With just six nights in The City, our trip was not quite as long as I would have liked. There's so much to do and see in New York, but things take time, especially during the holiday season. But Mrs. Islandmiler has never been to DC, I wanted take her to some of the Smithsonian Museums, and we have friends in the DC area, so we decided to take a day trip. And our mode of … [Read more...] about Review: Amtrak Northeast Regional NYC-DC
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Review: Ivan Ramen New York (Flagship Restaurant)
For those of you that don't know him, Ivan Orkin isn't your usual ramen master. A "Jewish kid from Long Island," Ivan is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America. He learned how to make, and became famous for his Jewish influenced ramen in Japan. Fast forward a few years, and a couple Tokyo ramen shops later, Ivan returned to New York and opened his first U.S. shop, … [Read more...] about Review: Ivan Ramen New York (Flagship Restaurant)
Shake Shack New York: My Favorite Burger Joint
Who makes the best burger is a very touchy subject. I'd argue that discussions surrounding the subject matter can be even more intense than those concerning politics. And we all know how intense those discussions are now in the U.S. But, like many of that can appreciate a good burger, I keep a mental list of my favorites. Actually, I keep two mental lists, since it isn't … [Read more...] about Shake Shack New York: My Favorite Burger Joint
Big Apple Day 3: Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge
After a satisfying brunch at Jane, the wife and I headed out on our Big Apple Day 3 adventures. Now, we didn't really have any plans for this day. We were thinking about going to the 9/11 Museum, but that didn't happen. The metro line we took from Jane skipped the Cortland St. station and instead stopped at South Ferry Terminal. Since this is where you need to be for the … [Read more...] about Big Apple Day 3: Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge
Review: Jane Restaurant New York
Our third day in The City was a Sunday. So, what does one do on a Sunday morning? Brunch of course! Narrowing down where to go proved to be incredibly difficult. I don't even remember how we ultimately decided, but we chose to go to Jane Restaurant in Greenwich Village. … [Read more...] about Review: Jane Restaurant New York
Review: Michael White’s Marea
As I've said before, this trip to New York was the first for the wife, but not for me. So while her goals were to see a lot of the must-see sights, my goal was to EAT. Our first official meal in The City happened the night before at a Hawaiian restaurant I've wanted to try since they opened, Noreetuh. But our next official meal in the restaurant came off of Anthony … [Read more...] about Review: Michael White’s Marea
Big Apple Day 2: Rockefeller, Central Park, Times Square
Day 2 of our Big Apple Holiday Adventure saw our first full day of exploring. We like to keep things informal, though, so we had no plan or itinerary. Rather, we simply did whatever we felt like that day. Our second day in The City was BEAUTIFUL, so we decided to knockout some of the outdoor sights. So here goes, our Big Apple Day 2! … [Read more...] about Big Apple Day 2: Rockefeller, Central Park, Times Square
CityPass New York City
Before I get into the rest of my trip report, I want to go over CityPass. For those you that have never heard of it, CityPass is a collection of attraction passes sold at a discounted rate. The passbook itself usually runs over $100, but the combined value is often a lot lower than the face value of the individual passes. And this being the wife's first visit to the Big … [Read more...] about CityPass New York City
Getting Around in New York
For the first time visitor, getting around in New York can be rather daunting. Beyond the sheer size of The City, there are many transportations options. Of course there's the ubiquitous Yellow Cabs, Uber and Lyft, but they're a bit pricey. Plus, add in the constant, crush traffic (depending where you are), and Cabs or ride sharing is necessarily the best way to get around. … [Read more...] about Getting Around in New York
Alaska Air N Terminal Lounge + SEA-JFK
Our HNL-SEA flight pulled into the North Satellite terminal at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport slightly ahead of schedule. It was already dark outside and (surprise, surprise) rainy. We had thought about going into downtown Seattle for a little while since we had a 5 hour layover in SEA. But we decided against since we didn't want to have to rush and have to clear … [Read more...] about Alaska Air N Terminal Lounge + SEA-JFK