Shannon's Stories

My newest goal

2012-02-09T18:02:00.000-08:00

Recently I did a blog post about my new swimming goal, to swim the English Channel. I'm still working toward this goal, but it's a long term vision and it will take years to work up to it. In the meantime, I have many other goals I would like to accomplish.

I have had a very privileged life and I am so fortunate to have achieved so many of my dreams. Things like performing at Walt Disney World with other dancers from my dance studio, becoming a certified private pilot, jumping out of airplanes, and spending three weeks in New York City.

Having achieved so much is what inspires me to keep going. It's proof that if you want something bad enough you WILL make it happen. That brings us to my current goal.

I want to wing walk. Yep! You read that right. :) I have to try this, even just once.

I've been doing research about where to go and I found a couple of organizations in the United Kingdom. Sadly, I have been unable to find any organizations in the United States. Don't get me wrong, if the UK is the only option, I will save up the money and try it over there. Ideally I will be able to do this in the United States, though, because that would be more time and cost efficient.

I need your help to make my dream come true! Do you know of an organization that teaches people to wing walk? Do you know someone who might be able to help me? If so, please let me know!

You can leave a comment on this blog or you can find me on Twitter (twitter.com/skkeith).

Thank you!!

Shannon

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**Update**

It turns out my willingness to ask for help really does pay off! My very awesome friend Erin directed me toward this company:

http://www.westcoastspindoctors.com/index.html

Yippie!!

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My first trip to Europe!

2012-01-16T17:55:00.000-08:00

One of my responsibilities for my job is to organize an annual academic workshop. Since I'm one of the main organizers, I get to attend the event and help make sure it runs smoothly. The first year I planned this event it was held at Niagara Falls in Canada. The picture to the right is one I took while visiting the Falls (October 2010).

The academic workshop for 2011 was held in Paris, France on October 24th! While I was only able to spend a few days there, I did get some sightseeing in. Below are some of the pictures I took while I was there.

Swimming

2011-08-28T12:40:00.001-07:00

While growing up, I took all of the swim classes offered at the Hillsboro Aquatic Center. I learned all of the strokes and I got my gold stars for each level. Sadly, I still never became a confident swimmer. I wasn't good at treading water so the deep end of the pool always made me nervous. Once when I was about seven years old they had us jump off the low dive. The way I remember it: I essentially fell off the diving board, then flailed about in the water until the teacher helped me to the side of the pool. After that I stayed away from the diving boards completely.

When we were teenagers, my friends liked going to the local lake. I would always find excuses not to get in the water, or to only go in part way. When I was 13 I got contacts and that became the best excuse ever! "Oh, sorry, I need to stay on the dock because I have contacts in and I can't take them out because I forgot my glasses." "Oh, you can't dunk my head in the water... I have contacts in." It worked out well. We all had fun and I didn't have to admit that I wasn't a good swimmer.

My dilemma is that I've always wanted to go into a shark cage. This is something that has always sounded like fun to me and it's on my list of things to do before I die. Last summer I decided that it would behoove me to be a confident and strong swimmer before I go into a shark cage. If something were to go wrong, I wouldn't want to try to doggie-paddle to the surface.

I looked at Portland State's PE classes and lo and behold, they offer swim classes and lap swimming sessions! Fall term I shed my ego and took a beginner course again. That was all it took. I completely fell in love with swimming. I started looking forward to Tuesdays and Thursdays because that meant I got to swim!

Becoming a strong and advanced swimmer is turning out to have its own challenges, though. My coach says that I think too much and I need to just relax and have fun. "Relaxing" has never been my strong suit so it's proving to be very interesting.

Apparently I also have a slight chlorine allergy, known as an "intolerance". It causes me to have swimmers' sinusitis after swimming, basically a cold that lasts a couple of hours. Some days it doesn't bother me at all and other days it knocks me off my feet. Once I sneezed four times in ten seconds after leaving the pool. Kleenex is my best friend on days like that. :)

About eight months ago, I settled on a new goal, one I'm very excited about and want to share with you today. I have decided to swim the English Channel. Completing this goal is five years away, but I'm determined to make it happen! It's going to take a lot of training and it's going to be expensive. That's why I set the goal to be five years from now, to give me adequate time to prepare and save the money for it.

Why the English Channel? Darned if I know. The idea came to me one day and I just knew I had to do it. As time goes on I get more and more excited about this. I did all of the research and I know exactly what is required to complete the goal. I know this must make me look crazy, seeing how I willingly want to swim 30 miles in 61 degree Fahrenheit water. I don't care, though! Working towards this goal will be a good experience and actually completing the goal will be amazing.

I decided it's time to share this goal with my family and friends. If I start to back out, it will be good to have people there to push me. :)

Oregon Air Show

2010-08-25T16:27:00.000-07:00

The 2010 Oregon International Air Show was last weekend. We had some amazing performers this year. The jet team was a civilian team called the US Patriots. They were absolutely amazing, but I think the Harrier topped it all. One of my other favorite performances was the wing-walker. That would be *so* much fun to do!

Here's one video of the Harrier hovering:

Watching the Harrier fly backwards is always amazing and impressive, same as when it hovers. That's one of the many things I love about aviation, there are *so* many possibilities. Even though the technology of flight has advanced rapidly over the last 100 years, there is so much left to learn and explore. It's fascinating.

There were many other amazing performers this year, including: Julie Clark, Renny Price, Matt Younkin, Oregon Model Aerobatic Team, and much more.

Backpacking through Europe

2010-07-07T20:15:00.001-07:00

I so desperately want to go backpacking through Europe. My plan is to go next summer, if I can come up with enough money between now and then. There's so much to see and do, I know I won't be able to do everything in one trip. Below is the beginning outline of the trip so far.

The Eurail has a youth discount for people 25 and under. If I can go next summer, I will still qualify for the youth pass and I'll save about $400.00! I plan to travel between countries at night and get a sleeper car to save money. This way, I won't spend a day traveling and then also have to pay for a hostel/hotel.

Places to go and things to do:

- Amsterdam
- France
- Italy
- Spain
- U.K.
- *Norway
- *Germany
(*I have friends in Norway and Germany so it would be neat to travel to these places and see them, as well.)

- Visit vineyards in the Mediterranean part of France
- Go into a shark cage while in the U.K.
- Visit Stonehenge
- Go to the Louvre
- See the Eiffel Tower
- Go to the Colosseum

Irish dancing

2010-04-03T18:42:00.000-07:00

For the past couple of weeks my friend Jenny and I have been going Irish dancing. We took a class last Thursday, then yesterday we went to an Irish Ceili. The Ceili happens on the first Friday of each month in Tualatin.

Last night there were probably about 50 people there or so; it was pretty packed. The live band was fantastic! It was such a fun atmosphere, not too intimidating for a newbie. I'm already excited for the one next month.

We were able to get a few videos of us dancing. The room was dimly lit so the videos are kind of dark, unfortunately. One of the videos is a little over three minutes long so I uploaded it to YouTube instead of posting it here.

The first video below is from the end of one of the dances. The man in charge of this event, who was giving out instructions, just started making up what to do next and everyone was just trying to follow along. This video is a clip of me trying to do the improv. The second video is a clip from one of the other dances we tried, it's a very different dance compared to the other ones we learned.

Irish dancing is so much fun and I highly recommend it for people that love to dance and try new things.

The 2010 Women in Aviation Conference

2010-03-22T00:46:00.000-07:00

About a year ago I joined an organization called Women in Aviation, International. For the past 21 years they have had an annual conference. This year's conference was at the Coronado Springs Resort in Walt Disney World! It happened on February 25-27.

I really wanted to go, but money has been pretty tight for me since I went to New York last summer. I applied for one of their college student sponsorships and about a week later I found out that I won! The scholarship paid for the entire conference registration ($165)!

Once I decided that I was going to go, everything started falling into place. I got my airfare taken care of (red eye flight there, and late evening flight home), and I got my hotel room booked. I was still worried about having the money to pay for the hotel. When I finished my taxes I found out that my refund would cover everything. Perfect!

The conference was amazing. I met so many interesting people and learned a lot about aviation. During the Friday Luncheon, I ended up sitting next to a man named Parker, he's a checkride examiner and he's been flying for 51 years. He gave me a lot of advice and tips about the exams, etc. I also had the opportunity to ask him about what advances in aviation he's liked the most over the last 50 years. Without hesitating, he said that the best changes have been towards navigation and radio communication. He taught me a lot about how navigation used to be, morse code, etc. It was so fascinating, and there doesn't seem to be a better way to learn this information than from someone who actually lived through it.

One of the best experiences during the entire trip was the opportunity to meet three WASP pilots. They were the Women Airforce Service Pilots during WWII. Their stories, what they accomplished, is just phenomenal. It would take a whole new blog post just to talk about these stories. Friday evening, I attended a reception at JetBlue Airways training facility. Bee Haydu, one of the WASP pilots (in her 90s) was there, hanging out and talking to everyone. Near the end of the evening, a few of us were hanging out with her in front of the jazz band that was performing. She was just tapping her foot, snapping her fingers, and drinking some type of vodka/juice drink and talking to us about burlesques. To summarize, she is one rockin' awesome lady. Below is a picture (Left) of the WASP pilots after one of their seminars. The picture on the right is of me with Bee Haydu at the JetBlue reception.

The JetBlue Airways reception was a blast. There was a live band, great food, and we had the chance to take a tour of their training facility. I got to go inside the simulators and everything. It was a lot of fun! There was a raffle and four people won actual flight time a simulator. Sadly, my raffle ticket # was only 1 digit away from one of the winners. Nonetheless, it was a wonderful evening. There was an open bar and I had one beer, just in the glass bottle. I couldn't find a recycling bin anywhere so I waited in line at the bar to see if the recycling was behind the counter. The bartender took the bottle and threw it away, and gave a smile that said sorry. Haha, guess I'm truly an Oregonian.

At the conference, I also had the opportunity to meet Wally Funk. She was one of the Mercury 13. They were women pilots that were training along with the men to become the first Americans into space. Her education session was about aviation safety and tips to use during the preflight. Then she talked to us about her experience in trying to become an astronaut. She can't go up with NASA because she isn't an engineer, so in the late 1990s, she went to Russia and trained with the cosmonauts. Unfortuanetly, the program went under right as she finished the training so she still hasn't gone into space. Below is a picture of me with Wally Funk.

I can talk for hours about my experience at this conference. It was just so incredible, I don't think it would have been possible to have had a better experience. If I think of other stories that people would be interested in hearing, I'll post a new blog about it. The conference ended on Saturday. I spent Sunday morning and early afternoon at the Magic Kingdom! Went on some rides, wandered around for a bit. Luckily it was a beautiful day for it!

The Life To Do list

2010-03-21T23:57:00.000-07:00

I've been a fan of To Do lists ever since I was a little kid. There's the daily To Do list, the overall list of things that *have* to get done, and then there's the list of things I *want* to do. I've had a Life To Do list, the list of things to do before I die, ever since I was about six years old. The list has grown quite a bit since then. Some of it are silly little things, and some are big, life changing events. Below is the ever expanding Life To Do list, along with the list of things I've done so far! I'll continue to update this blog post as I dream up more possibilites and accomplish more goals.

The dreams
To See:
- The Amazon
- Egypt
- Hawaii
- Amsterdam
- Italy
- France
- Spain
- The Northern Lights
- The Grand Canyon
- Stonehenge
- Easter Island

To Do:
- Join the Peace Corps
- Swim with dolphins
- Go in a shark cage
- Backpack through Europe
- Learn how to sail
- Go bird watching
- Chase a tornado (just to look back and say I did it)
- Take the Empire Builder train to Chicago, IL
- Learn how to ride a horse
- Take a steam engine boat across the Atlantic
- Ride an elephant
- Watch the World Series in person
- Watch a Space Shuttle launch in person
- Road trip across the United States

Dreams accomplished so far
Seen:
- NYC (very big dream come true)
- Washington, D.C.
- Boston
- Philadelphia
- Niagara Falls

Done:
- Skydive
- Become a pilot
- Performed at Disney World
- Learn morse code

How NYC changed my life

2009-12-13T00:32:00.000-08:00

My vacation to the east coast was pretty much the best three weeks of my life. Every day I tried to do as much as I possibly could because I knew I didn't have much time.

Before this trip, I had never been to New York City. Aside from going to Walt Disney World in 2000, I had never been on the east coast. When I first arrived to NYC and got to NYU, I immediately felt at home. The minute I walked into my dorm room, I knew I could easily live there. This moment was one of the rare few where I knew I was *exactly* where I was supposed to be. In fact, that's how I felt for the entire trip.

One day each of us were doing our own thing, some of us had work to do and others needed to do laundry before we left for Boston. I decided to get lunch at one of the other cafeterias that accepted the NYU dining meals. We had been going to the same one for most of the week and I wanted to wander the town a bit. I found the cafeteria pretty easily. Okay, so maybe I walked right past the building... twice. After that it was easy to find (thanks to the GPS on my iPhone :). I sat down near a large window that overlooked Washington Square Park and in the background was the Empire State Building. It was a surreal moment, to actually be there just having lunch as if it were any other day. Afterward, I walked to the park and sat there for a long time. I listened to someone playing the guitar, saw other people playing in the water fountain. It was peaceful.

As mentioned in the previous posts, I spent a week traveling the east coast: Boston, Philadelphia, Washington, DC, and Baltimore. For me, the best part was actually being able to see all of these places. I've wanted to visit Boston and Washington, DC for years and now I can finally say I've been there. Not only that I've been there, but that I really liked each city and want to go back.

I never wanted to leave. If I didn't have responsibilities at home, I probably would have found a way to permanently move to New York City by now. I wondered why I felt this way. I know the vacation was fun, educational, and an all around amazing experience, but I couldn't understand why I was so extremely happy there and basically unhappy the second the airplane landed at PDX.

The answer came to me not too long ago. For three weeks I lived completely in the moment and I literally enjoyed every single second of it. From wandering NYC at all hours of the night, to becoming an extra in a movie, renting a car in Philadelphia solely for the purpose of getting pie in an Amish community, to trying to get Philly Cheesesteaks and consequently ending up in New Jersey. I relished every minute of it. It was all about my perspective.

I was so happy and had such a wonderful time because I was determined not to have anything less. It was a conscious choice. So, I have decided to apply this idea to every aspect of my life no matter where I am from now on. Sometimes things happen that really make you angry, but years later you look back and laugh. Now, every time something like that happens, I make sure to find a way to laugh about it now. When I wake up in the morning, I decide to make it a great day and to laugh as much as I possibly can.

I've always enjoyed trying new things and meeting new people. However, after going to New York, I realized that I need to make it a part of my every day life. It wasn't New York itself that made me happy, it was my attitude toward the experience that made me happy. Every day I want to try something new or laugh or just be insanely ridiculous.

There are a couple of quotes that sum up what I'm rambling about quite nicely:

A happy person is not a person in a certain set of circumstances but rather a person with a certain set of attitudes.
~Hugh Downs

Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

I'll rap up by saying: Be happy. Be crazy. Don't care what other people think because it's just their opinion, which really doesn't matter. Believe in your dreams and pursue them as if anything is possible (because it's true). And most importantly, remember to live each day because this is your life.

How much can a person do in three weeks?

2009-08-11T22:03:00.000-07:00

I thought it would be interesting to create a list of everything I did on this vacation - just to get the full impact. This gives a glimpse into what I experienced. It's in chronological order, for the most part, by city. I'm sure there are things missing from this list, but I hope it gives you a picture. :)

The individual day blogs contain more information and some pictures. Throughout the trip I realized it would be most efficient to write a blog per day (if that day was eventful enough) because, generally speaking, a lot happens each day. Why did I label the blogs with the day and city? Each day was so versatile and we went to so many cities, this was the most consistent way to capture everything.

I had a video camera on the trip and it came in very handy. The problem was, I would start filming and then it would just be silent. No one would have anything to say! Hahaha. So some of my videos were edited and made into pictures. For my next vacation, I'm going to work on getting better at making videos. Maybe, if people are with me, I'll think up questions in advance. Part of the problem with NYC was that I was so elated by everything we were doing and seeing. I was living "in the moment" so much that later I was mad that I didn't think to capture the moment on video!

New York:

New York University (part of it, at least)
Little Italy
Empire State Building
Serendipity
"Top of the Rock" - Went to the roof of Rockefeller Center at night
Central Park
- The Castle
- Alice in Wonderland statue
- Strawberry Fields
- Tavern on the Green (walked passed it)
Museum of Natural History
Times Square
Theodore Roosevelt's birthplace
The M&M store
The Original Barnes & Noble
Saw the Naked Cowboy
Speedboat tour called, "The Beast"!
City by Night tour (Double-Decker Bus): mid and lower Manhattan and part of Brooklyn
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Double-Decker Bus Tour of downtown Manhattan
Pizza at John's on Bleecker Street - best pizza ever
The Guggenheim museum
Double-Decker Bus tour of Brooklyn
Went to the movies - saw The Ugly Truth
Statue of Liberty
- Up to the museum and monument
- No trip to the crown because it's sold out until the end of October
Ellis Island
Clinton Street Baking Co.
Extras in Russell Brand's new movie!
Ice cream from an ice cream truck in SoHo during a thunderstorm
Atlantic Avenue Tunnel - tour
Grimaldi's Pizzeria in Brooklyn (another NY institution)
Walked across the Brooklyn Bridge
The Apple store
Took a tour of the NBC studio
Audience members of Jimmy Fallon's show!
Gray's Papaya - the location used in most films
The site where John Lennon was assassinated
Washington Square Park
Intrepid sea, air, and space museum
Random stores on 5th Avenue
FAO Schwarz!
- The giant piano!
Bergdorf Goodman - checked out the shoes
Tiffany's
Dylan's Candy Bar - huge candy store
Went to the movies again - The Proposal (second time seeing it)
Saw Mark Consuelos at FedEx!
Dean and Deluca
The Russian Tea Room
Saw the Broadway musical "Rock of Ages"
Coney Island
Miscellaneous shopping

- - -
Boston:

Public Garden
Tour guide of the first third of the Freedom Trail
Finished the Freedom Trail
Bunker Hill monument
Red Sox game
Dunkin Donuts

- - -
Philadelphia:

Toured the streets of downtown Philadelphia to see different landmarks
The Liberty Bell
Drove to Amish country in Lancaster County for pie (an hour drive each way)
Had amazing shoofly pie
Bought bonnets - good keepsake
Went out for Philly cheesesteaks and ended up in New Jersey
Saw cars parked in the middle of the road on the medians.
Had the opportunity to park our rental car in the middle of the road
Dinner in Love Park
Tour of Independence Hall

- - -
Washington, DC:

U.S. Capitol
Monuments by Night tour:
- Thomas Jefferson Memorial
- Iwo Jima Memorial
- Lincoln Memorial
- Vietnam Memorial
National Archives museum
- The Declaration of Independence
- The Constitution
- The Bill of Rights
J. Edgar Hoover FBI building
The National Air and Space Smithsonian
Saw the Night at the Museum movie in the IMAX theater at the Air and Space Smithsonian
Went to Mt. Vernon
The American History Smithsonian
Martin's Tavern
Arlington National Cemetery
The Library of Congress
International Spy Museum

- - -
Baltimore:

The National Aquarium
Woodberry Kitchen for dinner - great restaurant

- - -
In three weeks:

New York
Massachusetts
Pennsylvania
Washington, DC.
Virginia
Maryland
New Jersey

- - -
Modes of transportation used:

Plane
Train
Taxi (lots of them)
Rental car
Bus - interstate travel
Double-Decker bus
Subway in NY
Metro subway in DC
Trolley
Speedboat
Cruise boat
Good old fashioned walking

* The only ones we missed were:

Helicopter
Two-wheeler (bicycle or motorcycle)
Horse-drawn carriage through Central Park - I'll have to do that next time I go

Friday, August 7th in NYC

2009-08-11T20:45:00.001-07:00

We decided to spend Friday at Coney Island. It was a great way to spend the last day. We went on the rollercoasters and walked on the boardwalk. Amy and Kim went shopping for souvenirs while Nicole and I went onto the beach. I even got a seashell! Well, a piece of a seashell. It's still pretty. The picture below is when we were playing in the water (which is actually warm compared to the Oregon coast :) Note, the dress I'm wearing is one of three that I bought when Amy and I were shopping on 5th Avenue. As much as I love the dress, it turns out this one doesn't like to stay down when there's wind. Luckily I caught the dress before it actually flipped up! Then I had to walk around holding the dress at my sides the rest of the day. Haha, it was memorable.

We went on some of the rollercoasters. The Cyclone ride was really fun. Cyclone is a wood rollercoaster that was built in 1927. Aside from necessary maintenance they haven't made any adjustments or changes to it. We could definitely tell! Unlike rollercoasters at DisneyLand (like Space Mountain), this one is brutal - it's bumpy and throws you about. I kept flying off the seat! One of us even got whip lash because of it. Afterward we all bought the "I survived" t-shirts.

The only other ride I wanted to go on were the teacups. I believe they used to have that ride there. Unfortunately the teacups weren't there. They had a mock teacup ride that looked like monsters or dragons (something like that). It just wasn't the same. So we decided to skip it and save the money.

We did a little bit more shopping after Coney Island. I mostly browsed, but did find a cute sweater. We decided to have our last meal at Jane Restaurant (on Houston Street). The meal was wonderful. It was a great way to end the trip.

-- Post From My iPhone

Thursday, August 6th in NYC

2009-08-10T08:53:00.000-07:00

There are three places in New York City where you can buy tickets for a Broadway show the day of the performance. The one that's the most crowded is in Times Square. There is also one in lower Manhattan (in the Financial District) and one in Brooklyn.

Thursday morning we headed to the one in lower Manhattan. It's a good thing we got there early because we got near the front of the line. By 11:00 (when the place actually opened), the line was huge!

We were able to get tickets to see Rock of Ages. That's the one we were really wanting to see so it worked out great! Plus, we ended up getting a 50% discount! Our seats were in the very last row, however that ended up working out great. The house wasn't too big and the seats went up more than out.

After we got our tickets we decided to do a little shopping. First, Amy had to drop a package off at FedEx. We decided to stop there first. While we were there, guess who walked in? Mark Consuelos! He as gorgeous in person as he is on TV... Maybe even more so.

Next up we went to Dean and Deluca. I really wanted to go there because of the TV show Felicity. I couldn't miss the opportunity to see it. :)

We did some other minor shopping and browsing. We went back to the NBC store. It sucks because most of the hilarious and awesome shirts were in men sizes and/or were men's cut. The smallest size almost went to my knees. I guess it saved me money, but it was unfortunate at the same time.

The late afternoon and evening were dedicated to the play. We had dinner at the Russian Tea Room. I just had to go there. A fabulous scene in Tootsie is filmed there and it's another New York institution that I wanted to see. The restaurant was great and the food was delicious. Below is a picture of where the scene in Tootsie took place (I think).

After dinner we went to the play. Rock of Ages was absolutely wonderful! It was so funny and so well done. I can't really describe how great it was or what specifcally caught my eye. It's really something you just have to see for yourself, but I loved every minute of it.

Wednesday, August 5th in NYC

2009-08-05T22:03:00.000-07:00

Today was an all around day of fun!!

Today was another day where everyone in the group was doing their own thing. The first thing I wanted to do was see Intrepid (the Sea, Air, and Space museum). I got there fairly quickly because I mapped out which subway station and line to use ahead of time.

This museum is amazing! First of all, almost the entire museum is on the ship itself which is just so creative and awesome. Secondly, the airplanes, helicopters, and artifacts in general are so phenomenal. I really liked walking through the corridors, seeing how the crew operated and the conditions they dealt with and lived in. Check out this beast of an airplane, and its torpedo, below.

Here are some images from the flight deck.

After spending a couple of hours at Intrepid I met up with Amy to go shopping! We went to a few different clothing stores on 5th Avenue but they weren't really impressive. The third place we went to was Zara. I ended up getting two dresses for just under $50 (that's a great deal for just about any city you're in)! Next up: FAO Schwarz! That place is magical- so many toys and sparkles. I wanted to play on the giant piano from the movie Big. Sure enough, Amy and I did just that. As you can see, I'm grinning like a fool:

We went to Bergdorf Goodman next, just for the hell of it. My god that place is crazy! I found a pair of shoes that cost $1750 and they weren't even cute! It was very, very enlightening. We kept gaping at the prices and then decided to leave due to the dirty looks we kept getting. But seriously, it was insane. Of course next we headed to Tiffany's. I knew if I actually bought anything it would have to be something I would wear all the time. I ended up getting a beautiful heart-shaped necklace. The fact that it was designed by Frank Gehry makes it all the more unique. It was hard for me to justify the money on it at first, but I knew that I would wear it all the time. While I've bought other souveniers and trinkets on this trip, this is the most precious and special thing I've bought. Below is a shot of me putting on the necklace.

After Tiffany's we headed for Dylan's Candy Bar. It's one of the coolest stores ever! Full of just about every type of candy you can think of and it's just so colorful. Everywhere you turn it looks like a rainbow exploded. It's wonderful! The giant chocolate bunny adds even more charm.

And to cap off the day, we went to see the movie The Proposal. Amy and I had already seen it once before, but it's just as funny the second time. Like I said before, today was a major play day and it rocked.

Tuesday, August 4th in NYC

2009-08-05T21:43:00.000-07:00

Monday was a slow-paced and uneventful day so I'm not going to bore you with the details. Moving right on to Tuesday!

We had tickets to see a taping of Jimmy Fallon's show. Since we knew this was happening on Tuesday we pretty much planned on it taking up most of the day. We decided to take a tour of NBC studios before the taping because then we'd already be at the studio with plenty of time to spare.

The tour was so much fun! I saw studio 8H (where SNL is filmed) - we couldn't actually go inside, but at least we got to see it. We toured through a lot of other recording studios that were pretty interesting, but that was my favorite. Near the end of the tour, after we learned about make-up application for Saturday Night Live characters, the tour guides asked for two volunteers to do some speaking/acting. Amy and I spoke up and volunteered. Why not, right?

The next room we went to was a news studio room and each group was able to pose for a photo. After that Amy and I got to do some acting! She was the newscaster and I was the weather girl. She lucked out big time! Amy had a paper script on the table that she was able to skim over while I was practicing with the green screen. I had to do a 100% cold reading and at the same time, try to point to images behind me. I'll tell ya, I definitely have more respect for anyone having to use one of those screens!

After we finished our superb acting (yeah, right), we were told that our performance was playing on a continuous loop downstairs in the cafe/photo area. Fantastic! Of course we bought the DVD. I mean, it's downright horrible but it was so much fun and it's a great memory.

About an hour later we watched a taping of Jimmy Fallon. We were seated in the second row on the left, it paid to get there early. The guests that day were Channing Tatum and Joan Rivers, with a musical performance by The Arctic Monkeys. FYI: Channing Tatum is even hotter in person.

To finish up the evening we went to the eversofamous Gray's Papaya. We made a special trip to the one on 72nd and Broadway because it's the location mostly used in the movies. On our way there we were able to see where John Lennon was assassinated.

I don't really have any pictures for this day - we weren't allowed to take pictures during the tour or taping.

Sunday, August 2nd in NYC

2009-08-03T10:33:00.000-07:00

On Sunday we took a 3 and a half hour bus ride from Baltimore to New York. The ride was smooth for the most part. Once we got into Manhattan the ride wasn't very fun due to all the stopping and going. As soon as we got back to the dorms we had to set our stuff down and then get ready to take a tunnel tour. The tunnel tour is one of the many opportunities that just presented itself to us while we were exploring the city. Matt, our tour guide from the City by Night tour, is the one who told us about this tunnel tour. He mentioned that he was doing it on August 2nd and they only happen once every month or two. If he hadn't mentioned it, we'd never have known.

By the time we returned to NYC we were used to pretty humid weather (every city was pretty muggy). NY felt like standard Oregon weather: overcast, rain, pretty mild temperatures and virtually no humidity. Our tunnel tour was supposed to start at 1:15 so we got there by about 1:00 to get in line. Thunderstorms and a massive downpour started as we got in line (impeccable timing). Unfortunately, the previous tour ran long and we were outside in that weather for about an hour. Completely soaked to the bone by this point, I just gave up and enjoyed it. It was refreshing compared to the weather we had earlier.

The Atlantic Avenue tunnel is the oldest subway tunnel in the world, it's located in Brooklyn (on Atlantic Aveune), and it's a half-mile long. The person that gave us the tour was the person that actually found the tunnel in 1981. He stopped doing tours for about five years and he started doing it again around last year. You get into the tunnel from a manhole in the middle of the street (right past one of the crosswalks). With New York's finest helping block off the street and redirect traffic when necessary, we were able to safely get in and out of the tunnel. There is talk of changing and expanding Brooklyn's trolley and subway system and they may even reopen this tunnel. It's amazing that we were able to see it while it was still a shutdown, abandoned, unimproved and nonmodified tunnel.

We had dinner at Grimaldi's Pizzeria in Brooklyn. Our timing had been pretty much perfect all day - got taxis as soon as we needed them, were near the front of the line for the tunnel, and when we got to Grimaldi's there was no line yet (it was only 5pm). The pizza was great and it was another one of the institutions of New York that we got to visit. Afterward we walked acros the Brooklyn Bridge and headed for the Apple Store!

While on this vacation my computer charger wasn't working properly. I had problems with this a few months ago and then it went away (I thought it was just a minor glitch). The adapter that slides on/off the charger started to break. I went to the Apple store to see if I could buy a new adapter. Since it's the largest Apple store in the world, we decided just to ask someone as opposed to looking around forever. The woman we talked to was very nice. She explained that they don't sell the adapter separately. Then she went into the back room, we thought she was finding an actual computer charger for me. When she came back she handed me the adapter piece I needed, she found a spare in the back room. She explained that since that's the only part I needed it would be silly to have to pay $80 for an entirely new charger and she gave that piece to me for free. This just goes to show that there are nice people in the world that will help out a stranger, just because they can. I wanted to mention it here, because she deserves recognition for it.

It was an exhausting and wonderful day.

Saturday, August 1st in Washington, DC and Baltimore

2009-08-03T09:58:00.000-07:00

We pushed our train reservation back from 8am to 3:30pm so we'd have more time to spend in Washington, DC. The first thing we did on Saturday was visit the Arlington National Cemetery. I'm very glad we went, but it was an emotional experience. We visited John F. Kennedy and Jackie's resting places and then we saw Bobby Kennedy's next. After that we went to the memorial monuments of the Space Shuttle Challenger and the Space Shuttle Columbia.

The next place we wanted to see was the Tomb of the Unknowns. It's a dedication to all the soldiers that have died and have never been identified. It holds the remains of unidentified soldiers from World War I and II. Tomb of the Unknowns is guarded 24/7 by an armed Army guard and they change the guard every half an hour. We witnessed the changing of the guards at 10:00am. Then something even more special, and sad, occurred. We witnessed a ceremony in honor of a recently fallen soldier. The family provided a wreath of flowers, which one of the guards laid in front of the Tomb of the Unknowns. The third guard performed Taps on the trumpet. It was an honor to witness it.

We wanted to visit the Pentagon Group Burial Marker for September 11th, but a couple of us couldn't handle anything else. The Arlington National Cemetery is 200 acres and it is still an active cemetery. I believe there are 25 funerals per week held there. While walking along the path, tombstones are visible as far as the eye can see in every direction. It's a lot to take in and truly comprehend.

Once we left Arlington we went to the Library of Congress. On the Monuments by Night tour our guide said that anyone can get a library card there and it's good for life. We wanted to get library cards! I guess they've changed their policies since our guide was there last because now they only offer library cards to researchers and they're good for two years. Oh well, we tried. Next up, the International Spy Museum. That was one of the funnest museums we went to. There was a mock ceiling duct that you could crawl through! Of course I rushed for that opportunity. I was very stealth, like a ninja.

We headed to the train station right after the Spy museum and went to Baltimore. We stayed at an amazing Bed and Breakfast, the woman that runs it is very nice. The place was: 4 E Madison (and it's located at 4 E Madison St - who would have guessed!) The reason for going to Baltimore was to check out the aquarium. It was worth the trip! The aquarium is huge! And we were able to see a dolphin show and a 4D movie. The first two pictures are of the dolphin show. The second two pictures were taken in the Australian exhibit! The first video is of the cutest puffin ever. Amy and I were getting the biggest kick out of it! The second video is of a really awesome turtle.

After we left the aquarium we decided to have dinner at Woodberry Kitchen. The food was wonderful! The restaurant was about 4 miles from our hotel/B&B. The hostess called us a taxi and we went outside to wait... an hour later a taxi finally showed up. Needless to say, Baltimore doesn't have the most efficient taxi system. Other than that, the city was great!

Friday, July 31st in Washington, DC

2009-08-01T09:46:00.001-07:00

We started Friday off with a bang. The first thing we did was head to Mt. Vernon. What a beautiful place! It's 8,000 acres! Plus, when they turned it into a landmark/monument they bought an additional two acres. We walked through the house and throughout the grounds. There was a 16-sided barn which was pretty ingenious in design. George Washington's actual bed that he slept and died in is still there in his bedroom. The history and the original artifacts were incredible to see. In the picture below we went on a mini-hike at Mt. Vernon and this is us on the old bridge. It was beautiful there! The top right picture is of a 16-sided barn. The next two pictures are of the path to the waterfront and the beach front itself.

For the later part of the afternoon we went to the American History Smithsonian. There was so much to see and I wasn't able to get to everything, but I saw most of it. I loved the pop culture/film/television artifacts. The Abraham Lincoln exhibit was fascinating. His actual top hat- the one he wore the night he was assassinated- was on display.

For dinner we met a friend and co-worker of mine at a restaurant in Georgetown. Martin's Tavern was the place. We picked it for it's history- this is where John F. Kennedy proposed to Jackie. Awww. Below is the picture of us in front of Martin's Tavern.

The dinner was fabulous and it was a fun evening. To my dismay, and everyone else's amusement, I got tipsy. It wasn't intentional, though. At the start of the evening we ordered drinks and I got a beer. Before the meal came we ordered wine for the table so naturally I had a glass. During the conversation it came up that I've never tried scotch. So Phil ordered a scotch for me to try. When it came he told me to throw it back... So I did. As I'm doing that, he goes, "Not that much! Not that much!" Ha, I downed almost the entire thing. Then he ordered a round for everyone (I opted out of this one). Kim literally shot the entire thing back at once. Everyone was mighty impressed. The series of pictures below are me drinking the scotch. Despite the look on my face in the third picture, I actually really liked it.

That was the end of the night. We all wanted sleep! We knew the next day would be quite busy as well.

Thursday, July 30th in Washington, DC

2009-08-01T09:45:00.001-07:00

Thursday was a slower paced day, even though we still accomplished quite a lot. We saw the White House, but we didn't take an actual tour. Our research showed that you have to have a group of ten or more in order to get a tour and you have to write to your Congressman at least a month in advance to request a tour. We also saw the J. Edgar Hoover FBI building and the National Air and Space Smithsonian.

That Smithsonian had so many amazing things! I loved looking at all the old planes and seeing aviation throughout history. John Glenn's suit from his first Mercury 7 flight is there, too. That was one of the coolest artifacts.

When we got to the museum we found out that Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian was playing at the IMAX theater at that Smithsonian. None of us had seen that movie and we thought it would be so awesome to see it here. So we did.

We also went to the National Archives. We had the opportunity to see the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. While it was crowded and you often had to wait a while to see something and then squeeze in to get a good look, it was worth it. To see the original copies is just amazing.

That's all the highlights for that day. I'm glad we saw the Air and Space museum first, I think everyone in the group knew I was dying to go there.

Wednesday, July 29th in Philadelphia and D.C.

2009-07-30T20:43:00.000-07:00

We spent the morning at Independence Hall. I'm really glad we pushed back our train reservation so we could see it, seeing where so much history took place is really interesting. I'm so glad people put in the effort to preserve these places, documents, et cetera.

After we finished at Independence Hall we headed to Washington, D.C. The train ride was a couple of hours long, but went by quickly. We got to DC and settled into our hotel. Afterward we had to decide what to do next. It was already mid-afternoon and we knew that most monuments and museums would take more time than we had. We headed towards the U.S. Capitol and did a little sight-seeing. Amy and I walked on the grass at the Capitol - below is a picture of our feet on the grass to prove it!

Since we had the entire evening free we decided to take a "Monuments by Night" tour. It was the best tour I've been on in my entire life. The guide was an amazing guy - he's done so many interesting things and been so many places. I think what made the tour so great was that he knew a lot of facts, he presented them in an interesting way, and he was just all around funny.

The tour was supposed to be two hours, but ours ended up being three and a half! We were able to see all the major monuments and we even stopped and were able to get out and take pictures at certain places. We stopped to see the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, the monument for Iwo Jima (the largest bronze statue in the entire world), the Lincoln Memorial and the Vietnam Memorial. The Lincoln and Vietnam memorials were in the same place so our guide gave us 45 minutes to walk around and see all of it! There were a lot of other interesting and historical places that we saw while in route. All of the sites were so special and unique, I'm so happy I was able to see them.

Tuesday, July 28th in Philadelphia

2009-07-30T19:43:00.001-07:00

Tuesday morning we took a six hour train ride from Boston to Philadelphia and we got to the hotel around 12:30pm.

We decided to start walking around and look at some of the sights while on our way to get some lunch. We wanted to see Independence Hall so we headed there first. Unfortunately there were no tours left for the afternoon, but if we came back between 5:00 and 6:45pm we could take the 10 minute tour instead. After getting that information we had a brief lunch and visited the Liberty Bell. Then we rented a car and were off to Amish country for pie. Now, I should probably explain how this came to be part of the plan.

A few months ago I was talking with my friend Misty and I told her that on my trip to NYC I wanted to travel to other cities as well. In passing I mentioned that Philadelphia was on my list and she got very excited. She told me that she heard about this amazing pie at a restaurant in Amish country and she was sad because she didn't get to try it (it's about an hour drive from Philadelphia).

Since this pie was supposed to be amazing, and this vacation is all about having adventures, we all agreed that this would be fun. We rented a car, had our iPhone GPS map and headed out for shoofly pie!

The drive took forever! It just kept going and going. We knew this pie had better be good for all the effort we gave it. We finally got to the restaurant, Dutch Haven, which is just past Lancaster, and immediately got some pie. It was incredible! The inside of the pie was like the inside of a cinnamon roll and it had a cinnamon sugar texture on top, and it was all put together in delicious pie crust.

After shopping at the gift shop (and buying some bonnets), we headed back to Philadelphia in the hopes of making it back on time for the Independence Hall tour. The drive back took so long that we missed the last tour. We went back to the hotel to take a break and figure out our new plan.

Our original plans had us leaving Philadelphia at 7am. We really wanted to see Independence Hall and we didn't want to regret it later if we missed out on the tour. We called Amtrak and pushed our reservation back to 12:00. It turned out perfectly. This allowed the time to see everything and be able to sleep in a bit.

After the plans were taken care of we started taking photos and goofing off in our bonnets. After getting some priceless pictures we decided to get dinner. Amy, Kim, and Nicole wanted to have Philly Cheesesteaks while in Philadelphia. We found a restaurant that was about ten minutes away from our hotel and was supposed to have amazing cheesesteaks. Off we went...

An hour and half later we were eating dinner in Love Park in front of the enormous fountain. Why an hour and a half later? Because on our drive there we missed an exit and consequently ended up in New Jersey! Yeah, we couldn't believe it either. Every time we tried to take an exit it put us onto another interstate. Once again, after a long drive we knew this food had better be great. Luckily it didn't disappoint. We learned a lot on the drive, too. For instance, driving laws aren't really enforced and people pretty much do what they want, such as parking in the middle of the road! Not just in the middle turn lane area, but actually on the median! This doesn't occur everywhere, generally just on the major streets.

By the time we were back in Philadelphia and found the restaurant, we decided to get our food to go so we could eat at Love Park. When we got to Tony Luke's there were no parking places! So Amy, seizing the opportunity, parked in the middle of the road. Below is a shot of Amy and I, our rental car is in the background... parked in the road.

-- Post From My iPhone

Monday, July 27th in Boston!

2009-07-28T08:22:00.001-07:00

Bright and early Monday morning we got on a bus and headed for Boston from New York and after four hours we finally arrived.

We only spent one day in Boston so we wasted no time getting out to see the sights. We went to the Public Garden first, it's such a great place. Also, it's been there longer than Oregon has even been a state- that's just awesome! After the garden we headed for the Freedom Trail. We found the visiting center where the trail starts and a guided tour (with a woman dressed from the era of the Amerian Revolution). We went on the tour and it was definitely worth it. The tour covered one portion of the trail and provided a lot of historical information.

Once the tour ended we had lunch and then finished walking the trail. We saw the USS Constitution and went up to the Bunker Hill monument. This was my first time in Boston and I have already fallen in love with the city. I especially love the old buildings and beautiful architecture.

Then we headed to Fenway Park to see the Red Sox vs the Oakland A's. It was an all around, basically perfect day.

-- Post From My iPhone

Sunday, July 26th in NYC

2009-07-28T07:59:00.001-07:00

Nicole, Amy, and I decided to have brunch Sunday morning at the Clinton Street Bakery. The place opens at 10am and that's when we got there. There had already been a line since at least 9:30 and we were going to have to wait an hour and a half to get a table. We thought we might as well, we were already there and it sounded really good. We sat on the sidewalk, against a wall where we were out of the way.

Naturally I'm sitting there using my iPhone and minding my own business. There were tons of people around and it didn't seem odd that someone would stand near us. This guy comes up and stands on the sidewalk past my feet. I saw him in my preriferal vision and didn't think much of it. After about fifteen seconds he moved closer and was standing by my ankels. I had the feeling he was staring at me, but I didn't want to look up and make eye contact. While standing by my ankels he bends over and puts his hands on his knees, trying to get my attention. After that didn't work he crouched down next to me, his face was about five inches away from mine. After another thirty seconds or so, when he realized I wouldn't be intimidated, he got up and walked away. What a creep! We were called into the restaurant shortly after because a table was ready for us.

After brunch, which was incredible and delicious, we headed for MoMA. It was already around 12:30 so we thought that would be the best use of time. We got on the subway and headed uptown. Since MoMA was almost directly in between two stops, we just had to decide which one to take. We settled on the Rockefeller Center stop and that was the best decision we have made so far on this trip. Why such a bold statement, you ask? Well I'm about to tell you.

When we got off the subway and to the street we weren't sure which street we were on. We began walking in one direction so that we could find a corner with a sign. While walking we hear what sounds like a concert and we started trying to decipher who the band was, we couldn't recognize them. Then, as we're walking down the street we see trailer after trailer after trailer lined up by the curb. Amy and I turned to each other, almost at exactly the same time, and were like, "oh yeah, this is a film set. Let's go check it out!". The first thing we saw were signs that made it look like the today show and a sign saying they were shooting a film called Get Him to the Greek. Then, through the crowd, up on stage, we see Russel Brand. Eeek! We went up closer and decided to hang out and watch the filming. We saw multiple shots/angles of the same scene. Then, they asked if any of us wanted to be extras (as audience members). Hmm. Let me think about that... Yes please! So we walked around to a different part of the stage and got to be extras! Russel Brand kept coming out into the audience during breaks to take photos with fans. I thought about asking for a picture, but he was busy and I didn't want to bother him. However, he reached over me to sign an autograph and then we got a picture of him by me. Below are some of the pictures we got. While he was taking the picture with the guy (middle picture) he set his hand down on my arm! I turned to Amy and whispered, "look, he's touching arm!!". I was ecstatic to say the least!

Like when Amy and I stumbled upon Teddy Roosevelt's birthplace, you never know what you're going to come across just walking down the street.

After that wonderful experience we headed toward SoHo to get some ice cream. I was told about a great ice cream truck on the corner of Prince and Greene street. It was some of the best ice cream I've ever had. We sat outside next to the truck to eat the ice cream just as a thunderstorm began. When we began walking toward a restaurant for dinner we were caught in a massive downpour. The thunder was echoing due to the buildings which made it even cooler. We booked it into a cafe just as a wall of water came toward us with very strong winds. Amy's description of the event was perfect: it looked like something out of a Michael Bay film!

-- Post From My iPhone

Saturday, July 25th in NYC

2009-07-28T07:01:00.000-07:00

The day had absolutely beautiful weather. This was the day we dedicated to seeing the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. It really took a full day in order to see everything.

We couldn't go up to the crown becuse they were sold out until the end of October. However, we did have tickets to go up to the museum and the monument. Similar to when I went to the Guggenheim, I was amazed at the ability and the creative minds that made Lady Liberty what she is. It's one thing to dream up grand ideas, it's very different realizing it. I think it takes a lot of courage and preserverance.

That was pretty much the whole day. I was very fatigued on Saturday, running full steam for the first part of the week just wore me down. In fact, after i finished at the museum on Ellis Island I took a nap in the park area near where the ferries dock. It was wonderful! After that we just got some dinner and rested.

-- Post From My iPhone

Friday, July 24th in NYC

2009-07-28T07:00:00.000-07:00

I spent the first half of the day at the Guggenheim museum. I really liked this museum, the architecture especially. Buildings, bridges, et cetera, it's amazing what people can do and how creative people can be. I really liked the designs (even if they were never actually realized), because they are so intricate and detailed. It takes a fine eye to do something like that and I really admire it.

After the Guggenheim (I just love saying that word), Amy, Nicole, and I went on a bus tour of Brooklyn. It was really informative and it was nice to see something aside from Manhattan.

The Ugly Truth opened in theaters that day. We went to a 9:30 showing that evening. Oh my god, that was one of the funniest movies I'd seen in a while- all around hilarious. After it was over I wanted to watch it again.

-- Post From My iPhone

Thursday, July 23rd in NYC

2009-07-28T06:38:00.001-07:00

I knew the Metropolitan Museum of Art was going to take a full day (and then some). Thursday was basically dedicated to the Met.

The sheer volume of that place is just amazing - it's overwhelming. I think I could spend an entire week there and still not see everything.

At the end of the afternoon we decided to take a bus tour of downtown Manhattan. Even though we had seen most of it by walking, we figured it would be something fun to do. It was just pouring down rain and we couldn't do much else anyway.

The guide was being an ass. Yes, he had a lot of facts (I'll give him that much credit), but his attitude overshadowed the positves. The driver was new and he didn't speak much English. He was driving as he was taught- you pull over and stop at every designated stop. The guide was getting more and more impatient because he told the driver not to waste time pulling over if no one was standing there. He made such a big deal about when in reality it isn't a big deal. He just wouldn't stop and it got annoying. Then he answered his phone in the middle of the tour and was telling his friend how he's still on the bus because the driver is going really slow. I know he thought we couldn't hear him, but he was standing a couple feet away. The last straw was that periodically he would zone out and be spacing it and when he did that he would be staring right at my chest. It was awkward.

We decided to get pizza for dinner at what we were told was the best pizza place in town: John's on Bleecker Street. We had to wait in line to get s table, but the wait wasn't too bad. The pizza was amazing!!

All in all it was a great day. 98% of the people we've encountered have been very pleasant.

-- Post From My iPhone

Wednesday, July 22nd in NYC

2009-07-28T06:21:00.000-07:00

Wednesday morning was the first semi-relaxed day. Each of us had things to get done so we decided to meet up in the afternoon instead. I wanted to go to Barnes and Noble to pick up some maps. Maps were the one thing I completely forgot about until the day before the trip. Later that night I found out that the Barnes and Noble I went to was actually the very first B&N ever!

As I was walking around shopping with Nicole we were wandering around on 17th Street when we find this tiny movie still photo and poster store. We detoured to check it out and it was so cool! They have a lot of stills and promotional photos for films. All types of films - new and old, classics and unknowns. I'm definitely going back there before I leave.

While passing Union Square on our way back to the dorms, guess who we see? Yeah, it was the naked cowboy! He was just getting out of a limo so he was still setting up.

In the afternoon we went on a speedboat tour called The Beast. It's a 30 minute tour and they slow down at the Statue of Liberty so everyone can get pictures. I was sitting on the end I got soaked! It was so fun!

We went on a bus tour of NYC by night. It was my first time on a double decker bus, they're really fun! The tour guide was awesome and hilarious. The first part of the tour went past Ground Zero and through the Financial District, the second part of the tour was in Brooklyn. We even stopped on the pier so everyone had the opportunity to take some photos. Man, the tour guide loved Brooklyn! He couldn't stop raving about it. He was so emphatic, it was refreshing to see.

We went to Balthazar for dinner because we heard that the fries were amazing. They lived up to the hype!

-- Post From My iPhone

Tuesday, July 21st in NYC

2009-07-28T06:07:00.001-07:00

The original plan for Tuesday was to visit the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. However, it was raining and there were projected thunderstorms. We thought it was better to save that trip for a sunny day and we settled on making Tuesday a museum day.

It took a while for the day to get started, some people in the group were running late. After a walk through Central Park and lunch at the Shake Shack we headed to the Museum of Natural History. There was so much to see! We stayed there until it closed and managed to see most everything. I really loved the blue whale to-scale model. It was so enormous and just incredible. I'd love to see a real one someday!

Once the museum closed we walked towards Central Park while deciding what to do next. Being Oregonians, we felt that a little rain wouldn't hurt so we decided that hanging out in Central Park would be fun. I suggested that we try to find the castle and everyone liked the idea. We got there surprisingly quick, unfortunately the castle was closed for the day so we couldn't go inside. We took some pictures in front of it and then moved on. We also saw Strawberry Fields, the Alice in Wonderland statue, and the different boat houses. The rain really picked up throughout the day and we were completely soaked. As we left Central Park, Kim and Nicole wanted to take a cab home. Amy and I decided to walk. We were already drenched and we had nothing else to do, so why not right? We began walking near the plaza and then decided to head down 7th Avenue towards Times Square.

We made an unexpected detour when we found the M&M store. That place is crazy! There was so much stuff and all M&M colored and designed. It even has three floors, there's that much stuff! Want M&M bedsheets? Or a shower curtain? How about an M&M USB hub? Yep, all of that is available at this store. Next we went to Times Square and got some pictures.

Amy and I decided that we must find some food since it was almost 10:00 at that point. She heard of a great tavern on 20th St so we trekked over there to check it out. When we got there they told us they were closing in 15 minutes for a private party. Completely soaked and exhausted, we asked the guy if he had any recommendations for nearby restaurants. He told us about Craft Bar and that it was just around the corner.

As we head towards our new destination all of a sudden the concrete sidewalk becomes cobblestone. Wondering what's going on we look up and see that we are at the birthplace of Theodore Roosevelt. How awesome is that? If we hadn't needed to go to a different restaurant then we may have missed it entirely. Of course we took some pictures and made a note of what time the tours happen so we can go back. Then I hailed us a taxi (because I'm awesome :) and we called it a night.

-- Post From My iPhone

Monday, July 20th in NYC

2009-07-28T05:34:00.001-07:00

Monday (July 20th) was the first full day spent in New York. The first thing we had to do was find a Bed, Bath & Beyond because everyone in the group had a few staple items to pick up. However, even with the use of three iPhone GPS systems and maps we still ended up going about 15 blocks in the wrong direction. After that hiccup the day went beautifully.
We spent the afternoon at the Empire State Building. Then Amy and I also got the passes to go up to the 102nd floor. It was worth the money! What a view! Below is a shot of Central Park from the Empire State Building.

Afterwards we decided that dinner at Serendipity was a must. Once we had dinner - and incredible frozen hot chocolate - we began walking through downtown again. Lo and behold, we came across Radio City Hall and NBC studios. We took some pictures and were about to keep walking when we saw a sign for "Top of the Rock" tickets that are available until midnight. We seized the opportunity immediately and ended up spending the next couple of hours on the top of Rockefeller Center. It was such an amazing view, I was just awestruck. It was great being able to see the Empire State Building all lit up and from an almost parallel height. We left at midnight and went back to our dorms.

It was an all around fantastic day. I highly recommend visiting both the Empire State Building and doing the night visit at Rockefeller Center.

-- Post From My iPhone

The first night in NewYork

2009-07-26T08:15:00.001-07:00

The entire first day of traveling was completely exhausting. I flew into Newark, New Jersey and then took a train to New York. When we finally got to the housing office we dicovered it was closed (Sunday afternoon). We had to go to the security office to find out what to do and where to go. The NYU security officers were so friendly and helpful. They even gave us a ride to our dorms so we wouldn't have to walk with all our luggage (or have to get another cab)!
The first thing I noticed when I got to my room was that it's about the size of my entire, albeit studio, apartment back in Portland. It also has it's own bathroom (which is actually bigger than the bathroom in my apartment back home). I didn't know whether the place was going to have its own bathroom or not, every dorm/college is different. I was thrilled about it because it means not having to beat other people to use the shower, et cetera.
After all of us were settled in we decided to get some dinner. After walking around for a while we found a great restaurant, the name escapes me right now, in Little Italy. It was a great way to kick off the vacation!

-- Post From My iPhone

New York City vacation

2009-07-20T22:23:00.001-07:00

Ever since I was about five years old I have dreamed about moving to New York City and pursuing a career on the stage and on the big screen. I've never been to New York and I had no idea if I would like the city when I got there. I decided to take a trip this summer to see how the city agrees with me, and I with it. This amazing opportunity came up and I couldn't refuse: New York University rents out their dorms to non-students during summer term (and for a very reasonable price).

I set out on my quest at the beginning of 2009 and found out that applications were being accepted starting in the middle of February and that the minimum stay was three weeks. At first my plan was to come alone and just live in the city- get the feel for it. I started working on a stand-up routine and was determined to find venues to perform at. Then I began asking friends if they wanted to come with me because it would be more fun with more people.

Before I knew it the trip had morphed into a complete vacation with three of my friends and I couldn't be happier that it turned out this way. We began researching all the places to go to, the things to see, et cetera. Aside from New York City, I thought seeing Washington, D.C. would be really great. I mean, if I'm spending three weeks in this part of the country, why not see other cities as well? I mentioned it to my fellow travelers and they really liked the idea. Then we started naming all the other places we wanted to go. Once again, the trip morphed even further. First it was DC, then it was a Red Sox game, then it was the Liberty Bell, the list goes on and on.

What it comes down to is this: Three weeks total on the East Cost. The first week is spent entirely in New York City. The second week is all traveling- one day in Boston, including a Boston Red Sox vs Oakland A's game, one day in Philadelphia, three days in Washington, D.C., and one day in Baltimore. Then it's back to New York for the remainder of the trip. Hopefully a day trip to Niagara Falls, too!

I started this blog to keep friends and family posted on how the trip is going and the adventures we've had. If you have comments or suggestions about places to see or things to do, please leave a comment! The adventure starts July 19, 2009 and continues through August 8th! For more frequent updates, you can find me on Twitter @skkeith

- Shannon