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#59: Ride a cable car in San Francisco

March 19, 2012 by Jessica No Comments »


We also wandered into The Gold Dust Lounge, which I consider an endangered American landmark.

The people of San Francisco were friendly, the food was uh-mazing (seriously, the airport food was worlds better than most restaurants here in Sarasota), the architecture was charming and the views on the Wharf were stunning.

I know it was a brief visit, but I enjoyed this city so much that we were half-jokingly discussing moving here by the end of the trip. (We won’t, sadly, but it’s a nice little daydream.) 		I know, super touristy. But I’ve wanted to do it since I was a little kid, and it was as awesome as I had hoped.

We stopped in San Francisco on our way back from China. We had a total of 36 hours to see all we could see, and we did our best (with the occasional stop for a refreshing malted beverage) to fit it all in. Fisherman’s Wharf, of course, and lots of walking all around the Downtown, Nob Hill, and Embarcadero neighborhoods. Such a charming place. On our first night we stumbled upon an old-fashioned piano bar singalong, and anyone who knows me will understand how delighted I was by this.
 
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#113: See the Great Wall of China

March 16, 2012 by Jessica 2 Comments »
Well. I think I’ve mentioned before on this blog that I have a [sometimes debilitating] fear of heights. Yes, I went skydiving recently. Yes, I’ve climbed all around Machu Picchu. Somehow this was worse. Beautiful, breathtaking, and horrifying all at once.

This is not the first time my husband has had to pressure me into finishing a climb. “You’ll regret not reaching the top when you’re back down there looking up!” Yes, sometimes it takes him to make me do something I really [at that moment] don’t want to do.

But we did it. I did cry a good chunk of the way. Mostly from fear. But I grabbed a Kleenex, slapped on my Big Girl Panties, and clung to the handrail for dear life.

I’m so glad I did. The view from the top tower is spectacular.

This was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime trip. I may never return to Beijing (I think we’ve seen everything and then some), but I can’t wait to return to China one day.
 
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#145: Visit Tiananmen Square

March 14, 2012 by Jessica No Comments »


These photos are not actually of Tiananmen Square, but the portrait of Chairman Mao is what is most associated with it. Tiananmen Square itself is across a busy road, facing this, the Gate of Heavenly Peace, which is actually the entrance to the Imperial City, within which is the Forbidden City. (Not confusing at all, right?)

We didn’t get to stand inside the Square as they were having a conference and it was closed off to the public. But we got to see it, and walk through the gate on our way to the Forbidden City.

It’s a pretty spectacular sight, the grandeur of it all, and it’s not difficult to imagine what the area must have been like during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. 		It’s kind of a strange feeling, visiting a place where you know something awful once happened, but you can’t talk about it, and many people around you might not even know about it. No one on our tour asked the guide questions about it, which made me feel relieved.

I learned so much on this trip to Beijing. What happened here in 1989 may not have been brought up, but I learned a lot more about the country’s vast history, the more recent Cultural Revolution, and the people themselves. I think it’s a culture that, as an outsider, would take years to fully understand, if ever.
 
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#1: Skydive

January 11, 2012 by Jessica 3 Comments »

I think the video speaks for itself. Holy. Crap. Shaking like a leaf on the way up, but now I want to go again!

 
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#148: Slow dance in Central Park

December 2, 2011 by Jessica No Comments »
I’m a very lucky lady. I knew this already, but this one reaffirmed it. You see, my husband is super supportive. He lets me drag him all around New York and then is more than happy to help me cross off one of my girliest bucket list items!

After the carriage ride, we walked around a little bit, mostly by this ice skating rink (which has been featured in a whole bunch of movies). It’s one of my favorite spots in the park, and since it provides music, it also happened to be the perfect setting for our slow dance.

It would have felt silly to ask someone to take a photo of us dancing, but I don’t need a photo for this one. It was a lovely moment that I’m sure I’ll be able to recall 80 years from now.
 
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#75: Ride in a horse-drawn carriage

by Jessica No Comments »
This is going to sound silly to some people, but I really struggled with this one. I wrote it down years ago, but came close to removing it from the list when the opportunity came to scratch it off.

I had heard stories of horses being abused and I was worried about contributing to that. (I was also that kid who felt bad taking part in pony rides at the fair, so I guess no one should be surprised.)

Anyway, we walked around looking at the horses, trying to pick one that looked like it was healthy & had a nice owner. We found Tyson. The driver was very nice & seemed to really care about his horse, so we figured we’d go with him.

In the end, I got over my feelings. Tyson was well cared for and seemed content, and our money would go toward supporting him in some way, as well as his owner.

All in all, it was a nice, slow, romantic way to see a little bit of the park.
 
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#117: Have a Parker cocktail at the Algonquin Hotel

by Jessica No Comments »
Okay, so… This one’s quirky, I guess.

Reader’s Digest version, for those who don’t already know: Dorothy Parker was a writer in the ’20s. She was a member of a group known as the Algonquin Round Table. It included many great writers, critics, actors… They would basically get together for lunch at the Algonquin Hotel and be witty, bitchy, and all-around awesome.

There’s a lot more to this, but I’ll spare you my nerdy history lessons (which my poor husband had to endure). All you need to know is that I’m a big fan. I’ve always loved reading about the group, Dorothy Parker in particular.

The fabulous Dorothy Parker


The Algonquin is beautiful inside and feels very much like stepping back in time. It’s easy to imagine it being one of the best spots in town during its heyday, filled with droll conversation and flowing booze (despite Prohibition).

Sadly, the Parker Cocktail was no longer on the menu, but I asked and they obliged me anyway. It’s a delicious mix of vodka, Chambord, and lemon juice. I think Mrs. Parker would have loved it.
 
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#88: Go to the top of the Empire State Building

by Jessica 2 Comments »


But I never got around to it. I moved back home to Florida and I immediately regretted never going up to the top.

It was totally worth the wait. What an absolutely breathtaking view! A bit pricey to go up, but 100% worth it.

The best way to describe it is with a quote from one of my favorite movies, An Affair to Remember: “It was the nearest thing to heaven.” So true. 		So, I used to live in a little village not too far north of Manhattan called Nyack. I lived there for three years, most of which were spent working in a library, taking the bus to the city on the weekends to see Broadway shows when I had the money and/or time.

Visiting the Empire State Building felt touristy. I imagined waiting in line with hundreds of people, only to be disappointed by the hype. I’ll get around to it eventually, I thought. The building will be there next weekend, so why not put it off until another time?
 
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#144: Leave a 100% tip

July 30, 2011 by Jessica 3 Comments »
We go to this restaurant a lot. We sit at the bar and have gotten to know the waitstaff and the bartenders. Most of them are young, a lot of them have families at home, and they all work very hard.

I don’t make a lot of money, so this isn’t something I would just do any old day. But it was my birthday, and I figured what better time to scratch this one off?

I was already planning on doing it when they brought out ice cream and sang happy birthday to me. Then when it came time to pay the bill, they took my dinner off the bill as a birthday gift.

So… I’d say I definitely picked the best restaurant to scratch off #144, wouldn’t you? Very glad I got to do this one.
 
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#6: Send a message in a bottle

by Jessica 1 Comment »
Kind of a silly little thing… I always wanted to do this as a kid. I never did it back then, so I figured, what better way to celebrate a quarter century of life?

I emptied out a small, glass soy sauce bottle and found a cork that fit (ugh, it was from a bottle of Moet & Chandon – it pained me to give it up). I wrote out my little message (nothing profound), and sealed the cork with candle wax.

Something I didn’t think about ahead of time: I was basically littering.

I know glass will break down over time and it really won’t hurt anything, but… still. I felt guilty doing it. And I became very paranoid that someone would call the police on me or something.

We found a deserted spot at the edge of the beach, near an underpass. The current was strong, and we purposely caught it on the outgoing tide.

I glanced around me to make sure no coppers were watching, and hurled that baby into the Gulf of Mexico!
 
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