Long Island City....Queens

I finished up with my appointments early this morning and so I headed off on an adventure. I went to Gantry State Park in the Hunters Point section of Long Island City. It is right on the East River and is near the Queensboro bridge.The park got a "touch up" recently and it is beautiful! I decided to sit at the end of this pier and enjoy my lunch as I gazed across the river at the Empire State Building and the United Nations building.Yummy salad and mushroom cheese focacia from the Food Cellar Amish Market.Check out the hammocks that the city provides for people to use. What an awesome place to "swing" and relax a while.Some of the old gantries that were used back in the day to take cars off of the barges.The Queensboro bridge off in the distance.A few of the buildings that line the boardwalk and park. What a view!Empire State Building, United Nations, and the Chrysler Building.Enormous Pepsi sign at the end of the park. This is where they used to have a Pepsi bottling plant years ago. This sign has been seen in the background in many movies.Me squinting in the BRIGHT sun!

Love me some Chaco's...

My family has worn Tevas, Chacos, and Alps for YEARS. It goes way back to the MANY river rafting trips my dad took us on as a family. Well, I don't wear Tevas anymore but I still love Chacos.I got these Chacos a couple of years ago and like them because of the high arch. The only problem is that I hate having to occasionally adjust the straps. I am lazy! I got these slip on Keens last year and absolutely LOVE them and the price was even better. The problem is that I have worn them OUT! Too many miles have been walked in these bad boys.I went to Soho the other day and ran across a great outdoor store called Mountain Sports. I wasn't going to explore the store but I am glad that I did. They had a ton of Chacos that were 60% off in preparation for winter. I had to buy two pairs....thank you very much!I was even happier about my purchase when I found out that another company bought out Chaco and so the future quality of the product isn't really known. I guess people fear that they wont be as good. Score! I got some good/cute ones before the new company takes over. Now cue the music to Happy Feet! ha!

US Open at Flushing Meadows

I decided to go over to Flushing Meadows Park today and walk around. The US Open (Tennis) is going on there for the next two weeks and so I thought it would be fun to check out some of the action.Here is main grand stand tennis stadium that they use for the finals.

Here I am trying to hold the Unisphere in one hand. Ha! I think I did pretty good for taking a self-portrait. Taking this picture reminds me of when my mission companion and I took pictures in front of the Unisphere together. We held our hands out really wide as if the world was on our shoulders. The pics are in Arizona or I would post one.....good times!Remember this from Men in Black with Will Smith? It is from the Worlds Fair but they used it in the movie.Can you see the guy with his little kids walking around the base of the fountains? Talk about taking your kid to the splash park....ha!

Italian Summer Nights....

I have spent many summer evenings at this park. I wrote about this place, Spaghetti Park, last summer but I have really fallen in love with it this summer. I usually make a stop off at the Lemon Ice King of Corona and get some Italian Ice before going across the street to the park. Then I sit and watch the Bocce players for a couple of hours. The park fills up with locals as well as people who make the drive to Queens for the famous Italian Ice and Bocce entertainment. The benches are always filled up with old Italian men who have known each other for years. They are pretty funny! Anyway...it is a fun way to pass a warm summer night.

Baldi Hot Springs

This was one of the NEATEST parts of our trip! We went to the Baldi Hot Springs to enjoy the thermal pools that are tapped into the Arenal Volcano. The springs are at the base of the Volcano and the pools range in all different temperatures but most of them are pretty warm/hot. The park was beautiful and the pictures really do not do it justice. I would recommend this place to ANYONE and EVERYONE.

La Fortuna (Arenal)

Here are a few pictures around the town of La Fortuna. Want to find the center or "heart" of a town in Costa Rica? Look for the Catholic church steeple. Once you find it....the soccer field wont be too far. I promise....EVERY town has those two things!Kids on their way to school. Me picking up my laundry. There is a really nice girl in La Fortuna that does laundry at her house for tourists. She has a few machines in her garage and then she hangs the clothes in her backyard overnight. Our favorite ice cream shop. It is called "Eruptions of Flavor." Very unique name for a Volcano town. ha!Empanada guy who rides his quad all over town selling. My dad loved his empanadas....they were pretty delicious.This guy was cool. He was making furniture and so we watched him for a while. He lives at the "laundry" house. He wraps a plastic cord around wire frames to make rocking chairs, etc. It is way comfortable and sturdy. I have seen them in El Salvador too. I think that most Central American countries use this furniture.Helena....a shop owner that was a buddy to my mom and I. She went out on the streets with us and helped us "wheel and deal" with some of the locals that she knows. She also lent us a CD to burn that we liked. Fruit and veggies anyone?