I spent the first two weeks of March roadtrippin’ across the USA, which you probably already knew if you follow me on Instagram/Facebook/Twitter. From Phoenix to NY, we drove thru 14 states, stopped at countless cities, traveled more than 6,000 miles. We went from desert to snow and everything in between.
It was a business trip for my husband, visiting different customers along the way, and I just happened to tag along because I love road-trips and more importantly because I love my husband. There’s something about being confined to a small space with the one you love for hours on end…we’ve had some of the deepest, most random conversations in a car in the middle of nowhere, which I find incredibly romantic; we’ve witnessed some of the most splendid sunsets and stopped to admire beautiful landscapes; we’ve discovered new wonderful places and visited old favorite ones; we’ve fallen in love with each other, and with this country, all over again.
I got to see some places that had been on my travel bucket list for a long time, like San Antonio, Atlanta, New Orleans and Savannah; and also visited some old familiar places like Austin, Houston, Baltimore and my dear New York City.
I don’t know what it is about travel that makes me feel so accomplished. Maybe it’s because it was a childhood dream to travel the world and explore new horizons, and as many places as I have yet to discover, I am grateful for every single mile I have traveled.
Tag Archives: Manhattan
Travel: Concrete Jungle
Finally, after 12 weeks on the road, I arrived home last night feeling like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz: there’s no place like home!! Unfortunately, it turns out that 12 weeks of not sleeping in your own bed means you have to get used to it again. In other words, I didn’t get great sleep last night, but I’m still very happy to be home. Granted, I’m also a tad overwhelmed with my long to-do list, so it’ll take a few days before I’m actually comfortably settled in again. However, I can get started on that to-do list right now.
“Post my NYC photos on the blog”, checked! Since this is what this post is really about. It was merely 5 weeks ago that I was in New York City enjoying everything the concrete jungle has to offer. This was my third consecutive year to visit NY during Labor Day weekend, and though I love the idea of making it a tradition to visit the big apple at least once a year, I may need to pick a different holiday to do so. Early September is still pretty hot over there; in fact, this year, it was the hottest I’ve ever witnessed, and being a woman of the desert, this humid heat is definitely not for me.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I think I might go take a nap while you scroll down to see the photos. Have a lovely weekend darlings!
Look of the Day: Central Park and More
I can’t think of a better way to spend a beautiful Sunday than to hang out in Central Park, and that’s exactly what we did when we were in New York. After having a nice little brunch on the Upper East Side, we arrived to the park and spend a few hours there. I love everything about this landmark. Bethesda Fountain and the Literary walk are two of my favorite spots within the park, not to mention all the lovely tunnels and bridges. I of course visit the park every time I’m in the city, but this time I got to do another first, take a carriage ride around the park, which was lovely.
After the park, I decided I wanted to check out the iconic Plaza Hotel, and so we did. It is be-a-u-tiful. I can only imagine what staying there and having a room with such a view of Central Park would be like. We got there just in time for tea, and I would’ve loved to sit there for an hour sipping on tea, eating tea sandwiches and scones, but that’s not precisely at the top of the list for a 13 year old boy, so I decided to leave ‘tea at the Plaza’ as something to look forward to on my next trip.
Then we hopped in the car and headed south to downtown and Wall Street area. Because it was a holiday weekend, and so many New Yorkers flee to the beach to say goodbye to summertime, the city didn’t feel as crowded as usual and traffic wasn’t terrible. However Soho was buzzing, there were people everywhere, coming and going and shopping and eating. Chinatown was pretty busy too, but Wall Street area was understandably mostly dead. Except for this tiny corner of the actual Wall Street where there was a movie shooting with none other than hottie Chris Pine. The movie crew obviously didn’t allow people to get close to the scene or the actors, but I did manage to take a picture from across the street showing a glimpse of his good looking face.
Next we headed to South Street Seaport because I was determined to get a picture of the Brooklyn Bridge. I had seen it before and even drove on it on my past trips, but surprisingly I never took a picture of it. South Street Seaport provides a pretty good view of it, and I snapped away as many pictures as I could, because it takes many for me to find one or two that I’m happy with. We hanged out there for a little while, and sat at one of the cafes for a snack, but the food was terrible.
Finally we ended our day right where we started it, in the Upper East Side. We had planned to have dinner at the famous Serendipity 3, but I was so naive as to think I could just walk in and get a table. Turns out you better make a reservation or you might end up waiting over an hour and a half. Which was our actual wait, although we decided to put our names on the list and then walked to a little brasserie on the corner to have dinner there, and we got back just in time to get our table at Serendipity 3 if only just to have one of their infamous desserts. I can see why this place has become so popular, it is quite charming and their desserts are a sight in themselves. I am not particularly a fan of such a sugar overdose but it was nice just to sit there, and enjoy a few bites with loved ones.
As usual, I leave you with the pictures of the day, outfit included. Enjoy!
In Central Park
Literary Walk My actual smile Favorite sunnies New statement necklace Bridge in the park Saxophone player in tunnel Light at the end of the tunnel Bethesda Fountain New Yorkers at the park The Plaza Hotel Flatiron Building Washington Square Arch NYSE Cutie Chris Pine Brooklyn Bridge Brooklyn Bridge from the FDR What I wore Top: H&M Skirt: vintage Belt: H&M Statement necklace: from Macy's Neon bracelets: Target and Charming Charlie Yellow handbag: H&M Black flats: Crocs Sunnies: $5 from street vendor in Mexico City