New York City



This blog post is very content and picture heavy! I thought about breaking it up, but I feel like sometimes trip posts can feel like they are dragging on when you do that, and since we weren't going to different areas like in Thailand, I decided to do all of our New York trip in one gigantic post! Don't say I didn't warn you :)

Trevor and I spent the last week in New York City! It was a crazy trip from start to finish, and we are thoroughly exhausted. The trip started off a little nuts actually. After a full day of work I went to a conference down in Provo for BonConf (I went last year if you remember) and I had to leave early from that so we could make it to the airport in time. Trevor of course didn't pack until the last minute so we were a little rushed, but still made it with some time to spare *phew.* We took a red eye flight to New York with full expectations that we would sleep the whole way. HA! I normally don't have too much of an issue sleeping on planes, but being pregnant was a game changer. I could not get comfortable enough to actually get some rest the entire flight. We arrived in New York exhausted. We were staying at the Double Tree near Times Square and they didn't have check in until 4:00 p.m. We had been hoping they would let us in early so that we could get some sleep, and they told us to try back around 2:00 p.m. Thankfully they held our bags for us and we headed out to get some much needed breakfast.



A friend had recommended a place called Juniors, which was an alright meal, but probably my least favorite from the whole trip. I will note that their hot chocolate was really good though and they are apparently known for their cheesecake which in retrospect I should have got even though it was 6:00 in the morning! haha After breakfast we decided to purchase one of those New York Bus Tours. We figured since we were half functioning at this point it would be nice to get an overview of the city and get a feel for where we were in relation to everything. We didn't do much research on this and just bought one, blame the lack of sleep, but thankfully it ended up working out great because we could use any of the green tour buses for the entire time we were there and they did several different kind of tours. We actually wish would have had more time because they offered some tours we would have liked to have done but just ended up not being able to squeeze them into our plans. For the first afternoon we took a tour of Manhattan, and it was nice to get a brief run down of everything and see where things were in relation to each other.


I loved seeing the Flatiron Building! It was one of the first skyscrapers in New York!


A super flattering picture of us on the start of our tour. This is what up being up for almost 30 hours looks like after work and traveling! haha


I have talked about these Pacifica wipes on my YouTube channel before, but they were so nice to have after going to the bathroom, or riding the subway. You would be amazed at how dirty you can get walking around New York City.


After 9/11 I have a soft spot for the FDNY


We finished the tour and decided to grab some lunch. Ever since Trevor took a trip to Washington D.C. back in his law school job interviewing days he has talked about how amazing Shake Shack is. I have always wanted to try it and since there was one close to our hotel we decided to go there. It did not disappoint and totally lived up to it's name and reputation! It was divine. I tried the SmokeShack Burger because that is Trevor's favorite, it was a little spicy for me but I still really enjoyed it. It has a niman ranch sauce, smoked applewood bacon, chopped cherry peppers and the scrumptious ShackSauce on it. A little different from their classic ShackBurger but if you like a kick, you should try it! I knew the next time I would try the regular burger, oh and there was a next time. It was also divine! The shakes were also awesome, I got a peanut butter shake mixed in with vanilla and Trevor got a chocolate and peanut butter mix. If you are ever near a Shake Shack, do yourself a favor and grab some! There was always a steady line for Shake Shack, so that should tell you something. We heard they recently opened one up in Vegas so we can't wait to make that our new pit stop when on our way to San Diego for family visits! After lunch we headed back to our hotel in hopes that they had a room available even though it was only 1:00 p.m. Thankfully they did! We zonked out and took a much needed three hour nap so we could have the energy we needed to get through our plans for the rest of the night. We had tickets to see the Broadway musical, The Book of Mormon. I know, I know, a tad ironic for some Mormons to go see the show. Trevor had a curiosity for the musical when it first came out since he served his mission in South Africa. He is also a fan of Trey Parker and Matt Stone and loves musicals, so he wanted to hear what they put together. We had listened to the soundtrack when the show first came out and thought the music was great and really hilarious. We knew going in that the show was going to be crude at parts, these are the creators of South Park we are talking about here, so that wasn't going to be a surprise. So what were my thoughts? The show was very entertaining, and funny. I would go as far as saying that I don't even think people can fully appreciate all of it if they aren't Mormon. These guys really did their research and really nailed certain parts of the culture of Mormonism and the experience of being a missionary. Obviously there were some far reaching aspects of Mormonism they joked about, but overall I wasn't offended as a Mormon specifically. Does that make sense? There were some offensive and crude parts to the show I could have done without, but nothing that made me feel like they were targeting my religion specifically to be offensive. Anyways, it is definitely rated R material, and thus most Mormons, like my parents, would not want to see this type of show, nor condone me seeing it. But we went, we enjoyed it, and it was a hilarious show. With that said, on a more serious note, I love being a Mormon and if you want to learn more about The Book of Mormon and how it can change your life, you can learn more HERE :)


After the show we were still pretty tired and didn't want to go too far so we headed to John's Pizzeria, a pizza place that Yelp said was the best pizza in Times Square. It was a really cool restaurant built inside of a Church. The ceiling was amazing, and it had a really great vibe with dimmed lights and lots of people. The pizza was pretty good too! After dinner we walked out to Times Square to really soak it up and see the lights at night. Man, it is crazy how bright it can be at night because of the lights. It reminded me a lot of Tokyo! We sat on the famous red steps and enjoyed the view for awhile before heading back to our hotel. On our way back we picked up some cannolis. When we got back to our hotel and I took my shoes off, I noticed that my legs and feet were extremely swollen. They had been hurting a little bit but I didn't think much of it, and it wasn't until I was really looking at them that I realized I legit had no ankle bones showing. I had cankles! Just by looking at them you would have thought I broke my ankle. I was pretty taken aback, and a little worried but Trevor helped me massage them out a bit and I put them up and hoped they would be better in the morning. Unfortunately due to all the walking that we were doing this trip the swelling didn't really go down. I read up on it and apparently this is pretty common for pregnant women who fly. I am also in the part of my pregnancy where swelling can start, so I don't know if it was just the combination of it all but I they are still swollen! I have a doctors appointment next week so if they haven't gone down I will make sure everything is okay then. I drank lots of water and elevated my feet every night on out trip! We enjoyed our cannolis and got a much needed full night of sleep!


Being silly and trying to figure out my selfie stick! haha My family friend from back home started selling these and I will do a full review of it later, but until then I thought I would let you know that this selfie stick is on sale on Amazon right now! It really came in handy on our trip!


We slept in the next morning which felt lovely and made our way to get some brunch. I had seen a yummy place called Jack's Wife Freda on instagram and had it on my list of places to try when we were there. It was just enough without making you feel stuffed. It was fresh, light and scrumptious! We got the Green Shakshuka and Rose Water Waffles and they were a delight. Everything on the menu looked amazing honestly! After brunch Trevor was on the hunt for a Cronut, a croissant and donut hybrid. We headed to the best place to get them in the city (supposedly anyways) Dominique Ansel, but of course they were sold out already. So we found another bakery not too far away called Mille-Feuille  that also had them. They had a few left and I can see why everyone likes them so much! They are a pastry lovers dream come true!


Got to love New York, haha!

When we walked out of Mille-Feuille we noticed some citi-bikes. We had read that these were a great way to get around town and after so much walking and subway riding already we decided to give them a go and use them to get to our next stop. Let me tell you, these citi-bikes were by far our favorite way to travel during our trip. They came in such handy and it was the a really efficient and fun way to get around. I loved being able to soak up the city while we were getting somewhere. It also helped give my feet a break ;) I downloaded an app that would tell us where citi-bike drop off spots were and we planned routes that way. It was super convenient!

We biked on down to the 9/11 Memorial and got to check out the Freedom Building and the Museum. We didn't expect this to take so long but the museum you guys, you will want to spend some time there! Plan for it. Also, we didn't realize the main part of the museum was last so we spent a little longer than we should have looking at all the before stuff. Just a note for those who plan to go sometime. They have really made this memorial such a special place. The memorials are beautiful, and the Freedom Building is stunning, and the tallest building in New York. The museum was full of so many fascinating and heartbreaking tributes. I got emotional a few times, I don't know how you couldn't. They had some of the answering machine recordings left by victims on the plane for their loved ones and that is what really got me. To hear that was just heart wrenching and it brought back so many memories of that time. I remember watching it LIVE as the second plane hit the other tower of the World Trade Center. It really is a must see if you are in New York.  


I am not trying to do stink face here, it was just really, really bright!


The Freedom Tower really is a stand out building in New York


These are the original exit stairs survivors ran down to escape.


This quilt was absolutely amazing!


We weren't allowed to take pictures in the bigger part of the museum. Honestly, you are looking at so much stuff, reading, and listening, you don't really have the time to anyways. If you are ever around you should make a day of it and plan to see this beautiful museum and memorial.

After the museum we grabbed a quick slice of pizza from the street and headed on down to Wall Street. I told Trevor that I HAD to get a picture rubbing the charging bulls balls. I mean, it is a NYC right of passage right? It is an iconic landmark! I also think the story behind it and how it got there is just great, and I had to see it. I made Trevor take a picture with it too :) We walked by the stock exchange and got to see where George Washington was sworn in as the President of the United States at the Federal Hall. My historical geek heart was thumping! If I wasn't so pregnant I would have climbed right up by the statue to get my picture taken next to him! haha We had planned to see the Statue of Liberty after but with the 9/11 memorial and museum taking too long we didn't have enough time. So we hopped on one of our tour buses and basically used it as a taxi to take us back to time square. That is another note I would like to make for those planning trips to New York. Plan how you are going to get around efficiently before you go! We had a lot of hiccups because of not planning everything out with the subway as efficiently as would could have base don what we had planned to do. It is challenging because you don't realize how much effort it takes to get around to do things, and so you might think you have enough time but if you don't plan it out perfectly beforehand you will more than likely run into some headaches. But hey, they make the trip that much more of an adventure right? Trevor and I just loved getting lost in NYC :) haha

 

It was hard to get down there while about six months pregnant, but I did it! haha I just wish I wasn't blocking the balls!




A random street falafel that I enjoyed :) We also really liked the warmed mixed nuts a lot of the street carts sell.

When we got back to 42nd Street we headed to Carlo's Bake Shop! I have always wanted to try his baked goods since I love his show Cake Boss. We got a cannoli to share, and I had the strawberry cheesecake while Trevor got some amazing looking oreo cake. I really wanted to try a lobster tail as well, but we had to draw the line somewhere right?! haha The cheesecake was out of this world delicious! Holy crud. I don't know why Trevor and I decided that dessert before dinner was a good idea, but it was Vacation right? We weren't hungry at all after the decadent desserts so we decided to go check out the Empire State Building! Ever since my love affair with Meg Ryan movies as a little girl I have wanted to go to the top of the Empire State Building. After Sleepless in Seattle it was a bucket list item of mine, and it kind of just worked out that we went at night (you know, when Annie barley makes it to the top to find Jonah and Sam and that adorable teddy bear! Because they are MFEO! I digress...) Trevor and I just had a list of everything we wanted to do and food suggestions and we kind of just did everything on a whim as we went. We heard the line for the Empire State Building was rough but apparently going at night when we went was a good choice because we practically walked right on up! I love how the building has maintained that 1930's décor and vibe. I got pretty giddy when I walked into the main lobby and saw the stunning art on the wall right behind the receptionist/information desk. It was beautiful! I told Trevor, "How cool to be the receptionist at the Empire State Building!" I think Trevor thought I was a little crazy :) When we got to the top it was freezing cold but absolutely gorgeous. The 360 degree views of the city lit up took my breath away! I am happy we saw it at night even if we had to brave some chilly weather.


Yes, I look like "Where's Waldo?" haha


Not the best shot but I wanted a picture in the lobby!


We were now hungry at this point so we looked up some food suggestions that were near by and found that The Breslin received great reviews. We headed on down to the Ace Hotel where it is located and were surprised to see such a crowd. The wait itself wasn't long but the hotel and The Breslin was packed. It was pretty apparent this was "the place" to be. So many young twenty somethings, gorgeous, well dressed and straight out of a hipster east coast magazine or something. I felt like a total frump in my tennis shoes and bright yellow tourist looking jacket. My pregnant belly sure stood out as well. The restaurant and hotel was probably even cooler than the crowd present. It is almost hard to describe the decoration and the vibe but it is somewhere I would definitely recommend if you are looking for somewhere really cool, romantic (think sexy), and fun. It is somewhere you can tell everyone was having a great night and enjoying themselves. The menu is pretty specific to tastes, so I would review it before going in case it isn't your thing. Trevor and I both were unsure about ordering the highly recommended lamb burger because, well, neither of us really like lamb. But with so many amazing reviews we decided to go for it. Plus it had been awhile since I had actually had lamb and I am big believer in trying things again with time since our taste buds change etc. To our surprise the burger was amazing! It had to have been the quality and the seasoning they used because it was sooooooo freakin good. Even the fries that came with it were a stand out and we both were pleasantly surprised and happy that the meal was so good. While I wasn't really prepared for a night out at The Breslin, it was a great experience and if I ever go again you better believe I will take my outfit up a notch ;) After dinner we made our way home and quickly passed out! haha



Trevor liked stopping to listen to the musicians play. There were several throughout the park! 


The next morning we made our way to the very talked about Levain Bakery. This bakery is known for their cookies and so we figured cookies sounded like a great choice for breakfast! Oh man, I swear, the sweets we ate while on this trip were no joke. I got the oatmeal raisin cookie, and a blueberry muffin. Trevor got the dark chocolate, chocolate chip cookie and the chocolate chip brioche. These cookies were more like small cakes! Thankfully we got some milk too because these guys were extremely filling. I loved how they were moist and not doughy, even though they were so thick. We rented some bikes and spent the rest of the morning exploring Central Park. This was one of our favorite things we did in New York, and we were bummed when we realized it was already time to head back down to Times Square. We could have spent an entire day in Central Park! We had tickets to see a matinee showing at 2:00 of the Phantom of the Opera so we had to get going. I couldn't believe it when Trevor said he had never seen the show, as in the movie or anything! He had no idea what the story line was. It was fun to see such a classic on Broadway and share in that with Trevor. Before the show we grabbed some smoothies. It was such a warm day, in fact every day we were in New York the weather was just gorgeous and super sunny! The super filling cookies and smoothies had tied us over but when the show was over we ready for a late lunch/early pre-dinner. I convinced Trevor that we needed some Shake Shack again so I could try the regular Shake Shack burger. It was scrumptious! After our burgers we headed back to the hotel to kick up our feet and plan the rest of the night. We decided to go and walk the Brooklyn Bridge. This was probably our favorite thing we did while in New York. Walking the Brooklyn Bridge at sunset with Trevor and just taking in the beautiful sky lines, and talking to people, and just having time to talk to my husband was pure bliss. We talked about our little girl, and life, and it was just such a nice night! The bridge itself it breath taking and a real piece of history. We both would highly recommend taking the time to walk it. We wanted to go back and do it again before we left but we didn't have a chance to fit it in. Trevor kept saying how pretty it would be at night so you could see everything lit up! Next time we are ever New York we will have to make that happen. But I will say, going at sunset was pretty dang perfect.










After the Brooklyn Bridge we really needed to go to the bathroom. Can I just tell you, finding a public bathroom in New York can be like finding a needle in a haystack! My goodness. Just another tip for you when planning out things. Finally after waiting what felt like an hour in line at a Starbucks for the bathroom we were off to find us some dinner. We got some citi-bikes again and rode through the East Village. We really enjoyed this area! We wanted something light for dinner since we hadn't eaten too long ago so I did some research on good eats in the area. I found a hot dog recommendation called Crif Dogs. This place was a fun relaxed spot, and you could tell was a local hang out to grab a quick bite. The hot dogs themselves aren't necessarily high quality, but they create these really awesome combinations that make them the perfect bite. It hit the spot! I got the Jon-Jon Deragon, it has a schemer of cream cheese, scallions, and everything bagels. Make sure you get the dog wrapped in bacon too! It had awesome flavor! You just can't go wrong when there is cream cheese in something, am I wrong? I think I will be recreating this dog at home! Trevor opted for the Chihuahua which was a bacon wrapped dog covered in avocados and sour cream. We tried a bite of each others and I would say mine was better ;) Trevor had seen a live jazz club playing at a restaurant we had walked by on our way to Crif Dogs so we decided to pop in after. We didn't know what kind of food the place would have and it ended up being some crazy fancy Italian seafood. Honestly half the menu was raw, which meant I couldn't eat it, and we weren't even that hungry as it was but Trevor just wanted to hear some jazz. We finally settled on getting some escargot, which Trevor thought was clams or something and when I asked him if had ever had snails he was really confused. It was pretty funny! As our luck would have it the band took a break just as we were ordering and we finished before they even came back on to play. Oh well, we tried! We didn't get to really hear any jazz and were forced to order something off the menu and had some snails. I guess you could call it a mini adventure? haha And what goes great with snails? Some ice cream of course. We had heard about Big Gay Ice Cream and knew there was one near by so we headed there to top off the night with a cone of loveliness. There was a line out the door and we heard someone say how short the line was so we figured we should be grateful. It was worth the wait though! The ice cream itself is of amazing quality but where they really shine is the combinations and flavors they put together! Trevor got the "Salty Pimp" which is vanilla ice cream, dulche de leche, sea salt, all dipped in chocolate. He was obsessed with it! I got the "Bea Arthur," which was vanilla ice cream, dulce de leche and crushed nilla wafers, and it was great. Everything on the menu looked so tempting and it was hard for me to make a choice. We decided we would for sure be making another trip at their other location when we were over there! We headed on back home and again, slept like rocks!




Sunday morning we headed to a highly recommended brunch spot from some of our friends called Extra Virgin. It is located on the most adorable street. There was a bit of a line when we got there, the place hadn't opened yet, but I have learned that lines in New York mean something is worth waiting for. We got there early enough to be seated outside and the weather was perfect for a great meal out on the patio. Apparently outside seating are coveted spots at this place because people were not happy when there weren't any left for them. It was honestly the most perfect meal, in the most ideal setting I could have imagined in New York. Trevor and I both LOVED our meals and voted it the best one we had during our entire trip. We kept eyeing what other people were getting too and realized the whole menu must rock. I would highly recommend this to anyone wanting some amazing brunch in New York! I can only imagine how good their menu is for lunch and dinner as well. I got the Banana French Toast, with caramelized bananas, and whipped mascarpone. It was HEAVEN people, pure HEAVEN. But then again, I am a huge breakfast fan, I love anything pancake, waffle, or French toast. Trevor, who is hard to impress, loved his dish. He got the Basque Scramble, which had peperonata, creamy polenta, salsa verde, avocado purée, and chorizo. It had some awesome flavor folks! He gave me a bite :)



After brunch we got some citi-bikes and decided to ride along the water front on our way down to get on the ferry for our tour of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. It was such a beautiful day and everyone was out riding bikes, doing yoga, or playing in splash pads and dog parks. The bike ride was for fun as well as getting us to where we needed be, but I could have rode that bike all morning it was so nice! We picked up our tickets and some frozen strawberry lemonades to enjoy in the hot weather and got in line for our ferry ride. It was pretty cool seeing the Statue of Liberty up close like that! Another bucket list item checked off the list! It is crazy to think about all the people who saw her as they made their way to make the United States their home. We walked around Liberty Island and enjoyed the views around the New York Harbor. And of course tried to get a picture with us and Lady Liberty herself. We were then on our way to Ellis Island. I was really excited to go here as I remember learning a lot about it in school and in my history classes. I loved seeing the different changes and purposes the Immigrant Station has had over the years. It really felt like we were experiencing a piece of history! 



After the tour we headed off to go find some lunch. I think the most recommended pizza you get when you ask people is Grimaldi's Pizzeria. There were a few other top mentions that I wish we had, had time to try, but I figured if we could only do one we should hit up the spot that was mentioned the most. We have always heard about how bad the lines are, but there was absolutely NO line at the Grimaldi's Pizzeria in Manhattan. I think it was because we went at like 4:00 p.m. which is such an off hour to be eating. Honestly our eating schedules were so messed up from sleeping in and having late brunches every morning! At this point Trevor wanted some more Big Gay Ice Cream and their original location was really close to we wondered off to go find it. This time the line was soooooooo long but we decided to wait because, hey, when will we ever get the chance to have it again? This time around Trevor got some combination he made with a twist ice cream and what not, he decided he should have stuck with the "Salty Pimp" haha I on the other hand liked the ice cream I got even better than that first one, I got the "Mermaid" - Vanilla ice cream, key lime curd, crushed graham crackers, and whipped cream! YUM! It was better than the pie. After we got our ice cream we made our way to the famous toy store, FAO Schwarz. It was fun to walk around and see all the variety they have in there. Talk about kid heaven. We played some brain games in the brain center, and checked out the infant department. We also spent some time in their amazing candy store section, holy crud! There was some pretty amazing stuff in there. We also made sure to see the infamous piano floor that Tom Hanks plays in the movie Big. We were good though and resisted buying anymore sweets since it was mostly what we had been eating while in New York! haha

I saw this on the wall of the building while waiting for ice cream. I got really excited! I love history and historical sites so I thought this was such a fun random find and coincidence.




After the toy store we headed to a place called the High Line. The High Line was originally  part of the West Side Improvement Project, the High Line opens to trains. It runs from 34th Street to St John’s Park Terminal, at Spring Street. It was designed to go through the center of blocks, rather than over the avenue, carrying goods to and from Manhattan’s largest industrial district. It stopped use in 1980. Around 2002 they decided to do something with it to preserve it, and they started turning it into a park that you can walk along and see beautiful views of the city, and the harbor. They really did a great job with it, it was beautifully landscaped and they kept little parts of the rail road throughout it. To be honest it was probably a bad night for us to do it because my feet were absolutely killing me, but I didn't want to pass up something so many people told us we should do! While it really was a beautiful walk, in all honesty it was probably the one thing I would have cut from our trip if I had to. I would much rather have spent my valuable time on the Brooklyn Bridge again, or in Central Park. However if you have the time it is a really cool walk. So look it up and decide if it is something for you! After the walk we headed to a much raved about local restaurant called The Owl, all to find out they were closed. I was pretty bummed, mostly because we had walked to it and my feet were already feeling like they were going to fall off! haha We had already been planning to end the night off at Serendipity 3 to get some frozen hot chocolate, so we just decided to get some dinner there as well. 



Ever since I saw the chick flick, Serendipity, I have wanted to go to the actual store in New York and try the famous Frozen Hot Chocolate! Yes I was only about 12 or 13 when I saw that film, so this has been a bucket list item for me for years and I was very excited to finally get to go! They are known for their desserts, not so much dinner, so dinner wasn't anything to get too excited about. However, the Frozen Hot Chocolate was better than I ever thought it could be! Oh my gosh! In retrospect I wish we had tried another flavor! The store and ambiance is funky and fun, and the dessert menu is crazy. I think it is a must see if you are in New York! I LOVED it! 



On our last day of New York we had brunch at Norma's, another highly recommended place to get some amazing breakfast. I had heard the wait could be forever, but we got a seat right away. However, I don't know if our waiter didn't place our order right away, if he forgot or what, but it took forever for us to get our food. It was rather annoying seeing people who were seated after us, get their food and finish by the time we got ours. We had even ordered less then those around us! So even though that part of the experience wasn't great, the food was divine. It was a pretty pricey breakfast, but they had some really unique and fun options. Unfortunately I was so sugared out I didn't think I could stomach some of their amazing looking French toasts. I am kicking myself now for that because who doesn't want ice cream for breakfast? haha I ended up going with Norma’s Super Blueberry Pancakes with Devonshire Cream, which really were prefect in every way. I couldn't decide between this or the Donut Even Go There French Toast, which was Cheesecake-Stuffed, Coconut-Rolled, with Orange Drizzle and Vanilla Ice Cream. Like I said, I went with simplicity that morning, but if I ever go back I am getting that! haha Trevor enjoyed his Norma’s Eggs Benedict which has a Buttermilk Pancake layered with Canadian Bacon and Grilled Asparagus.


After brunch we took the subway and walked to go see the Manhattan New York Temple. I couldn't leave without seeing it! It was crazy seeing a Temple smack dab in the middle of the city like that. We took a few pictures and then were on our way to spend the rest of our time at the American Museum of Natural History. We wish we could have spent the entire day there because let me tell you, I think you could spend a whole week enjoying everything that this museum has to offer. My favorite by far were the dinosaurs, I mean, how could it not be?! I loved dinosaurs when I was younger and I was in like a little kid in a candy store in that part of the museum. It was SO stinkin' cool. I love being able to see history like that right in front of me. To know it use to be alive! Oh so exciting. We also really loved the space section, the human bodies and brain, the gemstones. There were just so many awesome exhibits on display. We were able to make our way through everything before we left, but would have spent longer in some of the exhibits had we had more time on our hands. We headed back to our hotel to get our bags, but first made a quick pit stop at Crumbs Bake Shop to get some cupcakes, and grabbed a burger from Five Guys. Trevor really wanted to see if it was any different on the east coast since he loves it so much. Their menu was a little different actually! I was sad to see they didn't have any fry sauce, how is Utah the only place that offers Fry Sauce, that stuff should be on tap in every State I tell yah! Anyways, the burgers were great of course and I can't decide which I like better, Shake Shack or Five Guys. I personally like different things about both of them and would have to say they are tie. Surprisingly Trevor who is a Five Guys fanatic says they are close but thinks the SmokeShack burger wins. 





We rushed and got our bags and made it on our train to take us back to the airport. We ate our cupcakes on the train, and to be honest, I was a tad disappointed in it. Not my favorite cupcake. It was just a little cake heavy for my taste. I like more of an even ratio between frosting and cake. To each their own because a lot of people love them, so it is worth checking out to see if it is your kind of cupcake! There were SO many bakeries I didn't get a chance to try out, like Magnolia Bakery, but it was hard to do it all. Another time right?!


We made it home late Monday night, and while I wouldn't say New York was a relaxing vacation, it was definitely never boring! We did a lot, and were spent every single night. We could have planned routes to get to places a little more efficiently, but other than that, a great trip! Again, I can't recommend the citi-bikes enough. They were great and we used them a ton to get around and enjoy the city! It was nice to just have some uninterrupted time with Trevor. I was thinking about it and I just think it is crazy you can meet someone and stay with them for years and never get bored. Almost seven years of being together and he is still who I want to spend my time with. It is always fun getting lost and having adventures with that guy :)

And since I have had a few people ask my on instagram, here is where some of my maternity dresses I wore are from.

17 comments

  1. oh.my.gosh. ALL the food is making me SO hungry! It all looks soo good!! I want to go to NYC bad!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Girl, just putting the pictures together was killing me! hahaha

      Delete
  2. I'm so glad you posted this! My mom, sister, and I go to NYC every year or two and our trip is coming up next month. We usually stay in the DoubleTree, too, but we opted for an apartment rental this year, so that will be interesting! You gave me some great ideas for things to check out, though. How did you keep all your places straight that you wanted to visit? I've been making a Pinterest board, but I feel like there should be a better way!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I just wrote up a list of all the places I wanted to make sure we saw and all the things I wanted to make sure we did. What I WISH I had done was plane them out by area, time, location to utilize our time the best. That is what caused us to have to go back and forth so much. Again, I can't recommend the citi-bikes enough though!

      Delete
  3. New York City is definitely one of my favourite cities in the world! We are planning vacation there soon too. LOVE!

    ReplyDelete
  4. This was so fun to read. Reminded me of my trip, and it had been awhile! Seeing and hearing about all that food was a little torturous though. Amazing stuff!

    ReplyDelete
  5. This looks and sounds like such an amazing trip! I grew up in upstate NY until I was 18 and haven't done pretty much any of the things you guys did! I love that you guys saw the Book of Mormon show! I've been wanting to see it for a while just out of curiosity too!

    Paige
    http://thehappyflammily.com

    ReplyDelete
  6. I have been to NYC a few times and this post brought back so many good memories! Now I want to go back!! Also, it's amazing how no matter how many times you go, there is always more you can do/see. The 9/11 Memorial wasn't complete last time I was there so next time I go back, that's #1 on my list (after eating some pizza, of course)! Kudos for doing all of that while 6 months pregnant!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Awww! You hit so many of my favorite places - Shake Shack, John's, Brooklyn Bridge, Central Park.... all favorite places I took my husband on our anniversary trip! Thanks for sharing your thoughts on BOM. We saw it in LA, and we were both blown away by how extreme it was... and this is coming from someone who LOVES Avenue Q, lol... Your trip sounds absolutely amazing - I'm just amazed at how much you did being pregnant - you're totally a rockstar in my book!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Sara! It was rough, haha but worth it :) We had a lot of fun!

      Delete
  8. Oh...my...gosh, you just made me wanna go to NYC even more with this post! It looks amazing! I wanna eat ALL that food you showed, it all looks rather delish. Yummy! Looks like a great time, I'm glad that you were able to do that before baby comes. :)

    Mandie ~ http://badbrewpack.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  9. I lived in Manhattan for 3 years and never went to some of these places! I'm going back this Thursday and can't wait to try some of the food! Looks like you had a great trip.
    Beveling Brunette

    ReplyDelete
  10. It sounds like you had the most amazing trip! I am heading to New York at the end of June and will definitely be revisiting your post for some suggestions (:
    I also really liked reading your perceptions of The Book of Mormon as a mormon and thought your "Where's Waldo" outfit was completely adorable!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks girl ;) And that is exactly why I wrote such a detailed post, I really wanted people to utilize it for when they went. I wish there had been more posts like it when I was doing my research!

      Delete
  11. I enjoyed all the photos thank you looks like a bloody interesting place to visit

    ReplyDelete
  12. Jack's Wife is one of my favorite places and I live here! You certainly did pack a lot in, I love looking at it from other people's perspectives!

    xx Kelly
    Sparkles and Shoes

    ReplyDelete
  13. John's Pizzeria is theeeee best! I'm glad you had a nice visit!

    ReplyDelete

Howdy Ho :) Thanks for stopping by my blog! I have enabled the forum feature on my comments so we can all interact in conversation. So if you leave a question, look back for a reply!