Sunday road trip to NYC

Sunday morning we got up early (well, not early enough because we were quite late) and went to a little  church in Ocean City.

And after that...why not a little road trip to NYC for the day?

I had no idea the Big Apple was within driving distance...so I was completely pumped when that came up as an option, and was dead set on convincing everyone else it was a must do!

I mean, we couldn't make Ryan's sister take a bus all the way back to the city when we could just driver her, right!?  It was a win-win. :)

After a couple of hours in the car, as soon as I could see the big buildings, I started snapping...

I've been to NYC several times before, but something about being in that city is just so exciting!  I seriously could hardly contain myself in the front seat of the car as we drove through China Town.

We stopped at Ryan's sisters apartment real quick to drop her stuff off, and walked from there to a great, healthy lunch spot:  Fresh & Co.  Why don't we have more (or any) spots like that in KC?

Shannon's face is because she just got a walnut in her yogurt parfait.
Apparently she hates walnuts, haha!

We caught a cab to Dover Street Market after lunch.  

(I sweet talked the cab driver in to letting all five of us pile in to one cab!)

Shannon and I spent the first couple of floors trying to pick chia seeds out of our teeth.  At one point we had to call in backup (Ryan) to really get in there and get one stubborn one out.  Classy, I know.

After walking through a few more floors of the most overpriced, weird stuff I've ever seen...

...we finally got to the NIKE floor!  Don'd mind me while I purchase yet another hoodie.  I might have a slight problem. (And where's my picture of that!?)

Ryan and I took a break outside while we waited for everyone else.  

Up next:  another cab to the SoHo area for more shopping!

We went in a lot of fancy shops where I couldn't afford anything...but I did got a new dress at Uniqlo...while poor Ryan spent most of the time hiding out on his phone.  He was such a trooper and didn't complain once!

Ryan's mom bought me a new right off the street (the X one on my middle finger)...and we shopped and shopped and then shopped some more.  All day!

One requested spot we stopped at was the one and only Chobani store.  Sandy loves that place -- and especially loves that you get to keep the little glass bowls the yougurt comes in.  (She should have plenty now after this trip!)

I ordered peanut butter and jelly yogurt and it was totally the winnter.  It had real peanut butter, real peanuts, real grape jelly, and real grapes in it!  SO GOOD.

I couldn't leave NYC without a stop in my favorite store, Desigual.  I got a cute sweater there, and some underwear at LuLuLemon...I think that was about it.  Didn't really do too much damage for a day of shopping in the city!

It was Sunday, so most of the stores closed at 7.  We met up with Brooke and went to dinner in the Nolita area (north of Little Italy) at a great restaurant called Epistrophy.

We got a great table right up front by the open windows, ate some great Italian food, and the best of all:  got to enjoy dinner while listening to great live music!

It was getting late by the time we finished dinner, so after dropping Brooke back off at her apartment, we hit the road.  But not before a drive by of the Brooklyn Bridge and the new Freedom Tower!

Brooklyn Bridge

We hit a red light right underneath it and got the coolest view!

Now the drive back to Ocean City should have only taken a couple of hours from there.  But, funny story...  Sandy was driving, I was in the front seat (so I didn't get sick) and everyone else was asleep.  A little over an hour in, we stopped at a gas station for a break.  Sandy was tired, so she switched spots and let Ryan's brother drive while she slept the rest of the way.  Welllll...he wasn't really awake yet...and I was talking his ear off to keep him awake...long story short, he ended up driving the wrong way.  The poor guy drove all the way back to Newark before we figured out we had been driving in the wrong direction!  Hahaha - still cracks me up.  I mean I thought it was funny...but no one else did when we got home after 3am!  Oops.  Maybe I should be a better navigator next time! :)