Early Xmas in Louisiana - Dec 2018

At Honny's House

We went to Shawna's mom's house in Louisiana to celebrate an early Christmas.  Shawna was in Hartford that week so we both met up in New Orleans late on Thursday night.  We stayed over at the Best Western by the airport and woke up early on Friday morning to drive to Honny's.  That day, Keith worked from the house while Shawna and her mom went to Alexandria to get in some Christmas shopping.  That evening, we had gumbo and opened gifts.

On Saturday, we had planned on visiting Ginger and her family.  However, Ms Katie (Ginger's mom) was not doing well - she had stage 4 colon cancer and was not recovering well from her surgery.  And since Shawna was sick with a cold, we did not want to get their family sick so we decided to stay home instead.  It was a cold, rainy day so we stayed in and watched movies.  That evening, we had dinner at the Brown Bag which was delicious - we shared a pork tenderloin dish and shrimp and grits for an appetizer.

On Sunday, we relaxed at home in the morning, visited with Nicole for a short time and then had lunch before we drove to New Orleans to head back home.  Shawna ended up returning to Louisiana on Wednesday evening of the following week because sadly, Ms Katie had passed away.  She attended the funeral, burial and lunch on Thursday and then worked from her mom's house on Friday before flying back to Phoenix that evening.

Patrick and Lauren Wedding in San Diego - September 2018

At Patrick and Lauren's wedding

We were thrilled to hear that Patrick and Lauren were engaged, and even more thrilled that they included us in the occasion!

Ceremony

It was an easy flight to San Diego - 50 mins in the air and we were on the coast.  We had bought a late afternoon flight so landed by 4:30 and were at the Indigo Hotel in Del Mar by 5:30pm.  We both needed a shower - then walked the 15 minutes to dinner at Sbicca, just the two of us.  We sat upstairs and outside - gorgeous temperature.  We ordered several shared plates including tacos, meatballs, shishito peppers and brussel sprouts.  The food was good, but not excellent.  We finished a bit early so walked down to the beach before walking back up and meeting the wedding party at Il Fornio.  We chatted with Patrick's parents and sister before going over to Enoteca Del Fornio where we had a few glasses of wine.  It was there that we chatted with Diego (Patrick's former roommate), John and Terry (Keith knew them from St Vincent's), and Chris (in Patrick's High School class).  It was good to chat with them all.

View on hike in Torrey Pines

The next morning, we had breakfast in the restaurant at the hotel before embarking on a 2.5 hour walk to and through Torrey Pines - ending up on the Beach and Razor Point trails.  It was a beautiful walk along the beach and then through the park - and helped burn off some of the wine from the night before.  Lunch was just a couple of granola bars.  We showered, dressed, and walked the 15 minutes over to the wedding, stopping by Starbucks for an iced tea and L'Auberge to take a picture at the bar by the outdoor fireplace where a colleague of Keith's had her first date with her now husband.  The wedding was at the Del Mar Powerhouse on the beach.  They advertised that the bar was open before the wedding ceremony - a stroke of genius that we did not think of for our own wedding!  We carefully arranged ourselves on the back row - so we could take pictures w/o interrupting but also so we could be first at the bar after the ceremony was over.  In true Patrick and Lauren fashion, the ceremony was casual but very sweet - their friend who officiated was terrific and their vows beautiful - complete with a couple of laughs.  The food was delicious and the dancing and music a blast as we both cut a rug on the dance floor.  There was an after-party at Jimmy-Os - we stopped by for a few minutes but it was proof we are too old - because it was too loud!

Gang at the wedding

On Sunday morning, we had breakfast again at the hotel restaurant and did another hike in Torrey Pines - this time on the Parry Grove and Guy Fleming trails.  We showered back at the room and checked out before storing our luggage and walking out for a sushi lunch at Shimbashi, back at Del Mar Plaza.  On the way home, we were thrilled to bump into Patrick and Lauren who were grabbing a burrito lunch alone.  We chatted for 10 minutes and then they walked us back to the hotel - it was great to get at least a little bit of time alone with them during the weekend!  Sadly, we were then off to the airport after 48 hours in SoCal - but the trip did remind us that we would love to live there some day!

Torrey Pines Hike

NYC for Alex Feinberg Bar Mitzvah - Sept 2018

Fun photo booth at the party!

The last time we were in New York City, we had dinner with Kim/Tom and Mark/Alicia.  Over dinner, Mark mentioned that the four of us would be invited to their son Alex's Bar Mitzvah.  So a year and four months later, we were attending our very first one!

We were both on the road the week before the event: Shawna in Minneapolis and Keith in Vegas.  So, we both arrived in NYC on the Thursday night separately - Shawna checking into the AC Marriott Times Square in the late evening, with Keith crawling in to bed at 1:30am.  The hotel was pretty cool - the bed super comfortable, the room and bathroom spacious, and the lobby airy.  We did both manage to get up on the Friday for a workout: Shawna to the hotel gym and Keith to do a live Jennifer Jacobs 80s ride at the Peloton Studio.  The rest of Friday we both worked: Shawna in the room and Keith in the lobby of the hotel.  The day did include one celebrity sighting: Katie Couric passed through the lobby.  Keith was well behaved and did not run up to her to say he saw her on the tarmac at the airport in the Galapagos!  We wrapped up our work day at about 4pm and managed to squeeze in a power nap - which helped set Keith up for a later night than otherwise!

Slate - Bar Mitzvah Party

After receiving text updates from Kim and Tom who were also staying in the same hotel, we showered and headed up to the rooftop bar at our hotel for a few drinks before dinner.  We were a bit earlier than the cool crowd so were able to get a prime table and chatted before heading to dinner at Cosme.  The style is contemporaneous Mexican - it was very flavorful with quite a few veggie options for Kim.  Of course, the veggie items were very flavorful so we "helped" Kim out!  The food was served as shared plates, with the best being the duck with tortillas.  We were able to make it through three bottles of Albarino over dinner, and then made the "wise" decision to have a final glass of wine back on the hotel rooftop before bed.

Feinbergs

On Saturday morning, Keith did a quick run to Starbucks for caffeine and breakfast before we met Kim and Tom in the lobby at 8:45.  The first stop was Tom's office to grab his jacket, then a store to get Alex a card, and then over to Temple Shaaray Tefila for the 2 hour service.  We had never been to temple before so it was really interesting - and the rabbi and cantor were fantastic.  We skipped the Kiddush luncheon and instead went next door to Calexico for a Mexican lunch.  We all decided a nap was in order before going to Central Park for a walk.  We walked the bridle path for a softer surface and stumbled upon our old favorite singer Guitar Man.  We listened to him a bit: it appears that his songs and stories are roughly the same as 20 years ago - though age seems to have motivated him to wear a shirt now!  After the walk, we were back at the hotel to change for the evening's festivities at Slate.  The event started in the lower level with appetizers and drinks, then moved upstairs for the dancing and dinner.  Just like Mark and Alica's wedding, Keith was unaware that the appetizers were not the main dinner!  The evening was pretty cool - and Alex and his friends danced the night away. We got silly trying on all of the party favors that lit up! We wrapped up the evening with a drink on the rooftop bar at our hotel again.

On Sunday, we met Kim and Tom for a walk again - this time down the west side - starting at Hudson Yards and finishing at World Trade Center.  We saw the fountains at WTC and then went into the new Westfield Mall and transportation hub to take the subway back to the hotel. Our last stop on the weekend agenda was to meet Carmen at Demarchlier on the upper east side. It was a good lunch and fun to catch up - then we took a cab - first to Penn Station for Shawna to train up to Hartford, then Keith went to Newark for a flight back to Vegas.

Walk along West Side

Point Reyes - Labor Day Weekend - Sept 2018

Happy Campers

For this Labor Day weekend, we rented a house in the Point Reyes area with Rakesh and Simran.  Simran had been eyeing this house that she wanted to try so we booked it.  It was a very relaxing weekend filled with walks, biking, and lots of eating!

Marshall, CA

We both arrived in San Fran (on separate flights) on Thursday night with Shawna arriving first in time to have dinner with Rakesh, Simran and Ria. Simran made hamburgers which shrunk quite a bit and looked lost on the bun and while we made fun of them, they were still tasty!  Keith arrived shortly before bed so he said his quick hellos and then we all went to sleep.

Ranch at Straus House

On Friday, we took care of a few calls in the morning and then drove off in separate cars, stopping first to rent a bike for Keith.  We stopped in Petaluma to have lunch at Della Fattoria - we had been to their farm to table dinner a few times.  The restaurant is lovely and the food was really good - we ordered a bunch of salads and appetizers that we all shared with a bottle of wine.

Della Fattoria

After lunch, we bought a few food items in town for the house and then went wine tasting in Sebastopol.  First stop was Merry Edwards which is Shawna's favorite Sauvignon Blanc (she bought two bottles for the house) - Keith unfortunately had to do a call so he missed this tasting.  Second stop was Emeritus which has a nice modern tasting room and a yummy Rose and Pinot Noir - Simran joined their wine club so we could get a few bottles of the Rose which is limited to wine club owners only.

Merry Edwards Winery

On our way to the house, we stopped at Bohemian Creamery and did the 'speed' tasting of all of their cheeses - we settled on three to buy for the house.  We then drove to the house (Straus Home Ranch) which is located in Marshall on a farm across the road from the bay.  It is owned by the owners of Straus Family Creamery which sells dairy products in CA.  The house was beautiful with four bedrooms upstairs and two living rooms, a dining room and a fabulous kitchen downstairs.  After getting settled in, we drove into Point Reyes Station to fuel up on groceries for the weekend.  We then had dinner at Nick's Cove, a great restaurant very close to the house, located on the bay and known for their drinks.  We shared a few appetizers for the table and then Keith and Shawna shared the scallops for an entree.  All of the food was very good.

Straus Home Ranch

After breakfast on Saturday, the boys went for a bike ride into Point Reyes Station while the girls went for a hike at the Tomales Bay Trail and then went into town to walk around and grab a coffee.  We met back at the house in time for Ria and Simran's parents as well as Stacie and her boys (Luca and Mateo) to join us for the day.  We had lunch at the house outside with salads, cheese and bread followed by a tour of the farm given by one of the owners.  We went inside the barn which had been renovated for events and then walked into the field to see (and attempt to pet) the cows.  We were all shocked that Simran's mom was in the pasture with us, given her affinity for cleanliness!

Lunch at the House

That afternoon, we relaxed and then cooked dinner - steak with mushrooms, grilled veggies, mashed potatoes and homemade peach and berry pie (courtesy of Stacie).  Everything was delicious.  With the wine flowing, we took the opportunity to take some funny selfies!  After dinner, Stacie and her family as well as Simran's parents drove back to San Fran.

Silly Selfies

Dinner at the House

After breakfast on Sunday, the boys went for another bike ride - this time much longer.  The girls drove out to Dillon Beach and walked along the beach for over an hour.  Unfortunately, on the way back, they got stuck in Tomales as they were having their Founder's Day Parade and would not let any cars through.  So they made lemonade out of lemons and parked the car, watched the parade and got some food at the food stalls - tacos, chili and meatball sandwich.  There was no cell reception (which was a challenge all weekend) so Shawna had to 'steal' wifi from a cafe to send a note to the boys to let them know to have lunch on their own back at the house.  The parade finally ended and the girls met the boys back at home.

Dillon Beach

The girls then drove back into Point Reyes Station to walk around, check out the shops and to pick up Ria's friend, Etta, who stayed with us Sunday night.  We also stopped and bought some oysters at The Marshall Store.  Ria and Etta challenged Rakesh and Keith to a balloon and water gun fight - despite all of their planning, Ria and Etta were defeated!  That evening, we had oysters for an appetizer - Shawna tried them for the first time in a very long time and enjoyed them - much to her surprise.  Rakesh also made a pasta with sausage and veggies - very yummy.  After dinner, we played Taboo - Shawna won.

Oysters - Yum!

Monday was a bit lazier.  After breakfast and lounging around in the morning, we drove out to Bodega Bay, walked along the beach and had lunch at the Fishetarian Fish Market - we shared the clam chowder and fish tacos.  We returned back to the house for a nap before we packed up and drove back to San Fran.  That evening, Simran's mom made us chicken biryani which was amazing!

Beach at Bodega Bay

On Tuesday, Keith had a meeting in Menlo Park so Shawna worked from the house and then we both met up at the airport that evening to fly home.

Frank's 90th Birthday - August 2018

Clayton, Jackie, Frank and Christine

The original plan was to celebrate Frank's 90th birthday at Possum Kingdom.  Unfortunately, he had a brief hospital stint, so he was not quite up to a lake trip.  But, we still got to celebrate the event in Fort Worth.

Shawna was just home from a work trip to Manilla so was unable to make the weekend.  Keith flew in to Dallas from Minneapolis where he was working - Dick picked him up at the airport on the Thursday night.  He was able to work from Colleyville all day Friday.  The Friday night was dinner with Margaret, Owen, Josie, and Keith's parents at Fishtail.  Since dinner was early,we were also able to fit in Crazy Rich Asians at Colleyville Studio Movie Grill before going home - it was a great flick.

Keith woke up with Lily in the house - she had arrived by bus on Friday night but after Keith was fast asleep!  He was able to get a 1.5 hour workout in with Margaret at Lifetime Fitness - there was a spin bike so he could do a Peloton ride via the app.  Margaret dropped him back at home for a shower before heading out for the day's festivities.

Lily, Josie and Margaret

The first stop was lunch at Joe T Garcias - the famous Mexican restaurant in Fort Worth.  There were about 25 people there - the entire Dodds clan (less Boone) was there, plus Christine, Jackie, Clayton, Frank, the Browns, and a handful of others from the retirement community.  Keith sat next to Clayton and caught up with him.  The next stop was over to Trinity Terrace for cake and champagne and a few toasts to Frank.  We wrapped up the evening at 7:30, headed home, and Keith went to bed.

Graham

Keith's flight was Sunday mi-day, so the whole family (again, less Boone) went to Mockingbird Diner for brunch before the flight home.

Colorado - Aug 2018

Booth Lake Trail - Vail

We needed a break from the AZ heat and decided to go to Colorado for a week to work from there, hike and catch up with friends.

Well deserved beer in Vail

We arrived on Friday evening and drove out to Vail for the weekend.  We stayed at the Vail Marriott Mountain Resort for two nights.  On Saturday, we hiked the Booth Lake Trail, which is a beautiful 8 mile and 3K elevation gain hike to a gorgeous mountain lake.  We didn't quite make it to the lake, turning around about a mile from it because the altitude started to get to Shawna.  It took us 5 hours to finish - we were quite sore but really enjoyed it. That evening, we went to dinner at Matsuhisa, sharing shishito peppers, yellowtail sashimi, tuna tatake, black cod and lamb chops (which Keith said were the best lamb he has ever had).  Everything was delicious!

Dinner at Matsuhisa 

On Sunday, we had planned on hiking again in Vail but it was raining so we drove back to Denver and instead did a 3.5 hour hike of the Matthews/Winters Park trail.  It took us a bit longer to do this than in times past, mainly due to being still sore from the day before.  We then checked into the apartment where we stayed for the week - a free guest suite at one of Keith's company's properties - Capstone at Vallagio.  The apartment was great with a separate bedroom and office and washer / drier!  That afternoon we saw Eighth Grade which was a bit too slow for our taste and then we grabbed dinner at Mod Market sharing the green chile and the bbq pizza.

Matthews/Winters Park - Denver

During the week, we both worked.  Keith visited properties and Shawna had to fly to New Jersey for two days for a client meeting.  We also both worked out of the apartment.  At night, we caught up with friends.  While Shawna was away, Keith caught up with Keith, Christy and Jennifer.  We both had dinner at Elizabeth and Joe's house where they served yummy steak and couscous.  We also met up with Patrick and Donnel, first having wine at their house and then having dinner at Tap & Dough where we shared brussel sprouts, meatballs, burrata, a salad and a pizza.  On Friday, we had a delicious dinner with Michele and Martin at Ambli, where we shared lobster shooters (which were amazing), tuna sashimi, shrimp, lamb and chicken.

Booth Lake Trail - Vail

On Saturday, we went for a 7 mile, three hour hike in White Ranch Park.  It was a nice moderate hike which we had done once before when we lived there.  That afternoon, we say BlacKkKlansman which was very good.  That night, we met up with Kristina and Jacqui at Tap & Dough where we had many of the same dishes as two nights prior.  We had an early flight back on Sunday, spending the day catching up on work before we both embarked on crazy work travel.

White Ranch Park

San Juan Island - Anniversary - July 2018

Friday Harbor - San Juan Island

For our 17th Anniversary, we decided to escape the AZ heat and head to cooler climates - the San Juan Islands in Washington.  Since we were in New York City the prior weekend to celebrate Jean's 75th birthday, we decided to fly straight to Seattle from there and work in Seattle for a few days before taking the ferry to San Juan Island.  We stayed the entire time on San Juan Island as there was enough to do on that island so we will have to make another trip to see the other islands.  We did not rent a car (it's not really necessary) but used the island shuttles and taxis instead.  The weather was fabulous the entire time we were there!

Dinner at Coho

Accommodations:

Pike Motorworks - we stayed in the free guest suite at one of Keith's company's properties in Seattle.  The property is in Capitol Hill so convenient to lots of restaurants and bars.  The suite was great - very clean and comfortable with a queen bed, bathroom and full washer/drier (which was needed since Shawna had been traveling the week prior)!

Friday Harbor House - we stayed here on San Juan Island for three nights.  It is a great location up on the hill overlooking Friday Harbor and convenient to all of the spots in town.  The room was nice and there is a great restaurant where you can sit outside with great views of the harbor.  There was a continental breakfast included which was weird as it was set up on the third floor of the hotel in a hallway with no place to sit so we opted to pay for the breakfast in the restaurant most mornings.

Marriott Waterfront - we stayed here on points the last night before flying home.  It was only an 8 minute walk from the ferry to the hotel.

Friday Harbor

Activities: 

We arrived in Seattle late on Sunday night - Shawna worked out of the guest suite on Monday and Tuesday while Keith did some interviews and visited one of the properties.  In the evening, we met up with Grace for dinner one night and with Kelly and Reed the other night.  It was great to catch up with both of them.  On Tuesday afternoon, we walked down to Pike's Place Market via the Amazon Go store where we had to try it out and bought a water.  The weather was stunning!

Dinner with Grace at Momiji

On Wednesday morning, we took the ferry from one of the harbors in downtown Seattle to Friday Harbor on San Juan Island.  The ferry took about four hours to get there so we napped and watched a few shows on the iPad.  Upon arrival, we checked into our hotel and then quickly grabbed lunch before we picked up our bike rentals and rode for three hours down to Cattle Point (which is the southwestern tip of the Island) and back.  The road was somewhat hilly and had a nice shoulder for most of it.  That evening, we dined at the hotel and watched the 4th of July fireworks from the deck of the restaurant.  The fireworks display was quite impressive for such a small island.

Biking to Cattle Point

On Thursday, we went on a three hour kayak tour out of Snug Harbor (the company provided transportation to and from where we kayaked).  It was just the two of us and another couple with the guide.  It was a very nice activity - while we did not see whales from our kayaks we did see bald eagles and a harbor seal who got pretty close to our kayak!  With a sore butt from the prior day and sore arms from this activity, we opted to nap and relax in the room in the afternoon - a much needed rest!  After dinner, we took the shuttle over to Lime Kiln State Park where we watched the sunset - it was beautiful!

Kayaking

Sunset at Lime Kiln State Park

On Friday, we hopped on the shuttle to English Camp where we learned about the war that almost erupted with America due to conflict over the San Juan Islands and because an American shot a pig that belonged to one of the British residents.  They decided to set up camps (there is also an American Camp) on opposite sides of the island while they worked out who owned the Islands!  We hiked around the English Camp to Bell Point and then hiked over to Westcott Bay where we had a great lunch outside and also relaxed on Adirondack chairs while sipping rose wine (which we decided was now the new anniversary tradition since we had done the same the prior two years - in Park City and in Willamette Valley).  We then caught the shuttle back to town and went on a three hour whale watching tour.  The boat was great - very comfortable and it went very fast.  We saw orcas and humpback whales - both groups put on quite a show.  The orcas came pretty close to the boat and the humpback whales were slapping their tales on the water!

English Camp

Orca Sighting on Whale Watching Tour

On Saturday, we took a cab over to American Camp and hiked around there, along the water to South Beach and then crossed over the road to hike up Mount Finlayson.  We hiked about 2.5 hours before we took a taxi back into town.  After grabbing lunch, we stopped in a few shops and then relaxed on the deck of the hotel before catching the ferry back to Seattle.  We did not get to the hotel until about 8pm - so checked in, had a quick dinner, then went to bed so we could get up at 5:30am to fly home.

Hike to top of Mount Finlayson

Restaurants:

Seattle
Starbucks Reserve Roastery - had breakfast here both mornings.  Yummy yogurt with granola and coffee.  Interesting place with copper decorations where they roast beans.

Seattle Reserve Roastery

Momiji - Had dinner with Grace.  Great Japanese restaurant in Capitol Hill.  We shared several rolls (which were huge) along with shishito peppers and Hamachi.

Poppy - Had dinner with Kelly and Reed.  Nice Indian influenced restaurant in Capitol Hill.  We shared several appetizers (chickpea salad, goat cheese flan, and the dutch baby) and then shared the salmon for an entree.

San Juan Island
Friday Harbor House - had breakfast here each morning (yummy avocado toast) and had dinner one night.  Food was pretty good but service was a bit slow.  We shared the cheese board, a salad and a fish dish.

Market Chef - had lunch here.  Cute café with inside and outside seating that is only open during the day.  We shared a salad and the grilled cheese sandwich which were both very good!  We wanted to return on Saturday but learned they are closed on weekends - must be nice to shut down during the busiest time!

Coho - had dinner here.  Cute little house in town.  We shared a salad for an appetizer and halibut for an entrée.  The food was good but not phenomenal.

Westcott Bay Shellfish Company - great place to have lunch right on the water.  They are only open during the week. They normally do grilled clams and oysters but they were out of the clams so we got a half dozen grilled oysters with different sauces and some cheese and prosciutto with crackers.

Westcott Bay Shellfish Company

Duck Soup - great romantic place for dinner, located a few miles out of town (we took a cab to get there).  Best dinner of the trip!  We shared a salad and curry claims for an appetizer and the lamb for an entrée.

Downriggers - Located on the water with nice outside seating.  We had lunch here and thought the food was going to be average but surprisingly it was quite good.  We shared a few salads along with salmon ceviche and shishito peppers.

Hook and Plow - restaurant in the Marriott Hotel - we wanted something quick.  The food was actually pretty good (salad was terrific and the halibut quite good) - but the service took forever.

Sunset at Lime Kiln State Park

Jean's 75th Birthday - June 2018

Dodds Clan at 11 Madison Park

To celebrate Keith's mom's 75th birthday, Dick, Jean, Graham, Margaret, and us all flew to New York for a celebration weekend.  

Shawna was already on the east coast for work, so she took a train into the city from Hartford while Keith flew in from Phoenix.  The rest of the family was not arriving until Thursday night, so we got a room at the Hampton Inn Chelsea on the Wednesday night.  We were able to use points for the hotel which saved us $350 of the $450 total cost.  Keith got up early and walked a street over to take a ride at the Peloton studio where he rode with Matt Wilpers.  We both worked out of the hotel Thursday day - Keith from the lobby and Shawna from the room.  Graham stopped by the hotel mid-morning after he arrived to drop off his luggage so he could explore on his own.  At 4pm, we hauled the luggage over to the Airbnb (338 E 30th Street, between 2nd and 1st avenue) where Keith's parents had just checked in.  The apartment was quite spacious with a nice sized living room and three bedrooms and bathrooms - only downside is that the mattresses were not comfortable.  Margaret arrived in time for us all to eat Indian at Spice Symphony where we shared the chicken tandoori and a chickpea dish.  We headed to bed early as we were all pretty tired.

Keith & Margaret at Peloton with Jennifer Jacobs

On Friday morning, Keith and Margaret got up at 5am and both walked over to Peloton for another ride: Margaret's first - we rode with Jennifer Jacobs.  Shawna went for a walk along the East River which is no where near as nice as the walk along the Hudson River.  Keith was able to escape the house for a bit of time to join for the first part of a street art tour of Little Italy.  Keith had a few calls on Friday as did Shawna, but we were able to wrap everything up by 4pm.  Dinner was early - we had a 5:30 reservation at Le Bernardin.  We all chose the 4 course dinner - it was delicious.  Graham headed out to meet a friend afterward so the rest of us went to Bar 54 - a rooftop bar just off Times Square.  The views of the city were amazing and we were there in time to see a beautiful sunset.

Yummo dish at Le Bernardin

Sunset at Bar 54

On Saturday morning, Keith, Shawna, and Margaret got up and all walked along the East River.  We made it down to Delancy street, grabbed Starbucks for the family, and taxied back to the house.  We then all walked across the island over to the Highline - Graham and Margaret had not been there yet.  We entered at 30th street and walked north - it was fascinating to see Hudson Yards under construction - we had seen it a couple of years earlier as they were building the platform.  We walked all the way down to the southern end, then grabbed lunch at The Standard Grill - the same place we went the previous year with Kim and Tom.  We ate light: we shared the chicken cobb salad.  After lunch, we taxied back to the house to shower before Ubering to see Dear Evan Hanson.  The show was fantastic.  We then all went back to the house to get dressed for dinner at 11 Madison Park, one of the top restaurants in the world.  This was the actual birthday dinner for Jean, though we definitely celebrated at all of them!  The food was delicious, and we even saw the chef Daniel Humm sitting in the restaurant with his daughter for dinner.  Graham rated the evening as the best meal he has had.

Highline

Lunch at The Standard Grill

On Sunday morning, Graham and Margaret brought Starbucks to the house for a quick breakfast before we all went to Central Park for a walk.  We got in almost 2 hours, stopped by the Apple Store after, and then went back for our final shower.  Graham said goodbye to us - he was meeting friends for a couple more days before flying home.  The rest of us Ubered over to the Staybridge Suites where Keith's parents were staying a few more days: the room was not ready so we just left our luggage with the bellman.  Keith's dad booked us lunch at La Masseria, an Italian restaurant their friends had been to previously.  The food was good - we shared a salad with warm goat cheese and veal scaloppini.  It was then back to the hotel to grab our luggage, say our goodbyes, and head to LaGuardia for the next leg of the trip: Seattle and San Juan Island!

Walk around the Reservoir in Central Park

"Behind the Scenes" in the Kitchen at 11 Madison Park