On Saturday afternoon after picking up Grace from work, we were both hungry and debated between going to the LIC Flea & Food market or The Cheesecake Factory out in Garden City. Because we didn’t want to drive and wait for so long, we opted to find parking and go for the closer locale.
It wasn’t as crowded as when we visited a month ago, perhaps all the allure and excitement are gone, but it was nice to allow CJ to walk around without having to worry about him running into someone.
I got this excellent pulled pork sandwich.
And Grace got a bowl of peanut (something) noodles.
We got a thai iced tea and a caffeine-free tea from one our friend’s booth (I am shamefully forgetting what they’re called), but CJ downed the drink before I got chance to take a photo of him quenching his thirst.
After an hour of browsing and eating, Grace had the great idea of going to Gantry State Plaza Park, which has some of the top playgrounds in the city.
It was easy to find as it’s only six short blocks from the market. We were surprised to find that it was entirely empty save for one girl and her mother. Right off of the East River, it’s the most beautiful playground I’ve ever seen. Having the city skyline in the background is simply amazing. And of course, the playground did not disappoint. With modern, clean, and colorful structures, we couldn’t believe it was so empty.
They even had some type of adult safety swing, possibly for the elderly. CJ didn’t like this.
Even I couldn’t resist my inner child and gave the playground a test try.
Non-stop CJ.
Our favorite video.
CJ definitely had a ton of fun.
After letting CJ have the time of his life, we decided to explore the boardwalk.
Such an amazing view that’s only a short drive from our home.
Concrete jungle.
A bit tired of walking.
I knew there was more to this park than just one playground. We ran into a more toddler friendly one with shorter slides, but it was definitely the more popular playground. When we return, we’ll just go back to the first one.
We ended our day with some pineapple frozen yogurt.
Although out for only three hours, we completely enjoy these unexpected outings that allow us to spend quality time as a family, let alone eat some good and cheap food. One simply cannot plan out such memorable family moments.
