Birthday Weekend Recap

Hi everyone and happy Tuesday! I hope you all had a great weekend. Mine was a bit longer than normal, which is why I was MIA yesterday. I'm here today to recap all the fun I had, so get ready!

Friday

We started off the weekend in Philadelphia. We stayed in Center City and explored the area a bit before getting a drink and some food at Independence Beer Garden. That place was so cool and I loved the casual vibe.


We took the subway down to the Citizens Park area and walked around a nearby park, then headed in for a baseball game between the Phillies and Nationals.  At one point we left to get some drinks, and missed a foul ball that landed in our seats. Too bad!


Saturday 

We woke up early to get some breakfast in Reading Terminal Market. It's such a cool place with so much to see, so I understand why it's the most visited place in Philly!


After breakfast, we headed to Old Town and got in to see the Liberty Bell before the crowds arrived, then explored the area and toured the U.S. Mint. 


We were off to New York City! The ride was nice and short, and we got in to the city around lunchtime. We stayed in an apartment we found on AirBnB in the Upper West Side. The place was great and we were off to explore the city in no time! 


Unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate and we didn't get to see very many sites. We stopped for dinner at Shake Shack, then went to see Inside Out in Battery Park (great movie!!). We made it back to our place around 10 and were exhausted so we fell right asleep!


Sunday

We woke up early Sunday morning because I was running a race in Central Park! Luckily the storm passed and we were left with a cool, humid morning. Our apartment was close to the park, so Dan and I jogged over to the start for a warmup. We walked around a bit and Dan got to meet Jon Stewart before the race!


The race itself was great! We were walking so much and I was tired out from exploring the past few days, so my plan was to enjoy the experience. I felt better as I went along, so I ended up with my best 5 miler time with 43:18! Super happy with the time and it was such a great birthday race. (Race #1 is out of the way on my 30x30 list!)


We took the subway over to Queens to see the Mets play a few hours later. The team actually had to finish last nights game, which got suspended after 6 innings due to rain. The game ended up going to 13 innings with a Mets win. 


After the game, we stopped at Flushing Meadows to see where the U.S. Open is held! The area was really cool and had lots of paths to explore. The highlight was definitely the Unisphere...incredible and HUGE in person. 


We took the subway back to Manhattan and explored the Upper West Side, and stopped for dinner at Bar Bacon. I got the bacon bahn mi which was incredible. Highly recommend the restaurant for the food, but it was SO loud in there.


We walked around the area for a few  hours, visiting Lincoln Square, Broadway, Central Park West, Times Square, Radio City Music Hall, then stopped at Dylan's Candy Bar before making our way home. 


We ended the day with over 40,000 steps according to my FitBit, so we were pretty tired and ready to sleep, especially since we had a 4:00 wake up to catch our bus home!


I had such a great weekend and got to do so many fun things with Dan! I love exploring new places, watching baseball and running- so this was a perfect birthday weekend for me! 

What did you do this weekend?
What would be a perfect birthday for you?

Comments

  1. MKJune 30, 2015 at 4:32 AM

    Sounds like you had an awesome birthday weekend! Congrats on your 5 miler time!

    ReplyDelete
  2. meredith @ Cookie ChRUNiclesJune 30, 2015 at 5:01 AM

    So glad you had a wonderful birthday weekend. We love Reading Market! I took my son there for lunch last summer and we can't wait to go back! My son was at Sunday's Mets game double header too with my dad! How funny. Awesome job on the race!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Gretchen BraunJune 30, 2015 at 5:26 AM

      Thank you! It's so amazing there..I wish we had one in Pittsburgh! That's so funny that they were there...it was a long game so good for them if they stayed!

      Delete
  3. UnknownJune 30, 2015 at 6:30 AM

    Oh how I wish I could see all of those places! Glad you had such a great birthday weekend, and that's a solid time for a 5 miler! Nice! I can't believe that the foul ball ended up in your seats while you were gone! That's totally something that would happen to me. I miss everything!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Gretchen BraunJune 30, 2015 at 7:49 AM

      Thanks Suzy! I couldn't believe it, but that's what I get for getting up during a game. Oh well!

      Delete
  4. LesleyJune 30, 2015 at 6:55 AM

    Looks like a fun birthday weekend.

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousJune 30, 2015 at 7:29 AM

    Sounds like such an incredible birthday weekend and how cool to meet Jon Stewart!? I used to live right by Reading Terminal in Center City... the cinnamon buns that the Amish make on Saturday mornings are totally out of this world. I spent the majority of the weekend with friends and family which was a lot of fun. A very busy weekend that went by far too quickly. Perfect birthday would be pretty similar, lots of fun activities with the people I love most. : ) And a good meal or two. And lots of desserts. Haha. Hope you have a fabulous Tuesday!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Gretchen BraunJune 30, 2015 at 7:54 AM

      That's so cool! I really liked the area. Sounds like you had a great weekend, as well as an amazing race :) Way to go girl! Have a great day :)

      Delete
  6. Dietitian JessJune 30, 2015 at 7:54 AM

    Sounds like a solid birthday weekend and you did Philly and NYC right! Reading Terminal is definitely a must- so much amazing food there!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Gretchen BraunJune 30, 2015 at 10:58 AM

      I agree..I'll definitely have to check it out next time I'm in Philly and get more food!

      Delete
  7. HoHo RunsJune 30, 2015 at 10:28 AM

    Happy Birthday! What a great weekend. I would love to run a race in Central Park! I've run there, but not a race. 40,000 Fitbit steps is a lot. I've only done 30,000. I'd like to run a half marathon on my birthday which is very close to Christmas. It would definitely be holiday themed.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Gretchen BraunJune 30, 2015 at 10:59 AM

      Thank you! I highly recommend running in Central Park..the support was fantastic and NYRR was so organized..it was amazing. I was shocked when I saw 40,000, but definitely felt it later that night when my feet felt like they were going to fall off ;)

      Delete
  8. UnknownJune 30, 2015 at 5:17 PM

    What a great way to spend your birthday! I love both Philly & NYC. The last time we were in NYC we also got an apartment through arbnb. Loved it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Gretchen BraunJuly 1, 2015 at 7:13 AM

      It's the best place to stay! A lot cheaper than a hotel and a fantastic location. I'll definitely be doing it for most of my trips in the future!!

      Delete
  9. UnknownJuly 1, 2015 at 8:45 AM

    Happy birthday! Wow, 40K steps is A LOT - good for you!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Gretchen BraunJuly 1, 2015 at 10:24 AM

      Thank you! Yes it is...and that's not typical for me at all haha!

      Delete
  10. AmandaJuly 3, 2015 at 12:33 PM

    HAPPY BELATED BIRFDAAAAAAAY!!!!!! It looks like you had a fantastic time!!

    ReplyDelete
  11. ElysiaOctober 30, 2024 at 12:03 AM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  12. ElysiaOctober 30, 2024 at 12:05 AM

    What a fun birthday weekend! If you're looking to add even more adventure to your celebrations, try Tahoe wake surfing with Sunnyside Marine at Lake Tahoe. Their top-quality boats and gear make it easy to ride the lake’s smooth waters while enjoying breathtaking mountain views. It’s a thrilling way to spend time with friends or family and create unforgettable moments. Don’t miss the chance to make your next Tahoe getaway even more exciting with a wake surfing experience.

    ReplyDelete

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