Empire State of Mind

And now for the New York trip finale … New York City.

I’ll just start off by saying I love it there and if I could, I’d be writing this blog in a cute little loft right in the heart of Manhattan, ha.  As I said in my last post, I think I could definitely live there.

I’m sure I would like the inside of these : )   It reminds me of the show Selling New York on HGTV … some of those places are so cool! Grand Central Station.  We drove to NYC since we were staying very close in Fort Montgomery,  but it’s still really neat to see again since I’m not exactly there every day, ha!
Erik’s dad wanted to go to the Heidelberg Restaurant and chill there for awhile and Erik and I wanted to explore for awhile so we took him to Heidelberg and went on our merry way. 

The Times Square area seemed like the obvious choice for exploring so we began our almost 50 block, one hour walk journey from the restaurant, ha.  We were truckin’ it, but I enjoyed every minute!

Bryant Park: I love these little parks in the middle of the city, and I love all the people everywhere!  I think I like it so much because there’s so many different types of people there and anyone can be who they want to be and no one else really cares! 

There’s no need to be shy or to be anyone other than yourself … because it’s already so diverse no one will think anything of it!
   
There was tons of people out once it got dark … we got there just in time to take some pictures and head back to Erik’s dad. (But we cheated and took a cab those 50 blocks back). So fun … I’m ready to go back already! ; )

And it just wouldn’t be right if I didn’t end with this:

aaaaaaand this, haha:

P.S.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my dad!! : )

Whole Foods Manhattan Style

I spent my first day back to reality in MO sleeping in and running errands with Erik (so it was good reality ; )  Thankfully, I was off work today … I like to have a day to unwind after vacation!

Onward with the NY recap!

On our last full day there, we stopped for lunch at a place called Hudson Water Club.  Of all the places we ate in NY, judging by food, view and overall experience, it was probably one of my favorites.  It was more modern and I’m sure that’s a big part of it. 

Our dining view of the Hudson … it was a beautiful day! While eating, this seagull entertained me.  It was wondering around eating scraps off of the ground.  It’s funny how birds get so used to people being around that it doesn’t even phase them. I ordered the Mediterranean salad with grilled chicken. It included “feta cheese, cucumber, tomato, olive, chickpeas, & lemon tahini dressing.”

It had entirely way too much feta but after removing some, perfection was attained.I love eating outside, especially by water!  Front view: After lunch, it was off to New York City!

Our first stop was Whole Foods.  We ran into it on accident so of course we had to stop! It was HUGE.  I don’t know how big “normal” Whole Foods are but it was much bigger than any Whole Foods in Kansas City, that’s for sure.

Erik and I could have just about literally spent the night there looking around, ha, but we were parked illegally outside so we didn’t stay long.I thought the checkout was funny/neat.  You stood in a row that was color coded (blue, yellow, green or red) and when the next checkout stand was open, the number of that checkout stand was called and the number showed up in whichever color’s row was next. (If that made any sense at all?! My description skills are lacking).

Ha, maybe I’m weird but I found that entertaining!We left with some sushi and coconut water for Manhattan exploring fuel. Exploring post and last NYC recap post to come! : )

But here’s a teaser … I could so live there!

Comparing Pizza … (plus West Point, Beacon and more)

Well … it’s finally back to reality!

I’m currently editing pictures and prepping blogs while on flight back to Kansas City.  Sad to leave but very happy to sleep in my own bed again! Bittersweet, bittersweet ; )

We fit a lot into our last few days in NY and here’s some highlights … on Friday we visited the famous West Point Military Academy, did a lot of driving around and took pretty scenic pictures. 
Erik’s great grandparents are buried in the West Point cemetery so we stopped there while inside the West Point campus.

Last time I was in NY (two years ago) we couldn’t get through security (as it’s not opened to the public for self touring and we didn’t even think of the fact that Erik’s grandparents were buried there) so it was neat to be able to get in and see it all this time.

We stopped in a town called Beacon on our drive and Erik and I decided that we wouldn’t mind living there if we were in the area.  It had an artsy/modern feel to it with many health food stores and restaurants … right up our alley! 

An example of the ‘artsy’ness below on an old downtown building: As I’ve mentioned in previous NY recap posts (here, here, here, and here), the scenery in NY is beautiful! I’m not used to all these bodies of water, trees, hills, and mountains and I love it!

See?? (Erik is beautiful scenery too ; )Like our Lincoln rental car? Haha.  As we were taking pictures a bunch of crotch rockets sped around the corner, as documented below. And finally, gotta love the NY pizza.  It’s a lot different that what I’m used to.   In fact, I have created this list to officially compare … (obviously, pizza is serious business).

(Cell phone included as form of measurement)

Pizza after a long day of vacation in the sun? It just makes sense.

What’s your favorite style of pizza?