NY Sightseeing

My friend Emily and her 2 year old son Kaiden came to visit us at the beginning of May. Her husband needed peace and quiet to study for finals which created the perfect opportunity for them to take a trip to NY. It was so exciting for me to have our first houseguests in our humble little home. 3 adults, 1 toddler, and 2 puppies in a one bedroom apartment made for lots of excitement. Emily had to sleep on an air mattress in the living room and Kaiden slept in the kitchen but we all fit! Kaiden loves our puppies, Rocky and Lexi got so much attention! Lexi is a mellow dog and started hiding from Kaiden under the end table in the corner. Kaiden would say, “white puppy go in puppy tunnel”. It was so cute! This visit was extra special because Emily and I are friends from California, and now we both live on the East Coast. I love all our new friends, there is just something so nice about talking to someone who knows the same people and grew up in the same area. I felt like a little piece of CA was right here in NY with me! Our first day of exploring involved us taking the train, missing our stop, getting off in Grand Central Station and then taking the Subway to Central Park. Let me add how terrified I was beforehand of the Subway. I envisioned really smelly and dirty and filled with lots of sketchy people. Not that it wasn’t those things, but I went on it anyway. Trust me it was a big step for me! This was both of ours first time in Central Park and the best way I can describe it is AWE!! I was amazed that something so beautiful and green and enormous could be right in the middle of the craziness of NYC. We walked for miles in the park and could barely even dent the amount of sites to see. We went to the Central Park Zoo, Belvedere Castle, and saw so many statues. From there we took a break from the rain and went to the famous three-story F.A.O Schwartz. I even braved the Subway a second time and this time into Harlem! Luckily the train was only about a block away, and we didn’t have to spend much time there. Walking all day made me so tired that I was so grateful I prepped enchiladas the day before and all I had to do was pop them in the oven when we got home. My day caught up with me about halfway through Captain America and I was out!

The next day we drove down to Liberty Island in New Jersey. We took a ferry and went to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. In typical tourist fashion I took so many photos of the Statue of Liberty (Don’t worry I am only posting my favorites). I was a little disappointed that she was under construction and we couldn’t go inside. Kaiden made this a very memorable trip for us anyway. While Emily and I were busy taking pictures Kaiden made some new friends he was running and playing with on the lawn. Next time we turn around he was face planted in mud and in tears. Poor kid! It was so cold and his clothes were drenched in mud, and quite the crowd witnessed this tumble. Every Mom in the vicinity was digging through her purse and offering up their wet wipes. All in all I had the best two days exploring and catching up with a friend!! Rocky and Lexi would love to have Kaiden come visit again with his mommy, and so would I!!