Segovia, SPAIN is a strong pick if you want food, culture, fun, art, architecture, and history in a an easy to walk or drive location. The city is magical with an ancient aqueduct that greets you. The streets of the ancient city used to house the capital of Spain. Getting to Segovia from Madrid, one passes great outlet malls, scenic mountains, and the opportunity to shop for ceramics and home décor. You can make it a day trip or spend the night in one of the wonderful hotels.

One can graze their way through the city eating everything from ice cream to their famous ham. The classic Segovian dishes and culinary items to try or purchase:

-Cochinillo Asado (roast suckling pig) or Pate De Conchinillo- roast suckling pig pate
-Miel- honey
-Judiones- a hearty pork dish
-Judiones de La Granja —white bean stew.
-Chorizo Extra Artesano – look for Embutidos y Jamones Artesanos chorizo sausage
-Beans- both large white beans and garbanzo- they are sold all over the city
-Queso Artesano De Oveja ( Semicurrado Elmolinero)- cheese
-Paleta Cerveza- Pale Lager
-Mermelada FincaCardaba Vino- marmalade
-Caramelos Violetas- typical Spanish candy that are purple and flower shaped

There are numerous restaurants in the old and new city to choose from. One can eat classic Segovian or modern Chinese. Below is a list of Spanish food:

• José María is one of the city’s most noted traditional restaurants and is also listed by the MICHELIN Guide. The classic cochinillo asado (roast suckling pig) is served here. [Jose Maria…Restaurant]
• Villena- upscale dining
• Casa Silvano-Maracaibo– is in the Michelin Guide
• Mesón de Cándido, near the aqueduct, is famous for roast pig and traditional food. [Restaurant…de Cándido]
• Taberna López – classic food in a relaxed atmosphere. [Restaurant…erna López]
• El Bernardino -traditional restaurant [Restaurant…Bernardino]

The famous Aqueducts from Roman times still work!

Must-see places when visiting Segovia

• The Roman Aqueduct of Segovia is the city’s signature sight, with views of Plaza del Azoguejo. [Segovia Aqueduct]
• The Museo de Arte Contemporaneo Esteban Vicente-The Museo de Arte Contemporáneo Esteban Vicente honors the life and work of Esteban Vicente, as the only Spanish born member of the first generation of Abstract Expressionists. The museum is free and has fantastic exhibitions of modern-day Spanish artists. https://estebanvicente.com/museum
• The Alcázar de Segovia is the fairytale castle that houses armor and art. [alcazardesegovia.com]
• Segovia Cathedral, beside Plaza Mayor, is an incredible Cathedral filled with art and historic artifacts. [turismodesegovia.com]
• The Jewish Quarter (Judería) has a museum, a restaurant, and plaques that are on the streets in front of what used to be Jewish institutions and homes.
• The Royal Palace of La Granja de San Ildefonso, is a short ride from Segovia. The palace has beautiful gardens.

Best areas to stay

1) Old Town / Casco Antiguo —
This is the easiest area for sightseeing because you’re close to the Aqueduct, Plaza Mayor, and Cathedral, and you can walk through the city.

2) Jewish Quarter / around the Alcázar — quiet and full of ancient character
The Jewish Quarter is central in the old city and offers wonderful walks that are filled with history.

3) Outside the center has views —for those with cars
Old Segovia has very narrow streets. If you prefer easier parking, more space, and views, staying just outside the old town can be fantastic—at places like the Parador. [paradores.es]

Hot Hotels to Consider

• Áurea Convento Capuchinos —In the historic center, set in a former monastery and known for its spa, interesting rooms, and great breakfast buffet.
• Parador de Segovia — wonderful if you want views, parking, and a pool rather than a stay inside the old city center. It’s about 3 km from the historic center.
• Hotel Real Segovia — on Calle Juan Bravo, is a great choice if you want to walk everywhere easily. [recordishotels.com]
• Infanta Isabel Hotel — right on Plaza Mayor, ideal if you want to stay in the center of the action.
• Hotel Don Felipe — location in the historic district with views toward the Alcázar.

Segovia is a beautiful destination for vibrant art, ancient history, rich food, and even hot air balloons. It is the perfect destination for families or for individuals. There is so much to take in, that I would spend a night or two there. The crisp mountain air feels so good! Visitors can feel safe knowing that they have their own hospital and there are many pharmacies in the region that are easy to access. So, no excuses! Make your way to Segovia on your next trip to Spain!

Mitch’s note: The husband and I spent a long weekend in Madrid and did 2 daytrips (pre kid, so over 25 years ago). We went to Toledo and Segovia. We had an amazing time and did not have as much time as Jen to eat all the foods, but the suckling pig in Segovia was the standout for sure! What a beautiful country!

The post Segovia, Spain is a delicious destination! By Guest Writer, J. Stein! #Spain #Segovia #travel #food #international appeared first on Gay NYC Dad.

Pride Month continues on in all its glory! Our next Pride Month review is of this gorgeous puzzle from Galison. Christian Lacroix’s Love Who You Want jigsaw puzzles are absolutely fabulous and the message is perfect for Pride Month. And who better than queer icon Christian Lacroix to represent Pride Month!

Galison, a fine art gifts provider, makes beautiful jigsaw puzzles. They are inspired by fine art and come in gorgeously-detailed boxes. The Christian LaCroix Love Who You Want box includes the puzzle pieces and a full-color poster of the image to work from. The box itself carries the message Love Who You Want around the sides, on the cover and on the insides of the box itself. Love who you want!

TOP TIP: I sorted the puzzle pieces by the different fashion articles, which was easier with one than the other (I’m looking at you, giraffe). It was still very challenging to put the pieces together, but a bit easier to manage with the different color/texture blocks.

Christian Lacroix Heritage Collection Love Who You Want jigsaw puzzle is actually two separate puzzles. Both are clever compilations of different Christian LaCroix fashions, coming together to create two images of elegance and couture. Because these are not straight-edged puzzles, the pieces come in a variety of interesting shapes. Good luck sorting out the edges! Just kidding. Well, sort of. The pieces, though challenging in shape, click together well, so you’ll know when you’ve got the right two matched.

TOP TIP: The giraffe puzzle is much more challenging than the green-top puzzle because there’s so much black in it. If your time is limited, do the green top puzzle. If you have the whole day set aside for puzzling, tackle the giraffe.

Galison’s Christian Lacroix Heritage Collection Love Who You Want jigsaw puzzles were created from Christian LaCroix images. If you are a Christian LaCroix fan, check out Galison’s other Christian LaCroix gifts, as well (see link below). I loved putting this puzzle together and have my eye on a couple of other Galison puzzles for future puzzle nights. The completed puzzles are approximately 3’ by 1’. The total number of pieces is 750, but I don’t know if that split is even between the two puzzles. There is no age range for this puzzle, but some of the pieces are very small, so keep that in mind for your littles.

But it here: https://www.galison.com/products/christian-lacroix-heritage-collection-love-who-you-want-750-piece-shaped-puzzle-set

More from Lacroix here sweetie darling! https://www.galison.com/collections/christian-lacroix?page=1

٭٭٭٭٭Highly recommended

The post Christian Lacroix Heritage Collection Love Who You Want Jigsaw Puzzles Review by Guest Writer George Gensler! @galisongift @NYNowMarket @ToyFairNY @lacroixofficiel #christianlacroix #PrideMonth #pride #jigsawpuzzle #puzzle #gifted appeared first on Gay NYC Dad.

I still have my Minions dolls from 10 years ago, these guys are iconic!

Fresh off the worldwide blockbuster success of summer 2024’s funniest comedy, Despicable Me 4, Illumination expands its joyful animated universe with a riotous new chapter, featuring all-new characters, in the biggest global animated franchise in history: Minions & Monsters. This is the rambunctious, ridiculous and totally true story of how the Minions conquered Hollywood, became movie stars, lost everything, unleashed monsters onto the world and then banded together to try and save the planet from the mayhem they had just created.

The acclaimed voice cast includes Academy Award® winner Allison Janney, two-time Academy Award® winner Christoph Waltz, Academy Award® winner Jeff Bridges, two-time Academy Award® nominee Jesse Eisenberg, Zoey Deutch (Nouvelle Vague) and Academy Award® nominee and comedy iconoclast Trey Parker, co-creator of South Park. The cast also includes Saturday Night Live alum Bobby Moynihan and Phil LaMarr (Futurama, King of the Hill).

Minions & Monsters is directed by Academy Award® nominee Pierre Coffin, a director of the first three Despicable Me films and the first Minions film. Coffin has also provided the voice for the Minions since their film debut in 2010. The film is written by Brian Lynch (Minions, The Secret Life of Pets films) and Pierre Coffin and is produced by Illumination’s Academy Award® nominated founder and CEO Chris Meledandri and by Bill Ryan (executive producer, The Super Mario Bros. Movie). The executive producer is Brian Lynch.

More than ten years after their creation, the Minions have become the most iconic animated characters of their generation. Globally recognized and beloved by fans of all ages, they have propelled Illumination’s Despicable Me and Minions to a global box office of more than $5.6 billion.

Purchase tickets here, see the trailer below, and see contest rules below the trailer!

I have 10 four packs of tickets to giveaway to a theater in Manhattan. First, make sure you subscribe to the blog, I have weekly contests! Second leave a comment with how many tickets you would like, up to four. Only the first 8 commentors will win, I will then email you instructions for the pick-up, the show is Monday, June 29th at Regal Union Square. You must arrive by 630 pm at the latest to get your tickets.

The post Minions & Monsters Ticket Giveaway for NYC! @minions #minionsandmonsters @illumination @UniversalPics #NY #NYC #NewYork #NewYorkCity appeared first on Gay NYC Dad.

Jeffrey G. won the $25 White Castle Gift Card Giveaway!

NOTE! All prize fulfillments may be delayed; we are not responsible for any USPS related delays or missing items. We mostly use the Gleam app to determine winners.

NOTE: Only Current Subscribers are eligible to win, all accounts are checked.

June 14, 2026

$15 Cinnabon eGift Card Giveaway!

June 21, 2026

$25 Smashburger Gift Card Giveaway!

June 28, 2026

$15 Lululemon Gift Card Giveaway! 

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TIme to shop for the Summer! Sign up for emails and be ready!

GIVEAWAY:

One lucky reader of the GayNYCDad award winning blog, will receive a $15 Lululemon Gift Card!

You must be a current subscriber to be eligible to win any contest. 

Contest ends 11:59 p.m. EST, June 28, 2026. Prizes must be claimed within 48 hours. Maximum winnings of 2 giveaways per every 90 days. See official rules for more information.

$15 Lululemon Gift Card Giveaway!

Thanks, and good luck.

The post $15 Lululemon Gift Card Giveaway! @Lululemon #Lululemon #contests #giveaways #affiliate appeared first on Gay NYC Dad.

$25 White Castle Gift Card Giveaway!

June 14, 2026

$15 Cinnabon eGift Card Giveaway!

June 21, 2026

$25 Smashburger Gift Card Giveaway!

The post #Giveaways Ending This Weekend, 6/7/2026! New #Contests Listed! appeared first on Gay NYC Dad.

It’s the most colorful month of the year! Happy Pride, everyone! This June, I’ll be highlighting some of my favorite LGBTQIA? inspired toys. We’re starting off strong with Laurence King’s Drag Match. You don’t have to be a Ru Paul’s Drag Race fan to enjoy this game, but it doesn’t hurt.

What’s in the box?

This is a card game, so you just need the 50 cards in the deck. Each of the represented drag artists has two cards: one in their everyday attire and the other in their drag glam. The cards are very sturdy, much thicker than regular playing cards. The portraits were photographed by Greg Gethings, a renowned photographer who specializes in LGBTQIA? Portraits, so you can even use them as décor. The instruction booklet, written by Greg Bailey, opens with a drag history, then includes an introduction to each of the drag artists, showing both their everyday look and their drag look, as a sort of answer guide.

TOP TIP: Read every word. Not only is the history informative, but the bios are charming and you get a sneak peek at the answers.

How to play Drag Match

There are two ways to play with the Drag Match cards. You can play a Matching game or a Memory game. For the Matching game, place all of the cards face up on the table. Each player takes it in turn to read a description from the instruction booklet. The other players try to guess which drag artist is being highlighted. Both of the cards for that person have to be picked to be correct.

The Memory game starts out with all of the cards face down. Players then take turns trying to match each person with their drag persona, a sort of combined memory and matching game.

For both games, the winner is the player who makes the most matches, of course.

TOP TIP: When you store the game away, split the deck into two piles that contain complete matches in each deck. That way, if you want to just play a quick round, you can take out half the deck and still be able to play.

TOP TIP: Leave the box out on your coffee table. It’s a great conversation starter and you can easily persuade people to play a round.

Drag Match has no age recommendation, but anyone old enough to match images can play. Recognizing people in different outfits and faces might be a little more challenging, so maybe play in teams if your littles want to join in. As I mentioned, the cards are very sturdy, so you don’t have to worry about them getting bent. And they’re all just so pretty, so your littles might just like looking at them. It’s also a great gift for any of your drag-loving friends and family.

Buy it here!

٭٭٭٭٭Highly recommended

The post Drag Match Game Review by George Gensler! @laurencekingpub @HachetteUS @hachetteuk #GayPride #PrideMonth #Pride #games #gifted #AFF appeared first on Gay NYC Dad.

Alecia G. won the $10 TJMaxx/Marshalls/HomeGoods eGift Card Giveaway!

NOTE! All prize fulfillments may be delayed; we are not responsible for any USPS related delays or missing items. We mostly use the Gleam app to determine winners.

NOTE: Only Current Subscribers are eligible to win, all accounts are checked.

June 7, 2026

$25 White Castle Gift Card Giveaway!

June 14, 2026

$15 Cinnabon eGift Card Giveaway!

June 21, 2026

$25 Smashburger Gift Card Giveaway!

The post Winners Announced and New #Giveaways Posted For June 3, 2026! #contests appeared first on Gay NYC Dad.

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