I know I left the last post leaving San Francisco to meet my mum at JFK in New York. After landing and collecting my bag I walked round to mums terminal to meet her. After almost 3 months of not seeing her it was a pretty emotional reuinion but it was so lovely to see each other. It was pretty late by this time so once we got to the hotel we both just crashed out in the mahoosive queen sized bed!
The next day we went and collected our New York passes which allowed us to visit loads of different attractions. We started the day visiting Grand Central Station which is pretty spectacular! Our hotel was on Herald Square so we were withing walking distance to everything in Central New York which was amazing but we walked so much I thought my feet were going to fall off!
Once we'd seen Grand Central we headed over to Times Square and I had my first experience of how busy it is there. I love the atmosphere and the hustle and bustle of New York and Times Square is amazing. We headed over to the Rockefellar centre and booked a tour and viewing for the next day and from there we proceeded to Madame Tussaud's and had a look around there.
After that we did a bus tour around NYC and saw all of the main attractions which was cool. In the evening we went for dinner finally at Bubba Gump Shrimp which definitely lived up to the hype and we then went on a guided evening bus tour called The Ride. This was a 75 minute tour around the central area of NYC on a bus with a massive open window where you sit side on. As you go around there are actors everywhere that sing and dance as you drive past and it was a really fun experience.
By this point it was about 11pm but we decided to head up the Empire State Building as it was only 2 blocks from our hotel. We did the the Skyride Simulator and then headed up to the 87th floor. The view was amazing and it was really cool to see New York at night and look down at all the lights!
We were both exhausted by the time we got back to the hotel so just crashed out.
The next day we did our tour around Rockefellar centre which was really interesting. We saw the plaza, the studios where The Late Show and Saturday Night Live are filmed and also saw some amazing art work! Once the tour was over we headed up to the viewing platform and it was a really beautiful day so we got an amazing view of the whole of New York. I preferred the view from here as you can see Central Park and the Empire State Building.
After this we did the downtown bus tour of New York and went for dinner at a really nice pizzeria before rushing off to get ready for the theatre. For mums 50th her 3 best friends bought us tickets to see the Jersey Boys which was really lovely of them. The show was amazing and we both really enjoyed ourselves so thank you to Helen, Marion and Pauline!
On the Thursday we were heading over to Liberty Island and Ellis Island to see the Statue of Liberty. It was quite an early start but it meant we didn't have to queue and actually we ended up spending the whole day there. Once we arrived on Liberty Island we did the statue first. We had bought tickets to climb up to the crown and boy was it a climb! Some 600 steps later we reached the top and it was pretty amazing seeing everything from the crown. We could see the torch and the plaque either side and it looked straight out over Manhattan! After we had looked around the island we headed over to Ellis Island to he immigration museum which was really interesting! We arrived back about 4 and chilled or before going to for dinner at a really nice Mexican restaurant that had been recommended. Amazing Margaritas!! We finished the night at a wine and chocolate bar right next to our hotel which was fab - it's like they knew we were coming!
On Friday we decided to go and see the 9/11 Memorial and Museum and attempted to meet up with our American relatives which ended up being a lot harder than we thought! The memorial is amazing and is so beautifully done it was very moving seeing all the names on the fountains. The museum is also very well done and we spent ages looking around. Again it was very emotional and definitely brought up a lot of feelings just seeing the massive impact this event had on the country and the whole world.
We went for dinner and had a wander around the harbour before heading back.
The next day was mine and my brothers birthday present to my mum - a riverboat lunch cruise with an all inclusive bar around Manhattan. This was probably my favourite part of New York. The atmosphere was amazing, the food was amazing, we worked our way through the cocktail menu and had a dance all whilst taking in the sights around the river. After both consuming probably a bit too much alcohol we decided to walk along the highline to get some air. The highline is an old railway that runs a mile above Manhattan that you can walk along. It had been done up really nicely with lots of plants and viewing platforms and it definitely helped work off the cocktails!
We went back to the hotel for a nap before heading out that evening for a wander around Times Square where I finally got my Sephora fix, we were still so full from lunch neither of us wanted dinner!
On Sunday we decided to spend the day in Central Park. It was a really lovely day for weather so couldn't have picked it better. We started off at Ellen's Stardust Diner on Broadway for brunch which was also recommended. We loved it here, the waiters sing and wait at the same time it was like something out of glee, we were constantly signing along or dancing!
We then headed over to Central Park and did a 20 minute horse and carriage ride around the park before wandering further in and sitting by a lake taking in the views. On the way back we went to Central Park Zoo, saw the Ice Age 4D film and saw the limited animals in the zoo. There were bears, snow leopards, monkeys and a couple of other things. Not too much but it was nice to have a look around. We headed back after this and that night went for a buffet dinner before ending up on a rooftop bar behind our hotel that looked straight up at the Empire State Building - a lovely way to end our last night!
On the Monday we decided to have a shopping day as our flight wasn't until 10pm. We went to Macy's and mooches around there for ages before going to a bargainous shoe shop where we both got some shoes. We then finished with a Pinkberry frozen yoghurt and a couple more drinks on the rooftop bar. I somehow managed to squeeze everything into my backpack which by this point was a bit worse for wear and 5kg heavier than when I left!
I arrived home on Tuesday 23rd June at 11am to my dad and cousin picking us up from the airport.
My travel blog has now come to an end after 3 months travelling the world, seeing some amazing things and meeting some amazing people who I know will be friends for life. I've had ups and downs, mainly ups and many memories which will last forever. I could not have asked for a better experience and want to thank everyone I met along the way especially Pippa, Chels, Bash, Louisa and Kate who made my Australia experience absolutely amazing!
I'd like to try and keep the blog going with various posts whether they be travel or lifestyle related but for now I will say goodbye from my 3 month journey!
With love, Lauren x
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