mandilambi Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 I promised a couple of people that I would share pictures and a report of my trip to NYC, so I thought I'd go ahead and share what I have already written on my myspace. I have been very slow-going with writing the whole report because I arrived home sick, so this is far from complete! But here ya go, nonetheless. We left for St. Louis on June 13th and we stayed at a Hilton that was right next to the airport. It was super convenient and I thought the style of the Hilton was really cool. Very retro, 1960's-styled, which not everyone appreciated, but I thought it was kind of a nice change. Aaron, Katherine, and I got the most out of the hotel because we jumped on the beds and felt like little kids again. It was hilarious. We got up early the next morning, so that we would make our 7:20am flight. Prior to this, I had never flown before, so it would be an understatement to say that I was just nervous. I woke up the morning of our flight and got an empty feeling in the pit of my stomach and had a mini-panic attack! I think the anticipation of the whole thing was the worst part of it all. Everything went fine when our bags were checked. I found that whole process a little daunting because the staff was pushy and the whole thing came across as really chaotic to me. I thought to myself afterwards just how easy it might be to get a dangerous item through the security, simply because so much was going on all at once. I was nearly crushed when a female staff member handed me my unopened can of Mountain Dew and told me to throw it in the trash. I thought that I could take it on board with me and felt like I died a little inside to throw it away when it was full. haha...so sad.. The actual plane ride was not as bad as I had thought it would be, although I found some parts to be terrifying. Particularly, when the plane banked and taking off wasn't a joyful experience either. Although, I must admit that as we flew above the clouds and finally saw the sun shining, that was a lovely sight and quite unreal. There were many times during this trip that I said to myself how extremely clever God was when He created this world and the people in it. That horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach didn't leave until, um, I was completely off of the plane! I certainly wasn't scared out of my mind during the flight, but I definitely wasn't comfortable either. I was glad to have my feet on the ground. :-) It was great to be in Philly again! I really do like that city and I hope I can see more of it the next time we go. It's unreal to think that I was in St. Louis and only a couple of hours later I was in Philadelphia. That's unreal to me particularly because my family always drove for vacations.... We were all so glad once we got to Stone Harbor. Just being able to smell the seawater and see all the pretty houses is always a happy event for us! My uncle and aunt had arrived not long before we did and they were both glad to welcome us. One of the first things I did was go shopping with Evan and Caroline.... I must say that I LOVE shopping in Stone Harbor. Even just browsing at the shops is fun to me! I bought a book "Sundays at Tiffany's" by James Patterson and a black/white polka-dotted dress that is simply adorable! We stayed at Stone Harbor on Saturday/Sunday and then on Monday/Tuesday we would be spending two days in New York. This was perfect timing because it gave us enough time to enjoy our time at Stone Harbor and then a sufficient amount of time to also enjoy New York as well. Also this enabled us to recuperate at the beach after our two days in NYC, which not suprisingly, was exactly what we needed!!! Aaron's flying leap Aaron's crash Me and Katherine running Flying! Me (feeling terrified) and Caroline (feeling just fine) Katherine clinging to Aaron ....to be continued..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mandilambi Posted June 24, 2008 Author Share Posted June 24, 2008 More pics... Pretty clouds Hanging out at my aunt and uncle's house Me and my brother Evan about to go to town Caroline avoiding a sunburn Beautiful view of Stone Harbor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mika Freaka =) Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 ah it looks like you had a lotta fun! thats great!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadyGodiva Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 Sounds like you had a great time! I still need to go there- shopping sounds like fun:biggrin2: (Oh, I feel the same way of airplanes, even though i've been in them a lot, don't worry) Cute pictnres:bleh: the other girl on the couch looks sort of like Kate Hudson. I like the sun in that last picture, very pretty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mika-fan1001 Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 More pics... Beautiful view of Stone Harbor wow thats amazing! and that view loooks amazing! and pretty! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gasha Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 wow thats amazing! and that view loooks amazing! and pretty! I like that pic too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mandilambi Posted June 24, 2008 Author Share Posted June 24, 2008 Me and Katherine lazing on a Sunday afternoon Riding on the NJ transit to NYC! Part 2. We left Stone Harbor around 6am, so that we would be on the earliest New Jersey transit to NYC. I thought the train ride was quite fun, especially as I hadn't been on a train for a long time. It was fairly cozy and it only took about an 1 1/2 to get to NYC. As we rode into the New York area, the anticipation was becoming more and more intense as all of the skyscrapers began to appear. We all thought we had caught a glimpse of the Empire State Building at a faraway distance, which we pointed out and immediately made it well known that all of us were tourists....oh well! When we got off the train, the first thing we did was go and buy our Metro card, which gave us unlimited rides on the subway for the whole day. We were all really pleased with that, especially since it was only $7.50! As we walked up the stairs to the sidewalk, one of the first sights that we saw was, incidentally, the Empire State Building. I have to say, it is one gorgeous building. From a distance and on the inside. It was definitely a welcoming sight! We all took some photos in front of it and then walked on to see Macy*s! Macy*s is one of my favorite stores, so of course I was pushing for us to see it on this trip. I know now that every time I watch the Macy*s Day Parade that I'm going to yell "I've been there!" whenever they show it on TV. :-) My home away from home....MACY*S! After seeing a few other sights, we took the Subway to Greenwich Village. I have to say I was somewhat shocked with the state of this area. I had always heard it was really trendy and a lovely place to visit, but it was really run down... Washington Park was not what I had imagined and I was surprised to see it looking quite filthy. There were a few buildings (I assume apartments) that were really pretty, though. Me and Aaron at Washington Square Pretty buildings in Greenwich Village Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dilek Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 More pics... Me and my brother Evan about to go to town who is this boy again? nice pics,looks like you had a great time:punk: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mandilambi Posted June 24, 2008 Author Share Posted June 24, 2008 Sounds like you had a great time! I still need to go there- shopping sounds like fun:biggrin2: (Oh, I feel the same way of airplanes, even though i've been in them a lot, don't worry) Cute pictnres:bleh: the other girl on the couch looks sort of like Kate Hudson. I like the sun in that last picture, very pretty. Yeah, shopping was a lot of fun! I wish I could have spent more time there just to browse at the shops. Tiffany's was the best! I think I'll probably never get used to riding in airplanes, but I'm definitely not as scared as I used to be either. I'll be sure to tell Katherine that you think she looks like Kate Hudson. What a compliment. wow thats amazing! and that view loooks amazing! and pretty! I like that pic too Thanks ladies! I thought it was pretty too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mandilambi Posted June 24, 2008 Author Share Posted June 24, 2008 who is this boy again? nice pics,looks like you had a great time:punk: lol that's my older brother, Evan. He's a good lookin' guy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mandilambi Posted June 24, 2008 Author Share Posted June 24, 2008 Subway ride Our next stop was Ground Zero. I really have a difficult time putting my feelings into words about what I saw. Trying to imagine the Two Towers that were there and the day that all of the chaos of 911 occurred was almost impossible to do. The thing that I found I could imagine was all of the people running through the streets in fear and confusion over what was taking place. By the time we left, I got tears in my eyes thinking about that horrible, horrible day. We went down Wallstreet and Broadway for a while and saw several sights, then our next stop was to eat at Grimaldi's Pizzeria underneath the Brooklyn Bridge. We had to wait in line behind about 10 people, but it was so worth it in the end! We were very tired from walking and by that time we were extremely hungry, too. The pizza was unlike any other pizza I've ever had. It was so delicious and the fact that I was so hungry certainly made the pizza all the better! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gasha Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mandilambi Posted June 24, 2008 Author Share Posted June 24, 2008 After the pizza, we got ice cream at the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory. I got chocolate and I must say it was also thoroughly delicious! We ate our ice cream out on the piers, while taking pictures of the Brooklyn Bridge and when we were finished we made our way up to the Bridge itself. I must say, the walk over the Brooklyn Bridge was quite difficult, especially in consideration that we had been walking non-stop up until that point. However, we all pulled through and I think we all enjoyed the sights despite how tired we were. Me and Caroline playing invisible chess When we got across, we all stopped and sat on a bench to figure out what we wanted to do next and to take a rest. Right as we were sitting down and looking at the map, an extremely loud thunderclap struck and nearly scared us to death! I was sitting by Aaron and basically grabbed onto him for protection! It was quite funny. :-) Then it started to sprinkle rain, which eventually turned into a lot of rain. We all began to run and we eventually found shelter in a US Bank. When it rains it pours.... We were conflicted as to whether or not we should go ahead to Times Square or if we should just go to the hotel. In the end, we were all so tired that we decided to go to the hotel and see if the rain would let up. I think all of us were happy with that decision because our feet were in great need of a rest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadyGodiva Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 Yeah, shopping was a lot of fun! I wish I could have spent more time there just to browse at the shops. Tiffany's was the best! I think I'll probably never get used to riding in airplanes, but I'm definitely not as scared as I used to be either. I'll be sure to tell Katherine that you think she looks like Kate Hudson. What a compliment. Tiffany's! haha:wub2: Shopping is one of my "special skills" The thing i really don't like about airplanes is that you can't get off., you're stuck until the captain lands the plane. I like being in charge instead. Yes tell her! That is a compliment! Kate hudson is very pretty, and she plays Penny Lane in one of my favorite movies ever. (said the quote in my siggy!) you and your brother don't look at all alike! lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dilek Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 lol that's my older brother, Evan. He's a good lookin' guy! indeed:naughty: you're so lucky:punk: i wish i could go to NY too,no hope:thumbdown: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rilo8913 Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 Regarding the Greenwich Village thing... How's the renovation project in Washington Square Park going? Is the new fountain coming together yet at all? I won't be able to find out myself for a couple more weeks, and I can't really find any other info on the internet about it so I thought I'd ask. But judging from your description I'm guessing that it's still a bit rough around the edges. Here's what it looked like in late March... Oh and here are some little birds on the steps of those pretty brownstones you photographed! I'm glad you had a fun time and I'll be back later to read/comment on the rest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mandilambi Posted June 24, 2008 Author Share Posted June 24, 2008 We were all very happy once we found our hotel, The Milburn. It was in a pretty nice area, not too far from Central Park. We got our rooms and then went straight to Aaron and Katherine's room to see what it looked like and after seeing theirs we walked over to ours. I kid you not, people, it smelled like a mouse had died in that room! It was hilarious because we all smelled it, but we didn't want to complain because of Aaron's hard work in getting a cheap, but agreeable hotel. We eventually all commented on it and we couldn't help but crack up laughing at that point. It had been such a long day...all we could do was laugh. Aaron then went to the front desk to ask them to take care of the problem and we all left to eat dinner. Thankfully when we got back the smell had disappeared.... I *loved* this diner and would definitely go back! It was called the Manhattan Diner and the food/service was wonderful. The last picture is of our waiter that I thought was just awesome. He was very welcoming and funny. He told me that he thought I was a New Yorker before we told him we were from Missouri. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mandilambi Posted June 24, 2008 Author Share Posted June 24, 2008 Rilo, I can't respond now, because my bf just arrived to pick me up!! I will def respond whenever I get back though! Thanks for sharing pics btw! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CartoonKellyGreen Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 WOW Mandi, it looks like you had a great time in NYC! Please post anymore pics u got! BTW: Your bro looks just like Guy Berryman Right of Chris Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackViolet Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 Glad you had a good time! Hahah, did you go by East Village at all? Greenwich Village usually looks squeaky-clean to me because I prefer to hang out at the East Village... like, here is the bathroom in what used to be one of my favorite coffee shop places (now renovated and clean, sigh). Washington Sq Park is usually pretty clean too... I think it was the renovation. I like the grittyness of NY though. Also, did you eat at other places than the diner on your second day? I am curious if you frequented any of the cute cafes in either of the Villages or TriBeCa or uptown. --Jack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foalbaby14 Posted June 25, 2008 Share Posted June 25, 2008 More pics... Me swimming in my aunt and uncle's pool i have that same exact bathing suit:shocked: (im the VERY white girl:naughty:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lollipop_monkey Posted June 25, 2008 Share Posted June 25, 2008 Thanks for posting, Mandi! I loved reading about your uber-holiday. And that pic of you and your sister flying through the air is so, so perfect- one to hang onto for sure. I just had this mental image of your future children looking at that and saying "Mommy, you and Auntie were sooooo silly!!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christine Posted June 25, 2008 Share Posted June 25, 2008 Thanks for the pics and the report Mandi. Glad you had a great time. I love, love, love NY and that pizza is making me hungry! You may actually find that you get used to flying if you do it often enough. I think it's normal for people to feel anxious the first few times. Doesn't mean you'll be an nervous flyer forever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
englishrose Posted June 25, 2008 Share Posted June 25, 2008 Wooooow, Mandi, it looks like it was great! I've never found myself really wanting to go to NYC--of course I wanted to, but it was never on the top of my list...seeing all those photos (and the pizza) changed that though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guylainem123 Posted June 25, 2008 Share Posted June 25, 2008 i'm glad you had a good time, ny is a fun place to visit. flying isn't my favorite either, but it's ok. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now