Day 3- A Hiking We Will Go

Day 3 started out with what was becoming our usual trip to Starbucks.  Got to have coffee to fuel my first ever hiking trip.

Here I am with my Iced Caramel Macchiato, so good.

Well we were well dressed in many layers I will tell you that.  I had on my Northface fitness shirt and my double layered coat.  On the bottom I had my awesome find of $14 snow pants and cuddl dudds.  So after Starbucks and the bagel store we headed to 79th and Lexington to wait for the van.  We met Cam while waiting for the van, she had not been hiking for awhile.  Igor from Dynamic Outdoors pulled up in the van a little after 8am and we were on our way to Lake Minnewaska, NY.

We stopped at one rest stop on the way there and arrived at the park around 10am.

Well as soon as we stepped out of the van I was in for a shocker.  The hike was going to be 8 miles.  What!!! 8 miles! I can't tell you the last time I walked 8 miles straight.  We got started and it was just how I thought it was going to be, hard.  The ground was snowy in some places and icy in others.  Some places the snow was covered with ice, oh boy!  We started at the base of Lake Minnewaska.

Right before we got going we took a quick group picture.  One of the girls was even from Lake Geneva, WI originally.

Photo by Dynamic Outdoors

Our guides were Igor and Elena.  Once we started the hike I quickly realized the whole first half would be my enemy as it was all up hill.  Elena let me know I apparently wore too many clothes and had to take off my jacket liner, gloves, and hat.

Photo by Andrea

After hiking a bit further I noticed I was still burning up.  So I had to take off my snow pants to take off the cuddl dudds below.  Nothing like standing in the middle of the woods in 40 degree weather in your underwear.  Too bad no one snapped a picture of that one!  Here are some shots I took on the way up the mountain.

Lake Minnewaska

Elena was so nice and stuck by me as I struggled up the mountain.  Once we got to the top we stopped for a snack.  I had a very good bagel thin and Andrea had some butternut squash soup.

Taking a break

The other lake the experienced group went to

Panoramic shot

 The group broke in two teams and Igor took the experienced hikers to another lake and Cam, Andrea, and I stayed with Elena.  We were half way there with 3.75 miles left to go.  On our way we say some cool ice in the trees.  We took pics and then Cam decided to shake the tree.  It was funny because some of the ice retaliated and when down her shirt.  She had fun so it was worth it!

Elena taking pictures

Cam on the hike

Ice

Ice on the pines

Cam versus the tree

On the way down the hike was so much easier as it was mostly down hill.  Andrea also picked up a hiking stick for me which helped.  I named him Herman.

Bye Herman, hopefully someone else picked you up.

  I also discovered the joy of protein and Cliff bars this weekend and enjoyed an apricot Cliff bar on my hike.  Towards the end we saw this neat house where people used to live at the park.  Unfortunately the park owns it now and it is empty.

The house

With the house in the background

Andrea and I with our walking sticks

Once the hike was over we headed to the van to wait for the other group.  We stopped at one more rest stop on the way back.  I was so excited I never had to pee in the woods!!! Woohoo!!

There was an Uno's pizza at the rest stop

Gas in NJ and it was not full service.

When we got back to the city, Igor was so nice and dropped us all off close to where we lived.  I was so tired and burned out, but I am glad I did it.  Will I hike again?  Not in the snow, in the winter.  I might hike again but would love to try snowshoeing or tubing with Dynamic Outdoors again.

Day 2 Long Island Lookout!

Day 2 we took our adventure to Long Island.  The morning started out with heading to Starbucks for a quick coffee and then off the Avis to rent this guy:

Nice slate blue Altima.  I was very excited since I own a Sentra, I mean it is the same brand how different could they be? So we turned out of the 90th street Avis and headed for the FDR towards Queens.  As we were driving I noticed the car engine was really loud.  We continued towards the Tri-boro bridge and the sounds got louder.  Andrea was wondering if the parking break was on.  She was like "Is the parking break on?" Me: "I don't think so." Drea: "Where is the parking break?" Me: Is it in the middle?"  Drea: "No I think it is near your foot."  Me "Oh I see it what should I do?" Drea "Pull over" Me "On the highway?  Is that legal" Drea "You are having a car emergency pull over."

  So I pulled over and clicked the break in and out.  And then we were off again.

Continuing down the highway I noticed the sound is still so loud.  I was saying why is this car so loud?  Who would buy a car this loud?  Drea asked if the car was a manual and I said no.  She asked if there was a clutch and I said no.  I noted that on my dash it normally says D when the car is in drive but this one said M1.  The it clicked, this car was a manual/ automatic and I had it in the manual gear.

I drove it in the manual gear for about 5 minutes.  I got it up to 4th and was like "4th gear must be the limit there is no way there is a 5th".  I hit the shifter "There is a 5th!" I hit it again "there is a 6th!".  As we were merging onto the Northern State Parkway I slowed the car down and threw it in D and it moved into automatic.  We were on our way to Commack!

First stop was Michael's Crafts #1.  Emphasis on the #1.  I saw the largest coffee cup ever:

I got this Giant's flag and Foam Easter House

and this Snoopy flag:

Next we headed to Smithtown to see Grandma.  We brought grandma cookies and showed her pictures in her room.  We had gone to a bakery that morning to get her cookies and my rainbow cookies.  I accidentally made her bed alarm go off and they had to come turn it off.

Grandma and her cookies

Grandma and me

Grandma and Andrea

Grandma and me

We decided to see if Grandma wanted to take us on a tour of where she lived.  Well as soon as she saw her friends she made a bee line to them.  We eventually went on a mini tour and then let her go back to her friends.  Next stop was West Babylon NY to visit Andrea's friend Jamie at Starbucks.  We had a nice visit with her before heading to Bay Shore to go to Target and another Michael's.  We looked for the Knifty Knitter hooks and yet again none to be found.  The nice lady called Westbury to see if they had them and they did.  So I said to put four on hold.  Next we went to Target where I got a Giants Superbowl shirt and a box to ship my clothes back in.  Andrea stocked up on stuff she needed and got a new laptop bag.

After Bay Shore we headed to Westbury to go to Michael's #3.  I ran in and got the 4 Knifty Knitter hooks and then headed to Nathan's for some dinner.

After we got back I worked on and finished Andrea's hat to wear on our hike the next day.  Who says I can't whip up a hat in 2 hours, oh yeah!

Andrea worked on laundry and I got caught up on Jersey Shore and the Challenge. Stay tuned for day 3... the big hike.

Day 1 Manhattan

Well today was day 1 in Manhattan and it was pretty good.  We started the morning at Starbucks, I had my skinny caramel machiatto which was iced and ever so yummy.  Then it was off to Lexington to catch the subway.  

Got to love the jcp ads ;)

We took to train to Herald Square where we went to Lush first.  I got two solid perfumes (Lust and Orange Blossom) and Andra got 2 bath bombs and a bubble bar.  Next we went to Modell's to try and find a G Men shirt for dad but no luck.  

Drea said no to this one :)

It was off to Macy's next where I got a new Tignanello bag.  Andrea also got a bag from a different brand.  Next we headed down to the Flat Iron district to Red Mango and go to the Lion Brand Store.

Andrea's Yogurt

Me and my yogurt (Mango, White Peach, and Coconut)

@Red Mango

Yum

@ Lion Brand Store

Art at Lion Brand

Lion store front

Window display at Lion Brand

Lion Brand

Andrea got a loom and some yarn for me to make her a hat.

After that we checked out a few thrift stores, one was called Buffalo Exchange.  I did not find anything but it was nice.  Here are some street shots from walking around.

We headed back toward home on the bus and went to this cool Mediterranean place called Falafel House.  We both had the falafel pita with hummus, baba, and tabuli- YUM.

So tasty!

After that we went to Goodwill where I found a brand new, with the tags still on it, Speedo swimsuit for $12.99.

Perfect for aqua fit.  After Goodwill we went to another thrift store then home to relax before going out.  I started on the hat, but broke the darn Martha Stewart loom hook, I am disappointed in you Martha!  We met Andrea's friend Leora for a drink at East End Bar.  There was a guy there that was staring at us and then he was next to me.  I thought maybe he knew Andrea or was a student at one time.  Next time I turned around he looked over and waved, apparently he thought he knew me, haha.

The East End- 1st ave

Nice pub style bar

Blue Moon, so good I had two

Rangers vs Islanders was on tv

Now we are hanging out at home relaxing and watching QVC :).