NEW YORK, NEW YORK!!

Mr. D and I decided to take a last minute trip to NYC, and I'm so glad we did.  

Sometimes it is hard to get away, but it is always worth it in the end.  
We have never been to NYC together, so I'm glad we had the opportunity
to do it and visit my brother, sister-in-law, and their baby C
before they move back to Utah, 
after graduating from Cornell.  We had such a great time 

and were able to see and do so much. Blisters all over my feet became quite the problem!  

Here are a some highlights and some ideas of great things to do while in NYC.

*Ellis Island & Statue of Liberty.  We did the real deal and went to both of these islands for the full effect.  If you don't want to actually go to the island, then taking the Staten Island ferry is an option, because it is free and you get to have a nice ride past the the two islands.  We like to see historical sites, so it was fun to visit where all the immigrants had to stop before coming to America.

*I have heard so many things about the Shake Shack so I put a stop to Madison Square Park on the must see list.  When we arrived the line was crazy long.  Mr. D  was not happy about standing in line to eat.  But after we tasted our burgers, fries, fresh lemonade, and a black & white concrete shake... he was so happy and understood why.  IT REALLY IS THAT GOOD! I'm typically not a burger and fries girl, but those were the best I've had- hands down!

*FINALLY! I love going to Broadway shows...LOVE!  I don't get to go often anymore, and have been wanting to see Wicked for quite some time.  It did not disappoint. Loved it. The cast and production was quite fantastic.

*We went for a lovely walk on The High Line.  It is a new walkway that was originally constructed in the 1930s, to lift dangerous freight trains off Manhattan's streets.  The High Line has become a mile-and-a-half-long elevated park, running through the West Side neighborhoods of the Meatpacking District, West Chelsea and Clinton/Hell's Kitchen. It is beautiful, and a great way to see that neighborhood. 

*Top of the Rock is a must do!  Go to the Rockefeller Center and take the Top of the Rock tour where you go 70 stories high to see an incredibly amazing view of the concrete jungle.  Plus, it is fun to see where the ice skating rink is, NBC studios, and the Today show.  While in the area, we stopped in to get a cupcake from Magnolia Bakery.  Speaking of cupcakes...I was so disappointed!  We went to stop in at Crumbs Bakery for the famous cupcakes, but the only time we were in the area was on Sunday, and it was closed. :( Too bad.  So sad.

*Walking the Brooklyn Bridge was one of the highlights!  It was such a beautiful evening and the bridge is a fantastic site to see.  Apparently, this trek has become quite the thing to do, along with stopping at the famous Grimaldis Pizzeria.  Why is it that New York has the most amazing food?  AMAZING!  A bit of advice: we called Grimaldis when we started the walk across the bridge and ordered take-out.  That way, we didn't have to stand in the insane line.  We took our pizza to this little park right next to the river and had a nice little dinner while enjoying the view of NYC.

*Now, don't think I'm weird for recommending this, but we took one of those tourist buses with the open top, and loved it! We were able to use it as transportation around town and we could hop on and off as we pleased.  We were able to see parts of NYC and Brooklyn that we would have never been able to see otherwise.  NYC is just too big to cover in four days.   We took the bus to Central Park one day, and had a nice walk in the park to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

*A visit to L'Ecole was a recommendation to us, and I highly recommend it to all.  L'Ecole is a French Culinary Institute where you can get a gourmet three course meal for lunch for $28, or a four course dinner for $40 ish. Just writing this, I am drooling... (Que kissing fingers and sending off the love- mua!) You have to call and get reservations because they book up fast. Truth be told, we went there twice.  Mr. D and I loved it so much we had to take my brother and sister-in-law back.  Bonus: it is located in Soho where there is amazing shopping, and a block away from the wheeling and dealing Canal street.  Yes, I picked up a bag while there. But any other shopping did not happen.  Shopping with Mr. D is more torture than fun, so I avoid it. Which is too bad, because to go to NYC without shopping is a major crime.

We are all huge Red Socks fans, so going to see them play the Yankees in Yankee stadium was a super fun experience!  Yankee stadium is really quite remarkable.  The game was very exciting and close, but it in the bottom of the 9th the Yankees won with a walk-off homer.  Boo! And yes, there is a baby under that cute little RS hat. We had to ride the subway back to our hotel and with the masses of drunk Yankees... Yes, we hid our Red Socks apparel.  Just in case, you never know! wink ;)  What a trip! I just love NYC and already have a list of things to do and places to eat brewing for next time.  Can't wait. Girl trip anyone...