We decided this was going to be the year we experienced Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Nick was on board until he realized he would be waking up at 5am. It took a little more convincing after that. The night before I made some yummy blueberry muffins and cut up some fruit for our snack bag.
I woke up about 4am. Yeah, it's been a while since I've been up that early. I have no plans to do it again anytime soon. I decided that I would be breaking out my thermal underwear to keep me warm! I think I got ready in record time. I cooked up some cinnamon rolls for breakfast and yelled at Nick every 5 minutes to get up and not make us late!
At 5:40 we were out the door. The city feels different that early in the morning. It was so very quiet. The breakfast food carts were just setting up, newspapers were being delivered, and we saw very little cars on the streets. Absolute peace in a hustle and bustle city. Not to mention the very few people we did pass on the street said hello and good morning. If you live in New York City you know that is not the norm.
We walked over to the West side and found a nice spot on Central Park South near Columbus Circle. It was 6am and it was already starting to get crowded. Even better... we found a front row spot. Perfect viewing! We ended up next to a family from Tennessee who were incredibly nice. So friendly and generous. It was 6am and we had another 3 hours to go! A few chats, snacks, and short naps later the parade started!
I really think everyone should experience the parade just once in their life. It's quite the experience. I mean... it not only puts you in the holiday spirit but it's just so much fun! You almost feel like a kid again. Well I did... not sure how Nick felt. He kept saying he expected the balloons to be bigger! Go figure!
What really surprised us was the street performers. They were so incredibly happy and just really kept up the energy. I don't think that is something you can really see or feel through a television. They made the parade a lot of fun. I can't tell you how many times I was hit with confetti!
The parade lasted about 3 hours... and it was 3 hours of fun! Enjoy the pictures...
Macy's Band
Turkey Day!
These men "faeries" were pretty funny
After the parade we came home for a quick shower and change and headed to North Square for our Thanksgiving meal. It was this really quaint restaurant right across from Washington Square Park. I had the traditional Thanksgiving meal... turkey, dressing, stuffing, etc. Nick had the un-traditional meal... lobster bisque, steak, and potatoes. It was delicious!
What did we do next? Only partake in another Thanksgiving tradition... well if you live in Texas. Thanksgiving Day = Dallas Cowboy's football game. We came home and snuggled on the couch and watched our team play. And they won! We relaxed the rest of the day and I am not ashamed to admit I was in bed quite early. Up at 4am makes for a long day!
I took Friday off so Nick and I had the day to play. We took it easy in the morning. A little Black Friday shopping. We headed to the Shops at Columbus Circle for some lunch. We ate on the top level at Bouchon Bakery. The view was absolutely beautiful. There was Christmas decorations in the background and a view that looked straight down Central Park South to 5th Avenue.
What a view!
Our delicious lunch
Next up... ice skating in Central Park. The line wasn't too long so I decided we should do it. It's another one of those things you have to check off. Ice skating during the holiday season! The weather could not have been better. Clear blue skies, crisp air, and the NYC skyline in the background.
A must New York experience!
Needless to say we had another very busy day and were quiet tired. We cooked dinner and watched a movie that night!
Saturday was a nice day of relaxation. Nick did a bike ride in the morning and I ran some errands. But most of the afternoon was spent on the couch. We had dinner reservations with our friends Pam and Matt at ABC Kitchen. Apparently reservations are hard to come by at this place. The restaurant was so nice and the food was absolutely mouth watering. Calamari, date pizza, salmon tartar, salmon, and sundae for desert! It was such a nice place I felt a little odd pulling out my camera. So you are just going to have to take my word for it.
What did Sunday hold? Yep, you guessed it... we kept with our Sunday tradition of doing absolutely nothing. I cooked some lunch and later made dinner. We watched some TV and read. It was a great end to our holiday weekend!
It's hard to believe Christmas is only a month away! The countdown to going home has begun!
No comments:
Post a Comment