We ordered our certificates by phone. The operator advised us to order them individually (1 night vs. multiple nights per certificate) for more flexibility. He was able to book the room for us directly which was a bonus. The certificates work like currency. If we needed to cancel our booking, it was also possible.

We got a decent hotel in a decent neighborhood during high season and saved $100 per night!

Getting into Town

At the airport, we took AirTrain to the subway to get to Manhattan. With traffic the way it is, going underground is best-under an hour vs. 3+ hours! We’ve tried other ways such as shuttles, taxis, and limos. The fastest and cheapest way is by AirTrain and subway. The cost is $5 for AirTrain, then subway cost depending on where you’re headed. The only part is that you will lug your luggage up and down stairs but it’s not that bad. The second best way is by limo. Hiring a car is about the same price as getting a cab minus the comfort. We generally choose a hotel along the main subway line so there’s minimal travel from subway stop to hotel. Times Square/Midtown area is our choice.

Put on Your Walking Shoes and Wander Away!

We do a lot of walking in the town. We stumble onto things many times. While in SOHO, we wandered around the side streets to admire the wonderful cobblestone streets and beautiful architecture.

On another day, when venturing through Chelsea and down Bleecker street, we wandered down a residential block that was marked a historic neighborhood. Snapping photos of the gorgeous Brownstones when we noticed a couple of women posing for pictures in front of a chained off house across the street. I took a picture of it since it must be important. Later, i looked up the address. Little did we know it turned out to be Carrie Bradshaw’s apartment from Sex and the City. Thought it looked familiar!

Another evening after dinner, we took a stroll through Midtown making the way back to our hotel when we stumbled onto a little courtyard of an office building. Tucked away was a piece of the Berlin wall. I had read about it but did not realize I’d stumble upon it. More info: http://www.thingstoseenyc.com/tag/berlin-wall-manhattan

We’ve also stumbled into cute bookstores and little food shops. This is kind of stuff that makes NYC so exciting. You wander down a different street and you see something new and unexpected. If you’re there, pick a neighborhood and wander, go off the beaten path!

This weekend we took a stress reliever by taking a drive down to Carmel. Carmel-by-the-Sea to be exact. The little seaside town about 8 miles south of Monterey. It’s become our easy quick weekend get-away.

carmel's beach

Ocean Avenue is the main road that crosses through the town and leads you to the public beach and one end of the seventeen mile drive. Along central part of Ocean are a few blocks of cute little boutiques, restaurants, and galleries. These places are dispersed in labyrinths of courtyard malls making it fun to explore. You won’t be bored going up and down, in and out of these little buildings because just when you think you’ve seen it all, there’s a path you’ve missed the first time around. Although there are some high end chain stores here like

Tiffany’s, Louis Vuitton, and Coach, most merchants are small boutiques.

Dog-Friendly

If you’re a dog owner or a dog lover, this The place to be. The town is one of the most pet-friendly places

around. There are stores with bowls of water outside. Store owners are ready to greet dogs with treats. We brought our little pug with us. We were surprised that she even got the VIP treatment at Tiffanys. The security guard had treats ready, staffers petted her. We sure didn’t feel out of place walking our little dog around. We meet a lot of dog owners and dog lovers there. Wagging tails everywhere. Lots of happy dogs. Also, there’s plenty of restaurants and hotels that welcome your dog.

Where to Stay

Our stay was at Tradewinds, an upscale motel (is that an oxymoron or what?). It was a 50s style motel that was renovated a few years back to an Asian-zen-like theme. My first thought was that it would be cheesy but the rooms were designed tastefully. Tradewinds was featured in Architectural Digest when they were renovated. They hired the architect who did Vegas’ Mandalay hotel for the rennocation. The front desk person

took us to the room and show us where things were. We got the pet-friendly room with lanai with partial ocean view. I felt relaxed as soon as I walked through the door. There was a foyer with a small fountain running. Soothing music was running on a cd. It was nice. I was surprised at how large our standard king room was. The room had a large jacuzzi tub, a fireplace, and a wet bar. On the table there were chocolate dipped strawberries and a personlized note from the hotel welcoming us. The room was so nice that we didn’t want to leave.

Food

Brunch at Carmel Belle located in the center of an indoor courtyard was a delight. A casual little restaurant that serves breakfast and lunch. They emphasis fresh, healthy, organic, locally grown dishes. I had a sort of p

ulled pork type of sandwich. My husband had an open-face mushroom sandwich. The dishes were tasty but portions were on the small side. The mushroom sandwich was came on one slice of bread and a few pieces of lettuce on the side they called salad. Both sandwiches were served with the smallest gherkins I’ve seen. To our surprise, we were able to let our dogs sit with us. They also provide a bucket of treats by the counter. All in all, it was a pleasant dining experience despite the smaller portions.