Somehow between Halloween and Thanksgiving things managed to get really busy. I was hitting my stride with the family portrait sessions and Nacho had a few days here and there of work while on reserve. And weekends were starting to blur together. The fall always has a way of doing this--of passing so quickly that I can barely do all of the outdoorsy stuff I long to do while it's still nice enough weather. So when the girls had Veterans Day off during the middle of the week, we decided to hit Central Park at the northeast corner of the park. It's an area called the Harlem Meer and I'd never actually been there before so it was a special treat. What attracted me to the area was a spot called the Conservatory Garden near 105th Street and Fifth Avenue. It's a beautiful oasis of flowers, trees and fountains intertwined with walking paths and lovely benches for reflection--a photo shoot waiting to happen. So off we went that balmy November day to discover its beauty. And I have to say it was worth the wait. The leaves were just a touch past peak, but still all kinds of fiery orange, yellow and red. And the flowers were still plenty bright and lovely. The garden has an air of tranquility that probably would be best enjoyed without running children, but hey, it was nearly empty so I didn't try to shush them too much. I did, however, ask two young girls who were smoking up to move out of the way. They had planted themselves right near the main fountain at the entrance of the garden and their plumes of pot smoke were annoying to say the least. They looked a bit embarrassed by my mom rant and then stopped smoking. Never underestimate my ability to tell perfect strangers how I really feel.
Other than that (and Elisa's 8 million requests to go to a playground which we eventually found just south of the garden), it was a pretty wonderful outing. Oh, and let's not forget Carolina crapping her pants on her first big city trip with underwear. Yeah, that was a lot of fun to change amidst the gorgeous fall scenery. Thank goodness there was a bathroom (with functioning sink and soap!!) nearby for me to disinfect afterwards. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing this area in all its blooming glory in the spring too. That amazing green lawn is just begging to have a kite flying adventure with friends. So I have a feeling it won't take me another 9 years to visit again. It was the kind of day that I could imagine all families in the city need to have once and awhile. Sometimes you need to see that there is still more to discover in places not that far off the beaten path. I even made a request to a passing bicyclist to take our family photo which might be the only one we have of us this fall. And while we could have easily taken the train up north, it was nice having the car parked nearby. The ride home wasn't more than 30 minutes and the girls were able to chill out and relax in the backseat with their snacks. I think I look for these kinds of day trips within the city because I realize our good fortune to be so close to so many wonderful attractions in New York City. We try to make the most of them but still it's always good to try a little harder.
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