Waterfalls, Ghostland Observatory and the Mets

We just experienced one of our top 5 NY weekends. We did some major exploring and braved the humidity while venturing to Brooklyn Heights and Queens.

On Saturday, we walked along the promenade and caught sight of the "Waterfalls" public art exhibit. We ended up at the Empire -Fulton Ferry Landing and future site of Brooklyn Bridge Park. The city is building a new park along the Brooklyn waterfront and from the plans we saw, it's going to be a very nice one - complete with a great view!

Waterfall #1

On the Promenade

#2 and #3 Waterfalls (look very closely to see #3 in the background)

The Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory - located in a 1920's fireboat house on the waterfront. The ice cream was worth the 15 minute wait!

Waterfall under the Brooklyn Bridge

We saw some wedding parties taking photos in this section of the park. Tuxedo's in 80-90 degree heat - how awful.

Later that night, we headed down the block to Prospect Park for a free concert ($3 donation suggested). Ghostland Observatory was playing and I wanted to check it out. I can't believe it was free - what a performance! They use lasers and smoke during the show and the singer, Aaron Behrens, gets very into his dance moves. And I mean very.


On Sunday, we took the G and the 7 trains to Shea Stadium in Queens to watch the Mets play the Cardinals. Ethan and I both agree that Shea is much better than Yankee Stadium. Better team and better stadium. We saw a fun game - a few home runs and a win for the Mets.

The new stadium is being built right next door.

David Wright at bat

Mr. Met in the crowd

The Home Run Big Apple - it pops up every time the Mets hit one out of the park.

The Past Few Weeks...

Here's a group of photos from some outings in July. I decided to include them all on one post since I am weeks behind on the blog! Sorry about that, but the lazy days of summer have arrived.

A couple weeks ago, Ben (friend from high school) and his wife Joanna were in town. They have been working in Nigeria for the past year and came back to the US for a few week's vacation. We went out to dinner at one of our favorite Italian restaraunts, Supper. We hadn't seen Ben and Joanna since their wedding, so it was fun to catch up and hear stories about their adventures in Africa.




Every summer, the New York Philharmonic performs concerts at parks in all five boroughs. This year, we went to the concert in Prospect Park. It was something fun and new to try and we had a great time! There were even fireworks after the performance - amazing. It was the closest I have EVER been to a big fireworks show. I still haven't mastered taking pictures of fireworks, so you will just have to take my word for it. I need to have my dad teach me how to do that....





There was also a pretty cool sunset that made me feel like I had stepped into a painting. I love sunsets.




We also watched another Cyclones game - this time we sat in the real seats (those bleachers are rough on the backside). It was Billy Joel Night - which meant they played all Billy Joel songs. Unfortunately, the Piano Man did not make an appearance. (That big tower in the background used to be the Parachute Drop ride. It is now a historical landmark and is no longer operating).

The Cyclones watching the game.

Bronx Zoo

We took a day trip to the Bronx Zoo - it took about an hour to get there on the subway. It was a misty, wet day but it didn't keep anyone away. We had a fun time going to a new part of the city - we felt like we were on vacation (in the boogie down Bronx). The zoo was worth the trip and featured some cool exhibits.

This is one of the older buildings - it's the Aviary exhibit. I like the two rhino statues in front.

We rode the "Skyfari" tram above the zoo grounds. We both felt our stomachs drop when the tram stopped halfway and the wire slacked a bit - it felt like we were falling. But no, everything was fine and the tram started moving again. But a few days later, we saw a story on the local news about the Skyfari breaking down. People were stuck for 5 hours until cranes were put in place to rescue them.

The lions were actually out in the open - this is the closest I've ever been!

Baby and mama giraffe in the rain

This polar bear was having a fun time playing with his ball in the water. Later, he did some very balanced walking around his pool.

This is truly how close we got to the tiger! He was right behind the glass giving himself a bath(just like Luna) and staring at us.

Gorillas in the mist! This exhibit was one of our favorites- it included LOTS of gorillas and mist machines. The Bronx Zoo and the Woodland Park Zoo are well known for their gorilla babies and families. We saw a baby and had a teen gorilla run in our direction and smack the glass in front of us. You can always count on the gorillas for entertainment!

Big poppa silverback

Short gorilla video

Cyclones and Thunderstorms

A couple weeks ago, we had a very Brooklyn weekend. We headed to Prospect Park for a "Celebrate Brooklyn" concert - every summer, the bandshell is converted into a huge stage for summer concerts. We went with Chad and Sarah to see the "Cold War Kids" - Ethan and I had never heard of them but had a lot of fun doing something new. And it was only a $3 "suggested donation" and a block away from our apartment!

The next day, we headed down to Coney Island for some boardwalk fun and a Brooklyn Cyclones Game. (The Cyclones are part of the Mets farm system - Short Season A).


Sarah took this nice shot of the Wonder Wheel - we all decided to go for a ride on this Coney Island icon. We choose to ride in a moving car, instead of an immobile, boring one. When you reach certain points in the air, the car slides forward on a track and it feels like you will fly right off! It was a little scary at first, but we were brave and survived. After all, this ride has been running for 85 years without an accident! That's a pretty good stat.

Sarah and Chad enjoying or not enjoying the Wonder Wheel? :) Sarah was a trooper - this was her second time on this ride.

Does that say "Danger" on the back of our seat? That's comforting.

View of the beach / Atlantic Ocean

Off to Keyspan Park, to see the Cyclones play the Aberdeen (Maryland) Iron Birds. The game started an hour and a half late - a thunderstorm rolled in and drenched Coney Island. We headed for cover and waited out the storm - it was definitely exciting with lightning strikes all around us and torrential rain creating massive puddles.

The minor league games I've been to are always laid back, fun and cozy. The Cyclones were no different. We enjoyed ourselves more than we have at Yankees games - the crowd was friendly and we felt good about cheering for this team- and there were free giveaways between every inning! Chad and Ethan both caught t-shirts. Can't beat that. The only downside was the concessions menu signs included calorie counts and it became too obvious that the food is very bad for you. But we indulged anyway - after all, what's a baseball game without peanuts and ice cream?

We are heading back to Keyspan Park this weekend - it's Billy Joel Night and that equals fun. :)

Bye Bye Sonics

Farewell to the Oklahoma City-bound Sonics. The Sonics of the 1990s was the team that made me a fan of the NBA. Shawn Kemp, Gary Payton, Nate McMillan, Steve Scheffler, and Derrick McKey - I miss you. Thanks for the memories!