Combo July Trip: Family in NYC + Spanish at LTCC

Thursday, July 23-Sunday, July 26: The Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn Bridge, and Fort Greene Park

Mr. E and I headed out on Thursday afternoon for our flight from ORD > LGA for our long weekend visit to NYC for a family baby shower for S & VP. We were so touched to be invited, since S is the daughter of my cousin G and his spouse C, so not really even the same generation. However, we've connected with S thanks to attending several of her shows in NYC (Fiddler on the Roof, Hell's Kitchen) and San Francisco (Jesus Christ Superstar), and I think she has really appreciated the family support. We figured we'd take advantage of the trip to see some different parts of NYC, so we rented a VRBO in the [very urban] Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn, partly because the invitation indicated that the shower would be in Prospect Park so we wanted to be nearby.

Since we arrived in the early evening, we just headed to our VRBO and then to a nearby Target and the Wonder food hall to gather provisions (popcorn) and dinner (DIY salad for me, burger & fries for Mr. E) before settling in for the night. We also had to cool down the apartment since the windows had been left open and the bedrooms face west so were quite warm due to the setting sun! The apartment was very comfortable with lots of kitchen gear that we definitely wouldn't be using during our short stay (air fryer, waffle iron, blender, food processor, Keurig pod coffee maker, espresso maker, etc.). 

I did some research on Friday morning after my workout to find us a brunch spot, and we had a great meal at Red Chaconia Cafe, including a yummy Americano (not sour!). We then perched for second coffee at a Starbucks near the northeast corner of Prospect Park and close to The Brooklyn Museum, which was our primary destination and entertainment for the day. One of the reasons I really wanted to visit this museum was to see the full installation of Judy Chicago's The Dinner Party. It was absolutely stunning! And absolutely impossible to photograph well to truly capture all of the intricate details as well as the overarching scope and scale. Wow. Just incredible. I would go back to the museum just to see this piece again and spend more time with it.

We wandered through several of the other galleries and were really pleased with all that we saw and experienced. Before heading back to the apartment, we paused for a fresh mixed juice at the cafe in the lobby. Then we strolled through Prospect Park along an interior eastern pathway. The weather was pretty pleasant, especially in the shade, but I definitely still needed a shower when we got back to the VRBO. We relaxed for a bit as we kept in touch with A, who was arriving that evening from Phoenix and joining us at the VRBO (3 bedroom, 1 bath).  

Once A arrived, she and Mr. E headed off to get Japanese takeout and pick up a different rose, since the one that Mr. E had found the previous night wasn't very tasty. Then we all just hung out, chatted, and caught up on a couple of series that Mr. E and I are watching (Project Runway, Ride or Die). 

On Saturday, we took the train towards the Brooklyn Bridge and grabbed breakfast at a nearby Starbucks before beginning our trek across the [totally unshaded!] span over the river. Despite the bright sun, the temperature wasn't too hot, and we really enjoyed the fabulous views of Manhattan and the islands.

We had originally planned to walk back across the Bridge on our way to the baby shower at Fort Greene Park (yes, the location had changed, which we didn't learn about until three days before our trip!), but I was feeling too warm and sticky for a reverse crossing. Instead, we stopped for a beverage at a coffee shop near Pace University and then took the subway to the park to meet up with family for the baby shower. Many of the guests were friends or family of VP, so we only knew a handful of people from S's side of the family, but we enjoyed being part of the celebration and stayed for about two hours before heading back to the VRBO on the subway (slight challenges figuring out which platform to use due to changes in the train schedule!).

I was ready to be done for the day at that point, so I showered and got into my comfies, but A and Mr. E went out for a two-hour walk around the perimeter of Prospect Park, stopping on the way back to pick up stuff for dinner. I had enough already with the combined leftovers from the previous night, but they each got salads from a different spot at Wonder. Mr. E and I had to leave at 7am the next morning to head to JFK for our respective flights to Chicago and Reno, but we had a chance to say goodbye to A, whose flight was later in the day. And we'll see her again along with the entire family when they all come to Evanston for Labor Day weekend. Yay!

Sunday, July 26-Friday, July 31: ISSI

My flight to Reno via Phoenix was earlier than Mr. E's flight to Chicago, so he came with me to my gate to wait. I grabbed some yummy porridge at Pret a Manger while he fetched coffee for both of us at Starbucks and later got a breakfast sandwich for himself before his flight.

Both of my flights on American were full but otherwise just fine, and we even arrived in Reno a bit early, which was great. I had checked my rollerboard at JFK but didn't have to wait long at baggage claim, and I took care of getting everything set for my rental car while I was waiting. The drive from Reno to South Lake Tahoe was easy, and I arrived at Hotel Azure, my home for the next five days, around 5:30pm. 

This was my third time attending the Intensive Spanish Summer Institute (ISSI) at Lake Tahoe Community College (LTCC) and my first time at this hotel. I definitely appreciated its location being farther from all the crowds and business of Heavenly Village, and it was also much closer to the campus, which made my morning timing easier. Not to mention that it was only two blocks from Safeway, so I easily stocked up on groceries for the week the evening I arrived and grabbed coffee at the Starbucks there each morning on my way to class.

My hotel room was a one-bedroom suite at the end of the building and had a view of the Lake, although the small event center and tall trees blocked much of the panorama. But I still got some pretty scenes during my morning and evening walks, including an encounter with a squirrel one day and a coyote sighting the next day (no photos of that critter, unfortunately!).

I was in the Low Superior class this year, which unfortunately got combined with the Superior class due to a lack of instructors. This wasn't a problem for me in terms of language or learning, but it did make for an overly large class so any type of group or partner work was quite challenging because of the noise level. There were several other changes that I noticed this year that were a bit disappointing, but overall it was still a positive experience, especially since there aren't many intensive in-person adult Spanish programs like in the US. And for CA residents, the tuition is very low thanks to having the program at a Community College. The most expensive part is the lodging, rental car, and this time around the flight!

The program wrapped up on Friday, and since Mr. E's birthday was Saturday, I left before the afternoon sessions for my return flight so that I could be back in Evanston for his special day. My flight on Alaska connected through Seattle and was delayed by about 30 minutes, so I arrived around 12:30am. Mr. E had rented a car for the weekend and came to pick me up at the airport, which was lovely. We got back to the apartment around 1:20am, and all I did was take time to kiss my kitties and to the bare minimum of unpacking before going to bed. So glad to be home with Mr. E, Louis XIV, and Marlene! I missed my partner and my kitties!