Welcome to the city that reminds me of home, New York! Because it is a city forever in flux, visiting NYC had always been on the top of my list. Even as a kid, I had already been daydreaming of walking the busy streets, hailing yellow cabs, meeting new people in the most beautiful places, exploring the Central Park, shopping to my heart's desires, and most of all, visiting my grandmother who stays in Yonkers. Fast forward to April 8 of 2017, I finally did all of it and it was more than how I imagined it to be!
Our trip to the East Coast started as soon as we landed in JFK International Airport. Upon arrival at the airport, we traveled to Hilton Hasbrouck Heights Hotel in New Jersey for check-in. The following day, we had our breakfast and departed for Philadelphia. To be really honest, I am not one for historical museums or anything similar to it. I know nothing much about the American History nor do I know the particulars of each major battle of the Civil War. However, I was actually looking forward for Philadelphia — a city full of historical landmarks from any angle you look at it. There are a lot of iconic Philly sites to see, but since we were only permitted a day in the city, we wanted to see as much of the world's symbol for liberty. We began our sightseeing tour with a visit to the Liberty Bell (I wanted to lick the bell the same way Barney from HIMYM licked it but there were people watching haha!) and the Independence Hall. Based on what I had already experienced, Philly definitely showed tremendous promise.
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| Outside Hilton Hasbrouck Heights Hotel |
After our lunch at a local restaurant in City Avenue, we continued to walk around Independence National Historic Park, America's most historical square. Surrounding the park are the Philadelphia History Museum, Independence History Center, National Constitution Center, and the First Bank of the United States. We likewise visited the Elfreth's Alley and the Christ Church Burial Ground where prominent leaders of American independence are laid to rest. And of course, before leaving Philadelphia and heading to Washington D.C., we had to try the city's iconic Philly cheesesteak and pink lemonade from Philly's Gourmet Cafe. Dinner was served at Bonefish Grill in Greenbriar Town Center, Fairfax, VA because it was just a few miles away from our second hotel, Hyatt Regency Fairfax at Fair Lakes.
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| Elfreth's Alley |
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| Christ Church Burial Ground |
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| Dinner at Greenbriar Town Center |
Moving forward to our third day in USA, we began a full day city tour of Washington D.C. and a visit to the US Capitol Hills area after a breakfast not too dissimilar to the delicious one we had the day before. Our day was so productive to the point that we pretty much walked around the entire D.C.! Just kidding, but there were really a lot of walking, ooh-ing, and ahh-ing! Just by looking at the photos I have on my camera, I already feel tired. Crazy, I know. Our feet took us to beautiful and iconic places - I do not even know where to begin. Even if I am already used to my travel life taking twists and turns, I still could not envision a twist like the one I encountered in Washington. One minute my family and I were at the Constitution Gardens admiring the view of the Washington Monument from afar, the next minute we were already outside the U.S. Department of the Treasury. I genuinely felt like I was walking around a movie set where every turn I make is either named after someone famous or is an important history of the United States. The scale of buildings and the monuments left me in awe — from the US Supreme Court, to the Library of Congress (take note - it is the world's largest library with 26 million books, films, documents, and photographs), to the FBI Federal Triangle, to The Bureau of Printing and Engraving, to The Ellipse, to The Penn Quarter, to the Tidal Basin, and to the Smithsonian Institute. Truth is, Washington DC is a city that has something for every age and interest. It is a haven for anyone who is a fan of music, art, and culture.
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| Penn Quarter |
No visit to DC would be complete without a glimpse of the Jefferson Memorial, the United States Capitol, the Lincoln Memorial, and the most famous address in the US and possibly the most famous house in world, The White House. Because of this, we decided to visit The White House and the Jefferson Memorial first. We did not get to pull some strings that time; therefore, we only got to see the exterior of The White House :( Nevertheless, the entire architecture still exuded a character that was immensely appealing. Walking to the Jefferson Memorial from either side of the Tidal Basin offered a fantastic view of its key features and there was no other way for me to see it. There were also other memorials nearby, including the Lincoln Memorial, Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, and the Korean War Memorial to name a few.
After our lunch at the Washington Union Station, the walking did not stop! We passed by the Supreme Court of the United States, the United States Capitol, the Lincoln Memorial (the views over the reflecting pool were amazing by the way), the Korean War Memorial, and the Washington Monument per se. The weather was perfect for our afternoon stroll as well! No matter how cliche the places were, they still gave me goosebumps. All the more when I had the opportunity to make the monument the background for my photos! I had waited so long to finally explore the places I only get to see in movies and in the news. My little trip around Washington DC (*cue Fresh Off the Boat theme song*) made every childhood dream worth it :)
To cap off the day, my sister and I ordered Shake Shack fries and milkshake located at the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City while the adults were buying souvenirs from the stores nearby. Later on that night, we had our dinner at Hard Rock Cafe.
When we were on our way to Corning the next morning, a replica of the Lady Liberty statue appeared in the middle of Susquehanna River and it was so cute I had to take a video of it while the bus was moving! It took quite some time for us to reach Corning so by the time we got there, it was already two in the afternoon and we were already starving. We first had our lunch at Tony R's Steak and Seafood Restaurant before we proceeded to Corning Museum of Glass. Corning Museum of Glass has got to be my favorite museum of all time for it houses one of the world's most comprehensive collections of glass objects from antiquity to the present. Considering that I am not a fan of museums, this museum in particular delighted my inner being and that pretty much says something. First and foremost, I was thoroughly impressed by the sheer creativity and vision behind the museum. Every piece of art found inside tells a story and is beautifully named. Some of my favorite contemporary glass art pieces would probably be the "13 Crows" and the "On Extreme Fragility" (photos found below!). I won't go into too much detail here, but the museum is definitely a breath of fresh air :) I even bought home so many glass pieces and rings with me!
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| Appetizer |
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| Main Course |
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| Dessert |
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| I made my own heart-shaped glass piece! Haha |
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| 13 Crows |
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| On Extreme Fragility |
After Corning, we proceeded to Niagara Falls for our dinner at a local restaurant. The view of Canada's Skylon Tower from the restaurant was twice more breathtaking than it actually is because we arrived at the restaurant just in time for the sunset! As for our overnight accommodation, we stayed at DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Niagara Falls New York. Because our hotel was conveniently located near tourist attractions, my family, along with our tour buddies, decided to go for a late night stroll even if it was freezing cold outside! By the time the adults could no longer bear the cold, we stopped by a convenience store to keep ourselves warm and purchase midnight snacks before going back to the hotel.
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| Dinner |
"I have always wanted to see the best of Niagara for the longest time, so should I really waste an opportunity now that I am already there?" Those words kept me from going back to the hotel. I convinced my sister to stroll with me despite the weather. At first, she was hesitant but since Karlson (our friend) was also a wanderlust at heart, he was so game to accompany us. As the three of us approached the falls late that night, my anticipation grew and I was genuinely excited that the kid in me was coming back! Because we went there an hour before midnight, we were only able to see the falls from afar. Yet, it was so beautiful and colorful at night! We just kept walking and taking photos of the Niagara River and the magnificent sights until we stumbled upon a certain bridge in Niagara Falls State Park and decided to stay there for awhile before we finally head back.
On our way back, my sister and I attempted to remake the iconic The Beatles photo on a zebra crossing. It was almost successful since we were the only people in the area, but then, a police car showed up. The officer rolled his window down and asked us why we were in the middle of the road late at night. (He was not actually asking, his tone and words sounded more of a warning.) We just softly apologized until he drove away. I have to admit, my heart skipped a beat. I was so scared we were going to be reprimanded by a police officer in a foreign country. But as I am now writing this down, I am immensely happy to have encountered such incident.
The next day was all about the North American natural wonder and one of nature's most exciting creations — the Honeymoon Capital of the World. That first view of the falls from the Maid of the Mist boat tour....is just so hard to describe. Beyond the pure wonder was white water at its most ferocious! I reckon I must have taken over a hundred photos, pausing in between to just take in that amazing view. Strolling along the water's edge and viewing Niagara Falls from a lookout is one thing but seeing the falls from the vantage point of the water itself via a boat tour on the Maid of the Mist is an entirely different story. Being up-close to the falls was as riveting as it was majestic. The thundering unleashed power in front of my eyes was incomparable. In fact, "mist" is an understatement. The natural marvel took us right up to the cusp of the Horseshoe Falls and got us soaking wet despite the blue rain ponchos we wore. Even so, the massive drop off did not stop me from pulling out my camera and taking photos of the falls. I badly wanted to keep photographs of that experience with me to the point that I risked getting wet. Not to mention, the camera got wet too! It even malfunctioned by the time we were off the boat (My sister got so mad at me!!! Good thing we were able to fix it the next day).
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| Found this inside a souvenir shop in Niagara |
Enough with the falls - we headed to Lockport Town to have our lunch and at the same time, to have a winery tour. Lunch was served at a tank room surrounded by steel tanks in Spring Lake Winery at Varallo Vineyards. The moment we got there, we were greeted with warm smiles and were given three green chips. These green chips allowed us to drink any kind of wine we want. Not to mention that the place does not only offer homemade buffet for lunch, but they also have a timber-built lodge that includes a private eight-acre lake, vineyard, strolling park, and nature trails. As seen from the photos below, the lake is somewhat similar to Riverdale's sweetwater river, don't you think? After the winery tour, it was time for dinner at The 755 Restaurant & Lounge in Little Italy, a neighborhood in Niagara Falls.
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| Dinner |
The following day, we departed for New York. It was a long ride so we had to stop at a restaurant in University Hill, a neighborhood and business district in Syracuse, NY for lunch. After lunch, we continued our ride to the heart of New York City. Because it was already 7 in the evening when we arrived at New York, we decided to eat at Bubba Gump for dinner. It was in fact the perfect restaurant for our first dinner in the metro. Not only because it was located at the heart of Times Square, but also because it had amazing views of Broadway and all the billboards and marquees. The hustle and bustle of the city was perfectly evident from where we dined.
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| Lunch |
When we were already checked-in at New York Hilton Midtown, my family and I spent the remaining time we had for late night strolls in Times Square and for sightseeing on the 86th floor observation deck of the Empire State Building.
When I think of New York City, there are a few iconic images that spring to mind... the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, and Central Park. But most of all, I think of Time Square. It may be ridiculously tacky, but those illuminated signs in Times Square just kept on pulling me in. I definitely had to be one of the tourists who marvels at the neon billboards, sees famous musicals, goes shopping in the area, and soaks up the unique Times Square vibe. Fortunately, it was not that hard for me on my first night in the metropolis thanks to DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel. DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel is perfectly located at Lexington Avenue at 51st Street at the heart of Midtown Manhattan's fashionable East Side. Lucky for us, our hotel was just a few steps away from all the famous NYC landmarks such as Times Square, St. Patrick's Cathedral, Rockefeller Center, Central Park, Fifth Avenue, and Broadway.
On our first night, we took a seat by the TKTS steps and watched the world rush by. After that, we walked all the way from 42nd Street to 34th Street just to catch the one and only Empire State Building. High above the roofs of New York, it had always been a dream of mine to enjoy a 360 degree view of the city. Stories high above the famous Empire State Building made me fall in love with New York City. It was my moment. My heart sank and my eyes started to become teary because I finally knew why so many people love this place so much to the point that movies, television shows, and books have promoted the city for being the greatest city in the world. From where I was standing, the city took my breath away (literally, because it was also freezing cold!).
Early in the morning of the following day, I had an extraordinary hot cocoa and a scrumptious buffet spread for breakfast. The entire day was specifically reserved for shopping at Woodbury Common Premium Outlets!!! Located just one hour north of New York City, the aforementioned retail hub continuously creates excitement for shoppers like me. My parents even brought along two pieces of empty luggage with us on our way there! It is literally a shopping paradise where designer brands like Coach, Calvin Klein, Prada, Saint Laurent, Gucci, Versace, etc. are cheaper than the price people pay at normal retail stores.
My family and I decided to take a quick break from shopping by grabbing lunch at an eatery found inside Market Hall. But before that, we met up with my mother's mom first. It had been a long time since I last saw my grandmother in the Philippines; thus, it felt so heartwarming to see her again, healthy and fine, in the United States. We were supposed to spend the remaining time we had left of the day visiting my grandmother's house in Yonkers; however, time did not permit us to do so. To tell you the truth, I felt so bad for my mom. It is not everyday my mom gets to see her and it is not that easy to fly from one continent to another. Time... if only we had more time to spare.
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| Photo credits to owner |
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| Photo credits to owner |
As soon as we departed Woodbury Commons, we grabbed dinner from the very first Applebees in Times Square. After eating, everyone from my family went separate ways. My brother went to Broadway, my mom and dad went back to the hotel, and my sister and I decided to have a walk around Central Park. It was so spontaneous we forgot to bring our camera with us :( I had no choice but to endure the low quality photos from an iPhone that night. As we were walking along Central Park, the 843-acre green space surrounded by meadows, lakes, forests, monuments, and good architecture was such a tale to tell. But because it was hard to see all of Central Park in a night, let alone a couple of hours, we made sure to revisit before we head back to Manila.
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| Dinner |
On our last day, we went on a spectacular morning sail to experience NYC's beautiful skyline from the water, and also to see the Statue of Liberty. First, we took a motor coach ride to the South Ferry at Battery Park. Thereafter, we boarded the Statue of Liberty Ferry for a ride to Liberty Island. Sailing the upper New York Bay was nice and calm, and it took about fifteen minutes to get to Liberty Island from Battery Park. It wasn't a boring fifteen minutes by any means though. The views were topnotch! Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought that it was possible for me to visit the Lady Liberty. It was full of cliches that was so hard to believe but at the same time, it had me in tears. The moment I got to Liberty Island, I found the most attention-demanding woman I have probably encountered in my whole life. The Statue of Liberty was absolutely massive at first glance, but there was this calmness about her that permeated me as I looked up. Mind you, the views from both the ferry and the pedestal were beautiful.
After an hour visit to the Great Lady of Bronze, my family and I wanted to hit three birds with one stone or something like that, so we decided to pass by the 9/11 memorial site, the One World Trade Center, and Wall Street on the way to Golden Unicorn Restaurant for lunch. Our stroll around Wall Street turned quite scenic as we passed by the imposing Federal Hall and New York Stock Exchange. Walking towards Broadway, we caught sight of the historic Trinity Church. It stood right at the intersection of Wall Street and Broadway; thus, it was very hard to miss. I loved how they kept the old feel of the city and mixed it with something new. However, my favorite part of my journey to the Financial District of New York City would definitely be my encounter with the Charging Bull at Bowling Green Park. I literally rubbed that bull's balls for financial luck! Haha!
Our exploration of Central Park began that afternoon as well. If you think about it, Central Park is like an oddity against all the concrete and cast iron buildings of Manhattan. Going into the park is like stepping into a portal to another dimension. I could spend the entire day there doing a bunch of different things like playing Frisbee at the Great Lawn, reading a good book on top of a rock, listening to musicians play at Bethesda Terrace Arcade, paying tribute to John Lennon at the Strawberry Fields, going on a romantic boat ride at The Lake, or simply riding a bike around the park. PS - you can also have a photo of Central Park with the building where Steve Jobs used to live as the background! You just have to find the perfect spot for that photograph!
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| The building where Steve Jobs used to live at the background |
Of course, our final stop in New York had to be the Flat Iron Building! Alighting from the motor coach, I could not contain my happiness the moment I caught a glimpse of it. Truth is, touring the Flat Iron Building was not part of our itinerary. During our first few nights in New York, I was forcing my sister to help me find my way to that Flat Iron Building because really, I do not mind walking by foot and I'd do anything just to see that iconic building before I leave New York. Eventually, I lost hope and figured it was impossible for us to see the building because it was too far from where we were staying. But then again, I was wrong! The famous wedge-shaped skyscraper pointing directly into Madison Square Park and up along Fifth Avenue appeared right in front of my eyes the least I expected it. I swear that in that moment, I was so happy I instantly hopped off the motor coach just to take photos with it. I have to admit, the Flat Iron Building reached its maximum mileage of pictures. Also, because the Empire State Building was just one kembot and cartwheel away from the Flat Iron Building, I managed to take a photo with it in daylight! Hay, everything felt so surreal. Our motor coach even passed by Bowery, Chinatown, American Museum and Natural History, The Golden Trump Tower, and the famous Park Avenue on our way to
dinner.
Exploring New York in three days was such a frenzy affair. Spending such limited time in NYC made me realize that there is still so much to see outside the little bubble I put myself in, which is also the reason why I long to come back! It is true what they say — in New York, you're on your own. Living in the city turned me into an independent lady who enjoyed walking along the hustle and bustle of the city alone. From 59th street to 42nd to 34th and so on, I believe that New York is perfectly made for me. My sister and I spent the remaining nights exploring the city on foot and we did not even get lost! To tell you honestly, I can't even do that in Manila!
Despite being 13,655 kilometers away from home, I still felt like I was home. In fact, I love New York so much I'd choose it over Manila any day. The city's fast paced lifestyle made me acquire so much skills I couldn't anywhere else. Truly, my stay in the concrete jungle was just like a dream. There were a lot of instances where I had to pinch myself just to check if I was still alive. As I transferred to the airport for our flight back to Manila, I heartily carried with me pleasant memories of USA East Coast.
New York City is the reason why I travel so far from home. My heart belongs there and I hope you find yours there too.
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