Wandering Tales | Croton Point Park

I had the opportunity to finally go on my first hike last Friday. Well, it wasn't a challenging hike but definitely very different compared to the usual walking I do on the city streets. Plus...the weather was great! Sunny but cool and breezy. My favorite kind of weather. It was also an opportunity for me to bring my camera along. Although at some points during the trek I did regret bringing the extra weight with me. Those thoughts just seem silly now when I look back at the photos!

Here's lots of greenery shots for everyone to look at before Fall really starts to set in!
Actually, I bet the park would look great when the foliage starts to change colors.

Croton Point is part of upstate New York. The group of us got there by train. Three more firsts for me: going to Grand Central Station, traveling by the MetroNorth & going upstate sans parents/family. The travel there from Grand Central was about half an hour shorter than the journey back (1hr to vs. 1.5 hr back). But then again, we left around rush hour so it should be expected.






I really love this shot, if I do say so myself ^^;;
And this!


If I remember correctly, this building used to be a boarding house? then some sort of store? Ahh my memory is bad!

Another first! Is this common outside of cities? Owl etiquette...
Yet another first! I have never seen trailers/RVs before in person (at least none that were being used). Apparently you can also pitch a tent and camp at this park, park your RV/trailer and camp, or even rent a cabin and camp. Whatever suites your fancy. Seems like a fun place to be in the summer. I wonder how crowded it gets.

Even though I went to Croton Point Park as part of a cultural requirement, I actually really liked it. There weren't too many big hills so I enjoyed all the walking that we did. Other than all the tiny pesky bugs and insects around & the bright sun, I surprisingly felt very relaxed. Maybe it's because there were barely anyone else there besides us and everything was so quiet there. I definitely want to go again or go somewhere similar. It is definitely something to think twice about though because the individual round trip train tickets are pretty expensive (at least to me it is). Sometimes I wished I lived in a place where there are more of these kind of parks that were closer by... *hmm but then I think I'd probably really miss the convenience of city life heh*

Have you been on hikes/nature walks lately? If you're from NYC, do you have any places you recommend?

Wandering Tales | Smorgasburg

After Bestie C took me to Smorgasbar at South Street Seaport, we both knew we had to make a trip to Smorgasburg in Brooklyn. They actually have 2 separate locations, one for Saturday and another for Sunday. Since we went yesterday (Saturday), we had to make the trek to Williamsburg to get our tummies filled up. Otherwise, Sunday go-ers would need to find their way to the DUMBO location.

Smorgasburg Williamsburg | East River State Park | 90 Kent Ave & North 7th Street | 11AM - 6PM
Smorgasburg DUMBO | Tobacco Warehouse | 30 Water Street | 11AM - 6PM


It was both of our first time going to Williamsburg so inevitably we ended up taking a full 2 hours to reach the destination once we left our houses. Mostly because we took one too many subway transfers and rode the longer way there. Now we know better for next time! The L train is VERY VERY close to the Williamsburg location (as in just a few avenues). When in doubt, I think it's probably safe to walk towards the water!

Dough

Hibisbus Doughnut - $2.75 each
I made sure I went on an empty stomach. But by the time we got to Smorgasburg, I was starving. I did my homework/research the night before and knew my first stop had to be to get a donut. Have to fulfill my sweet tooth early! I can't say I loved this doughnut though, a little too sweet for my liking. (It could be because all the sweetness comes from the thick top layer of icing.) The doughnut itself was very fluffy and soft. This is something I would prefer to share rather than finish whole by myself.

Best Summer

Poached Shrimp & Brisket Summer Rolls - 2 for $7 ... 3 for $10
Something Bestie wanted to try, so we shared two. I think this was one of the duds of the day. It tasted rather...ordinary. I liked the peanut sauce though.

Home Frite

Fry Cone with Summer Peach BBQ sauce - $5
Something we got to munch one while we were on the long line for a ramen burger. The fries got saltier as we ate towards the bottom of the cone and many of the pieces were just small potato bits. Wasn't a big fan of this buy. However, I saw that their website listed special fries with duck, bacon cheddar, or even poutine. Perhaps next time!

The line for the famous Ramen Burger was LONG! We started waiting around 12:30 ish and I think we stood for a total of 1.5 hours, plus or minus some. This is just showing the 2nd turn of the line. It went on past 2 light poles!
Halfway through, the creator came towards us counting off the number of burgers they had left. To our luck, he stopped at a pair of hopeful customers right in front of us and handed off the "I might be the lucky person" cardboard signage! Even though they wanted to purchase 2 burgers, he said there was only 1 left. Despite hearing this, Bestie insisted we stick it out...JUST IN CASE.

Ramen Burger - $8
Luckily for us and a few people behind us, we were able to get our hands on a ramen burger. (We only intended on getting one to share anyways.) Who knows how that happened! But I'm glad there was enough for us. Their wrapping was really interesting. But I really wish we knew about it's secret technology before hand. According to Keizo Shimamoto's blog, the wrapper is suppose to hold all the juices/soup from the burger..but it ended up all over us instead.

The both of us agreed that it was good while it lasted. We particularly liked the burger and sauce combo more so than the noodles...but it did give the burger a very interesting texture. I suppose it would be closest to how it would feel to eat a bite of ramen and a hamburg steak together. This is probably not something I would line up so long (and under the scorching sun) for again. Unless...maybe if they offered a different version? Of course, I do not regret trying it. It's always great to try new foods!

BiteMe Cheesecake
Chocolate Lust - $3 each ... Box of 3 $9 ... Box of 12 $36
After the long wait for a ramen burger was over, we headed to yet another long line to grab ourselves a refreshing drink. But my sweet tooth was tingling again when I noticed this stall. They didn't have the flavors that I originally wanted to try, so I ended up choosing the oddball chocolate of what they did have. It was very reminiscent of a brownie in texture. I really like the bite size portion, but it is rather pricey. Yet...I still want to try the other flavors as well. Err I'm conflicted!

Pecan Patti

Citrus Sweet Tea - $6
The star of the day! Of course, a day full of waiting on lines probably made this taste extra good. We saw so many people walking around & on the ramen burger line with these mason jars. The line for the tea was surprisingly very long as well. Thankfully, this was well worth the wait! & You definitely get a good deal for your money. The mason jar probably holds about 4 cups of the tea and ice. However...the menu sign for this stand was a little confusing. Bestie C mistaken their dessert menu for the tea flavors because some of their sweets were also sold in jars. (We should have figured from the names but we really did think they just had really quirky drink names.) The signs and descriptions for the teas can only be seen once you reach their table. Luckily, we overheard others around us and made our decision just before we reached the stand. This would definitely be on my list to buy if I visit Smorgasburg again.

After today, I did get a few shades darker. But I must say, I don't mind it. I am in need of lots of vitamin D anyways! Despite the long lines and scorching sun, I still want to visit again. There are so many vendors, so many different foods to try, all located in one place. It is hard to resist. I didn't even get to try all the vendors I had on my list, there are still 8 left. Considering that we were able to go to more than 6 between the both of us, I think one more visit to Smorgasburg should be enough to satisfy me. But of course I won't complain if I get to go more than once! Luckily, this food gathering continues on until late November. So there is still plenty of time to get my food fix.

Has anyone else gone to Smorgasburg? How was your experience?
Are there similar food gatherings where you live?

Recent Haulings

Revlon Treat & Boost, Revlon Extra Life No Chip Top Coat, Revlon Liquid Quick Dry, Maybelline Gel Stick Foundation - 230 Natural Buff
It is rare that I finish anything nails related. Top coats, however, are probably the exception; not that I have ever used up a bottle of top coat before. But all the ones that I have owned end up getting really thick and goopy & pretty much unusable. I had a hard time deciding between Extra Life and Liquid Quick Dry. Hopefully...one of the two (or both) will end up being a good pick. Treat & Boost was the impulse buy.

Once the summer came, I ended up getting pretty tanned (especially after going to an amusement park). Most of my BB Creams and foundations didn't match my neck well or they felt too thick in the summer heat. When I saw the reviews of the Maybelline Gel Stick Foundation show up in my feeds, I was intrigued. I have never tried a stick foundation before. It was hard to decide what color to choose & hard to find any medium skin-toned ones that weren't already opened. But in the end, I picked 230 because even if it is too dark I can always use it as a contour/shading product. Has anyone else tried this product yet?

Shiseido Anessa Perfect Gel Sunscreen SPF50+ PA++++ and Leaders Insolution UV Moist Sun Gel SPF30 PA++ set
As per suggestions in my skin condition post, I took to imomoko & Sasa to find a gel sunscreen. I ended up placing an order with imomoko because I was intrigued by the Leaders Insolution sunscreen and Sasa didn't carry it. (But for those who are interested in the Anessa sunscreens, it is cheaper on Sasa.com!) I have never heard of Leaders Insolution before, but it seems to be skin friendly & dermatologist created. (Hopefully that isn't only a part of their marketing scheme.) I definitely didn't need 2 sunscreens, but what can I say? I'm a sucker for the word sale. Plus, it was an excuse for me to finally try an Anessa sunscreen.

I know I definitely did not need any more beauty goods. A browse at a store usually always leads to me buying more than what I need. Does this happen to anyone else?
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