Early morning flights always seem like a great idea until the alarm clock goes off at 2:30am. And then I ask myself what in the world were we thinking?!? But, an early flight means an early arrival time & a whole extra day in NYC!
By 4am we were on the road & headed to IAH! We had an uneventful flight & landed in NYC right on time. We got a taxi & were at the hotel shortly after lunch time. We stayed at the Park Central Hotel which is on 7th Avenue between Times Square & Central Park. We have stayed there several times & absolutely love it.
Once we got checked into the hotel, we didn't waste any time. Brenda's favorite thing in NYC? Getting a hot dog from a hot dog cart on the street. So, that was the first thing we did. I mean, who wouldn't want that as their first "meal" in NYC? =)
I am a planner & organizer so we always have an itinerary before we go. You almost have to if you plan to do & see as much as we do in 5 days. But, I also know that generally, the itinerary goes out the window on day 1. This year was no different. It was an absolutely gorgeous day {although VERY cold...temps in the 20's} so we decided to head to the Empire State Building. GREAT decision because the visibility that day was 25 miles & the views were amazing.
We headed to Macy's next. All of the large department stores in NYC decorate their store front windows for the holidays. They spend all year planning & putting them together and have a huge unveiling a few weeks before Christmas. The decorations inside are also stunning.
After a little shopping, we headed to John's Pizza in Times Square for supper...it's our favorite pizza in NYC! The building is an old church that has been converted into a restaurant. They even make the pizza in the middle of the restaurant so you can watch. After supper, we grabbed some cheesecake to go from Junior's & headed back to the hotel and enjoyed it in bed. It had been a LONG day & was going to be an early morning.
Day 2 is next! **Kelly's Korner readers - be sure to check out Days 2-5 in the January Archives!
I've always wanted to visit NYC during Christmas time. We went a few months ago for the Rutgers game and we really loved it. We definitely need to go back for Christmas.
ReplyDeleteIf you can, definitely make the trip at Christmas. I have been once in October, once for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade & 5 times at Christmas...Christmas is definitely my favorite. It's crowded, but so magical! Thanks for stopping by!
DeleteThat is my dream trip! We are planning a trip to NYC for our 25th anniversary this year. I would like to go in December, but wondered about the weather? I thought October might be nice, too, although I've always dreamed of seeing the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center!
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, you just never know about the weather. We always go the week before Christmas & it has varied. In 2009, we experienced a blizzard with 18" of snow. This past year, if snowed a few inches one day of our trip. In 2012, temps were in the 50's.
DeleteI was there in October 2002 & November 2011 and the weather was very nice. Seeing the fall foliage in Central Park is also VERY pretty. But, Christmas is still my absolute favorite...and it's even more magical with it's covered in snow! =)
Enjoy your trip!!