Royalty Tours USA

Thursday, February 27, 2014

Royalty goes North of the Border over Martin Luther King weekend!‏

Friday night after work the King & I passed up the opportunity to go to the Transformed Garden to see the Knicks play the Los Angeles Clippers. By doing so, we were able to head towards Canada for the weekend.

After work I took public transportation out to Long Island. I went to Avis where I rented a Toyota Camry for the long weekend. I got there just before 7PM. I drove back home to Astoria where I met up with the King. I picked up my bags that were packed  & we were ready to go.  I made a reservation for us at Super 8 in East Syracuse which was midway to Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. We arrived there around 1AM. We got a good night sleep then we continued the journey in the morning. We had to weather some snow that fell over night. Thankfully it was only a few inches so it didn't slow us down too much. We finally pulled into the parking lot at the newly renamed Candian Tire Centre, home of the Ottawa Senators at 1:36PM. We had just enough time to make the opening face off that occurred shortly after 2PM as the Senators welcomed the New York Rangers to Canada.

As for the game we saw, the Senators scored first early in the first period to take a 1-0 lead. The Rangers tied the game at one midway through the period. The Rangers went ahead for good in the second period as they found the net twice. The second one came with just 12 seconds to go which devastated the Senators. The Rangers added another goal late in the third period as they cruised to a 4-1 victory. 

After the game, I drove us 130 miles to Belleville, Ontario where we went to see a hockey game on the junior level. We saw the Belleville Bulls take on the Ottawa 67's in an OHL game at Yardmen Arena. Due to time constraints, we wound up getting there midway through the first period. I did the best I could to get us there as soon as possible but we were forced to drive on a rural road which made it difficult. Once we got settled in, we enjoyed the rest of the game. The 67's went on to defeat the Bulls, 2-1.

After the game, I drove another 100 miles to Whitby, Ontario which is 35 miles from Toronto. I booked a room at Motel 6 there. Upon arrival, we wound up going to have dinner before we checked in at a restaurant called Kelsey's which is similar to Applebee's here in the States. It was conveniently located within walking distance. Since we were hungry, it worked out perfectly for us. The food was excellent. After we finished eating, we checked in at Motel 6 & we got a good night sleep. 

Before we continued on to Toronto where we went to see the Raptors play the Lakers at the Air Canada Centre that afternoon, we went to the Sunset Grill for breakfast. It was right next to Kelsey's where we had dinner. Quite amazingly, I had no idea these restaurants were even there. It was pure luck. 

We got to Toronto at 12:15PM which gave us time to make the opening tip. We wound up parking at a meter because the place we used to park at jacked up their price. Let it be known even on Sunday they charge to park on the street there. 

As for the game we saw, the Lakers outlasted the Raptors, 112-106. After the game, we drove back through Buffalo which made it possible to meet up with our pals, Andrew Kulyk & Peter Farrell for dinner before we returned home. We wound up eating at Duff's Wings, a local favorite of theirs. I wound up having a roast beef on weck sandwich which was really good along with their famous wings which were outstanding. As always, it was great to see these guys again. I want to personally thank them for making time to join us.

Stay tuned for some more special posts that will finish recapping our adventurous month of January.

Thank you for reading & following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty w/o 1/13 in review

Back on Monday January 13th after work I met up with the King & we went to the Transformed Madison Square Garden where we saw the Knicks take on the Phoenix Suns who have been a pleasant surprise so far this season. The Knicks who lead the Suns by seven after three quarters were forced to play an extra session as the Suns tied the game after regulation time. The Knicks were  lead by Carmelo Anthony who scored four of his game high 29 points in overtime to lead the Knicks to a 98-96 victory over the Suns. 

Tuesday night after work I returned to the Garden thanks to my pal Alan Gimpel who sold me a ticket for the Ranger game as they hosted the Tampa Bay Lightning. As for the game we saw, the Rangers scored first to take a 1-0 lead in the first period but early in the second period the Lightning struck not once but twice in a nine second span which stood up as the Lightning prevailed on this night, 2-1.

Wednesday night after work I came home. I ate dinner then I went out & I did my laundry.

Thursday night after work I went to downtown Brooklyn to see the Long Island University Blackbirds play the Fairleigh Dickinson University Knights at the Steinberg Wellness Center. I was joined by my pals Larry Peim, Phil Butleman & David Sack who were also there. As for the game we saw, the Blackbirds proved to be no match for the Knights who beat them soundly, 89-67.

Stay tuned for a special post that will go into detail about the adventurous weekend getaway the King & I took over Martin Luther King weekend. 

Thank you for reading & following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Monday, February 24, 2014

Royalty schedule w/o 2/24

Here's the game plan:

Monday, February 24th Mavericks at Knicks 7:30PM 

Thursday, February 27th Blue Jackets at Devils 7PM

Friday, February 28th Warriors at Knicks 8PM

Saturday, March 1st  Devils at Islanders 1PM

                                  James Madison Dukes at Hofstra Pride 7PM

Sunday, March 2nd Sharks at Devils 3PM

Check back to see how it turned out.

Hope all my readers and followers have a great week.

As always, if you need assistance don't hesitate to ask.

Stay tuned as I plan to finish recapping my adventurous month of  January. Please bear with me as I try to find time to catch up. I keep falling further behind. Please be patient. It will be worth the wait.

If you like to tweet you can follow me on Twitter too. @royaltytoursusa

Furthermore, we can hook up on Facebook and/or Four Square as well.

With all the ways to communicate these days, we should always be in touch.

Remember team work makes the dream work.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Friday, February 14, 2014

Royalty schedule w/o 2/17

Here's the game plan:

Monday, February 17th Delaware Blue Hens at Towson Tigers 7PM 

Tuesday, February 18th Central Connecticut Blue Devils at St. Francis (NY) Terriers 7PM

Thursday, February 20th Sacred Heart Pioneers at Wagner Seahawks 7PM

Saturday, February 22nd Army Black Knights at American University Eagles 2PM

                                        Pelicans at Wizards 7PM

Sunday, February 23rd Providence Bruins at Bridgeport Sound Tigers 3PM

Check back to see how it played out.

Hope all my readers and followers have a great week.

As always, if you need assistance don't hesitate to ask.

Stay tuned as I plan to finish recapping my adventurous month of  January. Please bear with me as I try to find time to catch up. I keep falling further behind. Please be patient. It will be worth the wait.

If you like to tweet you can follow me on Twitter too. @royaltytoursusa

Furthermore, we can hook up on Facebook and/or Four Square as well.

With all the ways to communicate these days, we should always be in touch.

Remember team work makes the dream work.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty goes to New England in January for a three sport weekend!‏

Saturday morning January 11th I woke up early & I took a ride via public transportation out to Avis on Long Island so I could pick up a car rental for the weekend. I wound up getting a Toyota Corolla. After I got it, I went back to Astoria so I could pick up the King & our pal Paul Derrick who stayed over with us. 

I drove us to New Britain, Connecticut which is ten miles south of Hartford. We went to see the Central Connecticut Blue Devils play the Red Flash of St. Francis of Pennsylvania in a college basketball game at the William H. Detrick Gymnasium. As for the game we saw, the Red Flash beat the Blue Devils, 75-67.
 
William H. Detrick Gymnasium in New Britain, Connecticut
After the game we drove towards Foxboro, Massachusetts where we went to see the Patriots host the Colts in the AFC Divisional Playoff Game. Since we had some spare time, we decided to check in to our hotel first. We stayed at Super 8 in West Greenwich, Rhode Island. After we checked in & got situated, I drove us to Foxboro. We parked by the golf course like we always do when we go there for $20 which is the cheapest you're going to find along Route 1. On the way to Gillette Stadium, we stopped off for dinner at Papa Gino's which is on the way. 
 
Live action from AFC Divisional Playoff Game in Foxboro
When we finally arrived at the Stadium, Paul Derrick had to go to the box office to pick up the tickets we ordered from Ticketmaster. Since they only accept Visa, Paul who has one was willing to use his card to get the tickets for all of us. It worked out well. As I like to say, teamwork makes the dream work. We barely made the opening kickoff but thankfully we did. The Patriots capitalized on an early turnover by Andrew Luck as they scored first to go up, 7-0. They added another touchdown on their next possession to make it, 14-0. The Colts like they did the week before fell behind. With that being said, I knew the game was far from over. The Colts did come back but when it was all said & done, the Patriots prevailed, 43-22. We did meet up with our pal Sean MacDonald  who took Megabus to Boston where he was staying for the weekend. He then took a train to Foxboro from South Station so he could join us. During the game, we all met up. After the game, we went back to our hotels.
 
Warm ups at Dunkin Donuts Center in Providence
Sunday the King, Paul & I drove to Providence to see the Providence Bruins play the Manchester Monarchs at the Dunkin Donuts Center. On the way there we stopped off for breakfast at P.J.'s Diner in Coventry, Rhode Island which turned out to be a great decision. It looked like a house on the side of the road. We got there just before noon. Luckily for us, they were closing up but they let us in so we could enjoy a late made to order breakfast. After we finished eating, we continued on to downtown Providence.

As for the game we saw, the hometown Bruins lost to the Monarchs, 2-1. It should be noted that it wasn't a total loss because Paul Derrick & I got to meet up with another roadtripper, Paul Baker who was at the game with his wife. We got to say a quick hello to them between the second & third period intermission. They live in the area & they have season tickets. It was nice to meet & greet them. Hopefully our paths will cross again down the road.

After the game, we drove Paul Derrick to the nearby train station. He arranged to meet up with Sean MacDonald since he planned to spend a few days in Boston with him before he returned home to Houston Wednesday morning.
 
On our way back to NYC, the King & I stopped off at Texas Roadhouse in West Haven, Connecticut where we enjoyed another great meal. It's conveniently located off of I-95 exit 42. After we ate, I drove us home. 
 
It turned out to be another memorable weekend. I want to personally thank Paul for coming back to the Northeast to see us again. 

Stay tuned as I will continue to recap the rest of our adventurous month of January when time allows me to do so.

Thank you for reading & following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty w/o 1/6 in review

Monday night January 6th after work I went to the Barclays Center in downtown Brooklyn where I saw the Nets host the Atlanta Hawks with the King. Before the game started I stopped by the press area where the radio announcers sit. I got to say a quick hello to my pal Steve Holman, the legendary broadcaster for the Hawks who has done over 2,000 consecutive Hawk games. It was nice to see him again. As for the game we saw, the Nets beat the Hawks, 91-86.

Tuesday night after work I went out to the Prudential Center in Newark as the Devils played their division rival, the Philadelphia Flyers. I met up with my Cousin Andy who joined the King & I for a rare night out. The Flyers got the game winner in overtime thanks to Brayden Schenn as they defeated the Devils, 3-2. 

Wednesday night after work I returned to the Barclays Center as the Nets entertained the Golden State Warriors. I met up with the King & our pal Sean MacDonald who decided to join us. He wanted to see Stephen Curry play. Last time he saw him in the area was last February when he came to New York on a business trip. That night Curry scorched the Knicks at the Garden as he scored a game high 54 points. This time he lead the way again with 34 points. Unfortunately for the Warriors, it wasn't enough as the Nets outlasted them, 102-98.

Thursday night after work, I returned to the Prudential Center in Newark as the Devils took on the Dallas Stars. This time I was accompanied by the King & fellow roadtripper Paul Derrick who returned to the area for the second time in a month. Paul flew into LaGuardia airport earlier in the day from Houston, Texas for the weekend. Since he missed the Devils the last time he visited, he wanted to return to cross the Rock off his to do list. As for the game we saw, the Devils blanked the Stars, 1-0 as goaltender Corey Schneider recorded the shutout.

After work Friday I came home & I relaxed as I wanted to rest up for the busy weekend I had planned. Paul Derrick wound up going to Madison Square Garden to see the Rangers play the Stars. He saw the Knicks play in December. 

Stay tuned for a special post that will go into detail regarding our getaway to New England for another three sport weekend. 

Thank you for reading & following along. 

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Royalty welcomes back a fellow roadtripper to NYC to start 2014!‏

After the King & I returned from Ann Arbor, Michigan to begin 2014, we got a visit from our pal Steve Fekete aka the Padre Punk who was back in the Northeast. He came to see some more venues he needed as he continues he quest to join Club 122. He spent his New Year's Day in Upstate New York. He went to Utica with our other buddies from Buffalo, Andrew Kulyk & Peter Farrell who met him there. They went to see the Comets play at the Utica Memorial Auditorium which the guys from Buffalo gave a rave review. The King & I went there in November. We enjoyed our visit. 

While the King & I drove back from the Midwest, Steve drove down to NYC. We wound up meeting up with Steve who returned the car he rented in New Jersey. He wound up getting a ride to the Nassau Coliseum from me. He met up with the King, our friend Frank Anichiarico aka Duck & I. He took public transportation to Queens. Since I was off from work, we were able to leave extra early which allowed us to get out there with plenty of time to spare. We stopped off at Popeye's in Hempstead for a pre game meal. We then drove over to the Nassau Coliseum to see the Islanders host the defending Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks who Steve likes & follows around. They were the main reason he came to visit us. After the game, I drove him back into Queens where he took public transportation back to New Jersey where he was staying while he was in the area. The weather was getting bad as it started snowing as we drove back. Luckily I was able to park the car on the street near the house that the King & I live in. 

Friday morning I went back to work. After work, I took the subway to the World Trade Center where I picked up the Path train to Newark. The Devils were playing the Blackhawks on this night at the Prudential Center. Steve once again joined us as did our new neighbor Sean MacDonald who had just returned from his NFL Stadium Journey. He saw all 32 NFL Stadiums during the 2013 season. He started in Denver on Opening night in September & he finished the regular season in Seattle on Sunday December 29th. A few days later he returned to NYC which is where he calls home for the time being. 

After the game, Sean & I said goodbye to Steve since that Saturday we went in different directions. Steve met up with the King as they both went back to the Nassau Coliseum to see the Islanders play the Carolina Hurricanes. Sean & I wanted to see more football so I extended the car I rented for a week for an additional day. Thankfully I was able to dig the car out of the parking spot Friday night. As a result, I was able to pick up Sean around 11AM so we could drive down to Philadelphia earlier because there was a college basketball game at 2PM in the area. St. Joseph's Hawks were hosting the Denver Pioneers at the Michael J. Hagan Arena. We were also joined by our buddy Andrew Van Cleve who showed up with his son Dylan. It was great to see them again.

St. Joseph's Hawks basketball at Michael J. Hagan Arena
After the game, Andrew went back home to drop off Dylan. Sean & I went to the Landmark Americana where we picked up our pal Frankie Centola who had my ticket for the Eagles NFC Wild Card game with the New Orleans Saints that night. I drove Frankie to Lincoln Financial Field then I dropped Sean off at the Holiday Inn which is walking distance from the Sports Complex since he wanted to watch as much of the early football game between the Chiefs & the Colts as he could. In the meantime, I went to park the car on the street. After I did so, I met up with Sean at Holiday Inn where we both ate a pre game meal together. Shortly thereafter, Andrew Van Cleve joined us there as well.

Prince at Lincoln Financial Field for Saints & Eagles NFC Wild Card Game 
As for the game we saw, the Eagles put up a good fight but they wound up falling short to the Saints who beat them, 26-24 to end their season which turned out better than expected.

After the game, I drove Sean back to Astoria with me. That Sunday I wound up staying home after I returned the car I rented to Avis in the morning. Since there were no local games in the area to go to, I watched the other football games on TV. In addition, I got to catch up on some much needed rest since I was ran around all week. As a result, I went to sleep early that night.

Stay tuned for my w/o 1/6 in review. In addition, I plan to do some special posts that will highlight some more of the adventures we experienced during the month of January.

Thank you for reading & following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Monday, February 10, 2014

Royalty schedule w/o 2/10

Here's the game plan:


Wednesday, February 12th Bobcats at Nets 7:30PM

Thursday, February 13th Central Connecticut Blue Devils at St. Francis (NY) Terriers 7PM

Saturday, February 15th Holy Cross Crusaders at Lehigh Mountain Hawks 2PM

                                    Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins at Hershey Bears 7PM

Sunday, February 16th Evansville IceMen at Reading Royals 4:05PM

Check back to see how it turned out.

Hope all my readers and followers have a great week.

As always, if you need assistance don't hesitate to ask.

Stay tuned as I plan to do some special posts about the adventurous month of  January. Please bear with me as I try to find time to catch up. I keep falling further behind. Please be patient. It will be worth the wait.

If you like to tweet you can follow me on Twitter too. @royaltytoursusa

Furthermore, we can hook up on Facebook and/or Four Square as well.

With all the ways to communicate these days, we should always be in touch.

Remember team work makes the dream work.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Monday, February 3, 2014

Royalty starts 2014 in Ann Arbor, Michigan watching the Winter Classic at the Big House!‏

Thanks to the NHL lockout during the 2012-2013 season, the Winter Classic which was scheduled to be played at Michigan Stadium aka the Big House, home of the Michigan Wolverines between the hometown Detroit Red Wings & the Toronto Maple Leafs on New Year's Day 2013 was cancelled. When they finally came to their senses & they reached an agreement, they decided to have the Winter Classic there a year later instead. 

With that being said, the King & I set our sights on going there to start the 2014 calendar year. Since we had been to all the Winter Classics except the one in Wrigley Field in 2009, we wanted to continue our tradition. This time it was about more than just going to the game there. My pal & co-founder of the website, Stadium Journey, Paul Swaney lives there with his wife Jennifer & their son Owen. When tickets went on sale on Ticketmaster in October, I went online & I bought them for all of us. As it got closer, I got in touch with Paul & we arranged to meet up for breakfast at Holiday's Restaurant, which is a local place he suggested. It turned out to be a perfect choice. We met up around 10:40AM that morning after the King & I weathered the storm as we drove from Jackson, Michigan which is 35 miles from Ann Arbor. Paul's wife dropped him off there. She then took their son Owen sled riding. 

Paul got to finally meet the King for the first time. He was thrilled to do so. When I finally met Paul at a Detroit Lion game at Ford Field on December 29, 2013 the King wasn't with me. We all got to enjoy a great breakfast before we headed over to the game together. It was a cold snowy day which made for a winter wonderland setting at the Big House. Mother nature came up with a beautiful way to start the New Year.

After we ate, Paul came in the car with us & he showed us where we could park for free within a short walkig distance of the Stadium since he only lives a mile away. Thankfully we were dressed for the occasion so we were ready for what mother nature was throwing at us. Once we got by the Stadium we walked around the exterior for a short time before we decided to head inside. We wound up having really good seats to see the game. Since we're pros at going to these games, we know the best seats are the so called nosebleeds. Unlike most sporting events, the higher up you sit the better the vantage point you have to see the game. We wound up in row 80 which gave us a nice view of the action. Since it's a once a year time event, we didn't mind splurging for the game especially since the Red Wings are the King's favorite hockey team.

The King & I Outside Michigan Stadium
Me braving the elements on New Year's Day

 As for the game we saw, the Red Wings lost to the Maple Leafs, 3-2 in a shootout in front of a record crowd of 105,491 who braved the elements to part of this annual tradition. Despite the outcome, the King & I had a blast. We managed to survive the cold 13 degree game time temperature as well as all the snow that fell throughout the game.
Red Wings & Maple Leafs warming up 
Maple Leafs win, 3-2 in shootout!
After the game, we had an adventurous ride back to NYC. I wound up driving us all the way back. It took me 11 hours to drive 615 miles. We got off to a rough start because of traffic leaving the area. In addition, we had to deal with snow covered icy roads until we got past the Toledo area & part of the way towards Cleveland, Ohio before all the snow was finally gone. Once we got through that mess, it was an easy but time consuming ride home. Thankfully we got back around 5AM. Since I was off that day I was able to catch up on sleep.

Stay tuned for a series of special posts that will go into detail about the rest of the month of January.

Thank you for reading & following along.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman

Royalty schedule w/o 2/3

Here's the game plan:

Monday, February 3rd Avalanche at Devils 7:30PM

Wednesday, February 5th Trail Blazers at Knicks 8PM

Thursday, February 6th Spurs at Nets 8PM

Friday, February 7th Oilers at Devils 7PM 

Saturday, February 8th New Hampshire Wildcats at Stony Brook Seawolves 2PM

                                    Avalanche at Islanders 7PM

Sunday, February 9th Pelicans at Nets 6PM

Check back to see how it played out.

Hope all my readers and followers have a great week.

As always, if you need assistance don't hesitate to ask.

Stay tuned as I plan to do a special post that will go into detail about the Winter Classic we saw & other special posts about the adventurous month of  January. Please bear with me as I try to find time to catch up. I keep falling further behind. Please be patient. It will be worth the wait.

If you like to tweet you can follow me on Twitter too. @royaltytoursusa

Furthermore, we can hook up on Facebook and/or Four Square as well.

With all the ways to communicate these days, we should always be in touch.

Remember team work makes the dream work.

Yours truly,

Gary Herman