Restaurant Review - Fraunces Tavern in New York

Fraunces Tavern is located in the Financial District at 54 Pearl Street, New York . The tavern is where George Washington bid farewell to his officers at the end of the Revolution. As one of the oldest building in New York, Fraunces Tavern has been an operating Colonial American tavern since 1762.

We had brunch at the tavern before heading to the airport. We picked this place for two reasons. First I was intrigued by the historic aspect. I mean George Washington was here! How could we not stop by? The other reason was simply because it was half a block from our hotel. Since we'd already walked 34 miles the day before this was a no brainer.

It was Mother's Day and they had a special menu that we ordered from. Choice of a two Bloody Marys or two Momosas, appetizer and entree for $30. That wouldn't have been too bad but we added a beer, two coffees and two desserts. The total for brunch not including tip was $105.00. Yikes! Even on vacation that was a bit steep for us.

 Appetizers and Entrees

I started with an appetizer of Scotch Eggs and it was yummy. The eggs were hard boiled just right, wrapped in a concoction of three sausages and deep fried. Served on a wooden tray with sweet pickles,porter cheese and a tangy mustard and honey sauce. For an entree I chose the fish and chips. Big pieces of deep fried cod and french fries served with tartar sauce and mint pea sauce on the side.

For an appetizer John had Salmon Chowder which he said was so good and filling he could have had that as a meal. For an entree he had the chicken pot pie. A big puff of pastry made for an impressive show but he said overall it wasn't any better than the pot pie at KFC. He loves the pot pie from KFC so that's not necessarily a bad review.

Dessert and Coffee 

There were only four items on the dessert menu: Tavern Cheese Board,  Meyer Lemon Tart, Sticky Toffee Pudding and Classic Sundae for Two. 

Sorry but to me cheese does not constitute dessert so I went with the Sticky Toffee Pudding. Not sure where the toffee was. It was more like a gingerbread cake with chocolate topping. It was topped with some really good whisky flavored ice cream. Overall very tasty. 

My dining partner decided on the Meyer Lemon Tart. Made a very pretty presentation on a platter with the tart, whipped cream and berries. I had a taste and it was okay but then I'm not a fan of lemon desserts. 

I love a good cup of coffee and the coffee here was excellent!

Of course we were in a tavern so we had to try the Samuel Fraunces Ale a 16 ounce draft for $8. So many beers so little time...

Verdict

I will say that the atmosphere was beautiful. We ate in the cozy bar area and just checking out the beer menu was impressive. The food was good but I don't think it warranted the cost and the service was a little slow.  That didn't bother us too much because we were killing time before we had to head to the airport. It made for a nice relaxing meal but I expected a little more attention from an upscale restaurant.

Inspired Sunday - Church of the Good Shepherd in Spanish Harlem

While participating in The Great Saunter, a walk around Manhattan, we passed through Spanish Harlem also known as El Barrio.  As we made our way down Isham Street we got a fleeting look at the Church of the Good Shepherd. It was a solid, impressive granite building that took up the entire block. 

The Church of the Good Shepherd is a Catholic church established in 1915. The original wood structure was built on land purchased from the Isham family. In 1935 Architect Paul Monaghan designed the present Romanesque-style building you see today.

The Church of the Good Shepherd was originally established to minister the Irish community. Today the church and adjacent school serves a largely Hispanic congregation. 

This church was only one of the many interesting sights we passed on our long walk around Manhattan.

We Did It! The Great Saunter 2016 - A Walk Around Manhattan

If you want to really see New York take a walk, a nice long 30 plus mile walk!. All the way around the island of Manhattan! 

The Great Saunter is a walk sponsored by the Shorewalkers walking club to draw attention to the shoreline, greenways and parks around Manhattan's riverfront.

On Saturday we joined 1498 walkers for the annual Great Saunter. And what a great walk it was!

Woo Hoo!!! Woot Woot!!! Blow the horns and throw the confetti because we were two of the 630 that finished the whole entire walk!!!! 

My biggest fear on tackling this walk was the weather. I knew if it was hot I'd never make it. But it turned out to be a beautiful day for walking. Even though the weather predicted rain at various times on Saturday we didn't experience any drops on our heads. It was a perfect day to walk. Overcast, cool and dry! Perfect!

7:30 Start Time!

It was a very short walk from our hotel to the start point at Fraunces Tavern. We were preregistered but we checked out the line before we took off walking. People were lined up all the way around the corner of the building waiting to register.

An overcast sky above the Hudson River...

Couldn't resist getting a photo with Lady Liberty

Battleship Intrepid

The centerpiece of the Sea, Air and Space Museum on the Hudson River

Little Red Lighthouse

We walked up north on the east side of the island beside the Hudson River past Chelsea Piers to Riverside Park. And then on to Riverbank State Park. Next stop the Little Red Light House under the George Washington Bridge.

When I think of New York City I think tall buildings, concrete and crowds. It was a pleasant surprise to find so many parks to walk through.

Innwood Hill Park 

Walking through Innwood Hill Park I'd swear we were out in the middle of nowhere. Trees and rocks surrounded the path and there was no street noise! Hill is appropriate in the name of this park. These were the first hills we encountered and they were quite steep in parts.

Harlem

As we got on the west side of the island heading south we lost the riverfront in a few places. This meant a zig zag into South Harlem. 

There was actually a graffeti contest of sorts going on...

Bridges Galore!

If you like bridges this is the place to be. Thankfully the Saunter didn't require walking over any bridges but there were plenty to walk under. I think I counted 15 bridges along the walk. 

Williamsburg Bridge

Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridge and Statue of Liberty up ahead. 

Finally Made the Finish Line!

Even though it's advertised as 32 miles, it's actually a little over 34 miles. But what's a couple of miles here or there? It took us right at 13 hours to get to the finish. We certainly weren't the first ones but  we also weren't the last! But that's OK it wasn't a race or a competition. Although we were determined to finish and we did!

Wonderful day for a slow walk around the shoreline of Manhattan!

Wednesday Walking - Our First 20 Mile Walk! Baldwin Rail to Trail

I like to walk but last year if anyone told me I'd walk 20 miles in one day I'd have had a good laugh!

But walk 20 miles we did! Whoop-Whoop!

This is all in preparation for our trip to New York next month. We'll be joining about a thousand other folks in  The Great Saunter a 32 mile walk around the shoreline of Manhattan.  

Jacksonville-Baldwin Rail Trail

The Jacksonville-Baldwin Trail runs 14.5 miles between Imeson Road Trailhead and Brandy Branch Road Trailhead. There's several places to stop along the way including the Helsema Road trailhead, Baldwin Station and Camp Milton Historic Preserve.

Our walk started at the Helsema Road Trailhead on the Baldwin Rail to Trail. We walked 12 miles round trip to the Imeson trailhead, back to Helsema and then four miles towards Baldwin Station and four miles back to Helsema.

A total of 20 miles! 

The Baldwin Trail is a nice flat paved over railroad track that runs mostly through farm land.

This little black cow followed us for quite a ways on our walk.

We walked under a tunnel of sorts and there's even trail for horseback riders that runs along the side of the walking trail.

Our First Bike Encounter

There are no cars allowed but walkers and bikes share the trail. And on this walk we had our first run in with a bicyclist. Signs at the trailheads instruct everyone to stay on the right side of the trail. The idea being that faster traffic can pass on the left.
You can hear the bikes coming up behind you and most of the riders call out "passing on the left!" which is great. Unfortunately one woman on a bike didn't see us because the visor of her helmet was obscuring her vision and she plowed into us.
It's weird how things like that seem to go in slow motion. All of a sudden she was there falling to the ground between us.  Thank God she wasn't going very fast! She pretty much missed me but John caught it on the arm and foot. Poor lady she was so embarrassed and apologetic but we were none the worse for wear.
She got back on her bike and we went back to walking. But after that I was a little paranoid and couldn't help but turn around whenever I heard a bike coming up behind us.

A Few Tips For Long Distance Walking

1. Start by walking 1 -3 miles a day on most days.
2. After you're used to walking short distances daily begin adding a longer walk once a week. We did a few 6 miles walks then moved up to an 8 mile then 10, 17 and finally our 20 mile walk. 
3. Stay hydrated! Sweating and drinking plain water tends to wash the minerals out of your body so consider a sports drink. We take Lemon-Lime Gatorade in a 3 liter hydration system that's in John's Deuter backpack. Plus I carry powdered Gatorade and a water bottle as well. 
4. High energy salty snacks are a must. We take a snack mix of dried fruit, salty nuts and pretzels. We also take a few bananas and PBJ sandwiches are nice and portable. 
5. Think about eating a good (not heavy) meal at some point in a long walk. We stopped back at our car after 12 miles and ate the picnic I'd packed. Turkey, ham and cheese sub sandwiches with lettuce, pickles and black olives.  
6. Take frequent rest stops. At the beginning of the walk we stopped for about 10 -15 minutes after each 3 miles. The last three miles I think we stopped for about 5 minutes every mile. 
7. For ladies consider taking something like a P-Style along. We don't have the freedom to pee on a tree like the guys but there are products available that make it possible. Carrying something like the P-Style means you don't have to drop your drawers and squat behind a tree! When it's a two mile walk (that's forty minutes!)  to the nearest bathroom you'll be glad you've got one with you. 
8. For me I need a walking partner. If John wasn't encouraging me along the way I'd have stopped at 12 miles! 
9. Plan on a really good high calorie meal after your walk. Even if weight loss is your goal you need to replenish your body. I burned 2100 calories on this walk. 

You don't have to walk 20 miles but lace up and take a walk today!

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17 Miles Walk Along the Palatka to St. Augustine Rail to Trail

Dotted all over the country and even around the world old, abandoned railroad lines are being given new life as walking and biking trails. The Palatka-to-St. Augustine rail to trail is eight and half miles long and runs through the towns of Armstrong, Elkton and Vermont Heights in northeast Florida. On Sunday we took a round trip walk on the trail for a total of 17 miles. 

The Palatka-to-St. Augustine trail is open to foot traffic and bicycles but walkers were well out numbered by bikes. Even so the trail was well marked with one lane for bikes and the other for foot traffic. 

The First Few Miles

The first few miles of the trail runs along State Road 207. There was no shade! It made us glad we started early to beat the Florida heat. 

There were several interesting, abandoned buildings along the trail.

A few beautiful farms along the way. I wonder if they're glad the trains are gone?

Finally We Found the Shade!

Most of the trail ran through shady woodlands. This made for a pleasant walk.

Since we did a round trip walk we ended up back on the sunny part of the trail around noon. But at least there was a nice breeze so it wasn't so bad. 

It took us 5 hours and 23 minutes to walk 17 miles. That time doesn't include a few rest stops and lunch. 

This is about half the distance we'll be walking next month in New York when we do The Great Saunter.You can read about that here-The Great Saunter - A Slow 32 Mile Walk Around Manhattan Still need to do some training!

The Great Saunter - A Slow 32 Mile Walk Around Manhattan

                                                

We Did It! To See Our Walk Click HERE!

Have you ever heard of the Great Saunter? 

First of all saunter means to walk along in a slow, relaxed manner. What makes it great is that you walk 32 miles through more than 20 parks and along the beautiful waterfront of Manhattan's incredible shoreline.

 Yep 32 miles and it's not a race or a competition. If you make it to the finish line all you'll get is a certificate and the satisfaction of knowing you did it!

Apparently about a thousand people participate in this urban hike that's been held the first Saturday in May for 25 years. The Great Saunter is put on by the Shorewalkers, a non profit group dedicated to preserving New York City's shores and wetlands.  

We Took the Plunge!

I first read about the saunter a couple years ago and although the idea intrigued me the thought of walking 32 miles sounded a bit much. Not to mention the cost of getting from Florida to New York. For some reason everything came together this year and we decided to take the plunge and sign up. 

I've never visited New York other than to change planes and one night spent in a very expensive hotel near the airport due to a canceled flight. John on the other hands has been there many times on business. He's never wanted to spend vacation time somewhere associated with work but he agreed the Great Saunter sounded interesting. 

So we paid $30 to join the Shorewalkers club, lucked out on two fairly cheap plane tickets and reserved a hotel near the start/finish line. We're committed now!

Training Time!

Now we love to walk. A couple of miles after dinner at night and a 10 or 12 mile walk on the weekend. But 32 miles in one day?

Whew! We knew we'd need to work up to it so training time began.

We've been working on adding distance to our walks plus keeping up a good pace. The Great Saunter starts at 7:30am and we hope to finish within 12 hours. We'll have to keep a 3 mph pace so we'll have time for a few breaks along the way.

It's a little scary committing to such a long walk. But we're going to give it our best shot! If we don't complete the 32 miles we'll still have a weekend in New York including a stop at Junior's Cheesecake.

Tomorrow we'll tackle a 17 mile walk. I'll update our progress as we move towards the Great Saunter!


This year's Great Saunter will be held on Saturday, May 7, 2016. For more information about The Great Saunter check out the Shorewalkers site.



Will we see you there?