Jeff Bachner for New York Daily News
Kirk Machida and Tanya Reynolds have a swinging time at the Trapeze School New York in Travel Channel’s ‘Trip Flip.’
A California couple was treated to a whirlwind surprise trip to New York City for the Travel Channel’s “Trip Flip,” packing in more adventures in three days than most locals experience in a lifetime.
The intrepid tourists took some swings with Babe Ruth’s bat, met Ricky Martin backstage at “Evita” and performed at the Gotham Comedy Club for an episode airing Thursday at 9 p.m.
“When I woke up this morning, I did not think I would be doing a flip off of the flying trapeze,” says Kirk Machida, 30, after soaring 23 feet in the air at the Trapeze School New York in Chelsea. “That was amazing!”
Machida and his girlfriend of two years, Tanya Reynolds, were simply window-shopping in Santa Monica, Calif., last June when “Trip Flip” host Bert Kreischer enticed them with an all-expense paid, three-day trip to New York, on two conditions: Kreischer would arrange all of their activities, and they would be captured on camera.
The seasoned travelers, who have already visited London, Paris, Amsterdam and the Dominican Republic together, were up to the challenge. They arrived in Times Square just a week later.
“It was a no-brainer to go on a free vacation somewhere cool, and to be on TV,” says Machida. “If it were up to me, our vacations would always be something similar in that we’d be going from spot to spot, and trying new things.”
Reynolds, 38, was a little less enthused. “If it was up to me, we’d be vegging by a pool,” she says.
Their host had less relaxing — but more rewarding — ideas, like scaling a rock-climbing wall in Long Island City, or learning to pull a pint of beer from the tap at McSorley’s Old Ale House.
“My ultimate goal is to turn people from tourists into travelers,” says Kreischer, who dreams up the once-in-a-lifetime experiences for “Trip Flip” participants that are guaranteed to take them out of their comfort zone.
Previous episodes have sent guests fishing for sashimi on a boat in Cabo, cliff diving in Scotland and singing on stage with the band Train in San Francisco.
But Kreischer was especially excited about planning the New York episode, since he lived in the West Village for five years.
“We saved the best for last,” he says. “I couldn’t wait to take them to where New Yorkers go to enjoy their time. The heart of this show is doing things that are authentic to each city.”
This episode sees Machida and Reynolds crisscrossing the city during throughout their trip, from savoring comfort food at Nolita’s Mac Bar to riding a bicycle built for two in Central Park.
