• About
  • Blog
  • Working together
  • Testimonials
  • Contact

Girl Gone Travel

Girl Gone Travel

North America, Travel
/
July 6, 2009

Fourth of July: A Date Night in NYC

Enjoyed this post? Give it some love and share!
Share

After having spent a day having fun with the boys at the zoo and park, my husband and I went home and started making plans for a date night. Date nights don’t come around too often for us. With as many kids as we have it can become an expensive venture, and not having a lot family nearby to call on for help makes getting away just that much harder.

But we lucked out, found a great sitter that was a perfect fit for all their needs (and financial limitations) and we decided to go out, without the kids, on one of the most celebrated nights in New York City: Fourth of July. This fourth of July was a special one because it was also the celebration of the 400th Anniversary of Henry Hudson’s first exploration. Thus an event which usually takes place on the East River, moved to the West side and thousands upon thousands of people were joining in on the festivities.

So, we left our 3 boys under the care of our angel/babysitter and made our way to 26th St., by way of 34th St. When we exited the station the sun was a bright yellow, the breeze was refreshing and a bit strong, and the sky was a beautiful blue. We walked past some of my favorite spots, such as the Empire State Building, the beautiful post office building (James Farley Post Office) on 33rd St, and the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater (from Matt Besser, Amy Poehler, Ian Roberts, and Matt Walsh) before arriving to 27th St and standing almost in awe at how empty and quiet the streets were. An incredible site for sure.

IMG_8494

IMG_8495

IMG_8496

IMG_8509The people around us were in a hurry, many with bags of food and blankets in their hands, quickly making their way towards 12th Ave, along the Hudson River. Those who did stop, stopped only for a drink or snack at the nearest hot dog stand, or for all the fun trinkets being sold for the upcoming ceremonies and fire works displays. But not us, we strolled down the empty streets, holding hands, kissing every so often, enjoying our time alone.

IMG_8502

IMG_8511

The scene along 12th Avenue was anything but empty. Tons of people had already gathered and it was only 6:00pm! We found a spot to sit and even met a lovely couple from Canada who were there on vacation, celebrating their 15th wedding anniversary. Though the wait was long we made the best of it and had some pretty good laughs before we heard the first BOOM! in the sky.

IMG_8529

IMG_8524

IMG_8537

IMG_8521The sky was alive with a beautiful display of lights, the booming sounds followed by a colorful, wow-inducing brilliance of pyrotechnics.

IMG_8582

IMG_8584

IMG_8632

IMG_8565

IMG_8640

After all the excitement of the fire works and bidding farewell to our new Canadian friends, we made our way down 8th Ave. and had dinner at the vibrant Cuba Cafe. While Latin music played in the background, we chatted over mojitos (excellent by the way)and chicharrón, which consisted of small bits of deep fried sausages, pork, and beef.

IMG_8701

IMG_8684

IMG_8681

IMG_8692

I ordered the Ropa Vieja which was a bit salty, even for the dish which tends to be on the salty side already, but still good. Hubby ordered the best dish ever, which was Grilled Chicken with Habanero Sauce, served with fresh Spanish and mashed potatoes.  Yum!

IMG_8697It was, by far, the best Fourth of July ever…and the best date night in a long time.

Related

Enjoyed this post? Give it some love and share!
Share
Pin this Post
Share this Post
Carol Cain

Brooklyn native Carol is happiest when on an adventure, whether close to home or farther away. She is a small business owner and travel writer. In addition to creating Girl Gone Travel, she is the Founder and Principal of Brave World Media, a social media marketing, communications, and branding agency. She's mom to three wonderful sons and wife to a handsome Irish/Scot. She lives, works, and plays in the beautiful Finger Lakes region of NY.

You May Also Like...

Christmas Tree Hunting in Long Island, NY

December 12, 2008

Fort Tryon Park, Washington Heights, NY

December 10, 2008

Winter afternoon in the Bronx Zoo, NY

December 16, 2008
8 Comments
  • Tafari
    July 5, 2009

    Looks like a good time start to finish. And the photos are great!!!! On the way out of tbs city, we saw Cuban Cafe. When I'm back, I'll have to put that on my list of places to dine at. Good food is my weakness…

    Go Mama!!!

    Reply
  • Celebrating the 4th of July around the U.S.
    July 6, 2009

    […] made us all jealous with a wonderful post about a 4th of July date night in New York City. She brought the romance back to […]

    Reply
  • Pilar @ ScoringDeals
    July 6, 2009

    The food looks delicious! Looks like you had lots of fun! 🙂

    Reply
  • Lisa
    July 6, 2009

    LOVE the photo of you two!

    Great food/drink shots too!

    Who is the wonderful photographer? 🙂

    Reply
  • Traveling with an Open Mind | Traveling Mom
    July 7, 2009

    […] while sitting around with my husband waiting for the fire works display along the Hudson River, we had the fortune of sharing curb space with a Canadian couple, Rob and […]

    Reply
  • Smallprint
    July 7, 2009

    Fireworks and habanero chicken. Does life get any better?

    Reply
  • Carol
    July 7, 2009

    Thanks everyone for all the compliments! The food was as awesome as it looks and more.

    Lisa: I could tell her you're interested in maybe hiring her for a photo shoot?

    Smallprint: No, this is as good as it gets my friend, for sure!

    Reply
  • Celebrating Fourth of July in Washington, DC | NYCity Mama
    July 12, 2010

    […] all the displays I have seen, even on 4th of July in NYC, I have never seen any as wonderful as the display in DC. And there, sitting on the dusty, prickly […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Previous Post
Great Kills Park and Beach, Staten Island, NY
Next Post
Revisiting the Liberty Science Center

About me

Hi! I'm Carol! I am an award-winning travel blogger, a keynote speaker, and the Principal and owner of Brave World Media, a social media marketing, communications, and branding agency. I a wife to a handsome Irish/Scot and a mom to 3 sons and 2 puppies. Welcome to my blog where I share stories of my travels and professional public relations insights and advice. Thank you for reading and for your support!

Carol Cain

Categories

  • Asia5 Post(s)
  • Caribbean17 Post(s)
  • Central America4 Post(s)
  • Europe53 Post(s)
  • North America316 Post(s)
  • Oceana1 Post(s)

Contact

  • carol@girlgonetravel.com

Follow @girlgonetravel

If you are a foodie traveler, Madison, WI is a des If you are a foodie traveler, Madison, WI is a destination for you. This list of good eats were all within close proximity to each other and spots we made time for during our short weekend visit. So definitely note that this doesn’t even begin to cover the tip of the iceberg, but makes a good starter list!

📍@ShortStackEats in the heart of Downtown Madison is clearly a UW favorite. Loved their pancakes! We thought it was a pricey for breakfast, and only offered drip coffee, but the scene was fun, food was good, and service was friendly.
📍@SardineMadison is a waterfront French bistro that has stood the test of time (we’ve been coming here since we lived in Madison!). It can feel very corporate some nights, but their Happy Hour and brunch are definite highlights and it’s a really nice dining experience overall.
📍@EatattheAudrey impressed us! It’s not your usual “hotel restaurant” and I would say it easily stands alone as an eatery worth checking out in Madison. Great breakfast options, cozy vibes, nice bar, and good service!
📍@RamenStation1124 good, affordable ramen.
📍BlindShotSocialClub We really loved this spot for brunch (sorry, was enjoying the company and totally spaced out on capturing food images!). Golf fans will love hitting the putt here (you can reserve a private room too), and what I though was most cool was the delicious and wide selection of non-alcoholic cocktails to choose from. This place is a total vibe!
📍@StringsRamen is a chain, but I have to say it is some of the best ramen I have had in a long time. I especially loved how you can choose your ramen but heat level but also by Japanese region which allowed us to taste a couple of new flavors!
📍@Parthenongyros has been around awhile (hubby recalls coming here during his college years!) and was voted #1 take out in Madison! Though we indulged inside and away from the snow. A delicious, quick bite when strolling around State Street.

And again, this is just a starter list. There is so much more to eat and enjoy in this top foodie city! What other spots would you add to this list?

#madisonwi #foodiegram #foodiedestinations #goodeats @destinationmadison
I love to travel. It has always been important to I love to travel. It has always been important to my family. My parents got my first passport weeks after I was born. They couldn’t afford to travel like I do now, but they understood, as immigrants, the absolute privilege that comes attached to having that shiny blue American booklet and they wanted me to have it.

I was yet again reminded of my privilege when my travel back home on this last trip was delayed over 24 hours. I have a village in place to make sure my kids were ok. Having my own business meant I didn’t have to report in to anyone, and was still able to work remotely so none of my clients were inconvenienced by it. Though the airline covered our hotel and food, we never worried that we couldn’t do it ourselves otherwise. While we were annoyed, we weren’t stressed.

So while I love to travel, and I love sharing my travels with you, I acknowledge that being able to do so, and dealing with the consistent travel disruptions so prevalent today without worries is a privilege…one that started with a little blue booklet that gives me more access to the world than some others do.

And I want us all in this travel space to be reminded of this. Of how lucky we are. Of our privilege to access and time and money.

So let us travel with grace and awareness. Let us remain rooted in reality and perspective. Acknowledging that our escapism isn’t one so easily accessible to others. Understanding that this is also why local stories have as much value as those to exclusive destinations, if not more. And, never forgetting, especially in the travel influencer and media space, that were it not for hosted campaigns and paid-for travel opportunities, most of us wouldn’t be able to afford the lifestyle we so beautifully curate online.

It doesn’t matter how often you travel, or how far. Just that hopefully you will be able to gift yourself the experience of doing so and experiencing something new.

#travel #travelmedia #travelinfluencer #wheretonext
As I work on compiling all the good eats I experie As I work on compiling all the good eats I experienced in Madison, WI, I have to ask: what is your favorite meal of the day, and where did you experience a highlight of the same?

I am a huge fan of breakfast. This beauty was a blueberry pancake order from @shortstackeats. Pancakes are not a big thing for me, but these were pretty perfect. I am craving them still. 🥞♥️

#madisonwi #goodeats #travelingfoodie @destinationmadison
We got back on a plane! Here are scenes from a qui We got back on a plane! Here are scenes from a quick trip to Madison, WI - my first time back in 14 years! Though we were here for family matters, we did take a moment to explore a bit of what used to be a place we called home.

We couldn’t do anything else until we drove around Lake Monona, where we once had a home, and took in the wintery views (there is an epic 13.2-mile trail that loops around the lake that is worth exploring if you visit!). Though our time was limited, we were able to enjoy some of it along State Street exploring the shops, eateries, the FREE @mmocamadison, and the beautiful architecture of the WI State Capitol Building (the Dane County Farmers Market will soon pick up again - Saturdays, April 15 thru November 11, 2023 around the Capitol Building and it is one of the best farmers markets anywhere!). 

We booked a room at the @hiltonmadison Monona Terrace to be within walking distance of all the downtown fun (tip: for a room with a lake view make sure to book at the upper levels above 10th floor for an unobstructed view of Lake Monona). 

Madison, WI is a skip and a hop from the Finger Lakes so this short and sweet visit didn’t feel difficult at all. And we absolutely loved the winter scenery and seeing what has changed (a lot) since we lived here.

Stay tuned for my list of where we ate!

Have you ever been to Madison, WI?

#madisonwi #weekendgetaway #wisconsin @destinationmadison
The joy of that first sip of the day. #randommom The joy of that first sip of the day. 

#randommomentsarethebest
I think my husband enjoys it, but still can’t be I think my husband enjoys it, but still can’t believe how easily I’ve been waking up in the early mornings since our last trip. Not sure how to shake it, or if it’s temporary, but here it is: the rare sighting of me up and moving early in the day. Am I a morning person now? Has travel ever permanently changed any of your habits?

#morningperson #lifeinthecountry #newme <-😂

Copyright © 2023 Girl Gone Travel | Privacy Policy | Copyright Notice