It's Been Waiting For You: NYC 2021 Part 3

 

The last and final installment of MEGAN TAKES NEW YORK CITY 2021. ( I hope you yelled that in your head). 

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The Statue of Liberty was a sure-thing for me to do. I mean, I'm already in New York, I have to see some history!

TIP: If your boat ride to Liberty Island is at a certain time, get in line at least 20 minutes early! They check bags and screen you (which I had no idea about.) 

We also took the official way to get on the island via Statue Cruises. I recommend this ferry 1,000%. I bought sketchy tickets for another cruise around the island and didn't read the reviews before I bought them. As I was in contact with the place, trying to make my reservation, they were extremely rude via email. THEN I read the reviews. They were so bad that I decided to not put us in danger and got official tickets!

Anyway, the ferry ride itself isn't nausea-inducing, so that was a plus for me. I'm saying it was maybe 10 minutes long to get to the Island. They have tons of benches to sit on but you can also stand to get a better view. 

Liberty Island itself wasn't all that big. It had a museum, a gift shop, and the actual statue. And of course, beautiful views of the New York Skyline! Here's a cool picture of me and the skyline:

I was kind of bummed about all the construction around the base of the statue. The nice pictures of the statue definitely suffered with the tacky forklifts in the background. But it was still cool to see up close. For some reason, the museum actually made me tear up? It was weird, but it happened. 

TIP: Ellis Island and Liberty Island are TWO DIFFERENT ISLANDS! I was so confused about that. The ferry ticket includes both islands, but we didn't end up going to Ellis Island unfortunately. 

That was our big adventure for the day as we were definitely tired.

The next day, though, turned out to be a big one for me!

I met a lovely lady named Mavis on Twitter in 2015, during the One Direction era. She was my age, we loved a lot of the same things, but...she lived on the East Coast where as I lived in the Midwest. After years of saying "come visit me" to each other, I got Mavis to come to New York City to meet up during this trip!

By far, one of my favorite humans I know. She is exactly as sweet and funny as she is over text. Plus, she's probably going to be hired by me in the future to be my photographer. That girl has camera skills!

I first met up with her by picking her up at a bus station nearby and we hugged like we were meeting for the first time (LOL). Later on after our breakfast, I left Noe in the hotel room and dragged Mavis  to explore more of New York with me. 

I wanted to go to NY's biggest bookstore for a long time, The Strand. I finally went and it did NOT disappoint in being so big. They claim to sell 18 miles of books!

I bough some merch and of course, some books, then we headed out to chill in Union Square Park. New York City has way more parks than I even knew. Mavis got melty ice cream and we sat and just talked and took cute pictures.

Then, we got pierced. We looked online for a while for a piercing shop close by that would accept walk-ins but to no avail. I wanted my second nose piercing and Mavis wanted her 4th ear piercing. Alas, the magical Mavis found a shop, she called to make sure we could come in, and they said yes! So, we got piercings at a little shop where Christina and Britney got pierced at before. Iconic. Also, mine hurt so bad. Not complaining though because it's CUTE.

FRIENDS WHO GET PIERCED TOGETHER, STAY TOGETHER

We then picked up Noe after our adventurous day and went to dinner at The Magic Hour, a rooftop restaurant. It was covered in pink roses and was SO Instagram worthy. Other than it being pretty, it...wasn't great. My food was not the best and the waitress never came back? We had to flag someone random down for the bill. But...the pictures turned out AWESOME

   

My favorite is the one with Mavis and I. Look at the Empire State Building at night!

We were kind of over that place, so we somehow ended up on the rooftop of Margaritaville at cool bar. The view was unmatched. The drinks were pretty good, too. The bartender was super cool (and took off some of my bill because drinks are way too expensive in NY. Thanks, sir!)

The night didn't end there! We left the rooftop bar and ended up in the heart of Times Square. I didn't go that deep into it last time, but we sat on the red stairs and everything this time. Here's Mavis showing her camera skills off with Noe:

My favorite picture she took of me was definitely this one, as she shouted at me "We need some bag action! Bring the bag in front!" (Good call, Mavis).

Then, we went back to the hotel, and slept. 

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The next day was our day to leave. Mavis, Noe, and I went out to breakfast, we went into mall (where I finally purchased Gucci Bloom perfume for the first time. FANCY!) and then said our goodbyes. 

It was a very tiring trip and our plane home kept getting delayed. I finally arrived at my actual house around  3 AM. I was exhausted to say the least.

But hey, New York was QUITE the experience!

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Just wanted to thank some people: Noe, Mavis, my mom, Noe's brother (for driving us to the airport), and my poor body that got brochities because of the plane ride (yikes). And thank you all for reading my New York City adventure! 

Any guesses where I'll be going next? ;)

 

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NYC 2021: Part 2

 Welcome back to part 2 of my New York City trip! 

Let's just dive right into day 2 of my wonderful vacation.

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I have start out with the question I'll probably get asked: Did you visit the Empire State Building? Yes we did. And yes it was closed. I heard a lot of buildings and observation decks were closed, but the Empire State Building wasn't something we were dying to see, anyway. 

Day two started off with a recommendation from a friend (I have no idea who anymore) to eat at a breakfast place called Sarabeth's. I learned to look up dress codes while in New York because Sarabeth's was fancy and I wore jeans. Oops. It was located right across from Central Park and it seemed like such a long walk from the subway (but was it really a long walk or was I being dramatic?) The restaurant itself was not great. My eggs benedict was pretty much hard boiled and we had a tea cup of coffee (cute) but it only got refilled twice (not cute). Noe's French Toast wasn't amazing either. I got a side of bacon for $13 and let me tell you, not worth that amount. So, no recommendation from me for this restaurant. 

After breakfast, it was onto Central Park. I had been excited for the Central Park row boats since I started planning this trip. But first, we had to tackle the giant that is Central Park. Holy COW is it big. 

Tip: Wear comfortable clothing while exploring Central Park. It's big and you'll get sweaty and jeans was not the best option for me.

We had to use Google Maps because there were no signs of which way was which. Once we saw that there were legit roads in the park for bikers, with stoplights and all, we were like "ok this is massive."

  Tip: Bring your charged phone so you can used Google Maps to find your way around.

The row boats were $40, but $20 was a down payment that you get back at the end. I found out that I was TERRIBLE at rowing, so Noe rowed for us. I felt bad about it!

We took a lap around the lake and the lake itself was so gross. That just means you have all the more reason not the fall in...they have life jackets if you are nervous, though!

Don't forget to stop and see the Bethesda Fountain in Central Park! 

Next stop: The New York Public Library

A definitely big library that you can lost in (heck, I got lost, too.) Stepping off the subway, the first thing I noticed that there were about 10 police officers standing around, wielding assault rifles. They were laughing with each other and not paying anyone attention, but it was honestly extremely uncomfortable. 

We passed those officers and went inside the library. Chandeliers and marble were everywhere. It was beautiful. 

They had some education info about people I've never heard of, but I kept thinking "I wish I could write something that would end up in this library..."

I bought some souvenirs from the gift shop and off we went! 

Here's me outside of the library!

 We went back to our hotel to rest (I definitely took a quick nap), then headed out to Little Italy for our dinner reservations. 

TIP: The pictures online are most likely better looking than the restaurant. 

The Little Italy restaurant was just okay. A little tacky, even though I thought it was going to be a fancy place. The waiter forgot about us and it took forever to pay. I got seafood and it was pretty good. I hate tomatoes and didn't know it came with sauce (it didn't say that on my menu), so I didn't eat the pasta. But it sure looked pretty.

Noe and I looked on our Google Maps for a bar nearby. We found one called Home Sweet Home that looked promising. 

AND IT WAS. We were the only ones in this little dive bar and it was so much fun talking with the new bartender (she had only been bartending for 3 weeks) and I had her make me a new shot that we named the Pin Shot (Pineapple, vodka, and simple syrup). I didn't catch her name but she had awesome curly blue hair and was super pretty. So if she ever sees this: THANKS FOR BEING SO KIND TO ME IN NEW YORK!

I definitely recommend this dive bar for people who are near Little Italy! Take those steps down to the bar and turn right. There, your Pin Shot awaits. 

The last thing of the night: TIMES SQUARE BABY!

It was only a 10 minute walk from our hotel. We didn't go deep into Times Square the first time, but we got the gist of it!

I also tried some ice cream from a truck because I was hungry for dessert. The ice cream was a definite 4/10. Not great. Too melty. But it was fun!

After sitting on a stone riser and eating my ice cream, we went back to the hotel and slept for the night. __

The next post? The Statue of Liberty makes an appearance. STAY TUNED FOR PART 3 IN NYC!

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Welcome to New York: NYC 2021

 If you've been following me on social media, you already know this, but if you haven't heard: I WENT TO NEW YORK CITY! 

The city of lights, the fashion capital, the city that never sleeps, the Big Apple. You get the gist.

(This city definitely sleeps, FYI.)

I couldn't wait to write these next couple of posts of what I've learned from being in New York City for the first time and what I did on my trip. Also, I took some great pictures on this trip and I have to share them! 

I have no idea when I said to myself "New York City, let's do it", but I apparently did last year sometime. I told my travel buddy, Noe, and he was on board right away. He hadn't been to NYC ever either. I planned an actual itinerary this time since last time we took a vacation to Las Vegas, I didn't plan the best...so I used Pinterest, Google, and friendly recommendations and I was off to the races with planning. I used the app, Trip It, which is VERY recommended by me and my family. I put in my flight details, my event ticket conformations, and my hotel times, all on one place. I love that app.   

I packed a suitcase with extra wiggle room for things I would buy in New York. I always check a bag because I stay somewhere for a few days or more. I never quite reach the 50 pound luggage limit, but I'm always so nervous that I will. (EXTRA LUGGAGE ROOM IS KEY ON FUN VACATIONS! YOU NEED THOSE SUVENIORS/CHRISTMAS GIFTS!) 

The plane trip was smooth and when we got there, we stayed in Queens, NY because if we flew the next day instead, we would have paid $500 more for the flight. We saved that money by flying in a day ahead and staying in a hotel semi-close to the airport. Queens wasn't an ideal place to stay and the room was barely big enough for the both of us. Noe and I went and got our first ever New York pizza in a small, cramped place called Amore. My God, it was DELICIOUS. You, of course, need to fit in by folding your pizza in half, then eating it. A New York tradition and if you don't do it, you definitely stand out as a tourist. I got 2 big slices and it cost $8. I was hoping for the famous 99 cent slices, but not in Queens. 

The next day, we got to our NYC hotel in South Times Square. And by that they mean a 10 minute walk to actual Times Square. I stepped out of the Lyft (which are cheaper than Ubers in the city, which is a hot tip for you) and the first thing that hit me was the smell. New York City smells pretty bad. There is trash and sewage everywhere and the smell is just...terrible in some places. I really didn't expect that. Chicago is so clean and smells fine so this city smell was new. "They just get used to it probably" Noe told me.

Our hotel was adamite on not letting us check in early. I don't know if that's a New York thing because even Las Vegas will give you a room early sometimes. The staff at our hotel wasn't very nice, but I have been told that New Yorker's are usually ruder than most people (which, by the way, isn't completely true, but it's not NOT completely true...) Our room was very nice though and I'm surprised how I got such a nice one, honestly. Before we checked in, we left our luggage at the hotel and explored the city and a cafe for a bit. I took the first city picture of the trip because I was all starry eyed at the first big buildings I saw. 

The cafe we went to had a 45 minute time limit and I learned a lot of places have time limits. A strange thing for paying customers, but I guess they just want people in and out. I got a hot lavender latte and Noe got a coffee and he told me it was the best one he had on this trip (and we drank a good amount of coffee). Old Country Coffee had SO many different coffee options and flavors and it's 100% recommended by me and Noe!

We then went to the Hudson River to kill some time. It was a huge walking/running path but there were no beaches or fun parts to take pictures at, really. I mean, it is pretty dirty water, so I guess I get the beaches part. Who really wants to swim in a river? But it had a water fill up station and that was pretty cool. 

After finally checking in at 3 pm to our hotel, we unpacked a bit then explored some more. We found a beautiful building that we had no idea what it was but took pictures on the bird-poop ridden stairs anyway. 

Madison Square Garden was the next street over from our hotel so of course we went 

I then stopped in my tracks while walking the street. THERE IS SUCH A THING AS 99 CENT PIZZA! I actually went to that pizza place by myself one night and it was not that great. Queens made way better pizza (sorry, not sorry). 

That night, we went to a close Irish Pub called Jack Doyle's and had NO idea there was a football game that night. I also had no idea why everyone was dressed in Minnesota Vikings gear...we were in New York...but these Vikings fans were nuts. I enjoyed my Angry Orchard, my iffy Bangers and Mash, and got the heck out of that noise. Noe loved it. I thought it was an aggressive place. 

That night, we chilled in our room, listened to music, and watched the sunset through our hotel window. It was so beautiful and I captured  it in a great photo (says me)

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I wrote too long of a post already, so I'll be splitting up my NYC posts for everyone. I don't want to overwhelm you! I'll end this off with some thing I've learned from the city:


*If I were to be injured or killed on NYC, it would be because of a bicyclist. I don't care who you are, you are not more important than people who are walking. 

*As I said before, that place is stinky. There are some spots, like Times Square, that don't smell like poop, but if it doesn't smell like trash, it smells like weed. The weed smell is overwhelming and I just got so tired of smelling it. 

*Get the unlimited subway card for a week. It's cheaper than buying an each day pass and it's only $34. I felt a lot more comfortable just swiping and going without having to pay $9 each day. 

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Stay tuned for the next NYC post!!

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My Trip to Las Vegas

 I'd like to start this post off with: I WAS SUPPOSE TO GO TO LONDON THIS YEAR! Drinking tea in the afternoons and going to pubs at night. Well, you all know what happened. Covid happened. I was so bummed because I had plans to meet up with British friends and to rent a cute airBnB. 

But I was determined to go somewhere. And since the borders were closed, I had to stay in the US. 

I texted my friend, Noe (who was suppose to go to London with me), and said "hey, do you want to go to Las Vegas instead?" and he replied with "I'm down."

Fast forward to September 8th 2020 and we were off to Las Vegas, Nevada. 

Noe was so excited and it made ME excited. We both had no idea what to expect since we've never been, especially during Covid times. We had to wear our masks on the plane except when were eating and at the end of the flight, I was getting HOT with the mask on. As in, I was sweating! 

As soon as we got off the plane, we were met with a huge light up sign that read "WELCOME TO LAS VEGAS" We made it after 5 hours on the plane! YAY!

We had THE hardest time getting an Uber or a Lyft and it took maybe 30 minutes to snag one. We were both determined not to take a Taxi and get ripped off. We finally arrived at the hotel, The Flamingo. We got our temperatures checked by security guards and then checked in via Kiosk. 

The room was small but still real cute. We had an amazing view of the High Roller, a huge slow moving Ferris wheel (which we found out lit up at night and it was SO cool!)

To save you from the boring details of us walking to many liquor stores to find the perfect alcohol for our room, I'll just bullet point things that we did, which are totally not in order. I mean, everyone loves a good bullet point, right?

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* Gambling. I'm 27 years old, of COURSE I brought money to gamble. I just played the easy press-the-button machines. I won $30 on a Playboy machine at Caesar's Palace and that was my only "big" win...but each casino was NOT packed at all and each machine had at least one chair taken away between them. Sometimes two. So yeah, social distancing. 

*Red Rocks Canyon. My friends from back home, Natalia and Laura, moved to Vegas about a year ago and they drove us to the neat canyon and we hiked a little bit. I got splinters on my hands and legs but we took good pictures so it was worth it! Thanks for taking us around ladies!

*Planet 13. The world's largest dispensary. I'm not very good at things like that so I won't get TOO into it, but it was really cool. They definitely make sure you're of age and they were super nice. And let me tell you, as a last note, their stuff is strong...

*The High Roller. In the non-pandemic times, this 30 minute Ferris wheel is known for having a bar INSIDE the pod! But that was taken out because bars are closed every single place except at restaurants (which ruined a lot of my un-made memories....) BUT we went at night and rose to 500 feet in the air. It overlooked the strip but since the Las Vegas Strip is SO big, it barely showed us half of it! I think you would need a helicopter ride to see it all! It was cool but a little long and they let 8 people in a pod and it wasn't really "social distancing".

(The view from our room at sunrise)

* The Pool. So, the pool is WEIRD. As in, you have to text in to get a spot. We thought you just show up? The pool opened at 10 am, I texted at 10:05 am to get a spot and then waited...and waited...and WAITED for a text back to come down to the pool. It took 3 hours and I was getting fed up so Noe and I went to the pool and they go "sorry, we're still on the 10:04 people who texted in." Apparently, if you text past 10:06, you probably won't get a spot at the pool that day. It was wild. We finally got a text and we had only 10 minutes to get there. 10 MINUTES! Then, we had to wear a mask the whole time you were out of the pool. It was...uncomfortable. I got a bit of a tan and then ordered a Pina colada (which ended up costing me $28! OH MY GOD). The pool was...kinda lame. Sorry. 

(me at the pool)

*Dinner. We went to Margaritaville, which was in the hotel, the first night. Then the next night we met up with my friend's godmother and I had the coolest Poke Nachos (it included raw tuna, shredded seaweed, spicy mayo, and wonton nachos. EVERYTHING I LOVE). There are so many good places to eat, but we only had 3 days!

*Free things. Our hotel had a flamingo zoo with live flamingos and that was cute. We also took some pictures at Paris hotel at night. We went into Caesar's Palace to look around at the Fountains of the Gods. And then we went to the famous Bellagio fountain show. It played to the song Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds by the Beatles and I had NO idea how much I would love it! I barely took pictures because I was too busy enjoying it.  

*Other random things: We went during the week. There was NO one on the strip. Barely anyone at the casinos. Noe and I both were like "where are the people?" I guess they all come on Friday then leave Monday. We got there Tuesday and left Thursday. I DO have to say, it really worked out for my anxiety, though. My mom told me people are always dressed "weird" in Vegas. We didn't see any weirdos at all. I was BUMMED. Everyone was dressed in jeans, sometimes a long maxi dress, and pushing their kids in strollers. One night I wore a black glitter off the shoulder body suit with along skirt over top and I felt over dressed! IN LAS VEGAS! Last thing, I wanted a flask so bad and didn't bring one. It cost $17 to get one in the hotel. It cost $6 in a gift shop on the strip for a cuter one. Always shop around. 

(This flask was always full and always in my purse)

All in all, I had a really good time in Vegas. People keep saying "YOU SHOULD HAVE DONE THIS OR THAT!!" Okay, I only had 3 days. Leave me alone. I KNOW I didn't go to Freemont Street. I didn't want to. 

Would I go back to Las Vegas? Yeah, if the time called for it. I don't think it is on my top 5 places I loved, though. 

I had great company (love you, Noe!) and a new experience. It was a really great trip!

 

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