Celebrating in NYC

New York City is a great place to visit for any reason. But traveling there for the special celebration really adds to the excitement and fun! My husband's birthday gift to me was a trip to NYC. He booked a room at the St. Regis and we made plans to attend some Peloton classes. As the time drew closer I made reservations for our meals and our Peloton classes. We are both Peloton fanatics, so I planned ahead to make sure I would hit a milestone cycle ride and tread run. Whether or not you are passionate about exercise, I would definitely suggest making the most of this walkable city.

We flew up on a Friday morning in June. Early summer in NYC is amazing! Coming from Atlanta, we were so excited about being able to pack and wear pants and a jacket for our long weekend. We checked into the St. Regis and ate lunch in the Astor Court. The hotel is known as the creator of the Bloody Mary. And you have to make sure that you ask your bartender about the painting behind the bar to hear their tale about why the king is smiling. I did a hotel tour and was able to see a few different room categories. The hotel just completed a full renovation and all the rooms maintain the regal feel you expect at the St Regis, while still having a modern look. I was able to check out the Dior suite and hear about the Tiffany's and Bentley suites as well. When you need a once in a lifetime celebration idea I highly suggest one of these stately suites.

Since we came to celebrate my birthday we found a wonderful surprise in our room when we came back from a short walk in Central Park. As we were about to go to dinner we decided to save our treat for dessert later that night.

That evening we went to the food hall at The Plaza and ate at the Todd English restaurant. The vibe of the food hall was relaxed and elegant. It was a combination of sit down restaurants and counters in which you could grab something to go. Most of the quick grab places were dessert orientated, just in case you wanted something sweet after visiting Central Park. My fennel crusted salmon meal was outstanding. And my husband's pasta dish was served piping hot. We left there agreeing that it was a great place to eat, which was close to our hotel and other highlights of the city. Since it is under The Plaza hotel it would be easy to walk right by this location. But when you need a variety of food choices make sure to check out the food hall.

While we have seen lots of the sites on past trips to New York City we decided to `focus our attention on some different sites and of course some Peloton classes. The rides and runs in the studios were great! We got to meet some of the instructors and they are so friendly and encouraging!

We took a picture in the studio after our ride, it was a tough workout, but we had a blast!

I had personalized shirts made for us that show our journey from Atlanta to NYC for our Peloton classes. We made sure to take this picture before getting all sweaty in class. Everyone learns the best times to take pictures, even us!

You might think that after doing a spin or running class we would want to sit and relax. But the weather was so nice we just had to make the most of our visit and continue moving around the city. I did some research about visiting Hudson Yards, which is still in various stages of construction. We ate lunch at Hudson Yards Grill, very good and laid back, especially for a casual lunch. And then we made our way up and down The Vessel. You can get free tickets to The Vessel online. I booked our tickets two weeks in advance. I made sure to book a time slot in the afternoon so that we would have plenty of time to enjoy lunch and do some shopping while we were in that part of the city. We were lucky that the rain held off during our time there and we could take our time to look in every direction as we ascended and descended the structure.

Inside The Vessel in Hudson Yards. There is an elevator that takes you up to the top or down to the bottom. It does not stop at each level. The only way to get to the different levels is to take the stairs.

At the top of The Vessel looking down. Making your way up and down The Vessel is unique to each visitor as you can choose your own way up and down by the various stairs. We made a few loops going up and down to take in different views and angles with sunlight and cloud cover. There is a limit to how many people can be inside The Vessel at a time. So be sure to get your free tickets in advance so that you are not disappointed by not being able to see the structure from the inside.

Believe it or not we were all smiles on the way up and on the way down. The Vessel offers great views of Hudson River and new construction in the area. We took about an hour in total to make our way around the different levels. We tried to look up, down, and around as we climbed each flight of stairs. The metal surface offered fun reflection views that made it seem as though we were in a house of mirrors at times.

Now, please don't think that we only burned calories while in NYC. We always enjoy doing activities that are special to the places we visit, for this trip that was Peloton and The Vessel. The St. Regis gave me not only a special in room dessert, but they also presented us with two desserts one evening in the Astor Court. After cycling, running, walking, and climbing stairs, we enjoyed our treat one evening. And we ate our delicious desserts while sitting in the beautifully decorated restaurant.

This was a great long weekend celebrating my birthday, in many ways, in New York City. We always look forward to trying new restaurants, staying in new hotels, and experiencing the many activities that are unique to our destinations.