The World Trade Center Memorial World Trade Center Memorial and Museum We begain the day on a somber note, visiting the World Trade Center Memorial and Museum. It took about 2 hours to make our way through the museum. We bought tickets at the ticket counter (rather than in advance), and there was no wait. (Maybe getting there at 9:30 on a weekday makes a difference?)...
If you thought yesterday was a lot of walking, just wait until you see today’s total! We started the day doing what we had planned to do yesterday morning: check out the views at Top of the Rock, high atop 30 Rock (30 Rockefeller Plaza), home of The Tonight Show, SNL, The Late Show with Seth Meyers, The Today Show, and more. Top of the Rock Selfie on Skylift at...
Our first full day in New York City was rainy and gray, but that didn’t stop us! We did have to re-book our Top of the Rock timed entry to tomorrow, since there was zero visibility when we showed up for our 9am slot. So, that’ll have to wait until tomorrow. We had to settle for a 9:20am slot, though, but that’s fine. John Lennon Our first top of the...
As we explored Montevideo (and Punta del Este) for two weeks, I jotted down notes and observations so that next time we can review them and not have to re-learn everything. If you’re heading to Uruguay, you might find these helpful. Buses: unless you’re staying in one area (Ciudad Vieja, Positos, etc.) the entire time, you’re going to want to take a...
Our final day in Uruguay. We didn’t fly out until 10:15pm, so had a full day, including trying a new (to us) cafรฉ (the oldest cafรฉ in Montevideo), and a new hotel. But wait until you hear about the in-flight meal from Montevideo to Miami. It’s a doozy. Back to La Sin Rival Apple torte at La Sin Rival We enjoyed La Sin Rival last night so much, we decided...
Our next-to-last day in Uruguay was spent mostly saying goodbye. A walk along La Rambla, one last morning pastry and espresso at Pausat (where we said goodbye to Antonella, our favorite barista), enjoying a panoramic view of Montevideo from the top of City Hall, and discovering a former pasta factory turned restaurant. Goodbye, Pausat Our favorite spot for morning...
Daniel is leaving for a few days to visit his cousin, so we won’t see him again until we’re all back in Sacramento. So, we had a farewell lunch at La Corte. They do a Prix Fixe menu that includes an entree, drink, and dessert. It’s a very nice restaurant, but the inside was booked so we sat outside (which worked out well because it was a lovely...
Punta del Este is a resort town about 2 hours from Montevideo. It’s been called a lot of things: “The Hamptons of South America”, “The Monaco of the South”, “The Miami Beach of South America”, “The Pearl of the Atlantic”, and “The St. Tropez of South America”. During peak summer season, you’ll...
Palacio Legislativo Light day today. We started by walking to the Legislative Palace (Palacio Legislativo). The next tour wasn’t until 45 minutes after we got there, so we decided to skip it. The outside of the building is impressive, though, and we saw some good street art on the way, so it wasn’t a wasted trip. I don’t recommend walking there...
The highlight of the day was the flamenco show at Teatro Solรญs, but first we went to Montevideo Shopping Center, which is a huge shopping mall in Pocitos. We, of course, started the day at Pausat (now that they were open again in the mornings), then took the bus to Montevideo Shopping Center in Pocitos. It’s a big, modern, 3-story shopping mall. I bought a nice...