For Spring Break 2014, we decided to head up North to see some friends and family.  Our first stop was to see some friends in Brooklyn Saturday night.  Sunday morning we headed to Manhattan to explore the Highline park.  It was a creative use of abandoned train tracks that provided a unique view of the city, especially on a quiet damp Sunday morning.  With a few hours to spare before lunch we ran through the Museum of Natural History.  While waiting for the museum to open, we were  able to watch a race in Central Park.  Next we had our own Miracle on 34th Street since Andy’s cousin, Nate, treated us and two friends to a lunch in the Stella 34 Trattoria located in the flagship Macy’s at Herald’s Square.  We had at least five courses, all delicious, from eggplant parmesan to cuttlefish pasta.  Luckily, Macy’s flower show was going on so we were treated to drinks with edible flowers.  Thanks again Nate for providing us with one of the most memorable meals we have ever had!  Unfortunately, we had to eat and run since we were on our way to upstate New York to visit more family.

Spring Break in upstate New York lended itself to cozy mornings by the fire with a perfect setting to work on National Board Certification and graduate school work!  In those few very relaxing days we visited a real maple syrup farm and watched the sap being cooked down to syrup, visited with family, and convinced Karen to try some delicious Moroccan food!  It was great to have that time to see so much family and help out around the house.  We also enjoyed living vicariously through Karen and Sue while looking at their amazing pictures of their recent Australia and New Zealand trip.

Later in the week we headed back down towards the city with a stop outside Poughkeepsie for a hike.  After reading that Breakneck Ridge is listed as a top hike in the US, we thought this would be a great chance to find out for ourselves.  Breakneck Ridge is aptly named as the first mile is almost vertical.  We scrambled up steep, loose rock where a fall would drop you into the Hudson.  Once we got to the ridge, we saw the reward with views of the Hudson Valley, West Point, and Pollepel Island with ruins of the Bannerman Castle.  All of these views were more dramatic because of the incoming storm and the solitude on the trail.  This is definitely a hike worth coming back.

After the hike, we drove back into the city and visited the Guggenheim and not only were we able to appreciate the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright, we also caught a very fascinating show called Italian Futurism.  We attempted Soho in our car, but ended up going to the hotel in Brooklyn.  We then took the train out of Brooklyn and decided to try Coney Island.  The area was desolate, the air was cold and damp giving the Island a completely different feeling.

Next morning we headed to Northern Jersey shore to see more family, then headed to DC to see Rocket from the Crypt play at the Black Cat.  We stopped briefly at the mall of Washington, saw some sites, and attempted the Holocaust museum a few minutes too late.  We headed over the river to check in to a fun surprise, upgrade!  Our hotel had upgraded us to the penthouse suite with a balcony view of the Washington monument.  Being there for such a short amount of time made it hard to leave the penthouse with that view!  It was definitely worth it to see Rocket from the Crypt, who still put on an amazing show.

All in all, it was a great spring break with lots of fun, family, and friends spread across the mid-atlantic and northeastern US.