Vermont

It turns out Vermont has mountains.  As someone who has always skied in Colorado, my expectations were pretty low, but it turns out Vermont isn't so bad.

Not a bad view at all.

OK, so maybe Vermont skiers aren't as well-dressed.

Anyone else ever skied in a trench coat?

Famous Place

A caviar store?

Apparently this is a famous place.  I had not heard of it, but then again, I'm probably not wealthy enough to be the target customer.  They had pictures of Tom Hanks and Leonardo DiCaprio in the front window.

They must be doing something right if they have managed to stay open as a caviar store.  That's not exactly a business that has been booming lately.

Boats on the Hudson

The Hudson has a few interesting boats parked in it.

First, it has large cruise ships.

Second, it has a submarine.

I don't know what all these buttons do, but it looks hard.

Officer's conference area.

Comfy triple bunk beds.

Officers only have two bunks.  Luxurious!

At least the tables have entertainment.

Here's that cruise ship again.

Here's the sub.

Third, the Hudson has a Concorde.

Considering how few of these were built, it's great to have one here.

Fourth, the Hudson has an aircraft carrier.  That's normal, right?

The steel on the right is from the WTC.  Intrepid was the FBI HQ after the original was destroyed on 9/11.

The aircraft carrier has the Mets mascot inside.  There are Mets fans?

Foreign visitors were really excited about this ship.

That's incredible on so many levels.

I don't think they will all fit.

Fifth, the Hudson has a space shuttle.  No big deal.

OK, the shuttle is way bigger than you would expect it to be.

Here is a Russian Soyuz capsule.  I'm definitely riding in the shuttle.

There goes the cruise ship!

Huh?

Sometimes things are confusing.

Why is this here?

 This photo booth was on a pretty bad street with no retail anywhere nearby.  It was plugged in and working!  Is there something I don't know about these?  Is this where you buy drugs or something?

Air vent graveyard?  You store old vents on the roof?

You store old shoes above the playground?

Someone may have forgotten what happens when the temperature is below freezing.

So many good brands to choose from.  Have a recommendation?

Should I get the nutella, the waffle, or pistachios?  What happened to normal food?!

This is a popular hat seen around the city these days.  Also popular are beavers and roosters.

The squirrels have become very brave lately.  Be ready to swat them if you're eating.

Just a bit too literal I think.

I'll let this one speak for itself.

More things you should eat

Ignore my model.  Focus on the spicy Pho broth.  Local neighborhood Vietnamese.

I just thought my leaf was pretty.

The best gelato in the city.  I had to share with two others.  :(

In Flushing, you have to eat your spinach.

Then you can eat your fried fish with cumin.

Then you can ruin your taste buds with hot chilis.

Finally, you can have a mysterious pancake filled with beef.

For dessert, you can have dried squid/stingray.  Yum?

How about tiny fish or dried shrimp?  No?  Then  you wouldn't like Flushing.

They sure made my hummus pretty.

Erin will be very pleased about this item.

Lemonata is apparently a minty lemon slush.

Things you should eat

Yum.

Yum.

Yum.

Yum.  (OK, you get the idea.)

Green orange smoothie.  What is a green orange?

Ah, a handy explanation.  Tasty I might add.

Home-made sushi.

Not home-made, but made close to home.

Sort of home-made.  I went to a cooking class and created this.

It looks questionable and probably is.  For $4, it's still worth it.

Frozen Hot Chocolate at Serendipity 3.  Very famous.  Look it up.  Must try!

Fried fish in Albany, NY.  The fact that we stopped here tells you what you need to know about Albany.

Clam chowder in a bread bowl.  Great for a cold day in Vermont.  (It was -10 outside.)