{TEEN Trip} New York City - Day 5

 On our very last day, we got packed up, checked out and left our bags at our hotel, and set out walking down towards Hudson Yards...

We passed the famous Macy's store in Herald Square...

It turned out to be the first day of the annual flower show...

I think I prefer walking from neighborhood to neighborhood in New York City for the same reason that I enjoy driving from city to city on our family road trips. You really get to see how different neighborhoods change and morph into one another (same as with the different landscapes when driving). Additionally, you sometimes just happen upon cool things you'd never notice otherwise...

We continued down W. 34th Street and spotted our next stop up (literally UP) ahead...

Once we made it to Hudson Yards, we checked out The Vessel. The rest of us visited it last summer, but L was at camp, so I was so glad to get her over here! Unfortunately, it remains closed to visitors...

We quickly headed up to one of the newest observation decks in the city, The Edge...

for a gorgeous view...

and a little fun, too...

I didn't want to get anywhere near the glass area where you can see straight down to the streets below, but L didn't seem to have a problem with it...

at all...

This ended up being one of my most favorite photos of the entire trip... I mean...incredible views!

After spending a good bit of time up there, we headed down to the mall area to do a little bit of shopping...

before grabbing some street food for lunch...

From Hudson Yards, we hit the High Line and walked the entire length...

down to the Whitney Museum of American Art...

to explore...

We started on the top floor with an exhibit by Jennifer Packer...

and views of the Meatpacking District from the outdoor deck...

then worked our way down seeing works by a couple of well known artists as well...

Edward Hopper...

and Georgia O'Keefe...

We had a little bit of time before our early dinner reservations, so we walked over to Little Island, a new park that Uncle B told us about...

It is so unique and supported entirely by these concrete structures, called tulips, that are suspended in the water!

We grabbed our final meal of the trip at nearby Pastis...

and it did not disappoint...

After dinner, we stopped by our hotel to grab our luggage and catch the train back to Hastings-on-Hudson...

where we bid farewell to Aunt E, Uncle B, and cousins A & E before starting the trek home.

Day 5 Step Count - 18,101

What a wonderful few days away, full of special memories made, with the newest teenager in our family. Until next time, NYC!

{TEEN Trip} New York City - Day 4

 This morning we Ubered down to City Hall Park to meet up with our guide for a walking tour taking us over the Brooklyn Bridge and into Brooklyn!

It was so interesting and fun...

with beautiful views of Manhattan along the way...

After we crossed the bridge, we went on a walking tour of a couple of neighborhoods in Brooklyn...

We saw where President George Washington lived during the Battle of Long Island...

as well as some beautiful views of Manhattan from across the river...

This is supposedly the home where Truman Capote wrote Breakfast at Tiffany's...

Our (3.5 hour!) walking tour ended in the very popular DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass) area...

where we found more beautiful views...

and a really delicious lunch at Juliana's Pizza. I say lunch because while L ordered pizza... 

I ordered one of the best salads I have ever eaten...

Maybe I'm sheltered, but it was GOOD...

After lunch, things got just a little bit dicey. So, we literally ate and ran because we were on a tight timeline trying to 1) stop by our hotel to freshen up and change out of our (3.5 hour walking tour)  "athleisure" and 2) make it to our 3:00 show - "Six the Musical"!

While I am completely comfortable getting around in Manhattan, whether it be by foot, by subway, by Uber, or whatever, I know nothing, and I mean NOTHING, about Brooklyn. In fact, I had (very hard to secure) reservations booked (like 6 months out) for The River Cafe in DUMBO just to end up cancelling them when we decided it would just be L and me (no Hubby) because I wasn't familiar enough with how to get there and get back. I am now, but that's what I'm getting at here...

So, since we were running late (and the subway station was not super close to where we ended up), I decided to call for an Uber. After waiting patiently (and I think I am a very patient person) for half an hour (HALF AN HOUR) and watching on the app as the driver went over the bridge to us, then back to Manhattan, and then back to us in Brooklyn again (yet never actually figured out how to get off the overpass and over to us under the bridge), I cancelled the ride, and we decided to hike it over to the subway (using the directions our walking tour guide left us).

By the way, the directions included very specific instructions to make sure to get on the subway going toward Manhattan and to not mess up and go the other way, further into Brooklyn...

Okay...pressure...

So, we trucked it over to the subway (found it), got on it (going the correct way), and got off at the first stop in Manhattan (Fulton Street). We debated changing trains and trying to make it back to Grand Central Terminal and our hotel, but ultimately decided that we really had to go straight to the show ("athleisure" and all). So, we rolled up to the theater at about 3:07 looking all the part of having just been "stuck" in Brooklyn after a (3.5 hour) walking tour... Bless...

All joking aside, it wouldn't have been that bad at all had we not been in a bit of a rush... I mean, we could've totally just walked back over the bridge, but my brain was a little fuzzy after our (3.5 hour) walking tour, and I couldn't really process how long that might take!

After the (AMAZING) show, we grabbed an early dinner next door at Trattoria Trecolori...

and then walked back to our hotel room for some much overdue rest...

We even had plenty of time to freshen up before walking back over to our 8:00 show - "The Music Man" (with Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster)!!!!!

Wow, just WOW!!! That's all...

It was so incredible it almost made me forget that we spent part of the afternoon "stuck" in Brooklyn...  Ha!

This ended up being a night that I'm sure L will remember forever. I know I will... 

Day 4 Step Count - 25,511

Did I mention that we did a (3.5 hour) walking tour today???

Looking forward to our last day tomorrow!