New Heights at the Freedom Tower

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In 2014, my family and I visited New York and we went to Rockefeller Center. Now I have to admit that I am a little more frightened at the top of that building than the Freedom Tower. If you wish to see my post about Rockefeller Center you can view it here.

The next place on the list was the Observation Deck at the Freedom Tower.  We didn’t know what to expect but it turned out really great….

Before heading over to the Tower, we had a quick stop at the Four Seasons Hotel downtown.
I needed a quick bathroom break and I am glad I did!

It turned out to be a really snazzy room!

Sorry for the weird bathroom photos but I love beautiful spaces!

Very beautiful hotel.
So we headed on over to the tower and our friend took us inside this space….

I was not quite sure what it was….
We continued to walk inside…

And it turned out to be a mall!

And a very beautiful one at that….

After walking around the mall for a bit we then went outside and headed toward the tower.
We visited the 9/11 memorial. 

Very pretty

So scary being under it.
We went inside and saw the intro video for the space. It talked about the process of building the Freedom Tower and all the time that went into it. After that there was an introduction to the space and the attendants talked about devices that they had that would give you a tour of the scenery. 
Sorry I didn’t take any photos of that. I was trying to enjoy the moment also. 

But the view was incredible! 

More information about the space.

Both bridges in the distance

It really is a concrete jungle. 

Here is a photo of inside the space. 
It really was a great opportunity to see the city. Inside the observation deck was a restaurant and plenty of bathrooms. The space was very comfortable and there were a lot of people around. I am sure it would be absolutely breathtaking at night. 
I wish we could have done that but maybe some other time. I hope you enjoyed my posts about our trip to New York. It was a great trip as always.
(photos via Mrs. Shockley)

Walking the Brooklyn Bridge

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We took a break on a Thursday to re-cooperate and get ready for the next day because my husband made it clear that we were going to the Brooklyn Bridge and I knew it was going to be hot!!

So the next morning we got up and set out on our day. Keep in mind that we you visit New York City that you will walk everywhere and I mean everywhere! But it is a great way to get in all the sights. We walked through downtown and headed up the steps to what I feared was going to be too high for my liking but it actually turned out to be quite marvelous….

So magnificent….

It was a hot day

Building projects in the distance
The white line had a rule, bikers to the left and walkers to the right 
(depending on which way you were facing)
Walking over the cars…..

Grand view






The Freedom Tower off in the distance.

The history of the bridge.





There were some pockets of shade on the bridge. The breeze was nice and it was
a perfect moment to see the view.

We stayed for a while and then starting walking down. 
It was a nice moment and I am glad that my husband finally got to see it.
He had been talking about it for a long time now. Another bucket list item checked off.

(photos via Mrs. Shockley)


My Visit to Hermes in New York

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Before heading to the Freedom Tower we ended up at a indoor mall called Brookefield Place.  It had lots of luxury shops and of course Hermes. I have talked about them before, see here, and here if you missed it.

I was so enthusiastic about seeing an actual store! We don’t have an Hermes back home so I knew that this would be a real treat for me.

Me outside the store

This scarf was gorgeous in person! But if you look in the back; each of the scarves in this store was sold with is own special perfume. These combination boxes were sold at this location only! 
I loved the scarf she was wearing and was very curious as to how she tied it. 

Beautifully done but she let me record her also. See my video below….
Enjoy!!!!
(photos & video via Mrs. Shockley)

A Look at Grand Central Station

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Next on the list was a visit to Grand Central Station. I have seen it in a couple of movies but it was quite magnificent seeing it in person.

Walking in….

We walked down to where the food court was. 
I didn’t even realize that was in there but I should have know it is a train station.


Then we finally got to the center….

Climbed up the stairs and looked up.


Just like a movie….
Of course they had an Apple store in here and many tech stations. 

But the ceilings were beautiful.

Just beautiful…..

I didn’t want to take too many photos there were people everywhere. But having the opportunity to visit was enough for me. 

(photos via Mrs. Shockley)

My Stroll through Central Park

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I have been wanting to walk through Central Park for sometime now. I told my husband that this year would be the year that we would take the time to go and see it.

And so we did….

It was such a nice day!!!!

Beautiful detailing on the stairs….

People taking boat rides

Then we went to an underpass and saw this. Wow…..



There was artwork everywhere. 
She said that it took her 6 hours to make these!

I purchased this one. 

Pretty gardens everywhere….

A few statutes….

Reminds me of Home Alone 2 Lost in New York….




After walking under the bridge, we found this neat little hut….

Pretty high up but great view.





This was a wonderful little spot. They had benches inside for you to sit an enjoy the view. 

Pretty little flowers hanging from above.
And like I said, the view was spectacular. I really hope that we can revisit Central Park.

It was quite lovely. 






(all photos via Mrs. Shockley)


A Walk through the Tudors

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Walking around New York provided great scenery and discovery moments on it’s own. We were walking around with a friend and he wanted to show us his job site. He is an engineer in Manhattan and has worked on many building projects. Near his job site was a pretty and very quite neighborhood called “Tudor City”.

It is a very quite neighborhood with plenty of small parks around to enjoy. We saw people sitting in them reading and have conversations with family and friends. 

Some of the views weren’t “too bad” either. Just look at this view…. wow….

We saw this before seeing the United Nations Headquarters building. Very interesting….
“They shall beat their swords into plowshares, And their spears into pruning hooks, Nation shall not lift up sword against Nation, Neither shall they learn war any more.”

~Isaiah 

It was a nice walk and the United Nations building was very beautiful. I really enjoyed walking through this neighborhood and told my husband that if we could afford it we would definitely have a place there. 

(photos via Mrs. Shockley)

My Lunch at Laduree in New York ~ 2017

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Going to New York is always a big adventure. I know for us we have to make sure that we plan our trip right in order to get the most out of each day. I was so excited to find out that a second location for Laduree had opened in New York. I went to the Madison Avenue location back in 2014, see here if you missed it and it was wonderful.

But then I learned that this location was much bigger and offered lunch. So on our first day in the big apple we parked our car and took a nice little walk to Laduree in Soho.

We walked through Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village. 
It was crowded but a beautiful day. 

Seeing the pretty green building….. sighing….

Look at all the delectable treats!

The pretty little french tables and chairs!

Walking into the dinning room




You could also dine outside if you please.

But I wanted to be inside with all the decor….

Gorgeous menus

Homemade style lemonade for me

I could not stop looking around!

I ordered the veggie burgers with fries. Now these were not veggie meat patties.
No, these were mini sandwiches with roasted veggies on the inside and they
were delish!




My stepson ordered the chicken ceasar salad. 
The dinnerware was so becoming and I had to ask if you could purchase any of it.
They said no, none of the dinnerware was for sale. 
Sad face….



They offered different kinds of french bread.



I felt like a kid. A happy kid!
Once lunch was over and we were leaving I took more photos of the other rooms.

The leopard carpet was so fetching and the blue velvet furniture was very glamorous. 

We went out front to the bakery and decided to pick up some macaroons. 
So many different flavors to choose from. They had cherry blossom, rose, raspberry,
chocolate, lemon, mint, etc. 

Pretty bags and totes to purchase.
We ended up with 24 and we tried to contain ourselves and not eat them all at
once. But they tasted just like the flavors that they were named. 

It was such a wonderful experience. I wish we would get a location here but I just can’t see that in Indiana unfortunately. Oh well, all the more reason to travel, right?
Oh, and my husband did talk one of the guys into giving me a large Laduree bag. 
I love it! Isn’t it great?
We had a wonderful lunch and it was a great visit! I hope to see it again soon. 



(photos via Mrs. Shockley)