***July 15, 2010***
Getting in late, we headed straight over to Doug and Sara's who were very kind to host us for the weekend. it was a good night; we spent the night laughing and catching up on each other's lives.
Killer!
Today we woke up early and Gary, Jeff and I caught a ride with Bart into the city. The city was bustling on the hot and sticky mid-summer day. We walked along the edge of Central Park and made our way through mid-town. Stopping in random shops along Fifth Avenue to escape the heat and enjoy the air-conditioning for a few minutes. Finally, we arrived at Rockefeller Center for our first destination of the day: 'Top of the Rock' observation deck. When we arrived we took the elevator to the top, inside it was like a disco ball of lights with music for entertainment during the ride. From the top of the 70 story building we got to experience breathtaking 360° views of the Big Apple; becoming eye level with the Empire State Building and seeing famous landmarks from a whole new prospective. Next we headed over to the subway and made our way to the Brooklyn Bridge - an iconic part of the New York skyline. The architecture and structure itself were amazing. Spanning the east river and connecting NYC boroughs’ Manhattan and Brooklyn, the structure is one of the oldest suspension bridges ever built and it was the longest suspension bridge in the world from it’s opening in 1883-1903 – truly a historic American achievement. It was over 100° and you could see and feel the blanket of moisture in the air. Dehydrated, we purchased bottles of water from a street vendor and made our way across the bridge to Brooklyn. Exhausted from the scorching heat, we decided to head back towards Grand Central to catch the train back to white plains. We picked up a large plain pie (yummy) and took it back to Sara and Doug’s where we spent the rest of the evening relaxing on the couch while watching the inspiring documentary “Fuel” – What a busy, fun-filled day!
Central Park
Central Park from Top of the Rock
Us with the Empire State Building!
Hudson River from Top of the Rock
New Years Eve ball
Brooklyn Bridge!
Manhattan Bridge and skyline!
Netflix and pizza - what a great way to end the day!
***July 17, 2010***
Wedding day - time to get pretty! After getting ready, Gary, Bart, Ruthanne, Jeff and I all headed to Jersey City via the George Washington Bridge for Jess and Scott's wedding. The actual wedding ceremony was held in a cute little Catholic church with a small group of close friends and family. After the wedding we headed back to the hotel room to freshen up before the reception. Our hotel sat right on the edge of the river directly across from the NYC skyline/Empire State Building - we explored the surrounding area and watched as cruise ships, sail boats, and barges passed by. The reception was held down the street from the hotel, at a restaurant on the river. The view was absolutely amazing; what a perfect place for a reception! Delicious appetizers and drinks were served under a tent outside next to the river (crab cakes, mussels, shrimp penne vodka, etc); we sat, ate, and chatted with Jeff, Doug, Sara, Jess and Scott as the sun went down. After watching the sun set over the city we headed inside the restaurant and made our way to our assigned tables. The room they had reserved was beautiful – full length glass windows provided the perfect view of the city lights. After speeches and dinner, we danced the night away then headed back to the hotel room for after hours with Doug. What a great time – Congrats to Jess and Scott on their perfect day!
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| George Washington Bridge! |
***July 18, 2010***
After waking up, Gary, Jeff and I decided to go looking for food. We walked down a couple of blocks adjacent to the hotel and found a small delicatessen. After finishing our sandwiches, we walked along the river and took in the sights one last time before heading back to the hotel to leave. When we got back, we met up with Sara and Doug and caught a ride back to Ossining with them. We found ourselves in stop-and-go traffic the entire ride back – I guess that’s what’s expected during summertime in New York (most likely everyone was heading back from a weekend at the beach). Exhausted from the very busy and fast weekend, we decided to relax and watch a documentary while eating mex-to-go dinner before heading back to the airport. Time to head back to Kansas - bye for now New York!
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