A Long Weekend in NYC

 

Hey there! As I mentioned on my Instagram earlier last week, I've just recently come back from a trip to New York City to visit my boyfriend's family for Thanksgiving. It was a ton of fun and I thought I'd share some of the cool spots we visited! 

It was a busy day on the Wednesday we flew out - I went straight from work to the airport with Paul which meant we felt like there was quite the time crunch! The stress fell off pretty quickly after we got to the airport, though, as the big pre-Thanksgiving crowd we were expecting was basically nonexistent. I kicked back and played some Pokémon Shining Pearl on my Switch while we waited for our flight. 

We took off around 9:30PM, and landed in New York at around 11PM. We enjoyed some Chinese takeout with the family before resting for Thanksgiving the next day. 

The next morning was peaceful, and we were able to share some breakfast before I helped set the table while Paul got dressed in time for the guests to arrive. The table looked stunning, Paul's mom did an amazing job! 

(Photos courtesy of Paul's Parents ♥)

We enjoyed some amazing food and company for Thanksgiving. We all took turns going around the table and saying what we were thankful for, and I felt a lot closer to everyone after! After we finished up with our dinner we had some dessert and I got to try Port Wine for the first time; I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. 

We wrapped up the night with some charades and karaoke before everyone had to go home. I had so much fun and got to meet a lot of really awesome people - I'm so Thankful for that! 

The next morning Paul and I woke up ready to explore the city, and that's exactly what we did. We started in SoHo to grab Pizza from a spot Paul really likes called Prince Street pizza. It was really neat to see the photos of all of the famous people who have visited on the walls of the restaurant. The pizza was pretty tasty too! 

We stepped back outside and quickly noticed the cutest bakery across the street. I saw the pink exterior and knew immediately I had to go in to take a look! I'm glad I did, because it was just as cute as I expected. 

I grabbed a cappucino and a mini blueberry cheesecake to enjoy before we met up with one of Paul's friends. As a larger group, we went to Adidas and The North Face to shop around a little bit. Paul found some awesome emerald green Ultraboosts on sale that he bought. By this point we had once again worked up an appetite and so we were off to Chinatown for dinner! 

I had hot pot for the very first time and it was absolutely incredible. Even passing through the streets of Chinatown on the way home was amazing; the lanterns and bright lights were so impressive and unlike anything I get to see back home in Michigan. 

After dinner I stopped near home on the subway, grabbed a snack at the corner store, and then finally knocked out once I was in bed. 

The next morning coming around meant it was now Saturday. We started our morning by meeting some friends for dim sum, another meal I hadn't gotten to try before then! I enjoyed our lively conversation and the variety of foods to try. 

Afterwards, we took off to the city! I had a few things on my list I wanted to see but the first one was Central Park; a landmark I hadn't gotten to visit during my last visit to the city. The weather was brisk but I was able to borrow Paul's jacket (my new favorite coat) which helped out quite a bit. We even got to see a happy couple taking wedding photos! Here is a gorgeous view we got to see. 

Despite the warm coat by the end of our walk we were cold and I was in need of yet another snack. This made it the perfect time for me to visit Laudree's location on Madison Avenue! I got to enjoy some Laudree macarons from a booth in a mall last time I was in the city, so I was eager to see one of their brick and mortar stores. The best part? It wasn't too far of a walk! 

 

Laudree was packed, and I can definitely understand why. It was cutely decorated, and the macarons were even better than I remembered them! For anyone curious, I got the Napoleon III box of 12, in the rose color. The orange blossom and rose flavored macarons were my favorites.

After our brief macaron break it was time for my last major stop of the day - the Metropolitan Museum of Art! This has been a bucket list spot to visit of mine for quite some time so I was tickled pink when I found out I could visit. The line to get in was long and it was only getting colder but after some minor roadbumps, Paul and I had made it inside! 

This is where the Met Gala is held every year, so it was cool to know that so many celebrities had been in the same spot as I had. After getting over my initial shock and awe we took some time to explore the museum. Paul loved the exhibit about battle armor and weapons. I found my attention drawn to the European Paintings section on the second floor. 

After we took some time to enjoy all of the art, Paul and I decided to stop by one more place before heading home - his parent's favorite restaurant to surprise them! We were able to surprise them at the restaurant and joined them for dinner. I wish I had taken some photos! Just rest assured that the food was excellent and I slept very well after that meal. 

The next morning was our last full day in NYC, so we had to make the most of it! We headed into the city at about 11AM - but not before grabbing a bacon egg and cheese sandwich. Our first stop was mundane, T-Mobile for a phone chip update for Paul. Afterwards, though, we were en route to Radio City Music Hall to watch the Rockettes live! 

I was so excited; I always wanted to be a Rockette growing up so seeing them in person was so awesome. I couldn't take any photos during the actual show but I did take this one right before it started.

I won't spoil the show for anyone, but I will say that everyone I was with who had seen the show before said it was even better this year than before. 

After the show had concluded it was time for dinner! We made our way to one of Paul's dad's favorite hangout spots, themed after his favorite sports teams - Boca Juniors! We had some amazing food there, I shared a serving of various meats with Paul's brother's girlfriend, Nicole. We also had an amazing dessert after, some type of crepe with a cream filling and crème brulee style caramelized sugar on top. 

After sharing some more conversations and fun we headed home, wrapping the night up with a few games. That night we played Jackbox games, Sequence, and Left Right Center. So much fun! 

Finally, however, our weekend had ended and we woke up the next morning with the daunting task of packing up and flying home. Before we left we were treated to a wonderful breakfast from Paul's mom, and we got to say goodbye to Paul's grandpa on our way to the airport. Just like that, we were in our terminal and back en route to Michigan. 

There were a few delays on the way home and the whole time it felt like the world telling us to stay just one more day! We couldn't, but the delays (and some weird weather) did cause us to extend our vacation somewhat by staying in a hotel by the Detroit airport upon our return. We got to watch some TV and enjoy a big meal of Burger King to wrap up our weekend adventure. 

Over all, it was such a fun weekend and I am so thankful to all of Paul's family and friends who helped us out by getting us to New York City and spending time with us. What a wonderful weekend it was to reflect on everything we are thankful for. ♥

Until next time!