Steven and I took a weekend trip to NYC for our 6th wedding anniversary. My parents watched Gavin, Gabby and Gage Friday and Saturday night so we could get away… HUGE thanks to you Grammie, PopPop, Uncle Odie, Noodle, Blue and Lilly for showing the kids a great time!!! :) And of course a HUGE thank you to Lil, my mother-in-law, for taking care of the pets and the house while we were away. The trip was fun – and I definitely learned a few things…
- I am a country girl through and through
- NYC is insanely expensive - - especially parking
- the view from the Empire State building was well worth the $44
- subways aren’t all that scary
- all the ladies who walk around that city in high heels are nuts
- Central Park is huge
- riding the ferris wheel in ToyRUs makes you feel like a kid again
- hot dogs from a street vendor are super yummy
softhard pretzels from a street vendor are not so yummy- Ellis Island seriously took my breath away
- I feel terrible for the horses in Central Park
- Ice skating in Rockefeller Plaza looks so fun – I sure wish I knew how to ice skate!!!
- I want to save up for a king bed
- taxis still scare the poop out of me
- Times Square is… bright!!!
- there really is a Starbucks on every.single.stinkin’ corner
- city life is not for this chick
Friday night: we dropped the kids off at my parents house and enjoyed dinner with them. I was afraid Gabby and Gage would be super fussy when it was time to say goodbye but to my surprise, Gavin was the tearful one. I held it together fairly well, I knew they’d be in great hands and have a blast :) We got to our hotel and checked in around 9:45 p.m. then quickly decided to check out what movies were playing at the theater across the street. [Steven and I haven’t been to a movie, just the 2 of us, since spring of 2008] We decided to watch 21 Jump Street and it was hilarious!!! Tons of swearing and sexual references but still incredibly funny.
Saturday: We got up, enjoyed a nice breakfast at the hotel and checked out. We headed to Liberty State Park to take the ferry over to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty.
Our first stop was Ellis Island – I hadn’t been there before so I was very excited to go! It really did take my breath away walking inside that door. We were there for a couple of hours just soaking in the history – truly incredible. {I think this was my favorite part of the trip} I don’t know any specific ancestors in my family who may have come through Ellis Island but to me, that really doesn’t matter.
We got back on the ferry and headed to see the Statue of Liberty! Both Steven and I had been there before but only when we were both very young. I had hoped to take the stairs to the crown but they were doing renovations and there were no interior tours. We walked around the island and took pictures – she sure is a beautiful sight!!!
After enjoying a yummy lunch we boarded the Miss Gateway and headed back to Liberty State Park. We sat in front of a family with 5 kids – 3 boys and 2 girls. I’d say the oldest was 11 or 12 and the youngest was just over a year. The mother began singing to her youngest son as she was giving him a bottle and rocking him. I was really missing my kids and almost started to cry but decided instead to just listen to her sing. She had a beautiful voice and was singing in a different language so I kept turning my head, trying to figure out a polite way to ask her where she was from. I think she noticed me watching/listening because she quickly asked where we were from… I shared we were from Lancaster, Pennsylvania and she said her crew was from Pittsburgh. I told her she had a beautiful voice and she thanked me and explained she was singing in her native language. I asked where she was from and she shared that she is from Zimbabwe. I was sort of disappointed that we were just about back to the port because I think I could have sat with her and talked or listened to her sing for at least another hour or two!!! [and I will admit, I was also very anxious about driving into the city so I would have been fine with a longer ferry ride!] But, the ferry ride ended and it was time to make the drive into the city. Thankfully Steven was driving and was welcoming the challenge.
We first attempted to visit the site of the World Trade Centers but couldn’t really find inexpensive parking and figured it would be fun to bring the subway back downtown anyway. Next mission – find our hotel and park our van without getting hit by a taxi – or without hitting a taxi or a person - - - mission accomplished (with a few wrong turns and some grouchy words!) We were on the 33rd floor of the hotel with a great view of the city and Central Park.
Time to hit the town :) We decided just to walk to Times Square from the hotel, enjoy the sights and have dinner at Bubba Gump Shrimp Company. This was where Steven and I ate the night we got married – in Honolulu, Hawaii.
After a yummy dinner we headed to the 4-story ToysRUs and enjoyed a fun ferris wheel ride. We were the only adults on the ride without kids but I didn’t care – I felt like I had to go on the ride for my kids!!! We got the Mr. & Mrs. Potato Head car :) fitting considering that’s who were dressed up as for Halloween…
After the ride we bought a gift for Gavin and headed back out to experience Times Square. We decided to go to the Empire State Building since Steven had never been there. It took about 45 minutes or so of elevator rides and waiting in line to get up to the 86th floor observation deck but it was well worth it. Holy view batman – talk about gorgeous! I got a ton of pictures and actually took a few of cute couples together :) I think this was my second favorite part of the trip… that’s a view I won’t soon forget.
After the Empire State Building it was time for more walking… and walking… and walking… and walking! I swear I walked more Saturday then I’ve ever walked before in my life :) We strolled along 5th Avenue, enjoyed Rockefeller Plaza then found ourselves in search of a piece of NY style pizza. Well, easier said than done. It was after midnight and not many places were still open. Long story walk short, once we did actually find a place and got back to the hotel with that whole cheese pie, it was awesome!!!
Sunday: It sure was a treat waking up to a gorgeous view of NYC. We hopped on the Subway and headed downtown to the World Trade Center site. Talk about somber… I didn’t really know what to think or how to feel standing in the street there trying to imagine what the horrific day must have been like. The only thing I really could do was pray – so I did.
What we thought would be an easy ride back uptown to the hotel was a little confusing due to construction on the subway but we figured it out (after a few not so nice words!) The only thing left to do was buy an I <heart> NY t-shirt and grab some food from a street food vendor. I chose a soft pretzel (bad idea) and Steven got a hot dog (yum!) – we took one last stroll around Central Park and proceeded to check out of the hotel and retrieve our van out of parking. $51.00 later … YES – FIFTY.ONE.DOLLARS to park our stinkin’ car for 20 hours … we were headed home … back to good ol’ Amish country!
It was nice to get away and have a mental (sort of) and physical break from being mom. Steven and I hadn’t gone away over night, just the two of us, since before Gavin was born, so I’d say it was a trip well-earned!
Happy 6th Anniversary babe… I love you!!!
