"One belongs to New York Instantly"
Tony and I returned from the BEST trip we've taken thus far, at least in my opinion. I'm sure Tony would rather have been hiking up some mountain in South America with a backpack of food and clothes and a tent for shelter. (not quite my forte, but whatever) I have always dreamed of going to New York City since I was a very little girl. I feel extremely lucky to have had the opportunity to go and someone who was willing to let me drag him all over the place fulfilling my childhood dreams. Growing up in Boise, ID, it was always just too expensive to travel across the country and also pay for everything else that comes along with a vacation, however, living in Florida was much more manageable. One thing that made the trip SO much easier was pre-paying for the big stuff! We paid for the plane tickets, hotel, train tickets, and a Broadway show, all before we set off on our adventure. The only things we had to worry about paying for was food, drinks, and shopping. No stress, no confusion, just fun! We even came home with money leftover! (crazy right?! I never would have predicted that) Our trip was only 5 days total, so it was very fast, and very jam packed. But even though it was short, we were able to see everything on our list! (everyone said we couldn't see New York in 2 days...pfft! Wrongo!!) I feel like the easier way to describe our trip is to break it down by day, that way I don't leave anything out. So! Without further ado...
Day 1:
We set off on our journey at about 11:00am on Saturday morning. We arrived in Baltimore at 5:30pm and were picked up by Tony's lovely cousin (Stacy) and uncle (Kevin), who drove us into DC to stay at his other lovely cousin's (Elizabeth) apartment just up the street from Dupont Circle. We were EXTREMELY lucky because Tony's family lives in DC and was SUPER accommodating; we had a lovely place to stay in the city without having to pay for hotel or worry about transportation! That night of course the Michigan game was on and we were referred to a pub called Buffalo Billiards in Dupont Circle which surprisingly was PACKED with Michigan fans. I don't think I've ever seen that many fans in one place, NOT in Michigan. So we settled in, got a drink and began to watch the game. Not too long after Tony "checked us in" on Facebook, one of his longtime childhood friends, Allison, sees the post, replies that she HAPPENS to be in the exact same bar, and comes trotting over. Small world!! We had no clue she was even living in DC, let alone in the same bar that we stumbled into. Talk about fate! The game had 4 overtimes and ended badly for Michigan, but we still had a great time. After the game, Allison and her friends took us out on the town! We had a great time and ended the night after a few drinks (probably too many..) and walked back to the apartment.
Day 2:
Tony and I woke up with a hammering headache and starving. Lesson learned: don't party on day ONE of the vacation; it puts a damper on day TWO. haha!! We sucked it up, pulled ourselves together, and hit the streets by 10. DC is much different than I expected. In a way, it's very similar to downtown Boise on a Saturday. As we walked through Dupont Circle, there was a lovely farmers market with SO much delicious, fresh food, and everyone offered samples. Yes! Everywhere we turned someone was jogging with headphones in, or walking their dog. Everyone was stylishly dressed and in their own little world heading wherever their day would take them. I loved how fast paced and hip the town was. Every corner had a cafe or a coffee shop or some little boutique. Just what I love about Boise, but bigger and quicker. We found a little bagel shop called "Bagels Etc" down the street from Dupont and ordered breakfast. I had to laugh because it was TINY. Literally about two shoulder lengths wide with a long skinny hallway. There were little ancient Asian women calling out orders and yelling THANK YOU NEXT!! I loved it. After breakfast, we set out to conquer the Metro. Kevin graciously gave us two metro cards to borrow while we were there and we put them to good use. I'm sure if you asked Tony, he would tell you, "it was such a pain in the ass!" but I thought it was a super easy and quick way to get around town. Once we got off the metro near the National Mall, we started hitting the sites. The White House was first where there was a huge crowd of rioters outside screaming at the lawn (I say lawn because obviously no one in the White House could hear their rants) and many secret service and police officers waiting for something to get out of hand. The White House looked smaller to me than I expected, I'm sure many television shows with close up shots helped to make me think it was a lot bigger. We ventured around the back of the house to see more rioters and more security and then headed toward the Washington Monument. It was of course under scaffolding due to the earth quake not too long ago, but it was still pretty grand. Next we walked along side the reflecting pool, through the WWII memorial and up to the Lincoln Memorial. I have to say, out of all the monuments, the Lincoln Memorial was my favorite. Big ole, peaceful, Abe was such a site to see. Next we saw the Korean memorial and started the long trek back to find a metro station. After all that walking, my little "comfortable" black flats had cut into my foot creating a large sore and made it difficult to walk. Ugh. Style tip ladies; find shoes that you know for a FACT will look cute and allows you to walk for hours on end. We caught the metro back to the apartment and hung out until our dinner date with the family. Due to the government shutdown, which was SUPER convenient (NOT), we weren't able to see the Smithsonian museums or Arlington Cemetery, but I was just glad we were able to see everything we did. After dinner Tony's aunt Dianne, Kevin, and Elizabeth took us on a night tour where we saw all the monuments all lit up while also telling us a little about each one. They were all so much cooler at night! After a long day of walking, we were pooped! We hit the hay pretty early to rest up for the trek to NYC the next day.
Day 3:
I have to say that my new favorite way of travel is by train. We caught a train out of DC and up to NYC for only 100 bucks for the both of us. We boarded at Union station, which was gorgeous, and sat in a comfortable coach car. A train is such a quite, comfortable, easy way to travel. I would do a train over a plane, car, or bus ANY day. 3 hours later we were able to see the Skyline of NYC! I can't tell you how excited I got once I spotted the towering buildings in the distance. It was almost like the feeling you got on Christmas day as a child when you realized Santa had delivered your gifts. I just remember the feeling of absolute adoration for the city as I stepped out of Penn station. Like something in a movie, I closed my eyes, breathed it all in, and looked up. I'm sure it sounds corny or silly, but I was in love with the city only two steps into it. We found our hotel easily on 48th street in Hell's Kitchen, the Holiday Inn Express Westside, and dropped our bags off. Hell's Kitchen is known for their amazing variety in restaurants. 9th street is lined with I think 100 different places. We had a delicious lunch at 5 Napkins Burgers, and only realized after we finished, that Danny Aiello was also having lunch at the table next to us! We knew he looked familiar, and figured he was someone famous because there were people pointing and staring at him, but we just couldn't remember his name. I ended up asking the guys next to us and realized immediately who he was. Very cool! After lunch we toured the Intrepid aircraft carrier and got to see an actual space ship! woo!! Tony loved it. "Lacy, it's a SPACESHIP!" haha! I think that was his favorite thing ever. ;) We then headed straight toward midtown. We went through Times Square where we saw the 2013 New Years ball and all the crazy tvs, ventured up a few blocks to the Rockefeller center and saw the newly opened ice skating rink and lego store. Then we headed up 5th ave and marveled at all the high end fashion boutiques. (or at least I marveled, Tony didn't care. ha!) I could tell we were getting close to Tiffany's as we walked. Cartier, Harry Winston...TIFFANY'S! My heart skipped a beat and I made Tony take a picture of me looking in the window just like Audrey. :) I'm sure Tony got a little nervous as I pranced through the doors with a grin on my face and my eyes as sparkly as the diamonds inside. First floor: gold and platinum jewelery. Gorgeous. Went to the elevators and the attendant asks me, "which floor ma'am?" I say, "all of them!!" She laughed and Tony shook his head. Next floor: bridal and diamonds. GORGEOUS! 3rd floor: sterling silver, or as Tony would say,"affordable shit" lol!! I wandered around oohing and awwing at all the jewelry and finally found settled in at one of the cases with the heart shaped charms. The lady behind the case says, "what's the budget range?" I look at Tony and he say's "whatever she wants". Just like he did when we picked out my engagement ring. Let me tell ya ladies, nothing makes a girl blush more than her man saying, "whatever she wants" in a jewelry store and having allllll the girls around her getting jealous. ;) Luckily for Tony, I'm a reasonable gal and chose a simple, yet elegant heart charm necklace with a silver key charm. Tiffany's=dream fulfilled! Next stop, the Plaza!!! If there's any place I loved as much as Tiffany's it was the Plaza. I have seen this grand hotel in many romantic and famous movies all my life and never thought I'd have a chance to stroll through those doors. We walked in and I literally sighed in contentment. The Palm Court was beautiful, just like I imagined! Downstairs was a bakery and cafe and Eloise's salon. I loved it. I bought a hotel towel with the Plaza emblem on it and a door hanger and we left. I told Tony that I would live there if I could. Sigh... As we walked out the doors, we were faced with many adorably romantic horse drawn carriages and men wearing top hats. Yes, I had to convince Tony to pay 50 bucks for a 20 minute ride through Central Park, but it was SO worth it for me. And he hardly even complained. Just like Carrie and Big, I told him. ;) After our romantic ride around the park, we headed back up 5th ave and back to Hell's Kitchen where we had a lovely dinner at an Italian restaurant, that I don't remember the name of. ha! It was delicious though.
Day 4:
We woke up bright eyed and bushy tailed after a good nights sleep and set out for the 911 memorial. We decided to take a cab because it was early and the subway was packed and OMG, that cab ride made me fear for my life! haha! The driver wove in and out of traffic at 50mph and stopping on a dime 6 inches away from the bumper in front of him. But he did get us to the memorial in record time and it was only 12 bucks! Score. Even 12 years later, the tragedy of the attacks lay heavy on my heart and I knew that this would be a hard thing to walk through. The memorial was beautiful. The pools that were laid in the foundation of the original towers were surrounded by the names of all those lives lost that awful day. Construction was still underway on the museum, but it didn't need to be open to memorialize the disaster. Tony and I walked around, silently paying our respects and trying to gulp down the lump that formed in both of our throats. I watched as foreigners that were visiting took pictures of themselves smiling in front of the pools and laughing as they walked around. I really wanted to punch them. Or at least scold them. It was not something to laugh or smile through. It was awful, and beautiful, and painful all at the same time. White roses were put in the names of the lost ones on days that would have been their birthdays. And the one lowly tree that survived was surrounded by barriers protecting it from onlookers. I can't say much else about it other than it was amazingly awful.
After collecting ourselves, we headed toward Battery park where we boarded a ferry to Liberty Island. Lady Liberty in all her glory was beautiful and it was a beautiful day to visit her. Blue skies and warm temperatures made it a perfect scene. The Empire State Building was next on our list and I was nervous about it. I've always had a terrible fear of elevators, but had to overcome the fear abruptly when I went to college and had to ride the elevator every day to my dorm room. But even after overcoming it, I still get a little nervous. 86 floors up in a jam packed elevator....not so appealing. Luckily it was a slower day for visitors and I was the last one on the elevator and the first one off. phew! 86 floors later and we were on top of the world! I am not normally afraid of heights, but as my ears starting popping and my heart started pounding and my hands got all clammy, I'd say I was scared. It was GORGEOUS up there, don't get me wrong, but I started feeling woosy one lap around the deck had to go down. eek!! Tony, however, who claims to be afraid of heights, did just fine. Once we reached the ground I calmed down and we headed toward Macy's, the largest store in the world! One step in and it was heaven for me, and hell for Tony. hahaha! I probably should have spent more time in there and bought something lovely for myself, but after dragging a mostly patient husband through NYC making him hold my bags and take horse drawn carriage rides, I spent only a few minutes in there and left. Slowly, we headed back to the hotel, changed, and headed back out for dinner at the Hourglass Tavern. It was a tiny little place but the food was DELICIOUS! Especially the tiramisu! Then it was off to the show! We bought tickets for Wicked because I heard it was the most amazing broadway show ever, and people were right! It was AMAZING. Even Tony liked it! I choked up at the last song "For good" being reminded of my high school choir days and best friends from years ago. :') The show ended and we headed back to our hotel content and exhausted.
Day 5:
We awoke and decide to go to Magnolia Bakery for breakfast before we had to pack up and leave for the airport. I got a muffin and a cupcake, (cuz you can't just got to a bakery and NOT try a cupcake, even if it's only 8 am) and we checked out of our hotel. Heading toward JFK I was a little heartbroken.
I absolutely LOVED New York and wish that I could have spent more time there, or maybe even lived there. Waiting in the airport to go back "home" to Panama City with many elderly people in wheelchairs and people with southern accents talking next to me put me in a blue funk. I do love my life and am very thankful for all the wonderful things I have, but I do get a little bummed about where I live at times. Yes we have gorgeous beaches, and dolphins swimming in our backyard, but what most people don't realize is that I don't see the beach every day. It's about 25 minutes away without traffic and kind of out of the way. After a 40 hour work week with none of my grocery shopping or housework done, it's difficult to enjoy the beaches. And the dolphins don't always come out in our backyard and when they do, the water is so brown you can only see their dorsal fin. Not saying that isn't cool, because it most certainly is. I guess my point is, the grass is always greener on the other side. And...I never hoped to live in a small town but was put in one. So sometimes I long for a city with cafes, coffee shops, boutiques and sidewalks where I can walk my dogs. All of that to say, I had the trip of a lifetime. My husband is so amazing to have given that opportunity to me, for I know that I wouldn't have been able to go without him. I will have to go back one day. :)
Day 1:
We set off on our journey at about 11:00am on Saturday morning. We arrived in Baltimore at 5:30pm and were picked up by Tony's lovely cousin (Stacy) and uncle (Kevin), who drove us into DC to stay at his other lovely cousin's (Elizabeth) apartment just up the street from Dupont Circle. We were EXTREMELY lucky because Tony's family lives in DC and was SUPER accommodating; we had a lovely place to stay in the city without having to pay for hotel or worry about transportation! That night of course the Michigan game was on and we were referred to a pub called Buffalo Billiards in Dupont Circle which surprisingly was PACKED with Michigan fans. I don't think I've ever seen that many fans in one place, NOT in Michigan. So we settled in, got a drink and began to watch the game. Not too long after Tony "checked us in" on Facebook, one of his longtime childhood friends, Allison, sees the post, replies that she HAPPENS to be in the exact same bar, and comes trotting over. Small world!! We had no clue she was even living in DC, let alone in the same bar that we stumbled into. Talk about fate! The game had 4 overtimes and ended badly for Michigan, but we still had a great time. After the game, Allison and her friends took us out on the town! We had a great time and ended the night after a few drinks (probably too many..) and walked back to the apartment.
Day 2:
Tony and I woke up with a hammering headache and starving. Lesson learned: don't party on day ONE of the vacation; it puts a damper on day TWO. haha!! We sucked it up, pulled ourselves together, and hit the streets by 10. DC is much different than I expected. In a way, it's very similar to downtown Boise on a Saturday. As we walked through Dupont Circle, there was a lovely farmers market with SO much delicious, fresh food, and everyone offered samples. Yes! Everywhere we turned someone was jogging with headphones in, or walking their dog. Everyone was stylishly dressed and in their own little world heading wherever their day would take them. I loved how fast paced and hip the town was. Every corner had a cafe or a coffee shop or some little boutique. Just what I love about Boise, but bigger and quicker. We found a little bagel shop called "Bagels Etc" down the street from Dupont and ordered breakfast. I had to laugh because it was TINY. Literally about two shoulder lengths wide with a long skinny hallway. There were little ancient Asian women calling out orders and yelling THANK YOU NEXT!! I loved it. After breakfast, we set out to conquer the Metro. Kevin graciously gave us two metro cards to borrow while we were there and we put them to good use. I'm sure if you asked Tony, he would tell you, "it was such a pain in the ass!" but I thought it was a super easy and quick way to get around town. Once we got off the metro near the National Mall, we started hitting the sites. The White House was first where there was a huge crowd of rioters outside screaming at the lawn (I say lawn because obviously no one in the White House could hear their rants) and many secret service and police officers waiting for something to get out of hand. The White House looked smaller to me than I expected, I'm sure many television shows with close up shots helped to make me think it was a lot bigger. We ventured around the back of the house to see more rioters and more security and then headed toward the Washington Monument. It was of course under scaffolding due to the earth quake not too long ago, but it was still pretty grand. Next we walked along side the reflecting pool, through the WWII memorial and up to the Lincoln Memorial. I have to say, out of all the monuments, the Lincoln Memorial was my favorite. Big ole, peaceful, Abe was such a site to see. Next we saw the Korean memorial and started the long trek back to find a metro station. After all that walking, my little "comfortable" black flats had cut into my foot creating a large sore and made it difficult to walk. Ugh. Style tip ladies; find shoes that you know for a FACT will look cute and allows you to walk for hours on end. We caught the metro back to the apartment and hung out until our dinner date with the family. Due to the government shutdown, which was SUPER convenient (NOT), we weren't able to see the Smithsonian museums or Arlington Cemetery, but I was just glad we were able to see everything we did. After dinner Tony's aunt Dianne, Kevin, and Elizabeth took us on a night tour where we saw all the monuments all lit up while also telling us a little about each one. They were all so much cooler at night! After a long day of walking, we were pooped! We hit the hay pretty early to rest up for the trek to NYC the next day.
Day 3:
I have to say that my new favorite way of travel is by train. We caught a train out of DC and up to NYC for only 100 bucks for the both of us. We boarded at Union station, which was gorgeous, and sat in a comfortable coach car. A train is such a quite, comfortable, easy way to travel. I would do a train over a plane, car, or bus ANY day. 3 hours later we were able to see the Skyline of NYC! I can't tell you how excited I got once I spotted the towering buildings in the distance. It was almost like the feeling you got on Christmas day as a child when you realized Santa had delivered your gifts. I just remember the feeling of absolute adoration for the city as I stepped out of Penn station. Like something in a movie, I closed my eyes, breathed it all in, and looked up. I'm sure it sounds corny or silly, but I was in love with the city only two steps into it. We found our hotel easily on 48th street in Hell's Kitchen, the Holiday Inn Express Westside, and dropped our bags off. Hell's Kitchen is known for their amazing variety in restaurants. 9th street is lined with I think 100 different places. We had a delicious lunch at 5 Napkins Burgers, and only realized after we finished, that Danny Aiello was also having lunch at the table next to us! We knew he looked familiar, and figured he was someone famous because there were people pointing and staring at him, but we just couldn't remember his name. I ended up asking the guys next to us and realized immediately who he was. Very cool! After lunch we toured the Intrepid aircraft carrier and got to see an actual space ship! woo!! Tony loved it. "Lacy, it's a SPACESHIP!" haha! I think that was his favorite thing ever. ;) We then headed straight toward midtown. We went through Times Square where we saw the 2013 New Years ball and all the crazy tvs, ventured up a few blocks to the Rockefeller center and saw the newly opened ice skating rink and lego store. Then we headed up 5th ave and marveled at all the high end fashion boutiques. (or at least I marveled, Tony didn't care. ha!) I could tell we were getting close to Tiffany's as we walked. Cartier, Harry Winston...TIFFANY'S! My heart skipped a beat and I made Tony take a picture of me looking in the window just like Audrey. :) I'm sure Tony got a little nervous as I pranced through the doors with a grin on my face and my eyes as sparkly as the diamonds inside. First floor: gold and platinum jewelery. Gorgeous. Went to the elevators and the attendant asks me, "which floor ma'am?" I say, "all of them!!" She laughed and Tony shook his head. Next floor: bridal and diamonds. GORGEOUS! 3rd floor: sterling silver, or as Tony would say,"affordable shit" lol!! I wandered around oohing and awwing at all the jewelry and finally found settled in at one of the cases with the heart shaped charms. The lady behind the case says, "what's the budget range?" I look at Tony and he say's "whatever she wants". Just like he did when we picked out my engagement ring. Let me tell ya ladies, nothing makes a girl blush more than her man saying, "whatever she wants" in a jewelry store and having allllll the girls around her getting jealous. ;) Luckily for Tony, I'm a reasonable gal and chose a simple, yet elegant heart charm necklace with a silver key charm. Tiffany's=dream fulfilled! Next stop, the Plaza!!! If there's any place I loved as much as Tiffany's it was the Plaza. I have seen this grand hotel in many romantic and famous movies all my life and never thought I'd have a chance to stroll through those doors. We walked in and I literally sighed in contentment. The Palm Court was beautiful, just like I imagined! Downstairs was a bakery and cafe and Eloise's salon. I loved it. I bought a hotel towel with the Plaza emblem on it and a door hanger and we left. I told Tony that I would live there if I could. Sigh... As we walked out the doors, we were faced with many adorably romantic horse drawn carriages and men wearing top hats. Yes, I had to convince Tony to pay 50 bucks for a 20 minute ride through Central Park, but it was SO worth it for me. And he hardly even complained. Just like Carrie and Big, I told him. ;) After our romantic ride around the park, we headed back up 5th ave and back to Hell's Kitchen where we had a lovely dinner at an Italian restaurant, that I don't remember the name of. ha! It was delicious though.
Day 4:
We woke up bright eyed and bushy tailed after a good nights sleep and set out for the 911 memorial. We decided to take a cab because it was early and the subway was packed and OMG, that cab ride made me fear for my life! haha! The driver wove in and out of traffic at 50mph and stopping on a dime 6 inches away from the bumper in front of him. But he did get us to the memorial in record time and it was only 12 bucks! Score. Even 12 years later, the tragedy of the attacks lay heavy on my heart and I knew that this would be a hard thing to walk through. The memorial was beautiful. The pools that were laid in the foundation of the original towers were surrounded by the names of all those lives lost that awful day. Construction was still underway on the museum, but it didn't need to be open to memorialize the disaster. Tony and I walked around, silently paying our respects and trying to gulp down the lump that formed in both of our throats. I watched as foreigners that were visiting took pictures of themselves smiling in front of the pools and laughing as they walked around. I really wanted to punch them. Or at least scold them. It was not something to laugh or smile through. It was awful, and beautiful, and painful all at the same time. White roses were put in the names of the lost ones on days that would have been their birthdays. And the one lowly tree that survived was surrounded by barriers protecting it from onlookers. I can't say much else about it other than it was amazingly awful.
After collecting ourselves, we headed toward Battery park where we boarded a ferry to Liberty Island. Lady Liberty in all her glory was beautiful and it was a beautiful day to visit her. Blue skies and warm temperatures made it a perfect scene. The Empire State Building was next on our list and I was nervous about it. I've always had a terrible fear of elevators, but had to overcome the fear abruptly when I went to college and had to ride the elevator every day to my dorm room. But even after overcoming it, I still get a little nervous. 86 floors up in a jam packed elevator....not so appealing. Luckily it was a slower day for visitors and I was the last one on the elevator and the first one off. phew! 86 floors later and we were on top of the world! I am not normally afraid of heights, but as my ears starting popping and my heart started pounding and my hands got all clammy, I'd say I was scared. It was GORGEOUS up there, don't get me wrong, but I started feeling woosy one lap around the deck had to go down. eek!! Tony, however, who claims to be afraid of heights, did just fine. Once we reached the ground I calmed down and we headed toward Macy's, the largest store in the world! One step in and it was heaven for me, and hell for Tony. hahaha! I probably should have spent more time in there and bought something lovely for myself, but after dragging a mostly patient husband through NYC making him hold my bags and take horse drawn carriage rides, I spent only a few minutes in there and left. Slowly, we headed back to the hotel, changed, and headed back out for dinner at the Hourglass Tavern. It was a tiny little place but the food was DELICIOUS! Especially the tiramisu! Then it was off to the show! We bought tickets for Wicked because I heard it was the most amazing broadway show ever, and people were right! It was AMAZING. Even Tony liked it! I choked up at the last song "For good" being reminded of my high school choir days and best friends from years ago. :') The show ended and we headed back to our hotel content and exhausted.
Day 5:
We awoke and decide to go to Magnolia Bakery for breakfast before we had to pack up and leave for the airport. I got a muffin and a cupcake, (cuz you can't just got to a bakery and NOT try a cupcake, even if it's only 8 am) and we checked out of our hotel. Heading toward JFK I was a little heartbroken.
I absolutely LOVED New York and wish that I could have spent more time there, or maybe even lived there. Waiting in the airport to go back "home" to Panama City with many elderly people in wheelchairs and people with southern accents talking next to me put me in a blue funk. I do love my life and am very thankful for all the wonderful things I have, but I do get a little bummed about where I live at times. Yes we have gorgeous beaches, and dolphins swimming in our backyard, but what most people don't realize is that I don't see the beach every day. It's about 25 minutes away without traffic and kind of out of the way. After a 40 hour work week with none of my grocery shopping or housework done, it's difficult to enjoy the beaches. And the dolphins don't always come out in our backyard and when they do, the water is so brown you can only see their dorsal fin. Not saying that isn't cool, because it most certainly is. I guess my point is, the grass is always greener on the other side. And...I never hoped to live in a small town but was put in one. So sometimes I long for a city with cafes, coffee shops, boutiques and sidewalks where I can walk my dogs. All of that to say, I had the trip of a lifetime. My husband is so amazing to have given that opportunity to me, for I know that I wouldn't have been able to go without him. I will have to go back one day. :)
Quote for the day: "A bad day in New York, is still better than a good day anywhere else" <3
Comments
Post a Comment