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newyork

Brian Heyman

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Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Legoland and Goshen is buzzing as it prepares for Lego Santa to visit News. Twelve's Nikita Ramos takes us there in this week's road trip close to home. It's the most spectacular time of the year at Legoland New York where holiday magic meets blocks of fun. We really the ultimate holiday destination for kids, age 2 to 12 and their families. That's because the amusement park is transformed into a winter wonderland for its annual holiday spectacular. We have five different lands. This holiday season, we have our holiday shows. They can meet Lego Santa here in our holiday headquarters built for festive fun and photos. This year you will see a lot of elves because they are hard at work making Lego Santa feel super welcome and new. This year you can write a letter directly to him at the North Pole Postal service. Another awesome edition is being able to give back this year through this new build to give workshop for every Lego heart that is built and shared on social media with the hashtag build to give the Lego group will donate a gift to a child in need. This holiday season the fun is just starting to stack here. So don't forget to strap on your skates and glide with a smile around Icicle alley. The holiday season is all about um spending time with family and, and that's really what we want to create here at LEGO, like at the awe inspiring Miniland with scenes of the season. There is still so much more to explore here and it's a good reason to build on that fun and even have a slumber party in these themed hotel rooms that really feel like a realm in themselves. Build fantastic moments this holiday on a road trip close to home in Goshen, Nikita Ramos News 12.

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Well, in this week's road trip, close to home, get ready to be dazzled this holiday season at the Bergen County Zoo in Paramus, full of wonder and awe, beautiful colors and animation just fabulous. So this is let it glow. You're able to experience different types of ornaments and different types of animals. Once they enter into the zoo, they'll visit approximately 30 scenes. Many lanterns, well over 100 and there are all kinds of African animals, North and South American animals, mythical animals and also dinosaurs. It's just beautiful and in between looking at the lanterns, if you get a little bit chilly, just make sure to stop by the gift shop where you can pick up a small ski and roast a toasty taste test and perfect. Especially if it gets on your face. You can even hop on a short train ride and see lanterns that can only be seen right from the sea. And the train is part of the admission people get uh an experience, but they also get to be outside in the winter time. This is now not just the summer experience that come to the park, it's about all year round and with so many displays we didn't even see half of them. So now it's your turn to come and take a road trip and add some light to your holiday season in Paramus. I'm Amanda is and to watch the full road trip close to home. Show tune in tonight at the times you see right there on your screen.

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Well, Bristol at one time was a world leader in clock manufacturing. Now it is home to the American Clock and Watch Museum which holds a collection of over 6000 time pieces in this week's road trip. Close to home news, 12 photojournalist, Laurie Goliath takes us to Mantle's for the season where it is the perfect time for some holiday magic. We are at the American Clock and Watch Museum in Bristol, Connecticut. We have our seventh annual Mantles for the season exhibition open right now. Each year we ask different organizations, businesses, individuals to come and decorate a mantle for us. The one thing we do ask is that they incorporate some sort of a time piece from our collection. We have 2500 clocks, 3500 watches in our collection. So there's something that's gonna match their, their design theme. Some of our mantle designers this year include the Bristol Garden Club. Their timepieces that they picked are two small uh stopwatches that were made by the E Ingram company that was here in Bristol and, and was a really big part of the Bristol community for a very long time. We also have the Bristol Bazaar, who is a Creator Space here in Bristol. They have chosen a um Grinch theme this year. So their theme is Mary Grinch Smith and they chose a, a red mantle clock which was made by Ian Welch, one of the designs that we did here at the museum. Um And the staff at the museum put together was a tree to celebrate our 70th anniversary. The tree has photographs from all throughout the time period that we've been open. So it's a really fun way to look at the history of the museum all wrapped up in one tree. When you come to the museum, you will hear throughout our eight galleries, the ticking and chiming of many of our clocks. We've chosen to do the mantles for the season. You know, during the holiday time. It's a great time where people have a lot of visitors. They come from out of town. It makes it a nice time to come into the museum, whether you've never visited us or whether you wanna come back for another visit, you see something different, the decorations and pulling different uh of the time pieces out of our storage area. So you might not have ever seen some of these pieces. It makes it a really special time to be here. Mantles for the season will be on view until January 5th for more information on how to visit. Just head on over to news twelve.com.

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Every year, thousands of Long Islanders head to Jones Beach for the magic of lights. And our Shannon Lanier takes us there in this week's road trip, close to home on Dasher on Donner. And of course, Rudolph, if there's one thing you have to do this holiday season, it's go to the magic of lights at Jones Beach. This Christmas spectacular is a 2.5 mile drive through experience that the whole family will love while riding along to music. You'll see displays representing everything from a winter wonderland and the 12 days of Christmas to a toy land and dinosaurs and all the presentations together, add up to 10 miles of led lights or 2 million bulbs, including a 200 ft long enchanting tone for more than 15 years. This has become a holiday tradition for many families and one of the best parts is you only pay one price for the whole car load. Once you're out of the car, there is a whole Christmas village experience where you can purchase food and make Smores. There are also plenty of instagrammable photo ops for your holiday cards, Santa will even be there to take pictures with you. So don't miss the magic of lights at Jones Beach. It will be spreading holiday cheer until January 4th.

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Well, when we find a hidden gem, we can't keep it bottled up in today's maid in New Jersey. We head to a vineyard in Ocean County that takes garden state grapes and turns it into something delicious. Well, this is one assignment. You won't catch me whining about farm to bottle from here. Right on our property in New Egypt. You'll find goodness growing at Larita Winery. The property spans 300 acres where they make 20 different types of wines ranging from 20 to $40. It's pretty affordable. Larita Winery has been in business for six senior years and they had one of the best harvest seasons. Basically, the uh summer was so hot and so humid, but that was great for grapes. Not good for the humans. Great for the grapes. Which one is this? So this is our chocolate peanut butter therapy. Well, time to make poor decisions. You wanna try some maya? Let's do it. All right. Here we go. So, what's the next one? You've tried them all? I'm just kidding. All right, I'll put a cork in it and just enjoy the space, which by the way, the wine tasting room is two old dairy barns filled with bricks from the first school of Trenton. Not only do they have barrels of wine, but they also have barrels of fun, especially during the holidays. You're seeing bands and you get vineyard tours and we have a lot of stuff for the holidays coming up. Santa will be here. What bottle of wine does Santa take back to the North Pole? Oh, that's a good question. I'm gonna say the Marita. Of course, it's a, a red. Exactly a red. Exactly. Too bad for Santa Lorita will only ship their wine in the garden state or you can buy in person right here and they support local organizations and just like alcohol. That's proof. Che che, they're truly made in New Jersey. The little tiny state that's just chock full of community.

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Well, it was voted one of the ugliest buildings in Connecticut in 2018 by a business insider survey. Well, today, thanks to the vision of a Westport architect and developer. It stands as a shining example of design and sustainability. Hotel Marcel is this week's maid in Connecticut at the crossroads of I 95 and I 91 in New Haven sits the landmark Pirelli building once headquarters to the Armstrong Rubber Company designed by famed architect Marcel Breuer. A building left empty in 1998. It's not a good look for Connecticut, but if we can turn into sort of a symbol of progress and prosperity that actually not only would remake the building but also help the whole image of the state architect Bruce Becker of Westport bought it in 2019 for $1.2 million. His goal get a little closer to the solar panels to preserve the building's past while taking it into the future. It's 100 and 65 rooms. It has 9000 square feet of meeting space. So it's a conference center and a hotel. Hotel, Marcel, the first net zero emissions hotel in the US designed by Becker and his team powered by 1000 solar panels and energy efficient systems. We design the building. So there's no thermal transfer which cuts our energy costs by about 80%. But there's also as a result of that, there's no sound transfer through the window and it's so quiet. I mean, 95 is right there, but this was one of the executive offices for Armstrong Rubber Company when they originally occupied the building in 1969. And all of this woodwork was here before and it was restored as was the original granite in the lobby, even an Armstrong Company clock. But behind the scenes, 21st century technology is hard at work. Heat pumps, power the washers and dryers. The kitchen is all electric as well with much of the food from local farms. And do you find it makes a difference in the quality and the taste of your foods that they come out of the kitchen here? 1000%? I think that is the key different hospitality for the future one. The owner hopes will become an eco standard. My real hope is that it um people can learn from it and it can, these ideas can be replicated and um it can be a model for the industry. And despite the hotel's 21st century technology, it also sits on the Connecticut Register of historic places.

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Well, in this week's road trip close to home, we're taking you inside the Barrio College campus here in the Bronx. For their latest cultural exhibit, the display offers a nostalgic experience. Curators say every theme is met with intention. Their latest project dives into all things. Puerto Rico very college has been around for decades. Curators tell us exhibits like these happen every month and they're a reflection of the community every time you are in front of art work, you have something that appeals to you and inviting you and you have all kinds of reactions. Each person will have a personal, a personal experience and more than just a college campus and the boogie down and definitely next on your bucket list. So you can tune in to road trip close to home tonight at seven or 930 for more fun things to do with your family.

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Your Road Trip Close to Home adventure guide for Dec. 19

Here's a look at all the great spots to hit from this week's episode of Road Trip Close to Home.

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