rowing up in California, I never saw much snow , and even though I have the opportunity to drive 4 hours to Tahoe to see it every winter, I avoid it at all costs. To be honest, I’m chicken when it comes to cold weather. (Hot, humid and tropical? Count me in.)

But it’s different in a big city. This isn’t Tahoe, where I’ve ended up after being badgered by friends to go, only to find myself shivering in the cold while I watch others ski. It’s eerie to see New York so empty when it snows, but it’s peaceful at the same time. A blizzard is strangely beautiful in NYC, and it makes being inside all the cozier.

What I didn’t expect was the city to completely shut down. I’ve always thought of snow as an extreme version of rain, but it’s much more than that. Apparently, when it snows, no one goes out. Offices and stores close early, and kids cheer when they find school is canceled for the day. We went out for lunch during a blizzard (“Oh, so that’s what a blizzard is like.”) and that was not…the greatest experience.

And surprise, surprise, when it snows, the airports shut down too! For the whole day! We expected our flight to be delayed – but it turned out our flight was canceled. Luckily, we had OXO helping us out again, and they not only booked a flight for us on Sunday, but they booked 4 more days of stay at the Ace Hotel. I don’t even know how to begin to thank them. They’ve been incredible this entire trip, and they went out of their way to make sure we get back home safe. A big thanks to Bena and Emilia at OXO for making sure everything is ok on our trip. OXO truly has compassionate, caring people working there.

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Blizzard!

This is I saw this morning from the backside of my hotel.

Mike is never, ever cold, but here he is, all bundled up.

Mike definitely has the right shoes for snow. He’s rolling up his pants so they don’t get wet.

This is the real deal. Not the sparkly shaved foam stuff you sprinkle on your plastic Christmas tree every year.

This cathedral was nestled between all the skyscrapers – it looked stunning.

I admire those who shovel snow, they work all through the night to make the sidewalks safer for everyone the next day.

There were giant plows everywhere.

Goodnight, Mike. He’s wearing so much stuff he can’t even sit up straight.

Stumptown Coffee

There’s this popular cafe connected to the Ace Hotel called Stumptown Coffee. It’s the stuff snobby coffee drinkers talk about. Actually, everyone around here keeps talking about it. OXO gave us a gift certificate there, so we bought some coffee. It was fantastic. We’re also getting some free hot chocolate as part of a promotion for staying at the hotel while being snowed in. Woo hoo!

There’s usually a wait at the cafe, but the place is so charming.

Coffee is serious business to these baristas. There’s a lengthy process to it, and the final product is absolute perfection. I was watching in awe as he was making my latte.

Here’s my latte.

A ham and cheese sandwich.

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