Hopefully only a slight hiccup in travel with unplanned airplane maintenance. Guess I’m stuck with this guy.
There were a few people hanging out around “W” so I’m not sure if this was some kind of Pokemon stop or just an out of the way place to chill.
Sorry Zippys, but in Washington DC, my next stop is Shake Shack.
Tried their burgers, fries, a shake, a concrete, and a cold brew…oh and picked up a shirt too. Not bad, not bad at all.
Crowded but the turnover was brisk. The bacon cheeseburger was a little gooey for me. I wasn’t a fan of the Chicken Shack. The crisscut fries were okay. The bottled cold brew coffee was alright but didn’t match my meal. The highlights were definitely the shake and the concrete.
The burgers were good, kinda like In-n-Out but with a variety of combos. I like the fries from Five Guys out of the three. Best overall value still goes to In-n-Out though.
Arrived at New York Penn Station via a 3+ hour Amtrak rail ride.
Not as nice looking as the DC Union Station though.
Checked into our home base for the next few days. What a view of New York City and New Jersey!
After settling in and confirming Yelp and Foursquare (which I’ve had good results with while on travel), we headed to TripAdvisor’s #2 dessert place of New York City, Levain Bakery. We almost walked by its small entryway were it not for patrons stuffing their faces on the sidewalk. There was a short line that was much longer by the time we left. These cookies are the main attraction, even at $4 each.
We bought one of each cookie along with banana bread, brioche, and a mocha. Maybe we were the cause of the line backlog?
After paying with Apple Pay, we dug into a warm cookie.
Crispy texture on the outside but soft and moist on the inside and the explosion of flavor! No wonder this place is packed and highly rated. We can’t go back for more, can we?
We had passed a Trader Joe’s on the way to Levain and headed there next. A relatively small storefront opened into two stories of Joe’s goodies along with masses of shoppers.
Passed on these items – Ghost Pepper chips and cold brew coffee.
Not enough days to finish the Cold Brew Coffee Concentrate.
We did go for these – previously confiscated Cookie and Cocoa Swirl and Mango Babka.
Don’t know if you can tell, but there are 30 active checkout counters, and a line to get to them.
The first day in New York ended with a brilliant sunset and a Starry night.
Unlike Hawaii that got its first Five Guys Burgers and Fries in Mililani this week, a location in Washington DC showed much less crowds. Maybe because it was a Saturday evening or maybe because Five Guys in DC is just not new.
My eyes did not deceive. That is a Foot Locker right next door to a Starbucks. Right next door!
That’s almost paradise. Almost because I couldn’t go to either since we were in a hurry.
Reaching the NikeLab store at 11:30 when it opens at 12:00, and you’re on a time schedule.
That is sadness.
If you used this bathroom and just pooped, I think you’re in trouble now.
What do you do? And dang that’s a small sink.
Obviously I suck at this new Pokemon Go game, I’m stuck at this splash screen.
Note to self: Research the Starry Station wifi router. Front information display panel and the ability to manage device connection via defined rules. Kinda pricey but interface looks easy.
I can’t help but look at the shoes of pedestrians. What I see on NYDC16 is lots of Nike Roshes. Lots. Probably the prevalent sneaker that I’ve noticed. There are quite a few Nike TR trainers too.
For all the success of Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors, I saw lots of GS hats and jerseys. But I saw only one pair of Curry 2. There were some other UA runners and cross trainers but very few signature Under Armours.
Adidas had a fair showing. Surprised at how UltraBoosts I saw. A handful of NMD and a lot of lifestyle shoes like the Stan Smith. Didn’t come across a CrazyBoost Light 2016 or the AlphaBOUNCE.
I managed to snap a pic of this cool colorway of the Nike Presto, but overall, the Roshes still rule.
This ain’t too shabby a wat of traveling. Catching the Amtrak for a few hours. A little bumpy but climate controlled, big seats, and free Wifi.
So my bottled Starbucks iced coffee costs $3.25, but I’m enjoying it and the ride while blogging on the railroad.
Sadly, do not add watching fireworks in our Nation’s capital on Independence Day to your Bucket List. Washington DC on July 4th – can’t get more patriotic than that right? Well, yes, but in reality, it’s also a little underwhelming. Additionally, the weather conditions were not great with light showers throughout the day making the National Mall muddy and the skies hazy.
Maybe the live music of the fireworks show would have added to the experience, but we, like many others, stayed outside the security perimeter. Didn’t know if the weather would hold up, making a departure easier from the outside. The fireworks launched above the reflecting pool couldn’t break through the hazy night. There were lots of aerials, but most were muted only discoloring the night sky.
The show was decently long and after the last aerial lit the sky, the crowds dispersed. Wow, the amount of people! But with so much security and roads blocked, there was enough thoroughfare for the mass exodus.
Walking the streets of DC at night offered some nice illuminated views though.
Overall, an enjoyable experience but not worthy of a bucket list.