Before we headed up into the sky, we filled up on some Chipotle. We both got burrito bowls and split some chips with guac. It’s also not a trip to Chipotle for me without an Izzie soda. I discovered the stuff the first time I ever ate at Chipotle and I always get one when I’m there. I love Chipotle and need to start a petition to bring one closer to my house. Anyone willing to sign?

The lines to get into the building were only slightly ridiculous, but that’s what we get for going during one of the busiest times of the year. If our tickets weren’t expiring on Saturday, we probably would’ve waited until after the holidays. Luckily we were able to get passed the first huge line by convincing the security guy that Tommy is an employee of the building because his company has an office there. Unfortunately, the mean lady at the next checkpoint didn’t buy our story. We also ended up taking the stairs for the last six stories because it was either a 5 minute walk up or a 30 wait to take the elevator.

There’s something about the view, that when you get up there you seem to forget how aggravated you were standing in the lines for such a long time.

It was a perfectly clear night and you could see for miles.

My house is somewhere among these lights.

We tried to take a few pictures, but when you use the flash you can’t see the view and when you can see the view, you can’t see us. But the twinkling lights are prettier than we are anyway.

I’ve been lucky enough to go up to the top of every observatory in New York and I have to say that the World Trade Center really had the best observatory and I can’t wait until the Freedom Tower opens to check out that observatory. But if you’re coming to New York in the near future and want to go up to check out the view, shell out the extra three bucks and go to the Top of the Rock. The views are pretty much the same, but the crowds are almost non-existent there compared to the Empire State Building and the observatory itself it newer and nicer, at least in my opinion.

The only thing you don’t get to see at The Top of the Rock is King Kong!

Have a great Thursday!

Where do you take visitors to your city/town?

The post The View from the Top appeared first on Frolic Through Life.

Saturday morning I woke up with only one thing on my mind, French toast.  I received a package from the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program on Friday which included a very yummy looking recipe and knew it had to be made ASAP.

This was not your average French toast, this was made with Chocolate Chip Panettone, an Italian sweet bread. The recipe was super quick and easy and the results were to die for. All you need is the Panettone, two eggs, two tablespoons of milk, a tablespoon of sour cream, some cinnamon and a little almond extract. Mix it up, add the bread, fry it up and chow down.

After our bellies were full, we headed into the city to go sailing.  I bought Tommy an experience gift for his graduation through Xperience Days and it included a two hour cruise on the Clipper City through New York Harbor with Craft Beer tasting.

The weather people kept saying it was going to rain in the afternoon, but we had faith that it would hold out. That is, until it started pouring within minutes of us leaving shore.  Luckily, our captain steered us straight out of the storm and it was smooth sailing for the whole trip.

The storm we left behind.

Lady Liberty

We got some awesome views of the sights of New York and tried six different beers from three different local breweries, Fire Island Brewery, Brooklyn Brewery and Southampton Publik House. Two of the six were pumpkin beers which I loved! My two favorite beers came from the Southampton brewery, Pumpkin Ale and Double White Ale. I really hope I’ll be able to find these beers in stores.

Once we were back on dry land, we decided to grab some dinner. We decided on Amber, a steakhouse in Greenpoint that we both pass by on a regular basis, but haven’t had a chance to try yet. Since we are both Polish, we agreed that the place had a very Polish atmosphere, like a restaurant in Poland, but I don’t know if non-Poles would get that kind of vibe from the place.

We started with the Tuna Tartare as our appetizer. It was good, but we both agreed that it would be better with a little more spice to it.

For our entrees, we both got the New York Strip Steak.  I got mine with mashed potatoes and mushroom and spinach.  My potatoes were good, but Tommy’s asparagus stole the spotlight.  It was coated in a very light butter sauce which gave it an amazing flavor.

Overall, it was a good meal, but even though the steak was cooked perfectly to medium, it was a bit charred on the outside for my taste.

We spent the rest of the evening at home spending some time with the little man.  We watched Love, Wedding, Marriage and played some Scrabble on the iPad, while snacking on some Swedish Fish.  If that’s not a good night, I don’t know what it.

Have a great Monday! I’ll be back tomorrow to share our pumpkin picking adventures.

What did you do this weekend?
What’s your favorite beer?

The post Sailing on a Saturday Afternoon appeared first on Frolic Through Life.

I got some exerstudying in, getting through about 40 pages of my outline and cycling 13 miles at the same time.  Not too shabby, I think. Also if anyone uses DailyMile to track their workouts add me!

With the weather in New York getting nicer and nicer, the last thing I want to do is study and go to my last few classes. While procrastinating on Stumble Upon today I came across this website, with 40 free attractions in New York.  Its sad to say that I’ve lived in New York my whole life and I haven’t been to most of these places, and I’m thinking that I’m gonna spend some time this summer exploring this city.

The thing that I’m most exciting in going to is the High Line.  Its a park in Chelsea that was created on an old elevated railroad track, so its pretty much a park 30 feet above the streets of the city.  I remember hearing about it when it opened in 2009 and wanting to go, but obviously quickly forgetting about it.

High Line as seen from above.

I also really want to go to the Brooklyn Brewery Tour.  I’m a fan of Brooklyn Lager and wouldn’t mind going to see where it’s made and getting some free samples.

Question of the Day: What are your favorite places to visit in your city?

The post New York City for free! appeared first on Frolic Through Life.