oysters and clams that change based on availability. This restaurant has a variety of seating spread out throughout the dining room and the bar. The food that was served was very delicious from start to finish. A few of my favorites include the baked stuffed shrimp served with mashed potatoes and vegetables, stuffed clams, and sautĂ©ed sea scallops. Customers will find the food a little expensive, but very fresh, which is definitely worth it. The staff was very well trained and took very good care of their customers. Finally, customers who go to Turner’s will find the atmosphere very relaxing. If you are interested in checking out Turner’s seafood online, click here:  http://www.turners-seafood.com

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© 2018 Sundown Pointe

What happened to Kimball’s Farm in Jaffrey, NH?

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Kimball’s Farm has always been a family favorite for years, and once they opened up for the summer, my dad would always take us down there, at least two or three times a month. When my dad was growing up as a little boy, his dad used to take him to the Kimball’s in Westford, MA when they only had a few ice cream stalls that were open. He’d always share stories with us where his parents would buy one Kimball special shared amongst six kids. It was huge and very delicious! When my father settled in NH, he was delighted to find a Kimball’s in Jaffrey. For years, we enjoyed going to Kimball’s. The food was delicious and the ice cream was fantastic. Sadly, we went to Kimball’s for the first time this season, and I’m not sure what happened. We ordered the seafood platter, chicken strips and a Kimball special. It was quite disappointing. The quality of the food was horrible, and the seafood platter was nothing like last year. The seafood platter and the chicken strips came to $41.00. I’m not even sure it was worth that price. The chicken strips were virtually inedible, and the Kimball special was our greatest disappointment. Hot fudge that wasn’t hot, and ice cream that an 8-year-old wouldn’t even touch. Can you imagine that an 8 year old would not gobble down ice cream? I should note I thought it was kind of strange that the parking lot was almost half empty on a hot Saturday afternoon in July. In the past, there were cars parking along the side of the road because the parking lot was overflowing. I hope this was just a bad day for them, and that the quality and the atmosphere is restored. Please feel free to comment on any of your visits and let me know if I should give it another chance.

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© 2018 Sundown Pointe

Cheers Bar & Grill (Faneuil Hall Boston)

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Cheers is a bar & grille that is based off the 1982TV series Cheers. The Cheers location I visited is located in the center of Faneuil Hall. Customers have the option to sit inside the bar area or outside on the covered patio on a nice day. The food is reasonably priced, and they have great service.They offer a variety of beverages including alcoholic beverages and soft drinks. They also offer a variety of food such as chicken fingers, burgers, sandwiches, pasta, and seafood. Customers have the option to order from their tavern menu or their specials menu. For the appetizer, my favorite was the calamari, and for the main meal my favorite was Carla’s Meatballs & Linguini served with garlic bread. Best pasta and meatballs I’ve had in a while. It was super moist with just enough sauce. I definitely recommend trying it.  Finally, customers who go to Cheers will find the atmosphere on the patio full of activity, giving customers the chance to see some of the entertainment by the street performers while waiting for their meal. If you are interested in checking Cheers online, click here: https://cheersboston.com

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© 2018 Sundown Pointe