I am back from vacation, which did not go as planned, but went in fact better...
We started off on Sat morning in the pouring rain, and it was cold out...lovely weather to go to the beach. We arrived in Greenport at about 3 and walked around the town, which was basically Millbrook, had lunch and set out to find the hotel. Well, we soon discovered why the "motel" we were staying at was the last to have rooms available. Lets just say it looked like it was built in the 50's, renovated in the 70's and then never touched again. Tyler took some great b&w shots, but I have not gotten his photos yet, I'll post them when I do. We couldn't find anyone to check us in so we drove around calling every other hotel in the area and as it seemed to be a wedding weekend, there were no rooms available.
Eventually we decided to start driving back off the North Fork and head to the Hamptons, we were thinking it would just be easier to get room there and drive back in the morning for the wedding. Well right after we were all happy about that decision, the motel lady called me back and apologized that no one was there, that she had to take her daughter to the hospital and that the room was open and ready whenever we wanted to arrive, and she was the sweetest woman I had ever spoken to on the phone, so I said thanks and our fate was sealed.
We continued on and drove though the Hamptons, which was like the Lakeville, Salisbury, Great Barrington strip....just with an ocean feel. We decided to have dinner in Southampton and walk around before heading back...I was dying for some coffee, but in stead of coffee shops there were fudge and ice cream shops everywhere...so when in Rome...eventually we wandered into a little French bistro and had a wonderful dinner and a charming waiter who kept calling Tyler a beefcake and holding up the jewelry I was wearing to show everyone, we loved him.
Side note...I have been working on creating two avenues of Manic Trout...the reasonable, fun for all ages pieces you know and love...and a high end line that pushes the envelope on all levels. Well the necklace I was wearing was the first of the envelope pushing line, although I realized some aspects that needed tweaking, so I won't show you yet.
We then drove back to our motel, which was basically a camp cabin, including a cricket which I moved a refrigerator out of its space in our 1 1/2 room to find and squish so it would shut up. Now keep in mind that this would have been a more fun adventure if the room did not cost $175 a night and we didn't even have tissues, an alarm clock or a phone.
It was decided then and there that in the morning I would talk us out of our next night reservation and that we had enough of the Long Island North and South Forks, which basically is a replica of where we live but with better shopping.
The wedding was lovely on Sunday, it was at a park in Orient, at the very tip of the North Fork, and we were able to walk on the beach and collect stones and shells and stare pensively out into the vast blue ahead of us.
At about 4, we changed our clothes, hopped back in the car and headed for Manhattan...now I know what you're thinking, because I thought the same thing...we only live a bit more then an hour away and we were going to vacation there? Well we decided we never go in as tourists, so why not try it that way? We booked a room in Times Square and met Gillian for dinner at Carmines and then wandered around late into the night.
Monday we woke up early...this whole weekend was early rising for me, its funny that I actually get up early on vacation...anyway we set out to wander. Our mission was the Museum of Natural History...which was wonderfully fun and quite nostalgic...we even caught a show at the planetarium.
After our morning of learning, and a quick street pretzel...how could we not...it was time for my mission of the day...since buying my beloved blackberry I no longer have been using my planner and since I was using the planner as my wallet as well, it was becoming a very heavy way to carry ny cash and cards. I have been scoping out continental wallets with very specific attributes...it had to open flat, be only two sided, no flap and an interior coin area and be made of black leather. I had found what I thought would be the perfect one online, but I wanted to check it out in person before I spent as much as I was going to on a wallet, and to see what else was out there.
I checked Barneys on Madison, found nothing and knew I had to do some leg work...so I deposited Tyler at the Apple store on fifth made my way down, stopping at Bergdorf’s, Bendels, Prada and Gucci, avoiding Vuitton, Fendi and Bottega Veneta as I wanted very simple...and heading to 5th and 53rd where I knew my dream wallet was waiting for me. I walked in to Ferragamo and within 5 minutes was holding my new favorite accessory, it was perfect.
After the shopping elation wore off I was tired and hungry and ready to head home, so I gathered Tyler and we went and found great nyc pizza, collected the car and headed home...happy from our whirlwind weekend.
Labels: Ramblings, shopping, vacation
