Well, I am back. Actually, I was in Lake Placid at approximately 11 pm Saturday night, but I was so tired that I unpacked the car and went straight to sleep. The past few days have been crazy, so now it is post time!
This Tuesday my mom and I decided to make the trip to New Jersey to visit my grandparents. It was a very last minute decision (decided to go on Tuesday, left on Wednesday) but since I am not going to be off from school until May, we decided it was now or never. So we packed up the car and headed to the Garden State.
After the predictable stops (in Saratoga to have lunch at the Four Seasons, and a sushi dinner at the Palisades Mall) we finally made it to my grandparent's house. It was so nice to see them! I haven't been there since October, so it was nice to catch up.
On Friday, we went into New York City. I awoke at 5:30 so I could go to Rockefeller Center early before the crowds came to figure skate. Only for figure skating would I wake up at 5:30 ;) Maybe speedskating! :) Here is a picture of the skyline at sunrise from the train station in NJ:
So we made it to Rockefeller Center by 8 to find out....the session wasn't until 8:30! We waited until then enjoying the sunny day and watching the skaters. I absolutely love skating on Rockefeller Center; nothing is better than skating in a t-shirt and having the onlookers cheer for me! Maybe they thought I was famous--that was a nice feeling ;)I was also thrilled to see my friend and fellow blogger Susan skating! It was nice to see her again, and discuss Worlds--up until that point I wasn't even aware of the Worlds placements! Thanks Susan! Be sure to visit her awesome website www.Lifeskate.com!
We love to see the Today show proceedings across the street, so that is where we went next. It is interesting to watch the broadcasting, as well as the production aspect of the show. We ended up getting carried away in the group of fans down the street--it turned out that they wanted a small crowd to stand outside the studio door and wait to see Kathie Lee and Hoda come out the side door for the last chatty hour of Today. I managed to snap a picture of them:
Side note--we also found a really cool shop that is most likely only found in the city--a Japanese confection store. We got 2 small items for my grandparents--despite the fact that they were made of "healthier" ingredients like green tea and white bean paste (which was surprisingly good) they were REALLY sweet! Luckily I walked it off on the 20+ blocks we walked to get to the Lower East Side later ;)
Before the trek to the Lower East Side, we visited the American Girl Store. Even though it was a Friday morning at around 10:30, it was still really busy. Let me explain--my mom and I were given a used American Girl doll to use as a model for our doll dresses that we are selling in the shop. Unfortunately the doll had been through several children and was very bedraggled. So we took her to the city with us and decided to give her some TLC at the Doll Salon (yes, it does really exist). Her hair was combed and braided, and the dirt was washed off her face. She looks fabulous! The best part? Standing at the counter surrounded by 8 year olds and having them compliment me on "my" doll ;) Luckily my mom captured these moments perfectly:
When we visit the city, we travel everywhere--this time, we went from Rockefeller Center many blocks to the Lower East Side. There we had lunch at Angelica's Kitchen (the best restaurant ever, in my opinion) and then even further, to Soho. I LOVE this gluten free, vegan bakery called Babycakes, which has fantastic baked goods that aren't too sweet. They are so good that celebrities such as Natalie Portman, Oprah, Pamela Anderson, Betty White, and others visit when they are in town. Love it!
Last it was back to Time's Square, where my mom took multiple photos of me ;)
The whole day was exhausting; without any major problems and after standing in line for the NJ Transit ticket booth for 15 minutes, we made it onto the train. When I got to Seacaucus, I snapped a picture of the city, this time at night.
We got back to Clifton with no problems, and were actually at home before 10 pm--a nice treat for my grandparents (they are used to us arriving much later from our adventures). So this was my day in the city--the next day, after spending a bit of time with grandma and grandpa again, we drove back to Lake Placid, glad to escape the bustle and stress of southern New York. Although it is fun to get away, I realize how truly lucky I am to live in Lake Placid--it is clean, quiet, safe, and there is always something to do. We might not have any malls or tall buildings, (unless you count the ski jumps), it is not needed. It is wonderful here just the way it is.
In an unrelated note, if you are a figure skater or skating fan, be sure to visit my figure skating and speed skating blog Lake Placid Skater for news about what is going on in the Winter Sports Capital of the World!
Happy Tuesday,
LP SKATER
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