Delicious Delicatessen

 I wanted to give Mr Duffy as much of a New York experience as possible. New York is known for having a lot of good food. So today we started at Ben's Deli.

Ben's is a Jewish deli that has a few locations on Long Island. They have yummy matzo ball soup so we shared a bowl of it.

 Mr Duffy liked it, but he said mine is better. How sweet.

 We got the big deli platter that had two sandwiches, with corned beef and pastrami. Duffy liked these a lot.

 They don't look very big but they are so filling. They put a lot of slices of meat on the bread, and there is nothing else on. That might sound a bit plain, but the sandwiches don't need anything else.

 After our lunch, we posed with who we think is Ben.

 There were pretty flowers in the courtyard at the deli.

 And there was a nice fountain.

Later in the day, we stopped at Starbucks. It was so humid that we wanted to get some iced coffee. They had New York mugs there.

We got our coffees and headed to the house. We rested up. We were still a bit jet lagged so we took it easy for the rest of the afternoon.

NYC: What Is It About You?

 You're big
You're loud
You're tough ... Yet I can't get enough

Today, Mr Duffy actually got up early enough and was able to keep up with me on the way to LAX airport. I told him that he would be able to sleep on the plane, but maybe he was looking forward to five plus hours of flight time that he would be able to do gaming.

 We arrived at our terminal with just enough time to grab a soda and wait to be called to board. We looked out the windows to see if we could spot our plane.

 That is the one we would be flying on.

 They called our group and we found our seats. We reviewed the safety card, and then we looked at the snack card so we could pick what we wanted to eat later.

 Once we were at the proper elevation, we opened our lap trays and pulled up our monitors. Flight attendants served us snacks and soda. And they gave us whole cans! I was used to just getting a small cup with a few sips of soda. So this was a nice treat.

 My can had Spider-Man on it.

 Mr Duffy and I shared snacks, then he started gaming and I became restless. I tried coloring, then played a game on my phone, then watched a movie without sound. I really just wanted to get to New York.

 We safely landed at JFK airport. This was Mr Duffy's first time leaving California. Right away we grabbed a cab and headed to the house where we were going to stay.

Even though we didn't do a lot on the flight, we were exhausted. We went to bed right away, even though our bodies thought it was three hours earlier. We had a good sleep so we could have a good next day.

Come and Knock on Our Door...

 Are you singing along? The title is the opening line from the theme song to the 1970's sitcom Three's Company. It was a hilarious show with zany characters and a lot of physical comedy. It took place in Santa Monica and the opening credits were filmed at the Santa Monica Pier and the beach. Which is where we spent this day!
They have carts along the pier that sell typical tourist souvenirs. I usually avoid them, but there was a cart selling personalized keychains. I always like to get something with my name because it is so unusual. So I got this California license plate!

 One great thing they have is this sign in the window near the famed carousel.I like being in places where everyone is welcome.

 I do love seeing the palm trees. They make me think of the song 'Santa Monica' by Everclear.

 Mr Duffy and I wanted some lunch so we went to a restaurant across from the beach. They didn't have a big variety of food, just a few fiish dishes and burgers.

I was in the mood for rice and they brought me this hidden Mickey. I guess you know where else I wanted to be on vacation.

 Mr Duffy and I shared an oyster platter. They were very briny, more than what I am used to, and felt a little bloated after. The sauce made them taste a bit better. I think I might cool it on oysters for a while, I was mad for them but I have overdone it.

 We are just two small bears so the two of us sharing a whole dozen was a bit much. But our plan was to take a long walk after and that always makes me feel good after a meal.

 This area of Santa Monica is where the famed Route 66 ends. That is an interstate that connected the east with the west coast. There are signs around town for people to get photos.

 This is as close to the water we wanted to get today. We didn't have our swim gear anyway. We are planning a beach day and I hope to go very soon.

 That is a landmark Ferris Wheel at the park area that is attached to the pier.

 There is one of the Route 66 signs.

 There is a small coaster that is part of the park.

 I liked this dolphin topiary. It had string lights on it and I am sure it looks nice at night.

 We found this enormous inflatable gummy bear. I don't know if it was a prize that could be won or if it was a souvenir to buy. Looking back, I should have picked it up. That gives me another reason to go back one day.

 This is at the beach so of course it would be decorated with a surf theme.

 We found some teddy sized rides near the arcade.

 This race car was relaxing but fun.

 This is the carousel you see in the opening credits for the show I mentioned. It is actually a national historic landmark.

After our tummies digested the platter of oysters and we got in a good amount of sun, it was time to head back to repack our luggage and get some rest. We were flying to New York the next day!