Pier to pier

After all the rain and gray skies this week, it's been wonderful to have a few days of sunshine to get out and enjoy the sights. Yesterday it was Central Park and today we opted to head to the East River, starting at LIC's Gantry State Park and continuing on down to the Brooklyn Bridge Park area. Having only been to Gantry one other time, I couldn't really remember what the playground was like and I have to admit I was a bit disappointed that there was no water feature. It looked like an area with sprinklers was under construction or repair, but in today's bright sunshine and heat, a little mist would have gone a long way to cooling us off. So after about 40 minutes, we jumped back in the car and took off for Brooklyn. Taylor hadn't been to that borough yet, so it was a great excuse to show her the bridge up close and personal...

There's so much water surrounding us in the city, and yet, most days, it doesn't feel like we're right on the ocean. Even in Chicago I feel more like I'm at the beach, but somehow New York still retains that quintessential concrete jungle vibe. So sometimes it's nice to just go and sit and stare at the water and all the people enjoying the riverfront. Today was a bit overcast later on, but that didn't stop the crowds from gathering and enjoying the lazy Sunday afternoon. Now that the weekend is over, we're gearing up for a big week showing Taylor the city. I try to avoid all touristy stuff on Saturday and Sunday since there's no point doing the same thing everyone else is doing when you have free time during the work week. We've got a list whittled down to some of the NYC highlights, but I'm always at a loss to think of more ways to maximize each day. Hopefully with Nacho home a bit more, we can take off and do some evening outings as well and leave Elisa with Papa. Since as great as it is to see New York by day, it really shines at night when the skyline just comes alive with lights and color. Now off to bed to rest up...it's going to be a nice, hot finish to June!