This morning I woke up way too early in a cushy bed in NYC. I didn't want to leave! But alas I had big things ahead, and by big I mean the size of an elephant! I hopped on a subway to Coney Island for a very special eating contest that fitted three of Major League Eating's top eaters versus three of the Ringling Brothers' elephants. It was a tough and hilarious competitition! (I'll have a more thorough recap of this and everything else with way more pictures when I get back to Chicago!)
Afterwards I met up with fellow bloggers the Hungry Sisters and we got some Nathan's and I watched as they went on the Cyclone...I had my camera that I wouldn't trust to be on it so I didn't go...yeah, let's use that as an excuse.
We then parted ways and I made my way back to Manhattan, walked through Bryant Park, and Times Square then took advantage of my cushy hotel bed. Sometimes you just have to take a vacation from vacationing, especially when you start thinking of all ten thousand of the photos you took that need to be edited when you get home. After a lazy day I took an impromptu walk through Central Park and grabbed some takeout Chinese food!
Tomorrow it is off to Coney Island again for the year's biggest eating contest, the Nathan's Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest!
And guess who's got herself a VIP ticket?
You can watch the hot dog eating contest live on ESPN, 12noon Eastern, 11 Central.
I spent my day travelling. Two busses to the Seattle/Tacoma airport. Shuttle to my gate. Delayed plane to New York. And finally a cab from JFK to Manhattan. I'm a bit screwed up on time zones but the fact that my hotel is pretty posh (thank YOU Priceline name your own price)and a giant brisket sandwich is now in my belly make everything A-Okay. I honestly don't think I have ever stayed at a hotel this nice before and, come to think of it, don't think I have ever stayed in a hotel all by myself before. It is an experience in itself!
I didn't bust out my good camera today...but here are a few pics I took from my point and shoot.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Most of the time while on vacations I am a gogogo person who likes to see everything and do everything humanly possible...but sometimes after a long 7 days of vacation and a lot of stress at work and home a girl just needs to have a lazy day!
The day started out with a trip to the Woodland Park Zoo. It's a really nice zoo and there are lots of exhibits. My favorite was the adorable red panda (who unfortunately was sleeping in a tree, but was cute nonetheless) and the orangutan who seemed to have dressed himself up like a Star Wars Jedi...
After a few hours of wandering I headed back and chilled with my friend Scott. We got some Pho for dinner and later got some Starbucks (it started in Seattle, so it totally is local...) and spent a pretty quiet night in. A good relaxing night to end off the first...uh second...no, third...part of my trip.
Tomorrow morning I leave Seattle for New York City!
I got to Pike's Place Market at least decently early enough that the tourist crowds hadn't started forming yet. I wandered a bit before spotting the original Starbucks and starting out my morning with a tall mocha. I then wandered some more until I figured out which stand was the one that threw fish around. They were kind of awesome. I thought though that they just tossed fish around but I guess they only do it when people order something. So while there were fewer crowds gathered around there was also fewer fish tossing. Though I could have probably stayed and watched them forever I decided to walk around some more. I saw Giant Shoe Museum and put in some quarters to get a peak at the world's largest shoes. And I added to my ever growing pressed penny collection. I wandered across the street to get some macaroni and cheese that my coworker said was the best in the world (and she might have been correct.) I then headed back to watch more flying fish. There was more throwing but a bigger crowd. Very entertaining to say the least.
I left the market and headed towards Pioneer Square. I toured around their memorials and parks, checked out Elliot Bay Bookstore, and grabbed more coffee. Then I took the Seattle Underground Tour, which brings you beneath the city and explains some of the history of Seattle that you won't hear in school.
At night me and my friend Scott went to the Italian restaurant Volterra in Ballard that was amazingly good. I had a seafood stew and it was delicious. Now I am again stuffed!
I have one more day in Seattle and then it's on to New York!
Monday, June 29, 2009
Exhausting day! I'm now staying with my friend Scott in Seattle and so this morning I took the bus with him over to University of Washington where he works/is in grad school. I toured around a bit while he worked and saw the fountain, red square, a Washington statue, the quad, and some other random statues sprinkled throughout campus. I grabbed a coffee at the coffee shop at the physics building and then we met back up for lunch and got some delicious Thai food.
He went back to work so I grabbed a bus to Fremont...which is, by the way, the most Silly American area in America. Just sayin'. Fremont not only has topiary dinosaurs, not only has a giant rocket ship, not only has a statue of Lenin (that was advertising Taco Del Mar)...but also has a gigantic bridge troll! How in the world can that be topped?
So I spent most of the afternoon touring around Fremont and being enamored by the sheer amazingness of it...and then I headed over to Gas Works Park which is a big green park offset with all these huge gas tanks. Pretty neat. Also neat was that there was a glorious view from there of the city skyline. Glorious.
Then I headed back to Northgate to meet Scott for an all you can eat sushi dinner. And boy did I all I could eat...and boy am I stuffed...
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Woke up in Prince George. Headed home. By home I mean the U.S., but not home home. Saw more awesomesauce, such as a town called Williams Lake that was having their annual stampede! We drove and drove and drove some more until we finally hit the border again and had an interesting exchange at customs...
Border Agent: Why were you in Canada?
Us: We drove through to go to Alaska.
Border Agent: How long were you in Alaska.
Us: Approximately three hours.
Border Agent: Three hours?
Us: Yes.
Border Agent: Why did you drive through Canada to go to Alaska for three hours.
Us: Something to do.
He thoroughly did not understand. And he kind of sounded like Napoleon Dynamite. Just sayin'.
So we made it through three days of driving through Canada and made it all the way to Alaska! It was pretty amazing. Now I am back in Seattle for three more days. Can't wait to see what else I can see!
'cause it's awesome.
"Truck Norris" truck, spotted outside of an A&W at 4086 Hwy 16, Smithers, BC, Canada on June 27, 2009.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
We made it!
We again awoke pretty early and hit the road...Most of the pit stops of the day were to take photos of signs pointing to our main destination of the trip: Hyder, Alaska. Yes, yes, you can drive from Seattle to Alaska. Hyder is a small little town on the Canadian/British Columbian border accessibly by road.
We made a stop to see a glacier that while awesome definitely showed major effects of global warming. We stopped in Stewart, BC where we wanted to go to their Toaster Museum, but it was closed. We did stop for lunch at Silverado Cafe for lunch before taking off down the road back to the United States.
We eased into Hyder, Alaska and took some photos of the welcome sign. Then we stopped at a bar to get Hyderized. What is getting Hyderized you ask? Well, you will just have to wait until I get back and have time to truly explain! (Don't worry, there is a video!) We hung out around town for a bit, went to the post office, went down the pier, tried and failed to spot bears,...and well, that's about what there is to do in Hyder!
But it was AWESOME!
So we turned around and crossed Canadian customs to again enter British Columbia and hit the road back to a hotel in Prince George. We did see a bear along the way back!
Friday, June 26, 2009
Day three of my vacation consisted of driving. A whole lot of driving. Luckily I wasn't the one behind the wheel this time and I learned that it is a whole lot easier (and perhaps a whole lot safer) to take video and photos while a passenger.
We woke up early and checked out of our hotel in Seattle and hit the road in a rental car for the Canadian border. Our destination for the night was a motel in New Hazelton, British Columbia.
Can you believe that this was my first time ever in Canada!!!
The day really did consist of nothing but driving, gas station stops, and lunch at a cute little hamburger joint (I got a fish sandwich and strawberry shake.) While there were no actual stops planned along the way I did manage to see a whole lotta roadside attractions! From a big marmot to a big toy man to a giant chicken on the roof of a restaurant! How awesome is that?
After driving for about 16 hours we didn't get to our destination until well after midnight and by that time, despite doing nothing but sit in a car all day I was pretty exhausted. So I basically crawled into bed and passed out. I needed a good night's sleep because I had another long day ahead...
p.s. Canada totally counts under "Silly America" because it's still in North America.
First stop today was the Sci-Fi Museum in Seattle Center. It was pretty cool but the best part was the special exhibit on the work of Jim Henson. We didn't have time then to go to the second have of the museum: EMP, but hand stamps could be used all day.
Why didn't we have time? Well it was time for a Mariners game! And what a gamne it was! Not only did the Mariners kill it but there was a lot of action, some base stealing, AND the guys who were raking the field busted out in dance!
Afterwards we returned to the Experience Music Project before it closed for the night!
Next up was the Space Needle! We went up to the top and checked out the views!
And, well, I am tired! Tommorrow I'm getting up bright and early and heading off to Hyder, Alaska! See you in Canada!
