The past weekend I took a mini vacation to NYC. It's a city that I have really fantasized about for a while now for no apparent reason; I just have this desire to travel anywhere and everywhere. I met up with my two good friends, Emily and Alyse, from my externship this summer at Houston Methodist, and we set out for a most memorable weekend. The days flew by, but Em was a wonderful tour guide and we got to see quite a few things in our short time in the Big Apple. Disclaimer: I am a newb when it comes to the East Coast, so if I sound unusually childish about certain things, oh well.
Friday: After the flight to Newark Thursday night, the three of us woke up in Em's super cute apartment in South Orange and took the train headed to NYC. I swear I was like a little kid on Christmas morning. I had leggings on under my jeans, my flannel shirt under my vest which was under my winter coat donated to me for the weekend courtesy of Kristi Santiago. Needless to say, I came prepared for the cold! On accident, our train ride there led us past our switching train into the city, but ended in Hoboken, and from there we rode the "Path" under the river to 33rd street. Walking up from the subway onto the streets of New York could only be described as a new world to me. They hustle and bustle is real you guys. We continued walking and stopped and shopped at a few places like Bryant Park before ending up right in front of Radio City Music Hall. We still had plenty of time before our Christmas Spectacular Show, so we trekked a little further to Rockefeller Center to see THE TREE. Unbelievably beautiful you guys. It's crazy. I became more knowledgeable on American Girl Dolls which apparently are a huge thing (Cates could give you the low down on almost any doll no problem), and right next to that store was Saks Fifth Avenue. Again, absolutely amazing. This store held 9 different stories full of shoes, clothes, decorations, and more! Not only that, but the window shopping outranks anything you've ever seen before. Beautifully designed manikins dressed in vibrant colors and different decade attire stretched from one side of the store to the other then curled around to the far side. CRAZY. We then headed to our seats for the Christmas Spectacular show and the Rockettes definitely did not disappoint. All the lights, props and characters left lasting impressions to help make that one of my favorite parts of the trip! We left the show and headed to Times Square where everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, was illuminated, so much so that I couldn't get a great picture with my phone. Walking through Times Square was certainly hectic and we finally made our way to Penn Station to head back to Jersey. FYI people really are feisty when it comes to the train. Haha. We ended the day eating delicious Italian food in the cutest little town right outside South Orange, and crashed as soon as we got back.
Saturday: This day was devoted to exploring Ellis Island and The Statue of Liberty. The weather certainly didn't care that I was a tourist seeking perfectly clear skies while on my vacation, but that really didn't put a damper on our parade. Getting to the park proved a task in itself. The directions and address were not very clear at all but we made it with surprisingly plenty of time to spare. First stop: Ellis Island. So my first thought when arriving happened to be of that one scene in Hitch where Will Smith takes Eva Mendes on the date and reveals her grandpa to her. Interesting fact: that book is fabricated and doesn't actually exist! Oh well. The museum was beautiful with three floors full of history. After that (and some fun with the GoPro), we got back on the ferry and arrived at The Statue of Liberty. We had a little more fun with the GoPro, and then returned back to Liberty State Park before heading to the apartment. That night Emily took us to Carlo's Bakery before we ended up eating great pizza at her BEAUTIFUL house in Augusta, New Jersey. I can't even begin to describe how beautiful it was!
Sunday: We woke up to sun for the first time all weekend! Alyse and I ventured out into the neighborhood where I got great pictures with legitimate snow for the first time in my life. Okay, okay, it was more like ice piled up on the sidewalk, but cut me some slack. It was the most snow I had seen! Mr. and Mrs. Slate fed us breakfast including the best bagels you'll ever have, and then took us to the countryside to explore a very historic farm. This farm needs restoration, so in an effort to raise money, vendors from everywhere sold their products in order to help the cause. Following that, they took us to the highest point in Jersey where you can see PA, NY, and NJ all at the same time. It was breathtaking, and the perfect way to end the trip.
Some things I learned:
Pizza is pie. "We should get three pies with pepperoni!"
Water dogs are hot dogs sold on the street (I found them surprisingly delicious).
New Jersey pay people to pump up your gas EVERYWHERE ALL THE TIME.
The highway system is hectic even for someone as directionally oriented as myself.
Sorry isn't a word used too often in the city.
There are some pretty good looking and well dressed people up there.
Pizza is pie. "We should get three pies with pepperoni!"
Water dogs are hot dogs sold on the street (I found them surprisingly delicious).
New Jersey pay people to pump up your gas EVERYWHERE ALL THE TIME.
The highway system is hectic even for someone as directionally oriented as myself.
Sorry isn't a word used too often in the city.
There are some pretty good looking and well dressed people up there.
Thank you so much Emily and Mr. and Mrs. Slate for all of your hospitality, and for putting up with all of my ridiculous questions! I'll definitely be taking a trip up there again soon!