How to Do NYC in Two Days

Hello all! I'm back today as your travel guide. ;) As many of you know we are nuts about New York City -- we've been there countless times and love it so much we got married there.

I get so many emails about our recommendations on places to stay and things to do, so I thought I'd put it all one spot for you. Lately we've been taking friends with us and showing them our favorite spots in the city -- that's what we did this past weekend. We go for two nights, two days (it spans three days but the total time there is about 48 hours). We aren't typical "plan" people -- when it's just us we just go and explore. But to see as much as possible this is a good list!

You won't see even a tiny percentage of this vast city in 48 hours, but this is a list of the must do's for us. They are a mix of shopping, tourist spots and our favorite places to eat.

Getting from the airport to the city
The easiest way is to take a cab. It will be anywhere from $40 and up depending on traffic. My husband knows the city so well he started using the bus and subway to get in and we did that last time -- it was less than $3 for each of us so it's a GREAT option. Honestly if the traffic is bad it will take the same amount of time either way.

We usually fly in to LaGuardia and there's a bus stop at the airport that takes you to a subway station. I would research this before you go or there are people at the airport who can tell you exactly what you need to do. It's not nearly as difficult as I thought it would be! If you have more than carry ons or small children I don't recommend this option -- you'll be hauling your bags and strollers up and down stairs and through the train stations. A cab would be your best bet.

Places to stay
We've stayed all over but have some favorites! These vary in price but we enjoyed all of them.
Marriott Marquis - this is our favorite hotel because it's right in the middle of Times Square and just a really cool spot. Rooms are spacious and the elevators are fun. ;) There's a restaurant at the top that turns (very slowly) that offers incredible views of the city.
Grand Hyatt at Grand Central Station -- direct access to the subway system and of course the stunning station which is a must see. There are tons of stores and restaurants within the station and if you want to get to Times Square there's a quick shuttle that goes back and forth all day. (Or you can walk!)
Hampton Inn Manhattan -- great hotel near Times Square but a little more of a walk
Hilton Times Square -- excellent location! Right by Times Square, shows and the subway station
Hilton Garden Inn -- another great location but rooms are very small. (You shouldn't spend much time in your room anyway!)

We've stayed other places but they are either further away from subway stations or were just not hotels I would recommend. These are all centrally located for those who want to travel all over the city.

So this is a very rough outline of what we do when we take new people with us. We aren't sticklers about it but it's nice to have something planned if you want to see as much of the city as possible.

DAY ONE
We take an early flight and can usually get into the city around noon. Grab a bite to eat and then take the subway downtown.

9/11 Memorial and Museum -- the memorial is open to the public but you need to buy a ticket for the museum. I cannot recommend this beautiful museum enough. It will leave you weary but I believe everyone should walk through it at least once. Buy your tickets ahead of time and you can skip the line and walk right in:

One of the most important spots in the museum is near the end but you can easily miss it. It's a huge section with video, artifacts and photos where they don't allow you to take pictures. Leave yourself time to walk through that area.

The One World Trade Observatory is now open and I really want to get up there sometime soon. We always spend so much time in the museum that we don't get a chance.

Union Square/SoHo area -- take a train to this area. There are countless shops and restaurants to choose from -- just walking through these sections of the city is a treat.

Our favorite restaurant in this area is Rosa Mexicano in Union Square. There are a few around the city but we love stopping here between shops. The table side guacamole, chihuahua cheese and pomegranate margaritas are all fantastic!:

Shopping is amazing around that area -- there are too many to list and the small boutiques are endless. A couple of my favorite home spots are Fishs Eddy (tons of fun kitchen items and quirky stuff) and ABC Carpet and Home. ABC has floors of gorgeous decor -- most of it well out of our price range but it's fun to look at and there are plenty of items that are affordable.

(Fishs Eddy)

We take the train back to Times Square and have dinner if needed, shop or walk around and then stop for cheesecake. Our favorite cheesecake place was Roxy's on Times Square but it closed years ago. We love Juniors for that and the food and drinks are great too.

DAY TWO
Breakfast at Europa Cafe on Times Square -- great food and quick!
Train or walk to Macys/Herald Square -- the walk isn't bad at all and you can walk through the fashion district on the way. Mood Fabrics is on 37th street for you Project Runway fans! Macy's is a must see -- it is the "largest store in the world" (actually the second largest but who cares). It is fantastic! If you can go during the holidays you MUST. The decor is unbelievable. Just be prepared -- the crowds are much bigger at that time of year:

Empire State Building/Grand Central Station -- do both if you have time! I actually prefer the view from Rockefeller Center because you have a straight shot of the park and you can see the Empire State Building. But Empire is iconic and higher. (If you have the cash it's totally worth it to pay for the VIP and skip the lines!)

Take train to Little Italy -- this is the place to eat! Our favorite restaurant is Da Nico (ask to sit outside if it's nice). After you're done you can walk and shop the little spots here and in China Town. This is definitely a touristy place to shop but it's fun especially for kids. If you have time after Ferrara Cafe around the corner is a must -- amazing desserts and drinks and just a typical NYC kind of spot.

We usually try to head back for a quick rest and then head out to eat, a show and to walk around. If you can, walk to Rockefeller Center and eat near there (we had steak at Del Frisco's this time and it was so good).

Walk back to Times Square to see a show -- the options are endless. Hamilton is all the rage right now but it's impossible to get a ticket. The current shows we've seen are Wicked, Lion King, Fun Home, The Book of Mormon, Aladdin, and Matilda. Our favorites are Wicked, Aladdin and Matilda (husband's, mine, son's). Wicked may be a bit too much for younger kids but it really is a must see. Aladdin is probably my second favorite Broadway show ever -- it is SO entertaining.
Oh, if you go during the holidays the Rockette show is an absolute MUST. Don't question, just go! They now have a spring show I'd love to see too.

DAY THREE
As I mentioned, this is a two day trip in hours -- the third day is shorter because of the flight home.
Breakfast at Brooklyn Diner -- this is right near Central Park and the food is fabulous. Try the Tony Bennett French Toast. You will thank me. This is where you may see a famous face -- friends who were just there walked in as Jerry Seinfeld was walking out.

Walk or ride through the park -- I recommend taking your time and walking through Central Park but there are also horse or bike carriages that make for a more relaxing trip. They come with guides who will point out famous spots like Strawberry Fields and the bridge from Home Alone and Elf. :)

My favorites in the park are Bethesda Terrace and Fountain and The Mall:

Walk through the tunnel and see the tile work and be sure to look up at the ceilings. It is one of my favorite spots in the city:

The tile throughout the city astounds me. My favorite place to look for it is in the subways. They are dirty and grimy but then there's these gorgeous tile mosaics that are truly works of art.

Through the tunnel is The Mall where the trees reach over and create the most beautiful canopy.

source

Eat at the park -- grab a famous NYC hot dog and pretzel or eat at the Boathouse (I still haven't been) or Tavern on the Green. The latter is another one that screams so NYC to me -- we walked right by Liza Minnelli while eating there once.

There you go! This hits some of our favorites and some of the most iconic spots in the city. If it's your first time there this would be so helpful! This doesn't even touch what you can do though. There are countless shops and museums and places to see. If you have more time I'd go to another museum, walk along 5th Avenue and see the shops and St. Patrick's Cathedral (stunning) or do the ferry boat out to the Statue of Liberty.

A couple things to consider:

• Times Square is BUSY. It's not as bad during the day but at night there are a ton of people. Night is the best time to see it though! And there is a ton of shopping in that area, especially for kids. Unfortunately the Toys R Us closed down, it was a must see and we will miss it. 
• We use Open Table to schedule our meals -- so many of the restaurants use this and it's so helpful! Finally, DO NOT try to look super cute -- comfortable shoes are a must because you walk and walk and walk. It is the best way to see the city! Carry a small umbrella with you if the forecast calls for rain.
• The subway is the best way to travel through the city -- don't be afraid! Ask security and staff what to do and where to go. They are always incredibly helpful. The metro card machines will stop taking your bank card after so many uses (super frustrating), so be sure to fill it plenty the first time (it's good for months), have an extra bank card with you to use or if you are with friends trade off on buying your passes. 

If you have any other questions or want more ideas on places to eat please let me know! I'd be happy to answer them here. I hope you find this helpful! :)

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Weekend in the woods

Hello and welcome to a new week! Hope you had a lovely weekend! I didn’t get anything done and it. was. awesome. No projects, no cleaning, no decluttering, no organizing – just being lazy and hanging with my family and it was a welcome change.

I’ve mentioned a few times that I have a large family – both extended and immediate. I have six sisters and brothers (a mix of full, half and step) and with the addition of some grandkids now, the our group is BIG. It gets harder every year to get together for holidays because there are so many of us now. :)

Family means everything to all of us I’m sure, but my Dad is one of those people who is truly bursting with joy when his family is around. So every year now he and my stepmom rent a cabin so we can all get together and have a fun fall weekend with just family.

This year we had an amazing view:

It’s a little early for the leaves to change but you can see little explosions of color starting to happen. :) We were near Lake Monroe in Bloomington, Indiana and if you are nearby it is an amazing time of year to visit.

I didn’t get many pics inside our cabin because I was usually either eating or laying around and I was just too lazy, honestly. (It was fantastic.) It was a big place with plenty of room for all of us – not overly cabin-like, but rustic.

Saturday we rented a double decker pontoon boat and took off for the afternoon. This was especially fun for me because every weekend growing up was spent on this lake with my Mom and Dad. Most of my memories as a child (up till about seven years old or so) were camping and then hanging on that lake in our teeny tiny metal boat. There was room for the three of us and that’s about it. ;)

I’ve only been back to this lake as an adult a few times so it was special to be there again, especially with Dad. As a child I remember thinking the rocky shores were so beautiful and I was still taken with them as an adult:

Some people aren’t lake swimmers – are you? My husband is not – I think it freaks him out. :) Even I was a little hesitant at first, but then Dad and the siblings started jumping in and I finally did the same…and then you couldn’t get me out:

I’m in the middle with my boy. :) My son is so like me when it comes to things like this. We watch and take it in for awhile…then we do it and love it and you’ll have to drag us away. I was SO proud of him for getting in to swim (he’d never swam in a lake). The boy is a FISH.

When you sit on the life jacket just right you can just hang out there forever…it’s bliss. ;) The water was chilly at first but within minutes we’d get used to it and it was perfect.

I don’t share many pics of my son on the blog but I am so in love with this one:

He drove the boat with Grandpa pretty much the entire time. Like a boss. ;)

On Sunday it was raining and chilly (a perfect fall day in my opinion) and we took the long way home through Nashville, Indiana and Brown County:

Downtown Nashville is a treasure. A quaint little area with shops, wonderful food and fun stuff to do:

And of course this is the BEST time of year to visit!

It was SO lovely – the rain made everything smell amazing and the mums were popping:

Every single shop and restaurant is decked out for fall and it’s just gorgeous:

We also stopped at a roadside pumpkin patch on the way out of town:

We saved the regular pumpkins for when we go to pick them at the local patch but got a bunch of really unique ones here. I’ve never seen a selection of gourds and pumpkins like they had!:

I was giddy, I must say. It was just a lovely weekend all around.

I am so blessed for so many reasons, but one of the biggest is that I am a part of my big beautiful family. Thanks to Dad for forcing us to hang out together at least once a year. ;)

Have you been to southern Indiana in the fall? Do you have a favorite spot near you that you like to visit this time of year?

Hope your weekend was wonderful too – this week I’ll be sharing more fall-inspired posts as we continue our parties again tomorrow! See you then!

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Roughing it

Hello everybody! Hope you had a lovely weekend! We just got home from a little family excursion up north. We took off late last Tuesday for a four day RV trip through Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota. This is our second RV trip -- we took our first one a couple summers ago and it’s safe to say we’re hooked. :)

RVing is SO fun – this time we rented a smaller one (the first time we got a huge class A and this time it was a smaller class C). The smaller one was still plenty big and we all loved it. (And I could drive it no problem – bonus.)

This trip was all fun for the kiddo and me, but some work for the hubs since we were traveling around with the drum corp he works with. Back in our old days when he and I were dating we would take off on these kinds of trips often in the summer. I love doing the same with our boy. :)

We love RVing because we can travel at our own pace, stop when we want and still have plenty of space to stretch out as we go. We saw some pretty countryside in Illinois on the first day:

While my husband worked with the corp the kiddo and I explored the cute little town of Metamora, IL – and ended up spending most of the afternoon at their awesome public pool:

It took a few hours, but right before we left the Bub got up the courage to go down that slide and LOVED. IT. :)

When we RV (or when we drive anywhere really), we like to hit up local restaurants, shops…and apparently pools. It was just by accident we happened on that and it was a perfect way to spend a summer afternoon.

The next day we headed to our stop for a couple days – La Crosse, Wisconsin. The Bub and I did some shopping at some local antique stores:

I didn’t find anything I had to have, but I did come across a huge selection of these glasses that totally took me back:

Man, I was so close to getting a few of them. I still kinda wish I had. They had all of the ones I remembered from my childhood – Alvin and the Chipmunks, the Muppets, E.T. It was such a fun blast from the past. :)

And of course, when Mama saw the HomeGoods sign I pulled that RV over faster than you can say, well…HomeGoods:

We actually came across an awesome find there – I’ve dreamed of one of these for our basement for years:

  

We both freaked when we saw it – the bonus was that it was $70 cheaper than what I’ve found online. (It was missing a couple measuring cups, no biggie.) Just another reason I love traveling in an RV – plenty of room to take the treasures home. (And I’m sure it was a sight seeing me loading this thing into the big rig.)

I was so tempted to use it one night on the RV, but we didn’t have the popcorn or oil, so we waited till we got home. I have to say, I think it made better popcorn than my WhirleyPop! That’s saying a lot cause I adore my WhirleyPop people. (The popcorn from the machine was much crisper, if that makes any sense.)

Anyhoo – that was our best find on the trip. :) We saw a good share of drum corp rehearsals while there, with the backdrop of the beautiful Wisconsin hills:

And one of the highlights for me at least was the cauuute cabin we stayed in:

This was at an RV park that had cabins, so we were able took hook up the RV and still camp out inside that night.

It was so totally precious:

A few of you on Instagram wanted to see the inside so I made sure to take a few pics before we left. It was very rustic, but had all of the modern conveniences you could need (including air!).

It had a cute little bunk room that would sleep at least four and a bathroom with all the basics:

 

The main part of the cabin was one big room with a kitchenette:

And another bed with trundle:

And a TV!! Glorious TV! We didn’t have it at all on the trip otherwise, and I actually really didn’t miss it. But it was nice to have while we were there. We only ended up turning it on a couple times though – it was nice to disconnect for the most part.

They had everything you could need while there – toiletries, dishes, cookware. It was great! I drank my wine out of a coffee cup:

Ha!! Told you…rough.

My favorite parts of the cabin were the ceiling:

The view:

We were perched right at the edge of a cliff in the woods– I thought we had the best cabin there. :)  

And the AWESOME screened in porch:

Usually when we travel to Wisconsin or Minnesota the mosquitoes are horrible this time of year – but this time the temps and bugs were both great! Low temps and very few bugs.

Then it was time to head on, this time to beautiful Minnesota:

We stayed in the RV that night and heard the Kenny Chesney concert nearby. :) The weather was PERFECT…at least till later when a crazy long storm came through. Pouring down rain hitting a metal roof for three hours straight doesn’t really make for a great night’s sleep. :)

The next day we spent a few hours at the Mall of America:

The hubby and I had been briefly years ago, and this time we were excited to take the Bub to see it. All he cared about was the Lego store, of course. And they were having a huge Lego event throughout the mall all weekend – perfect timing!

We ended up heading home early so didn’t get to do all the rides and stuff – we definitely want to go back!

What a fun, relaxing trip! I loved having all of my boys to myself for all that time:

It was just lovely all around.

I love that we’re doing these trips with the Bub – growing up I spent every weekend in the summer camping with my parents. We were out on the lake ALL the time. I wish my boy could experience that, but at the same time I’m not sure I want to rough it quite as much as we did back then. :)

RVing is the perfect compromise – you have a safe, comfortable home on wheels, but you also enjoy the best parts of camping – making your meals, sitting by a fire, enjoying the outdoors. We love it!

We looked into buying an RV earlier this year but held off – it may be something we look into next year. I am dreaming of a long trip out west to see all the sites I saw on a girl scout trip as a kid – Mount Rushmore, the Badlands, Old Faithful in Yellowstone Park, Snake River, Jackson Hole. It was an amazing trip that I still remember so well and I want the Bub to see all of those sights as well.

And as much as we love to travel, it is always SO good to come home. When we travel I find I’m so much more appreciative of everything – how lucky we are to take trips like that, how much I love exploring our country, how wonderful it is to come back to our sweet house. We are lucky indeed.

So have you ever been RVing? Did you like it? Did you camp a lot as a kid or do you do it now? I keep hearing the term “glamping” lately – I guess you could call an RV trip that? :) Air conditioning and no bugs – two of my favorite things.

**Here’s the campsite we stayed at in La Crosse for those who asked! :)

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My new love

Hello all!! Happy Monday! I’ve already mentioned that I’m slowing down to my normal sloth-like pace on the blog this summer, but this also means my posting times will vary quite a bit. OK…they do anyway, but they will even more so in the summer. I’m not a good blogger that writes posts ahead and has them ready to go first thing in the morning. I wish I was. *Hangs blogging head in shame.* So things will be a little erratic, I hope you’ll hang in there with me. :)

So. I’ve fallen in love with a new city. Well, I should say park. A big one. You all know how much we love NYC – it’s our favorite place on earth, other than home. But now it has some competition, named Disney. ;)

Last week we took a very quick vacation down to Florida. And when I say quick I mean only about three days. And when I say vacation I mean VACATION – this is our first real family vacation (other than to New York) that we’ve ever taken anywhere that didn’t have something to do with work.

I’m serious people – every trip we’ve ever been on as a family (or heck, even as a couple!) has had something to do with hubby’s work. Every. single. one. And now that he’s retired, we were able to carve out a few days to get away. That would have never happened in summer’s past!

So the whole fact that we got away was so special to me, you have no idea. And the fact that my son and I (yes, I was a Disney newbie) finally got to Disney made it even more special.

We spent our first day in Legoland actually – the Bub is Lego obsessed so we HAD to go there. I think he was more excited about that than he was Disney! We had some interesting moments with downpours and tornado warnings and taking shelter in the restrooms with everyone else in the park, but after about an hour the day turned much better and we were able to really enjoy the park without crowds – it was perfect!

That evening we headed to our hotel at Disney and I started falling in love. We stayed at the Polynesian and it was STUNNING:

I wanted to spend about an hour taking pics but we just didn’t have time while there. I will do it next time – the grounds are just gorgeous!

So I totally got the Disney “thing” the second we walked in to the hotel – we were greeted and escorted through the hotel to our building. The squealing started (from me) when we walked in to our room and I saw the cute little touches everywhere:

And it continued when I realized the view from our room:

I almost cried. I almost cried a few times on the trip. It was emotional to finally get there after 37 years – it made me so giddy and happy.

The emotions certainly didn’t stop when we walked in to the park for the first time:

I had an obsession with Cinderella’s castle. I could have spent an hour just walking around that one thing.

It’s magical, of course:

So I mentioned this was a quick trip and I know so many of you experienced Disney folks are freaking out that we only spent two days at the parks. I know. But it was our only chance to get away in June (hubby is retired from teaching but so busy with other obligations already) and I didn’t want to go later in the summer when it was stupid hot, so this is what we got.

And we took full advantage! We rode a TON of rides in the short time we were there:

The Dumbo ride was one that I was especially drawn to – it just screams Disney to me:

The small world ride was one of my favorites too, but Splash Mountain was our family fave hands down. SO. much. fun.

We spent one evening in Epcot where we dined in Mexico:

And it was incredible. ;)

Hubby wanted us to stay for the Illuminations show that night, it gorgeous evening:

The show was AWESOME, we all loved it. Although hubs said it used to be even cooler and was more of a laser light show:

This view was another one of those that made me misty:

It was an amazing trip. I totally get it now. Totally. I am hooked.

I didn’t plan for our first trip like most would – I didn’t ask friends what we should do, didn’t read any blogs, didn’t make any dinner reservations. I’m the kind of person that just needs to figure it out for myself. I didn’t want us to be trying to rush to this or this “must do” while we were there, I just wanted us to experience it as we would.

And we did. And it was perfect. :)

I figured out a few things fast on this trip – here are my tips for any fellow newbies who may be going this summer:

1. Don’t try to look cute. Just don’t. The heat/weather/splash mountain gods will laugh at you.

2. Buy the fan with the water in it that you pass on the way into the park and think, “I’m not so not spending money on that!” For all that is good…BUY IT.

3. Dole Whip is seriously the most amazing, beautiful, delicious thing you will ever, ever, ever eat. Ever.

That’s just about all you need to know. :)

We didn’t even get two full days in the parks – the last day we got slammed with this:

We waited it out for about an hour, then when it calmed down a bit we did a little more, but it was just too intense. We headed back to the hotel for a much needed nap and a great meal.

Usually when we head home from a trip I’m ready. The only time I’m not is when we’re in New York. I felt that this time too – I was SO sad to leave. I wanted to stay for another week – and for this homebody that’s saying something:

We’re already planning our next trip. Hopefully later this year. :) I cannot WAIT!!

Are you a Disney fan? Did you feel like this after your first trip? How many times have you been? When do stop missing it? ;)

**P.S. Early June was a great time to go – I wanted us to go at this time of year on purpose. We were there before so many schools were out for the summer, the weather was hot but not as hot as it gets in mid/late summer and we actually got a hotel discount for staying that week. The only issue was the rain – I hear it’s an especially rainy season for Florida.

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