NYC day 3&4

SATURDAY:

It was a rainy day, but thankfully we had tickets to the Museum of Ice Cream at 10 am. The MOIC is essentially an art installation and experiential museum with loads of free ice cream/snacks! (well, included in the price of admission!) I'm glad we got there early because it got crowded really fast! 

Art installation

Sprinkle pool

After the museum we ate at Grey Dog for lunch and checked out Washington square. It was a cloudy day and raining on and off so we didn't stay out too long. We stopped at Levain bakery and then hung out at the hotel until dinner. 

As we were hanging out in the room, we found two amazing finds! By chance, we found this really good ramen restaurant called Momosan, which is where we ate dinner. AND we found this thing called The Summit which was right by our hotel! We raced to get tickets and managed to get a booking for later that night. 

The Summit is THE BEST way to view the NYC skyline!! 

 

We had a really great time and there were lots of fantastic photo opportunities! 

SUNDAY:

We started the day off by visiting the Vessel. It's a structure and visitor attraction built as part of the Hudson Yards Redevelopment Project in Manhattan. It has 154 interconnecting flights of stairs and looks super cool! Unfortunately you can't go in it anymore because of the number of suicides. 

The Vessel is right by an entrance to the HighLine. The Highline was not around last time I was in New York.  It's a park, greenway, and rail trail created on a former NY Central Railroad spur on the west side of Manhattan.  It's absolutely beautiful and it's a nice walk with plenty of beautiful lookouts!

We had reservations for Top of the rock at 1pm. It was a nice view of the city, but I think I prefer the Summit ! I had never been here before so this was something new for me!

Our final adventure was the Friends experience. I've always liked the show, but not a super fan.  This place had a whole bunch of set recreations for photo ops and they also had original props, clothing, etc. from the show and it was fun to explore. 

I loved being in New York with my FRIENDS! I honestly wasn't sure what to expect since I haven't been to NY in 10 +years. I had heard from a number of people about how dirty New York has become and how there are needles and trash in the streets. I didn't see any needles and I didn't think it was too dirty. (At least where we were) 

Before our trip I was a little worried about crazy people. I've seen news stories about people getting pushed on subway tracks, random acts of violence, etc. but we didn't have any problems. I was always alert and watching my surroundings, but I never felt unsafe. I'm grateful for such a fun trip and, yes, I still love New York.  We had a great itinerary and 10/10 would do it again!

NYC Day 2

FRIDAY:

Kelli and I woke up early and went to the 911 memorial and museum. We got to the memorial pools around 8:30am and had the place to ourselves. We were able to walk around without facing crowds of people, which was nice. Our tickets to the museum were for 9am. 

Memorial Pool. Brian David Sweeney was a passenger on Flight 175 when it was hijacked and flown into the South Tower.

Weeks after 9/11, a single Callery pear tree, which became known as the Survivor Tree, was discovered buried in rubble at Ground Zero. It was burned and badly damaged, but it still showed signs of life. Workers rescued the tree and it was transported to a park where it was tended to and cared for. Over the years, it grew from eight to 30 feet tall, sprouting new branches and flowering in spring. It was returned to the 9/11 Memorial plaza in 2010. It is a living symbol of hope and resilience, which is the ability to recover and bounce back after facing change or difficulties.

The museum was... a lot. It was a lot to take in. 

In the beginning I was reading everything, but as I got further in there was just SO MUCH.  I didn't realize how MASSIVE the museum was. A lot of thought and detail was put into it and it was very well done.

These words are part of a larger art installation in the 9/11 Memorial Museum created in 2014 by artist Spencer Finch, titled “Trying to Remember the Color of the Sky on That September Morning.”   Every one of the 2,983 watercolor squares is its own shade of blue – one for each of the 2001 and 1993 attack victims – and the artwork as a whole revolves around the idea of memory. Our own perception of the color blue might not be the same as that of another person. But, just like our perception of color, our memories share a common point of reference.

One thing I *didn't* like about the museum was that there were so many things to see and no direction about which way to go. I wish they had arrows or something on the floor guiding people through the exhibits. I also think that would help with traffic flow.  

After a while the museum takes a toll on you and, towards the end, I had to start skipping over some things. I think I was in there for around two hours, but I imagine you could spend more than a day there if you really wanted to read and see everything. (They also have audio tours and private guided tours)

After the museum we went to lunch at El Vez which was about a 5 minute walk. I don't particularly care for Mexican food to begin with, but this place had decent reviews and I think the other girls liked it. It was "fine" for me which I think would equate to being good for other people. (HA!)

We had ticket reservations for the Statue of Liberty express water taxi at 2 pm. I think at this point it was raining/sprinkling just a tad. It was a little cloudy for my liking, but you can't control the weather! (sigh) This particular tour was only about 50 minutes - and you don't get off at Ellis Island or walk the grounds at the Statue. (We knew this going in and it was part of the reason we picked this tour)

I liked the tour, but the audio on board was just background noise. It was too loud (at least on the top deck) so you couldn't hear anything.  I didn't particularly mind one way or the other -I just wanted to see Lady Liberty. Overall, I would recommend this tour if you're looking for a quick and easy way to see the Statue.  

When we got back on land we walked to Funny Face Bakery. (About a 2 minute walk from the pier) OH MY GOODNESS... They had really good fresh baked cookies! I had a sprinkle cookie and it was delicious. (Later on I also tried chocolate chip and smores!)

I'm so glad we had Kelli with us because she is the one who suggested all the food/bakery places and photo spots! 

Dumbo was next on our list. (Dumbo is a neighborhood in the borough of Brooklyn)  There was a really great photo op of the Manhattan Bridge and Dumbo was such a nice place to walk around! There was something called TimeOut Market which had a bunch of dining options and there was a carousel! 

We had such a nice time exploring and I think our itinerary was pretty solid! It was a great second day in New York! 

 

NYC Day 1

Earlier this month I traveled to NYC! 

Sara, my friend of almost 30 (!!!) years, moved to New York earlier this year. When Kelli and I learned she was moving we took swift action and began planning a trip to visit her in the BIG APPLE!

Author's Note: I went to NYC for the first time in 2002. This was shortly after 9/11 so a lot has changed in the 20 years! I've been to New York two other times, but they were for mission trips so I don't really count those since we didn't do much tourist-y stuff.  So essentially this was only my SECOND time in New York (as a tourist) 
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Kelli and I left home early on a Thursday morning and got to New York by 10am.  We ended up staying at Hyatt Grand Central Hotel which was an ideal location. It took probably 50 minutes from JFK airport to get to the hotel, but once we got there it was within walking distance of so many things! 

We dropped off our bags and headed to meet Sara for lunch. We ended up eating at Joe's Home of Soup Dumplings and it was DELICIOUS!!! Highly recommend!  (Near Rockefeller Center)

We then headed to Central Park and rented E-Scooters. This was SUCH a fun way to explore Central Park! I think we all really enjoyed having the scooters. It was $19 each for one hour and definitely worth it! 

After the park we headed to Times Square which, nicely enough, was within walking distance. I love seeing Time Square because of the lights and busy-ness of it. Great photography spot! 

We had Dolly Varden for dinner and then went and saw WICKED at Gershwin Theatre. It was a GREAT night! So much so that we even decided to go back to Times Square so we could get some night time pictures! 

Kelli and I had been up since 5:30am and we probably didn't go to bed until after 11:30 that night. It was a LONGGGG day, but so worth it! 

Red River Gorge

Behind on blogging again so here's the first update:

Took a quick anniversary trip with Mike and Roman over Labor Day weekend! Every year we try to do a little getaway -even if it's just a day trip. *I* really like taking Roman with us. I feel so bad whenever I travel so I'm glad he was able to come this time. 

That being said, everything we did was dog friendly. There were many other things that looked like fun, but we did not do them because we had our doggy with us. :)

I have been to RRG once before - I did the zipline and saw the natural bridge. (That was probably 10 years ago.) When preparing and researching for this trip I used the sites All Trails and Bring Fido. All Trails is nice because it has trails maps, reviews, and is a great guide for outdoor recreational activities.  Bring Fido has a huge database of pet friendly places to stay, things to do, and places you can eat with your dog. 

FRIDAY: It took probably 2 1/2 hours to drive down from our house.  We ended up doing the Hidden Arch Trail Head which is part of the Daniel Boone National Forest.  It was a 2 mile hike and just the right amount for us to get a taste of what was to come. Since we didn't get there until mid afternoon, by the time we were done, we were ready for dinner.

We saw good reviews for Miguel's Pizza and decided to try it out. We had an AWFUL experience here and would NOT recommend it. It took over an hour to get our pizza. They said there was a problem with their ticket printer and our food was still in the queue.  (??) They did finally offer us a refund and when our pizza came out, we were unimpressed.  It didn't even taste good! I am still surprised at all the great reviews... not worth it in my opinion!

SATURDAY: We started off the day kayaking with Mill Creek Lake Kayak and SUP rental.  We were only out for about an hour because Roman started getting antsy and my back was hurting. :) Mill Creek lake was beautiful and we got there first thing so it wasn't crowded. 

After kayaking we grabbed a quick bite to eat and headed out for our hikes:

Rock Bridge:

Angel Windows:

Sky Bridge:

All of the hikes we did were nice- they weren't too long and all of them were dog friendly.  For me, I prefer shorter hikes (1-2 miles in length) because they're easier (I HATE uphill!!!) and it means we can do multiple hikes in a day as compared to just doing one 8 mile hike.  I also get bored on longer hikes and keep checking how much time we have left... "are we there yet??"  (Yes, I'm a child). :)

I liked Sky Bridge the best, but unfortunately I don't feel like we really got to appreciate the views or the hike. At the start of this hike, my lovely dog decided to roll in dog poop on the trail so he was COVERED. (It was also getting hot, he wanted me to pick him up, etc.)  I think we were all just kind of done by this point.   

We headed back to our cabin and took multiple showers. We technically had the cabin for one more night, but we decided we would rather just travel back home. We saw we wanted to see (with a dog) and, while the cabin was nice, it still wasn't home. (It's also very outdoorsy so think BUGS)

All in all we had nice weather and I don't think anything was too terribly crowded for it being Labor Day weekend. Red River Gorge/Daniel Boone National Forest is home to many great hikes and views and provided us with a nice little getaway. 

New England part 3: Massachusetts

This blog is all about Massachusetts! We visited Salem, Plymouth, and Boston!

SALEM:

Salem is about a 30 minute drive from Boston depending on where you are staying. Of course Salem is famous for all things spooky and the famous Salem witchcraft trials. I mainly wanted to go because of my love for The Crucible and to see where these trials took place. 

The Crucible is a play written by Arthur Miller. In it he wrote about the witch-hunts and trials in seventeenth-century Salem, Massachusetts. Based on historical people and real events, Miller's drama is a searing portrait of a community engulfed by hysteria. It is one of my favorites.

While in Salem we visited the Salem witch trials memorial. It is a simple memorial with walls surrounding three sides and granite benches representing each victim. Each bench has a name engraved, means of execution, and execution date. 

 


We also went to the Salem Witch House which was the home of Judge Jonathan Corwin and is one of the only structures still standing in Salem with direct ties to the witchcraft trials.  We did not go inside, but we got pictures from the outside. 



The Salem Witch Museum was also on our list. One of my friends warned me that she thought it was "overrated" and I probably should have listened to her. I had to do "something" while we were there though so I opted for the museum.



The museum consists of two "presentations." The first one provides an immersive look into the Salem witch hunt of 1692. There are life-size stage sets, figures, and narration to go along with it. This part was decent -especially for people who haven't read the Crucible or might need a refresher. 




The second exhibit explores the meaning behind the word "witch" and evolution of the word over time. 

The museum was just okay and wasn't really what I was expecting. Even if I had done more research going into it, I probably still would have went. I mean, it's the Salem Witch Museum afterall!

Unfortunately there are a lot of psychics and witchcraft shops in Salem and a lot of ghost tours and Halloween things that don't really interest me.  We did, however, go to to Sea Level Oyster Bar and it was really good! I got some jumbo shrimp and my husband got baked scallops with buttery crumbs and lemon chive butter sauce. He asked me to try it and OH MY GOSH it was so good!




I would rate Salem a 6 out of 10. Definitely not a place I need to go back to, but glad I went. 

 

PLYMOUTH: 

Plymouth is a coastal town about an hour south of Boston. Plymouth, of course, played an important role in U.S. history and was the initial landing site of the first voyage of the Mayflower. (And settlement of Plymouth Colony)

Our first stop was the Plimoth Patuext Museum. We spent about 2 hours here exploring everything. 

This is basically an outdoor exhibit where guests can learn about the Native peoples who lived here as well as a 17th century English village. It's essentially a recreation of a small farming community built by the Pilgrims. They had actors dressed in historical clothing and each had a "role"of an inhabitant of the community. 
 


FUN FACT! I asked the guy at the museum why the spelling of Plimoth was different.  In the early 17th century there were no rules for the spelling of English words. Each writer did whatever he or she pleased, phonetically spelling the word as seemed fit. Plymouth has been spelled a number of ways in colonial documents: Plymouth, Plymoth, and Plimoth. 


After exploring the village we headed over to THE Plymouth Rock. (or we as we called it, "Plymouth Pebble.") We knew going in that it would be underwhelming and smaller than we imagined. 

Although no historical evidence exists to confirm Plymouth Rock as the Pilgrims' actual steppingstone to the New World, the "boulder" was identified as this spot in 1741, 121 years after the arrival of the Mayflower.



Close to Plymouth Rock is the Mayflower II. It's a full-scale reproduction of the ship that brought the Pilgrims to Plymouth in 1620. This took about 40 minutes to explore. I was a little disappointed in this -- I think I was expecting more. HOWEVER ... it is crazy to think about how 102 passengers and 30 crewmembers could have lived and survived comfortably on this 100 foot ship. The historical aspects were still fascinating. 

I would rate Plymouth a 7 out of 10 because... HISTORY!! Really glad we made the stop as it wasn't on our original itinerary. 

BOSTON:

Our group split up here. Melissa and Aaron went to Fenway to see the Red Sox and Mike and I went to the Boston Tea Party Museum.  The museum is one of my favorite museums I've ever been to. (And I've been to quite a few!) It was also probably my favorite part of this trip! 

At the museum you can actually be part of history! It's a multi-sensory experience that includes live actors, interactive exhibits, and the best part?! YOU CAN THROW "TEA" INTO THE SEA!!!! (That was the main reason I wanted to go here in the first place. LOL)  

The experience was so much more though! I absolutely LOVED the actors and learning more about the event that forever changed U.S. history! 

They also have the only known surviving tea chest from the Boston Tea Party of 1773. It has been protected and preserved for more than two centuries- it's called the Robinson Tea Chest. 

I could go on and on about how much I LOVED this museum, but you should probably just go and see for yourself!! 

100/10 !!!!!!

Tea Party Museum with the Boston skyline

Old North Church

Our last day was spent in Boston and we did some of the Freedom Trail. We saw Paul Revere's House and the Old North Church. This is Boston's oldest church and best known for the midnight ride of Paul Revere and "One if by land, Two if by sea."   



We also stumbled upon Bova's Bakery which... OH MY YUMS! SO GOOD! I got a S'mores brownie and now I'm salivating just looking at the picture. Definitely recommend! 

Our last stop was Quincy Market . There are hundreds of shops and places to eat there. We did a quick walk through, but it was so crowded and there weren't any places to sit.

Overall, I liked Boston. I would probably rate it 8 out of 10, but not sure I have a strong desire to go back. 


If you've made it this far, thanks for reading! Next trip is in October so until then.... 

Peace, Love, and Applesauce.