Newww Yawwwkk!

Last Thursday morning had a rough start – we had to be at DFW by 5:00am. But after much coffee and a cat nap on the plane, Kevin and I were too excited to sit still when we landed. The cab ride was interesting…I forgot how crazy those drivers are.

We ended up saving a huge chunk of change at our accommodations. Kevin has an old friend whose husband is in charge of sales for 1600 Broadway. We got a studio for the first two nights in the city before we went to the Hamptons, then when we came back to the city on Monday night we stayed in a one bedroom that could easily sell for $1.5 million. Wicked deal…it pays to know people.

Our studio at 1600 Broadway

After we got in, we went to lunch in the upper West Side at Rosa Mexicano. Then we walked down to and around Central Park, then to H&M. Kevin gave up and sat in the designated “husbands and boyfriends” couch area (not really, but it was obvious why they had couches) while I lapped the store at least 10 times and spent more money than I needed, but WHATEVER.

Rosa Mexicano

Central Park

That night we had dinner at one of Bobby Flay’s restaurants, Bar Americain and I had the BEST Vidalia Onion Soup (not to be confused with French Onion) EVER. It’s my new recipe challenge to make at home.

After dinner, we saw Wicked (awesome by the way…I’m totally a Wicked Witch fan now) and made it just in time. They won’t allow alcoholic drinks into the theater, so the bartender pulled a sneaky trick and put them in kid souvenir cups for the “small” cost of $13 each. Then we went to the Dizzy Coca-Cola jazz club but it was too touristy so we left after one drink to go home and catch some much needed ZZZs.

We woke up Friday morning and jumped on the subway to south Manhattan, around Noho and Soho. We walked by NYU then found this cute little Italian bistro for lunch.


Then we made our way down to Canal Street…and WHOA. It’s like a SWAT operation down there when you buy fake purses! We started at the top of Canal Street. After about 100 yards, it looked like I wasn’t going to get anything good. Kevin kept promising we’d see something, but it all looked very generic and cheap. We got lucky and found a small upstairs shop and Kevin bought me a little something.

But I wanted more of a selection, so I tried my luck for finding other counterfeits. Not far from the last location, Kevin sees another Asian woman and whispers, “handbags?” and she pulls me off Canal onto a side street. After interrogating where I was from, she ordered me to go across the street to the red awning and she would “call her sistah”. The sister watched us as we crossed the street, and then locked the storefront door behind us after we walked in. Then, a magic door opened (literally, it looked like the wall) and we went up some rickety wooden stairs to an attic with a plethora of fake merchandise. As we walked down, the guy said to us “If anyone ask where you get this, you tell him no. You know no.” Done!

That night we went to dinner at Tao in the city with some of Kevin’s friends, Bill and Tiffany. After dinner, Kevin and I found a little hole in the wall bar where we finished off the night.

At Tao with Bill and Tiffany

Confirming my Mac nerdiness

Saturday morning, we slept in pretty late. and got the convertible rent-a-car and headed out of the city. We were supposed to go out to the Hamptons but little did Kevin know, his two sisters (Denise, from Long Island; and Teri, who flew in from Illinois) planned a big surprise birthday party at Denise’s house that afternoon.

"Stalling" Kevin at Sunken Meadow beach in L.I.

My camera never made it out (ugh) but hopefully I’ll have pictures of the party soon from others. It was nice to put faces with names, and Kevin looked unbelievably happy. They threw a great party…thank you Denise, Teri, Rob, Bill, and everyone!

We left Denise’s house on Sunday morning and got my first HECSPK (ham, egg, cheese, salt, pepper, ketchup on a bagel). Best breakfast ever…the water out there is really soft so the dough is really unique. We drove out to the Hamptons and ate lunch in Southhampton, at a great local pub with Bill, Tiff and Rob.

Then Kevin drove me to the beach and out on Dune Road, with was “the road” (or one of many) in Southhampton with ocean-side mansions that price in the $30-60 million range. I saw multiple 10,000 to 15,000 square foot homes that were literally 50 yards from the ocean foam. I even saw Calvin Klein’s house!

Kevin and I took a nice walk on the beach. We picked up two seashells to commemorate our trip and stood in the cold Atlantic water. It was really beautiful there.

Bill, hanging out at his house in the Hamptons

Before dinner - Rob and Kev were being goofy

That night we went out to Sag Harbor and had dinner and some drinks. Long Island is nothing like I had expected, it’s so different depending on what area of the island you’re in…and it’s a lot bigger than I had anticipated.

We stayed at Bill’s condo on Sunday night, then on Monday we took the more scenic route through the north and south forks Long Island. There are about 25 vineyards thru North Fork and we stopped for tastings at three. We hopped the forks using a small car ferry, which I’d never been on before. It was really cool.

The car ferry from the South Fork to Shelter Island

A Long Island vineyard, Pindar Winery

We ate a local hidden place called Legends

On Monday night, I went to dinner with my college friend Megan to the Mermaid Inn. I absolutely love her. LOVE her. I’m so glad I got see her. She’s such a true city girl now…her three bedroom apartment is about the size of my one bedroom and she lives five stories up…with no elevator. What a trooper.

Tuesday morning we got up to see Megan at her work because I forgot to take a picture with her the night before. It was so nice to see her twice in one trip!


Afterwards went to see the Top of the Rock, where you stand on top of Rockefeller Center. What a view!


Our last adventure was a trip back down the red awning shop on Canal Street. I picked up some gifts and we ate a nice place in Little Italy.

Then we went back to the apartment and got our luggage and cabbed it back to La Guardia. On our way home, we picked up Leigh and Lance at another terminal (who had landed before us, coming in from their Florida vacation) and took them home, sharing stories the whole way.

What a great trip…I can’t wait to go back with Kevin!