Sold Out: The Book of Mormon on Broadway

Have you ever wanted to see a famous broadway musical in New York City? Learn how I found last-minute tickets to the hottest show in Manhattan for under $30.

After my recent trip to South Africa, I decided to spend a few days wandering around New York City.

I’d asked a friend and former New Yorker what I shouldn’t miss while I was there. She told me to find tickets to the Broadway musical “The Book of Mormon” at all costs.

Written by Trey Parker & Matt Stone (creators of “South Park”), I knew it was going to be hilarious. These guys have a well-known reputation for offending absolutely everyone on the planet. I couldn’t believe they had their own Broadway show…

Vagabonding through Central America for the past year, I didn’t realize the play had won 9 Tony Awards and was called “The best musical of this century” by the New York Times.

Getting last-minute tickets to this seemed like an impossible task.

The Standing Room Only Line

A Sold-Out Show

Of course when I jumped online to buy tickets, the only seats that were still available cost over $400. This was a bit too expensive for my normal travel budget…

After talking with some friends in the city, I soon discovered that many people have been waiting months to get tickets for “The Book of Mormon”. Things weren’t looking good.

I wasn’t about to give up so easily though, and I always love a good challenge!

After a bit more research, I learned about a special technique for snagging cheap, last-minute tickets to many popular Broadway musicals. There are actually two different options available, and not many people know about them.

The Lottery

Option #1: The Lottery

The first option is The Lottery. It’s also the more well-known of the two. A few hours before the performance, you can enter a lottery held at the box office for a chance to win 2 front-row tickets to the show.

The number of lottery tickets available varies, but it’s usually around 20 or so. That means there can be many winners.

The Lottery is free to enter, but if you win, you buy the tickets at a discounted price. For “The Book of Mormon”, they were $32 each. That’s a whole lot better than $400!

Option #2: Standing Room Only

When a popular show is completely sold-out, the box office will sometimes offer Standing Room Only tickets as well. This means you don’t get an actual seat, but you stand for the performance.

One hour before the show starts, they begin selling these special last-minute tickets. But just like the lottery option – there are only a handfull available. Usually around 20 or so. You’ll need to get in line well before they start selling them if you want one. These tickets are even cheaper too. For “The Book of Mormon” they were only $27 each.

When should you get in line?

It’s hard to tell. This website can give you tips about each show.

In my case, the performance started at 7pm. That means the Standing Room Only tickets would be sold at 6pm. I got in line at 4pm, and was one of the very last people to snag tickets before they were gone.

The guy at the head of the line had been waiting outside in the cold for 8 hours!

The earlier you go, the better your chances are. It’s a bit of a gamble. Are you willing to wait in line for 2-3 hours with no guarantees that you’ll get tickets?

I was, and it paid off. The show was totally worth it too!

Bar Hopping After the Show

Option #3: Do Them Both!

If you really want to maximize your chances for tickets, you can attempt both The Lottery and the Standing Room Only line. This will usually require help from a friend/date.

Step #1: Show up at the Box Office for the Broadway musical you want to see with a book, your iPod, snacks, and something soft to sit on. Get comfortable in the Standing Room Only line. I recommend at least 4 hours before the performance begins, just to be safe.

Step #2: Around 2 hours before the performance begins, the The Lottery will commence. Have your friend hold your place in line with your stuff, and go pick up two lottery forms. One for you, one for your friend. Because each winning entry can claim up to 2 tickets, you are increasing your chances if you both enter. If one of you wins, you can share your extra ticket with your friend.

Step #3: Hope you win The Lottery!

Step #4: If neither of you win The Lottery, you’ll both still have a solid spot in line for the Standing Room Only tickets. After losing the lottery, many people will try to get in line here. Most will have absolutely no chance of picking up a ticket though, because they’ll be too late.

Step #5: Because you got in line early, you can buy your super-cheap Standing Room Only tickets and enjoy a fantastic sold-out Broadway performance in New York City!

Specific Details

Location: New York, New York
Show: The Book of Mormon on Broadway
Total Cost: $27 Standing Room Only ticket
Notes: Standing in the theater leaning against a railing was actually pretty comfortable, and because it was small, we had a great view of the action. The show was excellent! I was laughing so hard I was crying. The people sitting directly in front of us were jealous when we told them how much our tickets were, they paid quite a bit more…

Brought to You By: Traveling to New York City doesn’t have to be expensive. You just need to know where to look. Get your cheap flight to New York and enjoy your next vacation!

Hunting the Deadly Timber Tiger

I really don’t enjoy killing animals. But I do enjoy eating them. So when I had an opportunity to go hunting for the dangerous Timber Tiger in the forests of New Hampshire, I jumped at the chance to slay & eat this wicked beast.

Timber Tigers have become an uncontrollable epidemic in wooded areas throughout the United States. They breed and multiply in great numbers until no animal is safe from their wrath.

They’re an army of killers bent on destroying cute and defenseless birds, frogs, and mice.

Moving stealthily through the forest, they devour babies when parents are away from the nest. Timber Tigers are drug addicts too. Consuming large quantities of psychedelic mushrooms all day, they numb their minds to the unspeakable crimes they commit against the animal kingdom.

Timber Tiger Getting High on Mushrooms

The Hunt Begins

I wasn’t sure if I could destroy this monster on my own, so I enlisted the help of a reliable friend. Patrick and I armed ourselves well, said goodbye to our families, and ventured into the deep, dark, foreboding woods.

There were no guarantees we’d come out alive.

Immediately we discovered signs that a Timber Tiger was near. Tracking it through the wet leaves, we eventually found it’s hidden lair of doom.

Preparing ourselves mentally for the battle about to be waged, we hid in the brush and released the safeties on our weapons…

Attack!

The Timber Tiger had been waiting for us. It was no fool. Lunging from the treetops, it surprised us with an attack from the air!

It’s clever ambush caught us off guard and we were forced to defend ourselves from the monster or risk certain death.

A lucky shot felled the beast before it could rip us limb from limb.

Our impossible quest was over. The leviathan was slain. Now it was time to feast.

Chipmunk Garlic Sauté

How to Cook a Chipmunk

The first step to enjoying fresh Timber Tiger meat is to skin, gut, and butcher the evil creature. You’re left with 2 back legs and a sirloin.

After washing the meat well, you now place it in a bowl of cold water mixed with a tablespoon of canning salt. This you let sit in the fridge for 24 hours.

The salt removes any remaining blood, getting rid of a possible gamey taste.

Pour some good oil into a frying pan on medium heat and mix in half a clove of diced garlic to simmer for 5 minutes. Add your cuts of Timber Tiger, and spice the whole concoction with a healthy dose of freshly ground pepper.

Cook for 10 minutes.

Timber Tiger Tastes Grrrrrrreat!

Yummy!

You’re left with succulent, tasty morsels of meat, much like miniature chicken legs, that pair well with a case of cheap beer.

People will come from miles around to celebrate your victory over this demon of the forest, so be prepared for a party. The mayor may even declare a new holiday in your honor.

Ensure you have enough meat to share with friends, because everyone in the village will want to try a bite of your delicious Timber Tiger.

Buen Provecho!

Naturally hunting & eating furry woodland creatures might offend some people. If you decide to comment below, please share your opinions in a logical, professional way. Critical is fine, but if you’re rude, I’ll delete your stuff.

Alien Abduction Site

A pasport is not required to travel around in your own backyard. Plenty of adventures await those who take the time to explore the country, state, and neighborhoods where they live.

I’ve been guilty of a failure to travel locally in the past. Did you know I once lived in Hawaii for a year, and never even visited Pearl Harbor? Completely unacceptable!

We often take for granted the many interesting and historic places around us. If you don’t have the money or time to visit India, Paris, or Antarctica, don’t worry.

There are many travel experiences available around your hometown.

You just need to make an effort to discover them.

America’s First Reported Alien Abduction

While home visiting family for a few weeks in the state of New Hampshire (located in the North Eastern United States), I had a sudden urge to go on a little travel adventure. It just so happened to be September 19th, the 50th anniversary of the Betty & Barney Hill Incident.

On the night of September 19th, 1961, Betty & Barney Hill were heading home from a vacation in Montreal, Canada. While driving South on Route 3 in New Hampshire, they both witnessed something in the sky.

Betty & Barney Hill

Shooting Stars? Airplanes? Something Else?

The couple assumed it was a falling star at first. But as they kept driving, they changed their minds and decided it was an airplane.

But it continued to get closer and moved erratically through the sky, causing them to stop the car altogether and get out for a better look with some binoculars.

After a while their curiosity quickly turned into paralyzing fear when a pancake shaped craft hovered only 100 feet directly over them, and through the binoculars they witnessed 8-10 human-like creatures moving around inside.

This was no airplane.

Missing Time

Betty & Barney ran back to their car, and sped off down the road to escape the ship. But soon the whole car started vibrating, and they heard un-explainable buzzing noises. When it was over, they found that they had traveled 35 miles down the road, and had almost no memory of doing so.

They finally arrived home in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, nearly 7 hours after they had first started the trip. The drive should have only taken 4 hours – leaving them with 2-3 hours of “missing time” that they couldn’t remember.

Betty discovered her dress was ripped in multiple places, and it was covered with a pink powder. Barney’s shoes had scrape marks on the toe box, and he felt an inexplicable need to check his genitals in the bathroom when they got home. He found nothing wrong with them.

The car they were driving had shiny metallic circles in a concentric pattern on the trunk that hadn’t been there before.

The next day, Betty reported the incident to Pease Airforce Base. The military followed up with a phone interview and the whole report was forwarded to Project Blue Book, the US Airforce’s UFO research project.

Military radar had recorded a mysterious object in the same vicinity that night. There were no airplanes in the area at the time.

Betty's Sculpture of the Aliens

What Really Happened?

Betty & Barney kept their experience a secret from all but a few close family members & friends. They were afraid of being labeled eccentric or crazy. Barney worked for the US Postal Service, and Betty was a Social Worker. Both were active Christian church goers, members of the NAACP, and Barney sat on a board of the US Civil Rights Commission.

But privately they wanted an explanation about what had happened to them. They both began driving down to Boston for hypnosis sessions with Dr. Benjamin Simon, based on the recommendations of others.

Under separate sessions, both Betty & Barney recalled similar (yet slightly different) unbelievable memories. They were brought onto the ship, and taken into separate rooms for medical examinations. The creatures were not hostile, and even tried to comfort them.

The aliens could speak English, but when they did, their mouths didn’t move. They also spoke a mumbling language. Betty was shown a hologram star map, indicating where the aliens were from.

Both Betty & Barney exhibited considerable emotional distress during the hypnosis sessions.

The Star Maps Seem to Match...

Visting the Site

Eventually a newspaper got wind of the story, and soon the whole country knew about the encounter. It became the first widely publicized and documented alien abduction story in the United States.

So on the 50th anniversary of Betty & Barney’s unexplainable experience, at the same exact time of night they had their encounter, I drove through the mountains down Route 3 in Lincoln, New Hampshire to follow in their footsteps.

The road was eerily empty, and I couldn’t help looking up at the stars every few minutes…

I like to think I’m a pretty logical person, and I believe that many UFO sightings can probably be explained away. But there are some that just don’t add up. Like jaw-dropping reports from trained military pilots, air traffic control towers, and group sightings witnessed by multiple soldiers & police officers from around the world.

As I drove down the road, following Betty & Barney’s route, I thought about what may or may not be out there in our universe.

Best of all, I was able to enjoy this little travel adventure in my own backyard.

Specific Details

Location: Indian Head in Lincoln
Notes: There is a sign marking the general location of the encounter on the side of Route 3 in Lincoln, New Hampshire. You can read many more details about the Betty & Barney Hill Abduction here. It’s quite a story!

Footbridge at the Everglades National Park

This is a raised footbridge on the Anhinga Trail located in the Everglades National Park in South Florida. I was surprised at how diverse the Everglades landscape could be. It has everything from wet swampland, to oceans of grass, dwarf cypress trees, mangrove tunnels, and even tall pine forests.

On the drive down to Key West, we stopped at some docks in Key Largo, Florida. You can buy a bucket of bait to feed a bunch of giant Tarpon and Amber Jacks that hang out there. This is what happens when you tease them with tasty treats…

Watch Out for the Sea Monster!

At Robbie’s Restaurant in Key Largo Florida, if you go out back on the docks with a bucket of bait and stick your hand over the water, something like this will happen…

Giant 4-6 foot long Tarpon will leap out and snatch the bait from your hands. Or, in some cases, they’ll decide your hand itself is a bit more tasty.

Watch the Video!
I actually filmed this whole crazy experience… you should see it! – Click Here for Video

Weatherbeaten Trail Signs at the Top

Today I woke up at 4am. I was about to head up into the White Mountains of New Hampshire and hike a small section of the famed Appalachian Trail. If you don’t already know, the Appalachian Trail (aka “AT”) is a 2000 mile long hiking trail that extends from Georgia to Maine.

The area I hiked is called Franconia Notch, and it’s a beautiful mountain pass in the north of the state of New Hampshire. There is a high ridge on the East side of the pass that traverses the top of many mountain peaks. I started hiking at 5:30am up the Liberty Springs Trail, deep into the woods.

Mount Liberty was the first peak I would reach, after a very steep hike up the side of the mountain. On the way I passed a camping area with raised platforms for tents, available to those who were on multi-day treks along the Appalachian Trail. It seemed very busy, but everyone was still just waking up. I had the trail to myself.

Only one hiker crossed my path up to Mount Liberty, and he was heading down. It was obvious he was a “Thru-Hiker” on the AT. These are the people that try to hike the entire 2000 mile trail from start to finish. It’s easy to pick them out, because they look like they’ve been hiking for 5 months in the wilderness, completely avoiding humanity.

Once at the top of Liberty, I headed North along the ridge-line to summit 3 more peaks. Little Haystack, Mount Lincoln, and finally the tallest of them, Mount Lafayette. There were quite a few hikers along this ridge later in the day, people were heading up to this scenic area for some exercise.

Rock Cairns on the Trail to Mt. Lafayette

There were fields of bright green moss along the trail, and many colorful mushrooms. The wind was strong while hiking exposed on the ridge, and I threw on a light jacket when I stopped to rest. The 4 peaks I climbed were all around 5000 ft high, making it a bit chilly even in the summer.

The total backpacking trip was 12 miles, and my legs were nice and sore by the end. But it was an invigorating and refreshing hike on a beautiful day into the wilderness of New Hampshire!

Watch the Video!
I actually filmed this whole crazy experience… you should see it! – Click Here for Video

Airboat Travel on the Everglades

I engaged in a little local travel to the Florida Everglades for Labor Day weekend, and went on an airboat tour with Captain Doug’s. I’ve lived in South Florida for a few years, and have never done this before. I know, it’s sad. Airboat tours are kinda expensive at $40 per person for an hour, but I knew it was something I had to do before I leave Florida.

There are a few different airboat tour companies working out of Everglades City, this one seemed to get the best reviews on Trip Advisor, so we went with it. Before picking up our tickets, we also ate some Deep Fried Alligator at a restaurant next door called The Everglades Seafood Depot that overlooked the swamp.

The airboat only had room for 4 people, which I liked because it felt more personal. We motored along and the captain had us put on some heavy duty rain ponchos because a thunderstorm was heading our way. At first we moved along pretty slowly through the mangrove swamps, listening to birds and watching schools of fish feed on the surface.

Mangrove Tunnel of Trees

Suddenly the captain hit the gas and we flew through the narrow corridor of mangrove at 20 or 30 MPH with trees whipping by on either side… it was great! I couldn’t believe how much control he had over the boat, because it’s only powered by a gigantic fan. I thought for sure we would slam into some trees, but he knew just when to turn to avoid them.

Then we watched an Osprey catch a large fish with it’s sharp talons and fly up to a tree while keeping an eye on us.

After a while the airboat turned off into another section of the swamp with a small lagoon. Right away you could see a large 9 foot alligator hanging out in the middle. We slowed down and pulled up to it, and it started to swim closer to us. I guess alligators can jump up to half their body length using their powerful tails, and many of the airboat operators in the area have had alligators jump in at some time.

Who Wants to Go Swimming?

The alligator swam right up to the side of the boat, it’s black, evil-looking eyes staring right at me! Luckily it didn’t feel like jumping in today…

Many people are scared of alligators, and mistakenly think they attack humans all the time. This is very rare, and 99% of alligator attacks are provoked by people. They’re not going to chase you down while you’re watching them. I think the misunderstanding is based on stories of crocodile attacks. Saltwater crocodiles are much more aggressive, and do attack people occasionally.

But sometimes knowing the facts doesn’t help calm your fear, when a giant prehistoric looking monster is staring you down from 2 feet away… I think he knew I ate his buddy for lunch.

A Barren World

According to the sign I passed, this area is the Ohio Key Bird Sanctuary, part of the Florida Keys. We never saw any birds here though… not sure if this is normal! Looked like a barren wasteland to me. Notice how the sky and water are almost the same color. They matched up perfectly later in the day, and it was very eerie. You couldn’t tell where the sea ended and the sky began.

Here’s a quick montage of my experiences while I was traveling in New Hampshire, which also happens to be the place I grew up. A bit of hiking on Franconia Ridge in the White Mountains, some Loon Mountain zipline action, and whitewater kayaking the Winnipesaukee River!