Preston and I had an exciting opportunity to go on a vacation this year. A true, actual vacation. Meaning ... no kids, hehe :) We decided last year that we wanted to have a little fun for ourselves. For the past five years, I have either been pregnant or we have had a newborn in our home. It was time for just the two of us to get away!
Preston had lived in D.C. while interning for a congressman several years ago. He talked very highly about the city. I served my mission in NYC and was dying to get back there. I had been wanting to go for years, but I never had the opportunity. So naturally, I was in charge of the NYC fun and Pres would plan D.C. We had three full days in each city to plan. We made our lists of things we wanted to see, do and where we hoped to eat.
The Trip Begins...
We started the drive to Utah on a Thursday afternoon to drop off the kiddos with family. We found that the cheapest flights to New York were from Salt Lake City...plus we had babysitters there :) A huge thank you to Mom, Dad, Er, Craig, Ang and Corey for taking our littles for us while we enjoyed a little get away. This was the first time I have ever left the kids for more than a night with someone other than Pres. I wasn't sure how it'd go but I crossed my fingers and hoped for the best. Luckily, it ended up going really well! The kids loved every minute with cousins, aunts, uncles, grandmas and Pop. So grateful for these people!
Salt Lake City Airport! The vacay begins!! We seem a little too happy, haha :)
We got in to New York at 9:30pm EST. Grabbed a cab from the airport and headed to the Airbnb. We threw our bags in our apartment and headed out to get some food. We were starving! Luckily, this is the city that never sleeps, so we knew we'd find food at 10:30pm :) We stumbled upon Bleeker Street Pizza only a block or two away from where we were staying. We had to have pizza while we were in NYC, why not have it the first night there?? It was truly one of the best slices of pizza I have ever had! Absolutely delicious! I wish I had taken a pic but I totally spaced it.
After grabbing a slice, we needed dessert to wash it down. We walked up to a shop down the street and I couldn't help but laugh. Yes, it is called Big Gay Ice Cream and it is amazing! There was a short line when we got there so we waited 10-15 minutes before ordering. When we came outside, the line had grown significantly. We ordered a cone called the "Salty Pimp" and it did not disappoint. It was the creamiest ice cream, with a caramel drizzle down the sides that ran into the cone, while being smothered in chocolate and pretzels. The BEST ice cream I have ever had. (And I don't even like ice cream!)
That next morning we headed to Gray Dog's for a delicious breakfast. Then off to the High Line. I loved all of the exposed brick in this joint. It was such a fun restaurant.
The High Line is a park that is elevated above the streets of New York. It's a gorgeous greenway over a mile long through Midtown NYC! It's a ton of greenery all along a converted rail way. This was one of my favorites on our trip. Along the way were stunning views and a surprisingly serene avenue among the hustle and bustle.
High Line
From the High Line, we got off right around Madison Square Garden.
The Empire State Building :) We chose not to go up to the top since I am more of a fan of the Rockefeller Center view. Plus, it was a cloudy day.
Time Square!
We had an incredible lunch at a place called Momofuku. I had watched a special featuring the chef that started the restaurant and was really excited to try a dish there. Pres and I both got the crispy chicken finger sandwich smothered in coleslaw. It was to die for. As we were leaving, I noticed the front of the store was a dessert shop called Milk Bar. I couldn't help but wonder if it was the same Milk Bar I had recently seen on Chef's Table on Netflix. Did a quick Google search, and it was in fact the same Chef that I had learned about just a few weeks earlier. I was beyond excited to try a dessert from there. It ended up being the BEST DESSERT EVER!! Pres got a birthday shake and I got a slice of crack pie. It was absolutely incredible! A must eat if ever in NYC! We also found out that she had four other locations in the city. We may have stopped by every night to grab a dessert on our way home. Haha :) So... dang... good!
Next stop Radio City Music Hall
Rockefeller Center
Since it was a cold and windy day, we came back to check out the views another day.
NBC News. The Today show is filmed here. It's right across the street from the Rockefeller Center.
Waiting for Wicked to start :) I had never seen it before and heard nothing but good things about it. This was my Mother's Day gift this year. Excellent gift, I must say :)
The Broadway talent was absolutely incredible! I LOVED the story. I knew nothing about the play going in, which was a plus. Listening and watching all of the twists and turns was so fun. I was like a kid on the edge of my seat the whole time. I want to see it again!
After Wicked we went back to our place and napped. We had walked about 12 miles, so we were pretty darn tired. When we woke up we took a walk and headed to Pepe Giallo for some delicious spaghetti. We enjoyed a lot of late night dinners the whole trip.
One of the many things I was excited about in NYC was revisiting my old haunts. When I was serving a mission in New York, the church owned a building we lovingly referred to as the Convent, because it used to be an old nunnery. There is also a church attached to the other side of the building. This pic is where the convent used to be ... sad. They had torn it down. Someone decided there should be some sweet murals put up on the adjacent buildings. The church building is still there. We could see the basketball court we used to play ball in, but that was about it. Kind of made me sad to see it gone. So many memories in that building.
After the convent, we jumped on the subway and headed down to the 9/11 Museum. This was one of the two fountains they have there as part of a memorial.
One World Trade Center
Pres and I at the fountains.
These were really cool to see. Names were engraved around the fountains of those that lost their lives that day.
Steel beams from the original World Trade Center. This is part of where the airplane had struck the building.
One of the first responder fire trucks. It was all beat up from falling debris.
On one of the last beams standing, there were names of the departments that had lost lives during this horrific act of terror.
Original stairway that many used to escape the towers. It was a very impressive museum all set under the foundations of the original towers.
Battery Park
We sat on a bench and looked at the Statue of Liberty and the river. I totally forgot to take pictures while we rested up our feet and legs, haha. We were enjoying the view and time together too much :)
Brooklyn Bridge
The bridge was packed with people and vendors so we didn't even try to walk it.
Washington Square Park
So many memories at this place. We spent quite a bit of time here as missionaries talking to students from NYU. It had changed A LOT since the last time I saw it. There was a ton more grass and what seemed like a billion people enjoying the first days of summer weather.
Union Square Park
Union Square Park brought back a lot of memories as well. Playing games with the people of New York. Tossing a football through a hula hoop so people could have a chance to win a prize. Such a fun time in my life.
Rubirosa Ristorante
An absolutely incredible Italian place. Pres still talks about the meatball parmigiano hero he got from here. It was really delicious!! We walked at least 12 miles every day in New York so after our lunches we would head back to the apartment for a much needed nap. I LOVED this part of the trip too. We slept when we wanted. When we'd get home for the night, we would wind down with a show or two until one of us fell asleep...that was usually me. I do LOVE my sleep :)
After nap time, we headed to a BBQ place in Chelsea called Mighty Quinn's. It was the BEST BBQ Pres and I have ever had. It was to die for! And we live in Texas! Haha. The brisket was incredible along with every side dish we tried. Highly recommend if you are in the city. Once we finished our BBQ we headed over to the Rockefeller Center. I absolutely LOVE this view of the city. I originally had planned for us to take a city lights boat tour, but decided that the Rockefeller Center had the views we'd want anyway. We got on the last elevator heading to the top at 11:15pm. It was a perfect night! No wind, clear skies and gorgeous views.
New York, New York
Gorgeous
How much would they have to pay you to work on that crane? Keep in mind we were 70 floors up taking this pic.
This beautiful city will always have a piece of my heart! :)
Enjoying the view and the company.
Looking up at the Rockefeller Center from the street below.
Times Square at 1am? Why not?? :) Still filled with people as you can see.
Hanging out where the ball drops :)
On our last day in the city, we slept in and had a lazy morning. We ate breakfast at a place in the West Village called Donut Pub and it was dang good. We may have both eaten our weight in donuts. It was worth every bite :)
This Cathedral was in my area as a missionary. I just thought it was such a cool building. The architecture and size is incredible. It is up by Columbia University, so we took a stroll around campus. I think Columbia has a really cool campus. They were set up for graduation so we didn't get to see a ton. We stopped at Tom's Restaurant which is the outside of the restaurant made famous on Seinfeld.
Central Park!
Walking through Central Park with my babe :)
Bethesda Terrace
This sweet little British woman asked if she could take a picture for us. She was darling! She had the cutest accent ever and went on to tell us all about her and her husbands trip. She asked about us as well and why we were there. So happy she took this pic for us :)
Bethesda Terrace
"I'll be there for you..." Friends apartment!
Pres and I stayed like a block away from the Friends apartment. We both love that show! It was cool to see it in person.
We grabbed dinner at a place called Junior's before heading to Hamilton. We were so so so excited to see Hamilton. Dinner was incredible but the show was AMAZING!
Waiting in line.
I had decided when we booked this trip that we absolutely needed to see Hamilton while we were in New York. This is an absolute favorite of Preston's. I figured this would be a perfect Father's Day gift.
A view from our seats :)
So so happy!
This was seriously the best Broadway show I have ever seen. It was FANTASTIC! We both walked away completely thrilled and in awe with the show. The performers, the stage, everything about it was exactly what you would hope for and more. I walked away an even bigger fan after seeing it. I couldn't get the music out of my head for like a week after, haha. We both want to see it again. Phenomenal!! It was the perfect way to say good-bye to New York City :)
At the airport. D.C bound baby!
First stop was Preston's old place in Arlington. He sublet a room here while he was interning on Capitol Hill.
We rented a car for our first day in D.C. and it ended up being such a treat. Since we walked a ton each day in New York, it felt nice to sit back and enjoy the ride around the city.
Cheesecake Factory!!!
This is my favorite restaurant, so I was beyond thrilled to dive in to some delicious food before our journey continued.
National Cathedral
This was such a beautiful cathedral. The architecture and sculpting all throughout the building was very detailed. I can't imagine the amount of time spent on creating something so elaborate.
This is one of the many chapels used throughout the cathedral. The stained glass windows, mosaic artwork, statues and columns were absolutely breath taking. Gorgeous!
Happy to be in D.C.
The National Cathedral reminded me a lot of Westminster Abbey. I have actually never been to Westminster, haha, but the outside looked similar to me. It's massive!
Washington, D.C. Temple
This place has a lot of meaning for me because it is where my parents were sealed for time and eternity. We will be a family forever now! So grateful to know that families are eternal :)
Me and My Man :)
Potomac River
I could not get over how green it was. I think Pres got a little tired of me saying, "Wow Babe, look at how green it is. I miss green. Look how lush it is over there. You can't even see through the trees because of all the leaves." Haha. Yes, this conversation happened at least four times a day. :)
Old Towne Arlington
LOVE
We parked the car and took a stroll along the Potomac River. Old Towne Arlington is such a fun part of town. The park we walked through was beautiful. I laid in the lush grass and walked in it as much as I could :)
We walked and watched the airplanes come in. Reagan Intl Airport is right off the river, so it's fun watching the stream of planes take off and land.
Boat house
Hmmm...Where's Pres? Haha.
After our beautiful walk through the park we headed to sushi for dinner. Zento Sushi was divine. The rolls, soup and service were incredible. We loved every bite! The food on our trip did not disappoint. I'm so happy we did a little research before going so we would know what amazing places we should try out.
The White House!
Our first full day in D.C. we had a White House tour in the morning. Our tour was at 7:30am so we had to get up pretty early to make it in time.
Looking a little tired but happy to be there.
Such a cool shot. I am so happy that we did the tour. Mr. Trump was sleeping in that day since he had just met the released prisoners from North Korea that morning.
Inside the White House.
This is the dining room where State banquets and any important dinner is held.
I thought this was a cool painting of President Kennedy.
Look Ma! I'm in the White House! :)
This is the exit from the East Wing.
Arlington National Cemetery
This was another favorite on our trip. I am not sure if it was because I have had family serve in the military or because it was so humbling to see so many grave stones of those who fought for our freedom and country. My guess is that it was a little bit of both. I actually became a little emotional as we walked through. How grateful I am for every stone in that cemetery. A huge thank you to those that have sacrificed and served our country in times of need.
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
After our trip to Arlington National Cemetery, we dropped off our car and headed back into D.C. Our first stop for the afternoon was the Capitol Building where Pres had spent a lot of time as an intern. We had a tour lined up with some interns so we could see the building with a guide.
This is a Congressional Committee hearing room.
Inside the Capital Visitor's Center
This is where the Supreme Court met in the Capitol until they had their own building.
The Rotunda in the Capitol Building
Breath taking!
Gorgeous murals, statues and carvings all throughout the building.
This is the old Senate Chambers.
The Capitol Building
I loved the history of the Capitol Building. It has been around since 1800. I couldn't get over all of the history that is in D.C. It was remarkable to see things that had been around since the inception of our country.
Cool fountain near the Botanical Garden :)
Washington Monument
Unfortunately, the memorial was closed off to tourists for updating the elevator. Such a cool Monument though.
A view of Jefferson Memorial during our walk around the basin.
Jefferson Memorial
We walked about 16 miles this day. The memorials and National Mall are much further and spread out more than I thought they would be. We loved taking our time and walking to each one though.
Inside the Jefferson
One of the things I really enjoyed about the memorials was the written words on the walls. Every memorial would have famous quotes from those that were being recognized. I loved learning about each person and reading the words they have once spoken on behalf of our nation.
Looking at the Washington Memorial from the Jefferson Memorial. The National Mall is huge! I loved it!
Lincoln Memorial and Reflecting Pond
Smiles :)
Lincoln Memorial
Very cool to see in person. I like Lincoln. I have come to learn more about him and many other presidents throughout the trip. I dare say that I now have a deeper desire to learn even more about this nation's freedom and about those that have helped us get there.
After checking out the monuments, we took a cab to Georgetown. This is a shot of Rosslyn from across the river. A little rest from our walk and it started to rain on the drive over. Luckily, it only rained during the drive. When we got out of the cab I saw a rainbow and had to capture the moment :) It was such a pretty evening. We walked around the campus and checked out the little shops along M Street.
Air and Space Museum
On our last day, we checked out as many museums as we could.
The Apollo Lunar Module
Library of Congress
This was one of my favorite buildings in D.C. It was absolutely stunning inside.
The ceiling
Everything about this is just so beautiful. I couldn't stop staring or taking pictures :)
That staircase...what?!
This was the office of the Librarian of Congress. They have since moved him to other congressional quarters. I would have preferred to stay here :)
Gorgeous!
I legit stared at this room for some time. I would love to sit and read in here. It's incredible.
The Supreme Court Building
This is where hearings are held.
We also saw the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, Holocaust Museum, Smithsonian Museum of American History, National Archives, Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, FDR Memorial and the World War II Memorial. I didn't take pics of everything because I was just trying to take it all in. The museums were so hard to see because we couldn't stay too long to look at everything. Each museum could easily take a half day or even an entire day to explore. There was so much to read, see, learn and watch. It was incredible! I think we may have to go back one day and take the time to see it all again. Seeing the Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights, and Constitution were something to do for sure! It was so awesome to see the originals sitting in their cases right in front of you.
Our little Airbnb entrance :)
On our last night, we decided to go and get a pedicure. Our poor feet had walked at least 12 miles a day for the past 6 days. Pres was a champ for coming along with me :) It felt so good to get a foot massage.
We picked an outside restaurant for our last meal. Dupont Circle Italian Kitchen was a hit. It was absolutely delicious! This place was so quaint and romantic. It was the perfect way to end our trip. Gorgeous night, perfect company and incredible food!
Our vacation could not have gone any better. We didn't run into any snags or issues along the way. It was the absolute perfect getaway. It was nice to only think and worry about ourselves for a change. We weren't the only ones that had ball on our vacation. Our kids had a BLAST without us. I'm not sure if I should be sad or relieved haha. We are told that they never complained or cried once about us being gone. They LOVED spending time with family. How grateful we are for those three little angels. We are also extremely grateful to everyone that pitched in to keep them alive while we were gone :) Pres and I may not wait another five years before our next adventure!! :)
