Flying into the Newark, NJ airport was a bit scary, because many airports around the country were closed due to the "polar vortex" crazy cold weather we've been experiencing across the country. And with the ice and snow, it was a bit dicey! But although there was ice and snow on the runway, there was no slip-sliding around, and our landing was smooth, thank heaven!
And as we were landing, I kept seeing all these circular silo looking things, and couldn't help but think of #9 in my previous post -- see *HERE* Maybe my question has been answered??
Once on the ground, the New Jersey skyline was somehow familiar to me, but I don't remember ever seeing it in real life or TV or movies, so go figure...
SNOW, SNOW AND MORE SNOW!
WE COULD NOT BELIEVE how much snow was on the ground! I guess it just keeps snowing inches and inches, then it freezes, never melts, then snows AGAIN and it just keeps piling up! People were stranded because they couldn't get their cars out of their driveways, or UNCOVERED on the side of the road where the snow plows had covered them and then they had frozen. It was freaky to see SOOOO much snow on the ground. The news was even reporting they were out of salt for the salt trucks, there was no place to PUT all the snow when they shovel it, and there was no relief in sight for this ridiculous weather!
We drove around for awhile looking for somewhere to grab a quick lunch, but there were no Subways, McDonalds, or anything like that in downtown New Jersey! Rebecca checked YELP, an on-line restaurant resource, and found a couple of places. After discussion, reading reviews, and looking at photos, we decided to try a place called Harvest Table.
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| Jimmy & Rebecca walking out of Harvest Table. And Rebecca wore these thin, tiny flats with ALL THAT SNOW! However, I will say, she also brought boots, and wore them the rest of the trip. HA! |
It became the running joke of the trip, because it was itsy, bitsy, teeny, tiny, BARELY big enough to turn around in, had maybe 6 tables total, and the food was cooked right there in front of you. They even had a 9x13 pan of homemade brownies for their dessert selection! The pictures on YELP, though technically accurate, were VEERRRYYY deceiving. We went back and forth whispering as to whether or not we should leave, but decided to stay. I had the grilled turkey avocado sandwich, and it wasn't bad! But I don't believe we'll be putting it on our agenda in the future. Lunch was just not...stellar.
From there we went directly to Essex County Juvenile Detention Center, and went in to meet the team and scout out our photo shoot for the next day.
After the scout trip, we headed out to Fornos of Spain, which came highly recommended by Bob Orrick from our New Jersey Corizon team. Now THAT food was excellent, and lots of it! Yummmm...('Fornos' is Portuguese for the way they cook or bake their food.) It definitely made up for Harvest Table!
And...I know you are dying for the update on how MY TRAVEL BAG did on her first venture! Well, she was simply FABULOUS at the airport. I felt so chic and stylish...and she was quite at home relaxing in my hotel room. (I've got to come up with a name for her.)
The next day was almost a 12-hour day of filming. WHEW! It was long and drawn out, but we got some great footage, some great interviews, and I'm excited for this next CorizonTV episode. It features the clinical excellence that earned the facility NCCHC's "Facility of the Year" Award for 2013. It was awarded at the convention in Nashville last October (where I sang the national anthem :) See more *HERE*.
Our Lunch-time 'curse' remained in full force as we tried to order in some sandwiches for lunch. Every place that delivered said they were out of turkey, out of chicken, out of roast beef, out of everything -- BECAUSE THE SNOW had stopped delivery trucks and everything was running was out! So we ordered pizza, and they were OUT OF PEPPERONI, but said if we'd wait a little while they would have some more in. So we did, and they did, and we had very mediocre pepperoni pizza for lunch.
All in all, a successful day, great people at Essex, and some great stuff "in the can" for our CorizonTV episode.
Needless to say, after our very long day, we were exhausted. But the DVL crew knew I hadn't ever been to NYC, so they had made reservations at a nice place called BECCO in downtown Manhattan, which meant we had to go UNDER THE RIVER in the Lincoln Tunnel. VERY COOL, actually! I didn't get the heebie-jeebies people predicted...
We were driving a huge TAHOE, in downtown NYC, where everything is compact and crowded. We knew we wouldn't be able to find a parking place near the restaurant, so Jimmy pulled up in front of the restaurant to let us out so he could go a few blocks and park. Just as he slowed down, a car pulled out of a parking spot DIRECTLY across from the door of the restaurant. Unbelievable! We pulled right in, the Tahoe actually FIT in that spot, and we walked about 20 feet to the door of the restaurant. Other (smaller) cars behind us were honking at us they were SOOO JEALOUS! It was starting out to be a good night, S-C-O-R-E!
 Fancy-Schmancy food...mine is the mahi-mahi bottom left.
After dinner, we walked down two blocks to TIMES SQUARE!!
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After walking around for awhile, we went to find a FABULOUS DESSERT. We went to this place that had the "TITANIC" -- an ice cream boat made of chocolate mousse, bananas, strawberries, oreos, three flavors of ice cream, nuts, whipped cream, chocolate syrup, fried bananas on top, caramel sauce and deliciousness! And those pastry things stuck in the top to make it look like a ship. I actually recommended (though hard to believe) that we get the "LIFEBOAT" size which is the same thing but built for FOUR people, since there were four of us. But the guys outvoted me, and we got the EIGHT-person version...and I must say, we did pretty good on SINKING that TITANIC!
(look how big it is compared to a regular coffee cup)
TITANIC -- BEFORE
TITANIC -- AFTER
People would stop and stare, point, laugh, and whisper as they walked by our table! One even stopped to take a photo. HA! It was ridiculous -- and delicious!
What FUN! Another city to mark off my bucket list...
