{Travel} NYC Part 3

Day three of our anniversary trip started with a 'breakfast' at Laduree, which specializes in French macaroons. This was a must-stop on our Upper East Side list.

{Travel} NYC: Part 2

It's back on you guys - I've written another NYC post! Enjoy.

Day two of our anniversary trip to NYC started with a tiny breakfast {aka coffee}, showering, primping and taking our time. After the previous day, we needed to take a few minutes longer getting ready. We hopped a subway to Chelsea, where Husband had a surprise activity planned.

Surprise! We went on a tour of Chelsea Market!

{Travel} NYC: Part I

I know we've been back for about 2 weeks now, but I'm just now getting around to sharing photos of our anniversary trip to NYC.  Don't hate me.

In true {ADOS} style, this post will be photo-driven!

After landing at JFK {never again! It's almost like it's in another state!}, our pre-arranged car took us to our hotel on Central Park South.

Morning view from our hotel room in Midtown.

{Anniversary!}

Happy Anniversary to my wonderful Husband!

My Husband for 4 years;

My Love for 7 years;

My Friend for 10 years. 

Here's to another year of happiness and unconditional love.

Destination: NYC

And, we're off!

Source: roseandhudson.tumblr.com via Kelly on Pinterest

See you on Wednesday!

{Travel} New York!

Each year, Husband and I take a short trip to celebrate our anniversary.  Our first year we headed to El Dorado Lake outside of Wichita, Kansas, to camp out under the stars.  The next year Husband completely surprised me and took me on a trip to San Antonio, to spend our anniversary on the Riverwalk.  Our third anniversary was in the windy city, Chicago, which I recounted in not one but many posts {1, 2, 3 & 4}.
Those are some of my favorite vacations and certainly some of my most cherished memories.
This year, our minds were just about made up for us shortly after we moved to PA - We're taking a trip to see The City: New York!  It's such a short distance now that we're not in Texas, and we couldn't pass up visiting NYC for our first real trip outside of our new home.

via http://www.theflyper.com

If you've visited at ANY point in your life, please comment with your favorite moments.  Even walking down a particular street to see something out of the ordinary.  Even a tiny hole-in-the wall restaurant with amazing food.  Even the touristy stuff.  I want it all!

The Happy List

Here starts an unusual post. A happy post. A happy list, to be exact. I'm going to share not one or two happy things with you, but TEN! A lovely friend in Baltimore shared a post like this a few weeks ago, and I'm going to do my best to create the 'warm, fuzzy feeling' I got when I read her list.
Here the requirements for The Happy List:
They can be memories or just general cool things that have happened. They can also be great life accomplishments too (ex. graduating college, giving birth, etc…).

Mine are in no particular order.
1. Cooking: I should change this to "cooking for others" because there's no sweeter feeling than making a meal for appreciative diners. Of course, I always have to preface it with a disclaimer, "Well, I hope it's tastes right...It's a new recipe and..."
2. Losing Weight: I never thought I needed to lose weight until my clothes didn't fit the way I wanted them to. That's when I knew I wasn't as healthy as I wanted to be. Also, I had to buy a larger size dress for a formal event, and was thrown for a loop. Now that I've been taking my health into my own hands and making MUCH better choices about eating and exercise, I feel SO good about my weight...and that it's going down! :)
3. Hot Tea on a Cool Day: Need I say more? There's just something about sipping tea and letting the steam bathe your face, while enjoying a cool day.
4. Jetta: Or, shall I say Hetta? (That's her name, and all.) I could not have been more proud of bringing home my first car that I had purchased, and had haggled all by myself. Yes, I've purchased all of my past cars, but I had never WORKED to get the priced I wanted. For me, this was a big accomplishment. Does that make me from Sherman?
5. MAC Makeup: I'm someone who takes pride in how I look, and I love the way makeup changes your appearance AND attitude. It just makes a girl feel good to wear some new eyeshadow that compliments her natural eye color. You know you look your best.
6. Winning the APO Presidential Election: It's weird to look back on things in your life you consider accomplishments, because it may pale in comparison to more recent ones. That being said, when I ran for President of my Alpha Phi Omega chapter at Texas Tech, I never wanted anything more. I was running against a more than qualified opponent, and knew I'd have to step up my game to beat him. When all was said and done, I was overwhelmed with the confidence the voters had in me. I won! It was a hard semester, but I'm so thankful I was able to serve as a leader.
7. Doing Something For Others: I talked about this before, but it's a small accomplishment for me each time I am able to help someone else personally. I remember the first time I chose to volunteer. I folded baby clothes for the Pregnancy Care Center, and helped young women 'shop' for their newborn. It was fulfilling, and empowering at the same time. I could make a difference in someone else's life! Other service projects over the years has reaffirmed what this first one taught me.
8. Drive-In Movies: Cramming several of your friend into a small sedan, turning up the AM radio station with the movie's audio, and munching on homemade treats. Recipe for a deliciously fun night.
9. Graduation: I knew it would happen one day, but didn't really see it coming until it was right in my face. Such a bittersweet time.
10. My Third Anniversary with Husband: I could have written "Marrying Husband" instead of our third anniversary, but I think the anniversary means more. We've been through a lot in 2011, and I feel like we're more understanding of each other. Now I know what experienced folks mean by "You never really know someone until you marry them." They weren't talking about laundry habits (or lack thereof)!

What will make it onto your list?

Chicago! Parts 3 & 4

This will be my final post on Chicago. Don't jump for joy...or cry. 

I hope you've enjoyed reliving the trip with me.

Day three started with a photo.

This one.

 Today was going to be our "finish the City Pass" day. We'd done a little lollygagging, and now it was time to get serious. We walked to the Shedd Aquarium first, but after we grabbed our daily dose of coffee. :)

The biggest lobster you've ever seen. He was at least 1.5 feet long.

Afterwards, we headed next door to the Field Museum. What a HUGE museum. 

We were only able to see about 40% of it, because of time constraints. 

Yes, that's a life-size whale.

 As we walked back to the hotel to get changed for that evening, we stopped and bought some gourmet popcorn. There's quite a few popcorn stands and shops in Chicago. 

Yet another reason to absolutely love Chicago.

That night we dressed up for dinner.

At Gibson's Bar & Steakhouse

We had to have the three. 

There are three notably Chicago foods.  Deep dish pizza (check), hot dogs (soon to be checked), and steak. We chose to have our big, nice, schmantzy dinner at Gibson's Bar & Steakhouse. Soon after we were seated, the waitress welcomed us with this platter of goodness. 

Lobster and various cuts of beef.

 Michael and I ordered the top cut (on the plate), the Chicago Cut. When in Rome, right? 

He ordered his peppercorn-crusted. I opted for a small pat of butter.

Michael's Peppercorn-Crusted Chicago Cut Steak

 We ended the night by strolling through the Gold Coast, window shopping and holding hands like an old married couple. (But full of delicious steak.)

Day four began with grabbing coffee and heading to the Lincoln Park area to visit the Chicago History Museum. For some reason, this museum wasn't listed in our fabulous guidebook on the top things to do in Chicago. Considering this was my first visit to Chicago, I think the city's history museum is a must-see.

Michael at the Chicago History Museum

We worked up an appetite exploring the CHM, so we were ready for lunch. 

Public transit time! 

(Note: I LOVE public transit. I'm pretty sure that's not normal. It must be because of the lack of legit public transit options here in DFW. Yes, we have DART and TRE, but it's not the same as the L!)

Waiting for the bus

 We caught the bus to Wrigleyville, and stopped at The Wiener's Circle. 

We ordered two types of hotdogs, completing our Chicago three. 

The Wiener's Circle

Unfortunately, my hotdog photos didn't turn out. 

We all know what a Chicago dog looks like though, right? I would hope you do.

We grabbed another bus and headed to Wrigley Field, intending on having a tour. However, since they were super pricey tours, we opted for taking tons of photos outside. I'll only subject you to two.

Michael outside of Wrigley Field

Me outside of Wrigley Field

We caught the L back to Downtown, and packed up our stuff to head to the airport. 

What a fabulous vacation! As I've recounted the details to friends, I keep saying it's a perfect city for whatever you're looking for. Romance. Foodie finds. Family fun. Shopping. In whatever form you like to have fun, Chicago has it. For as much as we did on this anniversary trip, we weren't able to do it all. Definitely in my top 5 vacations EVER.

 I would go back in a heartbeat. 

Dining Out in Chicago

Michael and I ate at Gibson's Bar & Steakhouse for our big anniversary dinner on the third night we were in Chicago. It was delicious, and I'll talk about the food in my next Chicago post. 

For now, let's talk about my outfit.

Purse: Michael Kors | Bracelet: Carolina Herrera

Jacket: Nordstrom Rack

Dress: H&M | Belt: Target

Tights: Target | Shoes: Michael Kors

It was a windy, cool evening. Perfection!

Chicago! Part 2

Day two started with a bit of a setback. I had arranged for a tour of Frank Lloyd Wright's home, studio and surrounding homes in Oak Park for what I thought was 8:30am. Turns out, the tour was actually for 10:30am. So, we woke up early, grabbed coffee and rode the L (train) out to Oak Park/Harlem. We were 3 stops away before realizing this. We ended up riding the train for an hour. But it was nice to chat over coffee and see the sights of the green line.

Once we got back, we walked past Millennium Park, and explored Grant Park and the Buckingham Fountain. Now, I'm not one for fountains, but this one was spectacular.

Statue outside of the Art Institute of Chicago

Southern-most point of Grant Park

Husband and I in front of Buckingham Fountain

Buckingham Fountain

After spending the morning by the fountain, we rode the L back to Oak Park. We viewed the surrounding neighborhood homes Frank Lloyd Wright designed first, then finished with a tour of his home and octagonal studio. This is a must-do in Chicago!

Home designed by Wright

Frank Thomas House (My favorite home on the tour)

Gorgeous art glass

 We headed back into the city after the tours were over, and shopped for a while on North Michigan Avenue, or the Magnificent Mile. Coming from Dallas, which could be considered one of the best shopping destinations in the South, it was somewhat of a letdown. We didn't encounter any stores that we didn't' have here at home. Not that I need a dress from Escada.

As we walked, I noticed a building that really stood out to me. And in an architectural city like Chicago, that's something. I stopped to read the plaque.

Plaque on the Carbide and Carbon Building

 Evidently, this 'champagne bottle' of a building was built by one of the main characters in the book I was reading at the time. How timely! :)

Carbide and Carbon Building

Carbine and Carbon Building

 For dinner we took it easy and had a burger and a Chicago area beer. Then we went on a City Lights cruise of the Chicago River and Lake Michigan. What a windy trip!

The architecture was highlighted by (no pun intended) the lights. Gorgeous!

View from Lake Michigan on the City Lights cruise

Chicago! Part 1

I've finally gotten a chance to take some time and share our anniversary trip to Chicago with you!
{Warning! This is a heavy picture post!}

Michael and I decided to travel this year for our anniversary, as some years we've chosen to go camping. After making our top 10 U.S. cities to travel to (I'll share that soon!), we decided on Chicago (higher on my list, but featured on his as well). Chicago is an incredible city. I loved every minute of it. Coming from Dallas,  a city that's more like a grown-up small town, Chicago was more than I could have hoped for.

On the first day, we were greeted by a warm, 85-degree day. We stopped into our hotel and checked in early. We opened the curtains, and this was our view.

The view from our room in the Hyatt,
overlooking the Chicago river, and North Michigan Avenue.

After getting settled, we headed out for lunch. We stopped at a Chicago pizza favorite, Giordano's.  It was just as delicious as I was told by the handful of folks that suggested it. We ordered personal-sized pizzas to avoid the 45-minute cooking time for the regular sized pies. It's so thick it needs that long to cook!

Personal-sized deep dish pizza from Giordano's.

 To walk off our lunch, we walked through Millennium Park, and viewed the fountains, sculpture and grassy areas. Gorgeous!

"Scaffolding" over Millennium Park

"Cloud Gate," or as everyone calls it, The Bean.

 As it began to drizzle because of the cold front moving in, we stepped into the Art Institute of Chicago.  What a gorgeous museum.

Sofa

"Nighthawks"

 Afterwards, we went by the Macy's (Marshall Field's, actually), on State St. Yes, we have Macy's in Dallas. I hear you. However, this Macy's is the original, and it's a city block wide.  We didn't' buy anything, but instead marveled at this huge store.

Then, we walked to Avec, a restaurant that's a favorite by chefs such as Anne Burrell. It was not a disappointment. We enjoyed wine, chorizo-stuffed dates, a smoked whitefish (Brandade) dish, pulled pork with black rice, and peppercorn-crusted hanger steak. Delicious!

Michael and I at Avec
(Ignore the drowned rat look from the rain!)

chorizo-stuffed medjool dates with smoked bacon
and piquillo pepper-tomato sauce

They love their large metal spoons at Avec.

whipped brandade (white fish) with garlic bread and chives

wood-oven roasted pork shoulder with roasted baby carrots,
black rice and basil pistou

Everything was delicious, especially that pork fat-soaked black rice. Ridiculous. 

marinated hanger steak with puy lentils, melted bone marrow,
spinach, tomato, oranges and fried capers

We honestly plan to visit Avec or it's sister restaurant, Blackbird, each time we roll into Chicago. Can't wait! 

Once we finished dinner, we took a cab over to Willis Tower, formerly Sears Tower.  It's not too far from Avec, but my feet were killing me from all the walking we'd done that day.  We went up more than 300 floors to see the SkyDeck. The city lights at night were gorgeous, especially with the 360-degree views.

Our feet and the street as we look down
from one of the observation  boxes.

Next up: Day two!

*Note: We purchased the City Pass, and saved a bundle on all of the attractions people usually visit in larger cities. The company has passes for many major cities in the U.S. and Canada. Check it out!

Chicago On My Mind...and My Feet

Last night after dinner Michael and I got started on planning our trip to Chicago for our third anniversary. We began by going to shoe shop for site-seeing sneakers. Yes, we each already have a pair of sneakers in our closet, but who can say no to a NEW pair, dedicated to roaming the streets of Chicago? Not this girl. So, after browsing a few stores, I decided on a pair of bright yellow and grey Puma Speeders. Michael unfortunately left empty-handed, but we still have about three weeks to go until our flight leaves.

After making a consumer-fueled purchase, we moved on to the more practical. We headed to the Half Price Books in Richardson, the one that's been recently remodeled. I'm not sure what it looked like before, but I'm glad it looks the way it does now. (Similar to the store on Northwest Highway.) We browsed the Travel section for a few minutes before finding a Moon Metro Guide. I'm usually a Lonely Planet or Frommer's type buyer, but this guide had so many detailed, laminated, fold-out maps, I had to get it. Also, it gives you an idea about which train to take to each area of town. Since we won't be renting a car this time (eek!), which we don't usually travel without, we'll be relying heavily on public transit. Sounds like an adventure to me... :)

The spoils of our journey:

Shoes and Guide

Goodbye 2009

Tomorrow will be the first year with double-digits at the end! Goodbye to 2009, a year that held a lot of ups and downs for me.

I purchased my first "adult" car. I love my Jetta, and I'm sure at some point I will give it an actual name. Right now it's "Boo." Get it? Because it's blue? Ha.

My grandparents gifted us with several items from their home once they moved into an assisted-living apartment. Two of the best things we received were antique chairs that we reupholstered. They're like new, and we love them!

I left a job I strongly disliked, and thus took a huge pay cut. It was my decision, whether idiotic or not, and I stand beside it. I know things will be better because of it.

I had my first big family dinner at my apartment, that I planned for weeks. It went well, and gave me a sense of accomplishment that I had created good food and elicited fun from my family.

Michael and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary together by going to camp in the Eldorado Lake area of Kansas. What a fabulous weekend - especially with the one I love.

I've made new friends, gone new places and learned new concepts. I am excited to see what 2010 has in store for me, and I have a few resolutions to make. Keep reading!

Kansas - Who Knew?

Finally - a recap! Things have been really crazy around here lately, so I'll begin my recap now!

As you know, we were planning on camping out near Hot Springs, in the Ouachita National Forest. We called in advance (earlier that week) to reserve our campsite. Out of more than 1,000 camping sites, there wasn't ONE available for that weekend. So, we opened up the atlas and began a search. We decided on Eldorado lake in Kansas, just outside of Wichita. Neither one of us had been to Kansas before, except for driving through it to get to Colorado.

We camped out lakeside, made food in my grandparent's cast-iron skillets they gifted me, and hiked all over the place. On one of the trails, we found this tree that had fallen over - they believe in preserving nature by letting it remain the way it would naturally occur. For example, if lightening hits a tree and it falls, it remains where it as fallen. This policy is adopted by many other national parks, one of which is Muir Woods (a surreal place, really). Also, we made smooooores! My boy scout Husband made us a fire, and we cooked all weekend. The food was amazing! Let's take some time to discuss my love of smores. A good blazing fire, roasting, melting, and caramelizing the sugars in the fluffy, white sugary knob - pure harmony within a sandwich of chocolate and graham cracker. One, if not my very, favorite desserts.

Here is a view of the lake:It was great weather the whole weekend because it had rained the few days before we arrived. Mild during the day and chilly at night. Great camping weather for fire-cooked meals and cuddling under the stars!

I would recommend Kansas to all those that think it's just farmland and not much else. We spent some time in Uptown and Downtown Wichita, and it was a good time. We tasted wine on the square, ate beef shawarma in Uptown, and discovered Freddy's Frozen Custard and Steakburgers. It's clean, welcoming and homey. That's it's charm.