Stay Sparkly, NYC.

Well, we did it! We went to New York and we knocked almost everything off of our bucket list. We had SO much fun. We literally walked 32 miles in 5 days—so it wasn't the MOST relaxing vacation we've ever been on, but it was really fun. OKAY, I batch uploaded these photos so they're all a bit out of order. Forgive me in advance for the jumping around, I did my best to make some sense of them and their order!

OH and this blog update is so picture heavy that I feel obligated to remind you that Blogger isn't optimized with the iPhone for some reason, so these photos might look a little blurry. They're not, I promise. If you click on them, it'll bring them up clear. :)

Off we go.We were actually really frazzled and really sure we were forgetting something. (We weren't.)

I was this girl on the flight in. Reading all about the show she was getting ready to go see.

Never close your plane windows. For real.

Our cutie hotel in TriBeCa. Plus that randomly really awesome building to the right? Woah.

The rooms were designed to look retro and were SO fun.

When there's sparkling wine at check-in, I'm 100% in.

Our first subway ride of the trip. I actually HATE the subway. For some reason people get extra weird underground, but it's all part of that New York charm I guess. Including that weird urine smell at every turn, which is even more potent in the summertime, FYI.

Our first night we went and saw Wicked—which I've been hoping for since middle school. I loved it. 

In a parking garage outside Wicked (LOL) 

After Wicked, we went to Max Brenner for dessert...Y U M. Run, don't walk because this place is ridiculous. 

We visited Ellis Island and the Ellis Island Hospital—which hasn't been touched since like the thirties or something absolutely insane. It was so crumbly that we had to sign waivers and wear hardhats for our hour-and-a-half tour. It was pretty creepy, but mostly just fascinating and I learned a LOT about Ellis Island in general. Uncle Damon came, which made it even more fun. (My Uncle lives/lived in Hell's Kitchen! He actually moved back to Dallas the week after we left, but he was still living there while we were visiting! So fun to see his 'hood!)

This was inside of the main building on Ellis Island. Weird to think that most of us have kin who checked in to the US less than one hundred years ago RIGHT HERE. 

There was an art/photo installation in here. It was mostly just really creepy.

MORGUE. NUH-UH.

This hallway was a quarter mile long, I believe our guide said. It was sooooo long that I was sure I'd see a ghost pass by at any moment. 

Our cute volunteer guide who walked really fast. 

There would've been a hospital bed between every set of windows. 

Kitchen. 

WHOA view.

A very small portion of the hospital's exterior. it was massive.

You know when you plan something, but it seems too good to be true, so you're pretty sure Jesus is coming back before that cool thing actually happens? That was Hamilton for me. So literally until we were SITTING in the theater, I was like "This isn't real. There's no way this is my life." 

A lot of selfies had to happen this trip. This one was in the back of an Uber on our way to the show. 

As we were walking up to the theater entrance I was thinking, "I'll bet it's canceled tonight. Those kinds of things happen in live theater. So don't get your hopes up." 

But then it wasn't. And it was toooooo good. 

Washington Square Park was so pretty. 

I forced Drew to stand in line for the ever-so-trendy "Cookie Do" (like "dough") close to Washington Square. It was good, don't get me wrong, but I'm not positive it was worth the $15 we spent on these two servings. Just FYI if you're planning a visit. :)

Birthday breakfast at Penelope for this 27 year old! Hard life having a birthday in New York City. 

The High Line

Some of the most fun we had was just wandering around. A lot of the wandering was done with Uncle Damon at the helm, which was even cooler because he knows all the best spots.

Casually popped open a bottle of Rose at the Barney's rooftop bar. This was the best. So quiet, so relaxing.  

You best believe we made room in our schedule for the lady. 

Hey, girl.

Uncle Damon actually works (worked) inside the Empire State Building, so you best believe we got the VIP tour AND got to skip all the lines. We were up top just completely in awe for a whiiiiiile. I'd never been up there before! After a while I actually started feeling like the building was swaying. So weird.

Levain Bakery....SO STINKIN' GOOD. Followed a feast of chocolate chip cookies with a walk through Central Park. Did I mention that the highs the week we were there were in the high seventies and low eighties? A much needed break from the 100 degree heat we left behind in Texas. 

I truthfully don't know what this building is. (The white one, not One World Trade.) But it was very cool. I think it was a mall?

We ended almost every night at the hotel bar. It was just SO nice in there, that I don't think we could help ourselves. They had a live jazz band, and although that probably sounds lame, it was very, very cool. And after allllllllll the walking, the fact that it was just steps from our room was a major plus.

We did, in fact, eventually have to go back home. Which was sad...but you'd better believe we were ready to see our baby. 

We probably won't be planning a trip back very soon—although, you never really know, so don't hold your breath. What I mean is that we really spent some good time here together, and we saw and experienced just about everything we hoped to. It's time to tick somewhere new off the ole travel list. 

:)