Tying into the random and awesome things spotted while walking around New York City (like this amazing graffiti roll-up door), I wanted to share two more examples of what you'd miss if you're too busy looking up and staring at the skyscrapers (don't worry - I did it too).
The Legend Itself: Katz's Delicatessen /
It's the place of legend. Every tour bus/book/guide tells you THIS is the place to eat and experience the real NYC. That place is - Katz's Delicatessen. I didn't believe the hype. I thought "Eh, what's so big about a deli?" and being from Florida - of course I had absolutely no clue what a BIG deal this place really is. It was packed, frenetic, warm, loud, and DELISH. I was not disappointed at all.
The food was great, the scenery entertaining, and it was nice to have somewhere to come in from the cold weather outside (early December = 45 degrees = COLD for this Florida gal). Hubby and I really had a lot of fun.
They give you a ticket when you walk in and, repeatedly, tell you to hold onto that ticket. You go to the counters/stations to order what you want. I'll be honest, I was THAT person driving everyone crazy because 1) I had no idea what I was doing and 2) all I wanted was a Spinach Knish. I'd never had a Knish before and today was going to be the day I would try one. There wasn't a big neon sign telling me "Knish's Cooked Here!" so, I was left to ask the guys behind the counter. Luckily, they had no problem helping me out, marked my ticket with my order, and pointed me along my merry way to the sodas and french fries.
There's a section where you can wait to be served on the far wall but we sat down in the middle seats, squeezed ourselves in, and tucked in for some grubbage.
Turns out, we weren't far from the scene where they filmed "Where Harry Met Sally". I've never seen the movie but, come on, who hasn't seen the scene where Meg Ryan "fakes it"?
A Local Icon: Ron Jon Surf Shop /
I don't think I've had a family/friend yet visit Brevard and not also want to go to Ron Jon's for a souvenir, including a shirt (the usual), a surfboard (for the bold), or a sticker (for the person who doesn't want to pay the Ron Jon prices). It started as this little shack where you could rent surfboards, body boards, etc. as well as buy some shirts, shoes, and bathing suits but later became the neon behemoth you see today. The colors are beautiful and it is definitely best seen at night when the lights are bright and appealing. I visited it on a whim, after getting lost trying to find the Cocoa Beach Pier, and it was definitely well worth it. I even meandered next door to the Cocoa Beach Surf Company, which I had never visited before, to see their indoor aquarium, hotel, restaurant, and Starbucks.
A Short Walk Off a Long Pier: Cocoa Beach Pier /
Many moons ago (well, three months ago), I decided to head over to the Cocoa Beach Pier at sunset to try and see what pictures I could take. I was rushing to get there before I missed the "good light" because I get off of work at 4:30PM & the sun is well and gone by 5:30PM, due to it being winter. Unfortunately, despite living here most of my life, I still have no idea where anything is. I drove weeeelllll past the Pier and then ended up circling back. The good news is, this forced me to drive by Ron Jon's Surf Shop (the neon behemoth) and I decided I would head over there after the Pier. Today, I share the Cocoa Beach Pier pictures. I will show the Ron Jon's pictures in a later post. A tradition around here - go to the beach for the sunset hour. Even though we live on the East coast of FL, therefore the sun sets behind us when facing the ocean, it doesn't deter from the beauty and peacefulness.
2010-11-15 Cocoa Bch Pier (2)-web
