Long Island

Wedding bells brought family together from Oregon, Chicago, Indiana, and Switzerland. The wedding was lovely and reception one to remember. On top of all the deliscious food, drinks, desert and dancing, my highlight was exploring the many indoor spaces and sprawling outdoor garden where Xavier got a little too adventurous and fell waist-deep into a pond. Classic 10-year old stuff.

Long Island downtime allowed us to explore a bit of the locale and beyond. A meaningful visit at Long Island Lutheran brought us through a flurry of fancy etates and a fun autumn hike that included a gaggle of off-road RC enthusiats. I passed on the gypsy bacon but tried my first "chopped cheese" sandwich which I highly recommend!

Manhattan

Since college and several return visits to New York City, a lot has changed and a lot has stayed the same. I last stopped by in 2014 not long after the High Line was completed and revisiting that walk was one of several highlights this time around.

We also made days of Central Park, 5th Avenue, Little Island, Chinatown and elsewhere with NY pizza slices at every turn including pies at John's Pizza.

Hoboken

We ended our trip in Hoboken, a welcome shift from the frantic hustle-bustle of downtown New York. Hoboken is a pretty cool neighborhood and we comfotably settled into a spacious house for a laid back thanksgiving with food, games, and good company.