Monday, July 18, 2011

a mini vacation weekend!

Mark and I had an EXCELLENT weekend, it was my only "vacation" trip this summer- short but sweet.
We left super early on Saturday for NYC- got there around 10:30- I had found a cheap coupon for 24 hour parking at a lot across from our hotel, and when we pulled up to drop our car off this family was waiting for their car. Some attendant drove up with a big grey SUV, and the family stated it was not their car. It was hilarious when the attendant said "Really? This is not your car?!" almost arguing with them as if they did not know their own car. Hilarious! Didn't instill much confidence in us, but our car ended up surviving its 24 hours.
We checked in to our hotel- The New York Inn; it was $130 a night, which is the cheapest hotel I could find on Manhattan (on 9th and 47th in Broadway)- and it turned out to be te SHITTIEST hotel we have ever stayed in, but we had to laugh about it. The room was smaller then a dorm room with a full size bed, we barely fit, but it served it's purpose.

We then walked several blocks to the pick up for our living social deal. There were about 30 people in our group. We were driven 2 hours to Pennsylvania where we got in to the Delaware River. We kayaked with the group down the river for a little less then 2 hours. It was BEAUTIFUL weather. The river was crowded with tubes (which Mark had never heard of tubing, hilarious, he thought it was the laziest activity ever). There were a couple spots with rapids. It was super fun and relaxing.

When we got to the take out they had lunch waiting for us. We ate lunch and then the bus drove our group another 45 minutes to Crossing Vineyard, a winery in Pennsylvania. There the co-owner talked us through a wine tasting of 12 different wines of theirs. None of them really stood out- they weren't bad, but they weren't exceptional, esp. for their price since Mark and I are such winos and we buy all our wine on price these days. The owner was great though- quite a salesman and had lots of fun stories. He taught us a lot about paring wine with food which was nice. Showed us around the winery too and how they make their wine. If I was ever to try a different career I think I would like to go in to the wine business. I would love to live on a vineyard.

We ended up buying 3 bottles and got a good group discount. Then the bus drove us home, we got back to NYC at 10pm. I bought vegan asian food from Zen Palate for dinner.

On Sunday we slept in and then drove to Central Park. Visited the Central Park Zoo (which is one of my favorites since it is so small and quaint) and then headed home.
Got home about 5pm. It was a great, but short, trip.

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