This most recent break I had the wonderful experience of going to New York City for the first time.
There were many things that I loved about New York, and a few things I did not like as much. Throughout my article I am going to describe my trip, in detail, starting with the airport!
To begin, my dad and I woke up late the day we were supposed to get to the airport. Not a great start. We got to the TSA easily, and then hopped on the plane.
The plane ride was really nice, and we had a lot of food accommodations. We had a layover flight in Washington and got some Starbucks while we waited. My dad and I played Pokémon GO the whole time, and fought and raided.
Once we got to New York, we caught an Uber to the hotel. The hotel was called the Virgin Hotel. The ambiance was exquisite, and our room was very nice. We had a perfect view of the Empire State Building so it felt very special.
Late that night, we got ready and set off on our first adventure in the city. We went to an Italian restaurant called Carmines, and I would rate it a 7.5/10. To be fair, I am a tough critic! The portion sizes were HUGE! We got two pastas and a side of broccoli, and the plates were so big, they had to stack them on top of each other like a pyramid.
After, we headed to Times Square. After some walking, we got to Times Square, and I was astonished to say the least. It was so bright and colorful, quite a sight to see. While taking pictures, my dad and I saw a man get arrested for fighting with a cop. Interesting experience.
Afterwards, we began the treacherous walk back to the hotel.
We watched a movie whilst falling asleep, and I slept pretty well. The next morning, we got breakfast at the hotel and then set off on an adventure around the hotel. We went to an eight-story Macy’s, and I got some shoes. We then hit Nordstrom and a few other outlets. Continuing, we then took a LONG nap, about three hours, and set off to… Broadway!
My dad purchased tickets to see Aladdin on Broadway, one of my favorite Disney movies. When we got into the theatre, we had great seats, and I could see the entire stage. The show was phenomenal. The lighting was so beautiful and the actors were so talented. My favorite part was when the actors actually flew on a magic carpet!
Following our show, we took the subway to dinner at a very nice restaurant called Estela. Estela is a Mediterranean/American restaurant that specializes in smaller dishes that are meant to be shared. My dad and I got oysters, scallops, tuna, salad, duck and wagyu. It was amazing. It was probably a contender for the best meal of my life. Afterwards, we went to the hotel and went to bed.
On day two, we officially called it a day dedicated to shopping. We got some good bagels at Apollo Bagels, and then we set off towards SOHO and Canal Street. Once there, a lady in a hat led us to a room, where she told us to pick out purses. I got some for my mom and I, and the lady tried to charge us $320! My dad got it down to $140.
Afterwards, we went to SOHO and hit the shops there pretty hard. I will not explain it all, but let us just say my Dad was not financially happy with me afterwards.
Later that night, we went to a sushi place called Nami Nori; The. Best. Sushi. In. My. Life. The concept was a roll of sushi in a taco shell made of seaweed, and it was absolutely delicious. All of the rolls were so different but all just as good. Although the food was very good, it was not enough to fill me and my dad.
We then set off for gelato and pizza. Both places were amazing and just what we needed to end off the night on a good note. That night, we watched Jurassic Park and then went to bed.
The next morning, it was our final day there. We got breakfast at this bakery, and just like all the other food, it was great. I got a raspberry souffle, and my dad got a fruit tart. With that, we also both got some croissants.
The last day, our plan was to spend a lot of time at the Metropolitan Museum. It was so interesting. My dad and I spent about five hours there, spending most of our time on the paintings and statues. My favorite was looking at the statues created by Rodin. I found his statues very pretty, and the people who work in the museum there told me and my father the deeper meanings behind them.
Following the museum, we went back to the apartment and fell asleep. That night, we went to a concert for a band called Tedesky Trucks. I had not been familiar with them, but the music was great! My favorite part was seeing how happy and excited my dad was. We got t-shirts and he got a poster as well for our house.
That night, we got Mexican food and hit the hay. The next morning we Ubered to the airport and spent the rest of the day traveling, barely missing the spring break air traffic!
Overall, I had the best trip with my dad, and I am so grateful I got to go!
Image courtesy of John Naugle.
