St. Patrick's Day NYC

I hope everyone had an exciting and fun St. Patrick's Day, wherever in the world you are!  Mine was was pretty quiet (someday I'll day drink green beer again!) but enjoyable none the less!  Before the day really started, I read an article about some interesting (and surprising) St. Paddy's Day facts.  Leave it to the US to turn a relatively calm Irish holiday into the biggest party of the year! haha

I had committed to myself that come rain or shine I would attend the NYC St. Patrick's Day Parade.  It is the largest St. Paddy's Parade in the world, and although don't know the stats from this year's parade, I know that normally there is about 2 million spectators and 150,000 marchers. A large portion of these were definitely drinking beer out of Dunkin' Donuts cups!  haha.  Nicole decided since it wasn't awful weather to join me to check it out, so at 10 we made our way into the city.  I had on my shamrock fedora and got quite a few looks as I was leaving my building with the thousands people from hundreds of different cultures that apparently don't celebrate the day and were just headed to work for a normal day.  I even had a lady take a picture of me on the subway.  Once I walked up into the more accepting Manhattan I felt totally at ease and was one of the more conservatively dressed St. Patrick celebrators.  

If you have ever attended a parade in NYC you know that there are hundreds of extra police on duty to keep everyone safe, and the streets are blocked off in what seems to me to be ridiculous ways.  It really feels like we are rats in a maze.  Nicole and I got stuck at a blocked off street and snuck through a hotel only to come out at the very start of the parade on a street that we probably were not supposed to be on.  We were basically alone except for some marching bands, Bag Pipers and other people partaking in the actual parade.  We took some photos and watched everyone that was lined up on our street head out on to 5th ave to the craziness that is the parade.  

The parade, always led by the 69th Infantry.

Irish Wolfhounds, I love these dogs!

I don't know what these guys really were but had to some sort of Civil War re-creationists.  They looked amazing!

Bag Pipers 

Veterans

 French Canadians

Random Irish guys.

Cute baton twirler girls.

There is one in every group of Bag Pipers haha

The Kerry, Ireland delegation.

Girls on some very patient and beautifully decorated horses.

State mounted police.

 Hip Hop girls.

The crowd.  This stretches for 30 blocks.

Boy Scout marching band.

The cutest majorettes and marching band.

NYPD police dogs.  The were so adorable and festive.

 Very festive kids headed to the parade.

After the Parade Nicole and I made a stop at Joe Fresh (Yes, Canada like the PC brand and one of our favorite stores)  Selfie time and some great sales!

I am not a huge milkshake fan (I'm a little dairy sensitive and they create havoc in my tummy)  But there are 2 that are worth it to me.  The Cadbury Creme Egg McFlurry (heartbreakingly not available in the US) and the McDonald's Shamrock Shake.  I had to miss out on it last year in Peru so I had almost forgot how amazing this thing is.  Nicole feels the same way so we had to stop and get one on St. Patrick's Day!  Not kidding, Manhattan McDonald's must have sold hundreds of thousands of these yesterday, everyone had one!  Sadly, I had taken the time to read this article, about the 54 ingredients and massive amount of calories in these things a few days before.  One can't hurt right?  If you would rather leave out the crap and some of the calories try this Silk Shamrock Shake.

We worked our way home and I laid down for a nap.  I had slept awful the night before and that shake made me sleepy!

Josh and I decided to walk the 2 blocks over to Dorian's Irish Pub for dinner and a beer when he got home from work to have at least a small celebration.  They for some reason didn't have green beer but they had a delicious Irish Coffee and of course a Black and Tan beer.

Josh knew all day what he wanted, their Fish and Chips.  I always get the Steak Frites there because it is amazing but I decided to have a little spirit and have the Corned Beef Reuben, a decision I did not regret.  It had been a while since I had one of these and OMG it was perfect!

It was an early night after that but minus the lack of day drinking and green beer, it turned out pretty well.  I hope you all found your pot of gold and had a magically delicious day ;)