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Luke and I spent the holidays in Bucks County and Philadelphia, PA and New York, NY. I’m still editing the photos of picturesque Bucks County and Philly but wanted to post a few photos from our adventures in Manhattan.
New York is truly magical around the holidays. The city is all lit up and twinkles and there are more exciting things to do and see in the city than at any other time of year. Luke and I were only in the city for three days and spent our time gazing at the tree in Rockefeller Center, fulfilling my dream (ever since I was little and saw “Annie”) to see the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall, had brunch at Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill, dinner at Mario Battali’s Lupa and saw West Side Story on Broadway. We walked through a snow-covered Central Park and went shopping at FAO Schwarz and Tiffany & Co on 5th Avenue. We walked across the Brooklyn Bridge on a sunny day and under the arch at Washington Square Park and rested our heads in a lovely room at the Waldorf-Astoria.
If you ever have an opportunity to visit New York during the holiday season, Luke and I highly recommend taking it. We had so much fun and the city is really, really beautiful and less crowded than we thought – including the airport (JFK to Austin direct).
This Spring, my husband Luke and I returned to San Francisco and Sonoma Valley to celebrate our wedding anniversary. Northern California is truly one of our favorite destinations.
On our first trip to the Bay Area, we spent most of our time in the city. This time around, we spent 2 days in the city full of activity. We had brunch at the Buena Vista at Fisherman’s Wharf , spent the afternoon gazing at the Golden Gate bridge and driving through scenic Marin County and attended an evening performance of the San Francisco ballet at the War Memorial Opera House. The next day, we had breakfast and picked up some Scharffen-Berger chocolate at the Ferry Building and attended a matinee performance of Wicked the musical at the Orpheum theatre before driving to wine country.
In Sonoma Valley, time is a luxury. Each day was unplanned and care-free. For the second year in a row, we stayed at the rustic, charming Beltane Ranch Bed and Breakfast in the heart of Sonoma Valley. Our days were spent on wine tastings at small, family vineyards in Dry Creek Valley, indulging in spa treatments or hiking at Jack London and Sugarloaf state parks. For our anniversary, we packed a picnic lunch and spent an entire day at the breathtakingly beautiful Point Reyes National Seashore.
Last Spring, my husband Luke and I spent 8 fantastic days in San Francisco and Napa Valley. We were celebrating 10 years since the day we first met during our care-free college days and boy, were we in for a memorable vacation. The area is breath-takingly beautiful and there are a million fun things to do. We explored a majestic redwood forest, toured wineries, shopped and dined in San Francisco’s finest, indulged in spa treatments, enjoyed home-cooked meals at a quaint Bed and Breakfast and took-in amazing views of the city skyline and Golden Gate bridge.
It’s become our special place and we hope to return year after year. We were lucky enough to visit for a second time last month (which I’ll write about and post photos of soon, I’m sure) for our 5th wedding anniversary. If you’re thinking of visiting San Francisco, Napa or Sonoma Valley – for those of you planning a wedding, it’s perfect for a romantic honeymoon - leave a comment or drop me an email. I did a lot of research and planning and would be happy to share the details of our trip.
New York, New York – October 2008
Luke and I were in New York last Fall for my birthday and to visit dear friends of ours. It was our first trip to the Big Apple so we filled each day with sight-seeing but left plenty of time to relax and soak-in one of the most exciting cities in the world.
Our first day was spent with friends, walking through Greenwich Village, the Meat Packing District and SOHO and dinner at the Fig and the Olive that evening. On our first full day, Luke and I visited the Statue of Liberty which is an indescribable site. We took-in the views at the observation deck of the Empire State building and Rockefeller Center, enjoyed cupcakes from Magnolia Bakery (for breakfast!) then went ice-skating at “30 Rock”, spent an entire day in Central Park including the Met and lunch at Tavern on the Green, went to the theater (twice – amazing), rode the subway including a stop at the bustling Grand Central Station and walked across the Brooklyn bridge.
New York is truly a special place where anything is possible and the excitement of the city fills the air. Here are the photos from our adventures in the Manhattan.
Chicago Illinois – January 2008
Last winter, Luke and I spent a long weekend in Chicago. It doesn’t snow very often in our home in Austin and a huge winter storm hit as soon as our plane landed – over the next 4 days we were in for a lot of snow. The architecture, parks, lake and skyline of Chicago are breath-taking and with light snow falling from the sky and draping the city in a field of white, it’s even more beautiful.
We spent our first day in the city with my Aunt Audrey and Uncle Al. Audrey and Al have lived in Chicago for a lifetime and are the perfect tour guides. We started out at the Cultural Center to take in the gorgeous Tiffany glass rotunda, walked down Michigan Avenue to spend a few hours at Art Institute and had a lovely lunch together at The Berghoffon West Adams street. Uncle Al worked at Leo Burnett advertising agency his entire career and dined with colleagues at The Berghoff for years, so it was a real treat for Luke and I to share the experience. We parted ways, my aunt and uncle back to their home in the suburbs and Luke and I to our dear friends home in the heart of downtown Chicago.
Staying downtown was a luxury, despite the continued snowfall, Luke and I walked everywhere. We walked through Grant Park to the Field Museum of Natural History, the Shedd Aquarium, Soldier Field, the Financial District and Board of Trade and Rookery Building designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and to the Cloud Gate in Millennium Park. Luke and I went to our 4th museum in 3 days, the Museum of Science and Industry, with our friends and their young daughter.
Photos below, starting from top left:
Lunch at The Berghoff, Calder Flamingo Sculpture at the Federal Center Plaza, Sue the T-Rex at the Field, view of the Sears Tower through the snowfall in the Financial District, interior of the Rookery Building designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, frozen ice on Lake Michigan and the Lighthouse, a portrait of Luke as we walked through the city in the snow, exterior of the Art Institute of Chicago and snowfall covering the grounds around the Art Institute, Luke and I in the reflection of “The Bean” at Millennium Park and some younger tourists mesmerized by the reflection of the skyline in the sculpture.
