Favorites Friday: Vacations

During my sophomore year at Pitt, I took my two favorite trips ever. They were to cities I've also wanted to see and with my favorite travel companion, Adam.

Chicago

The band travels to one away game every year. Last Halloween, we went to Notre Dame. We left at midnight on Thursday and drove straight through the night, arriving in Chicago on Friday morning. Since we only had one day in Chicago, I had planned out everything I wanted to see.

First, we went to the Sears Tower. What an amazing view of the city!



Then, we had lunch at the Navy Pier, overlooking Lake Michigan, and rode on the ferris wheel.



Next, Adam very graciously accompanied me to the American Girl Doll Place, where I got to see Samantha, my favorite toy growing up.



The only disappointing thing about the trip was that we didn't have deep dish pizza. We joined some fellow band members for dinner at this legendary pizza place, but they just ordered regular pizza! Outrageous. After dinner, we saw a Second City improv show. Did you know Steve Martin and Tina Fey got their start at Second City?



The next day, we went to Notre Dame for the big game. Pitt won in the fourth overtime!

New York

In January, Adam and I went to New York over a long weekend, on a trip sponsored by the Pitt Program Council. We left early Saturday morning and got into the city late that afternoon. Yet again, I planned out our trip to see as much of New York as possible.

After checking into our Times Square hotel, we did some window shopping along Fifth Avenue. I literally swooned when I saw a two-story J.Crew across from a two-story Anthropologie. We had dinner at a pizza joint on the Upper East side, walked by Central Park, and then went to the Metropolitan Musem of Art. The Egyptian wing was amazing!

{image via flickr}

We woke up bright & early the next morning to see the Statue of Liberty.



After checking out the view from the observation deck, we amused ourselves by pretending to eat the Statue.

 

Next, we saw Mamma Mia on Broadway. We weren't really big fans of this musical, but the Program Council made the choice. I wish we had seen Mary Poppins instead!

Then we went to Mass at Saint Patrick's Cathedral. It was so huge {and beautiful}! I'm pretty sure the church we go to at school, Saint Paul's Cathedral, could easily fit inside Saint Patrick's.



After Mass, we had dinner at a little Vietnamese restaurant and enjoyed cupcakes from Magnolia Bakery for dessert. We left for Pittsburgh early the next morning.

{image via flickr}

What's your favorite vacation?