GETAWAY SERIES // East Coast Adventures
If you follow me on social media, then you probably know that I recently celebrated my birthday with a trip to the East Coast! After the past couple of years of more low-key celebrations (not by choice, but by COVID circumstances), I was looking forward to getting back to something more my speed.
A day or two before our scheduled flight, we received a notification that our flight was cancelled. Super fun news. After a phone call to the airline, Andrew was able to get us on a red-eye flight, leaving San Diego on a Friday, getting into New York bright and early on Saturday. Thankfully, I was able to sleep for a good chunk of the flight (Andrew, not so much).
New York
Our ride from JFK to Manhattan was absolutely beautiful. The sun had just come up and we were treated to stunning views of the city. We arrived at our hotel, the Millennium Downtown, and were lucky that a room was ready for us right away. We snuck in a quick nap then began our day.
With our nap, we unfortunately missed our timed entry to the 9/11 Museum, but were able to book another one a couple hours later. To fill the time, we walked to Leo’s Bagels for a bite to eat, before heading back to the memorial and museum. When that tragedy happened, I was seven-years-old and only have a couple minor memories from it. But anybody who was alive then can say that they understand the grief, sadness, and magnitude associated with that day, especially with the content that’s now available to read and watch. I felt like it was important to visit that museum and I’m happy we did. There was so much preserved from that day - material evidence, personal testimonies, and historical records - and the museum does a magnificent job of honoring the lives that were lost, as well as the courage and heroism from first responders and ordinary people. It’s quite powerful to be in New York and stand on that ground and see it everyday from our hotel across the street.
That evening, Andrew and I made our way to Brooklyn, walking across the Brooklyn Bridge and settling in the Dumbo neighborhood. We grabbed dinner at Dumbo Market and took in the sights of the city from across the East River. We spontaneously hopped on a ferry back to Brooklyn, enjoying even better views from the water, then walked down to Battery Park. We finished the night with a quick trip to Insomnia Cookies, then easily fell asleep.
Day two in New York was exciting, because it was my birthday! We started the day with breakfast at a nearby French cafe then took the subway to Columbus Circle. I grabbed my free birthday drink from Starbucks (a must) and Andrew and I walked around Central Park. It was such a nice day and I felt so euphoric. Walking around Central Park, the city’s buildings surrounding us, laughing and enjoying ourselves on a sunny day. That evening, we were scheduled to go watched the Giants/Mets game out in Queens, but didn’t realize till we arrived at the stadium that the game had been postponed due to pending rain. So, we pivoted. We took the subway back into the city and checked out The High Line, a former elevated rail line converted to a walking path and park. We ended up at Chelsea Market and grabbed dinner and doughnuts for dessert. To end the night, we swung through Times Square to people watch and look at Broadway signs.
On our third day in New York, we started our day in the Upper East Side. We grabbed breakfast from a cafe then made our way to The Metropolitan Museum of Art. We spent HOURS walking around the museum, just in awe of the artwork, sculptures, and history. My personal favorites - Bouquet of Sunflowers by Claude Monet and A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte by Georges Seurat. Afterward, we grabbed a slice of pizza and returned to our hotel for a little R&R.
Because the baseball game was postponed the day before, the Giants and Mets were playing a double header. So after a quick nap, we hopped back on the subway and headed to Queens. We caught the last few innings of the first game, while also taking time to wander around the stadium and grab some food. As the night went on, the wind picked up and we retired to a cover area out in left field to shield ourselves from the elements. It was perfect because the area we found wasn’t that populated and we were able to enjoy the game without crowds. We made it through half of the game before we decided to head out. We swung by Insomnia Cookies one more time before calling it a night.
The next day, was our last day in New York. We started at Grand Central Station, taking in the architecture and grabbing a bite to eat. From there, we visited Washington Square Park and enjoyed the sun and views. It was a busy day at Washington Square Park (and active with 4/20 participants). After spending time enjoying the sunshine and watching dogs at the dog park, we walked to Katz’s Delicatessen. I really wanted to visit a Jewish deli, and Katz’s is probably one of the most well-known. It was even featured in When Harry Met Sally. I ordered some potato latkas and Andrew enjoyed a corned beef sandwich and matzo ball soup. While we were eating, Marc Maron came in and sat at a table behind us. On our way back to our hotel to grab our bags, we checked out the Wall Street Bull and Fearless Girl statues.
Washington DC
Our train to DC departed from Penn Station. I have to say, taking the train was seamless and really relaxing. We didn’t have to worry about anything and could just relaxed as we watched the cities fly by. When we got to DC, we checked into our Airbnb and decided to stay in for a leisurely night.
The next morning was a stark contrast from our time in New York. There, we were greeted with high winds and cold temperatures, but in DC, it was warm and consistently in the 70’s. Really fun when it came to planning what to pack.
We started our first full day in DC by walking to the Capitol Building and National Mall. We planned to hit many well-known landmarks and museums, and had purposely booked an Airbnb that was within walking distance of it all. We definitely got our steps in that day, by visiting the Lincoln Memorial, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, and World War II Memorial.
This was Andrew’s first time in DC, but I have been many times before. Throughout my childhood and teenage years, I was able to participate in leadership conferences and there were quite a few that took place in DC. So it was nostalgic to go back and revisit places that I visited almost 15 years prior. see below
The next day, more walking. We visited the National Archives Museum, which was by far my favorite museum. The amount of history and preserved documentation was absolutely amazing. It was a reminder how important it is to remember our history, to not repeat the mistakes, and celebrate some high points. We also quickly walked by the White House and the house that Lincoln died in. We enjoyed lunch at a BBQ joint near our Airbnb, giving us energy to get through the rest of the day. That evening, we took a Lyft to Nationals Park to see the Nationals play…the Giants! It was a cool stadium and the Giants won, so that was a plus.
The next morning, we slept in and wrapped up our Airbnb check out before heading to the airport. While we were definitely pooped and looking forward to sleeping in our own bed, we were so full of joy and happiness at the adventures and memories from the past week. We were able to celebrate both of our birthdays, explore new places together, and travel again.
