Will Sweat for Big Gay Ice Cream

The fun isn’t over and it has already been a pretty incredible NYC Saturday.

Bo spent the day scuba diving with his friend Scott which meant I was able to plan a fun day with girlfriends! Luckily, we were blessed with amazing weather!

I ran four miles up Fifth Avenue and over to Pure Yoga East to meet Gia for a Level 2/3 Vinyasa class taught by Kay Kay Clivi. Gia raved about her ahead of our class saying that her classes were fun yet instructive and challenging. I can’t say enough wonderful things about her style. The class pushed me in ways I haven’t pushed lately in yoga and I loved every minute of it! I was able to get into an unassisted head stand and held crow for longer than usual. The class paired with Gia’s company was a perfect way to continue the day.

After departing Pure I headed home for a quick refresh before heading out to meet Laura for an afternoon adventure. All week we talked about what we’d do with our afternoon, depending on weather. We were both in the mood for an active Saturday and the weather just inspired us further. After reading Michelle’s review of Big Gay Ice Cream earlier this week our day’s activity was decided. Spending the afternoon biking around Manhattan until we ended at Big Gay Ice Cream in the West Village for a bucket list treat. While Bo and I don’t’ have many things on our list before we leave, using Citibikes and finally trying BGIC was definitely on mine!

I am not an expert on Citi Bikes but absolutely LOVED my experience today. Instead of giving you all the details, I’ll have you go to the Citi Bike website for more detail. However, I will share with you a few takeaways from our adventure.

• Definitely download the app in advance to help you find the most convenient stations for your adventure.
• The machines don’t accept American Express.
• Yes, you do have to “check the bike back in” every 30 minutes even with a 24 hour pass. The program is intended primarily for commuters but is great for tourists and weekend jaunts as well. Just make plans to stay near a station. The app shows you where the over 200 stations are and it was pretty easy for us to find them today.
• The bikes DO have gears though only 3. They are a bit hidden on the left hand side and operate from below not the top.
• The busiest station (aka longest line for rental code) in the city on a daily basis is Central Park and 6th Avenue. Avoid this one at all costs as the other dudes trying to rent bikes will harass you while you wait in line – for 20 minutes.
• Please rent or buy a helmet. While I felt very safe 95% of the time today, even riding down busy avenues, why be risky and stupid? Most bike shops in the city rent them for $5-$15 per day if you don’t want to pay the $25-$50 to buy one ahead of time.
• In order to have the green light go on saying that your bike has been properly returned you will have to slam it into the slot.(TWSS) No you will not break the bike or the slot.
• If you’re going to leave your bike somewhere while you’re enjoying ice cream or running an errand, bring a bike lock.

So now back to the fun and picture sharing from our 17.5 mile adventure around Central Park and the West Side Highway.

I really enjoyed biking with Laura as we were able to catch up while riding in the quieter, less traffic filled areas of Central Park and the West Side Highway and were both on the adventure for leisure not fitness. The whole time we kept saying how fun it was and how great the bikes will be this summer. I guess since I don’t get to enjoy them all summer I can just look forward to renting one in Paris this summer.

After about 2 hours of biking and chatting we ended our excursion at Big Gay Ice Cream in the West Village at Seventh and Grove Street. What began as a summer ice cream truck experiment back in the Summer of 2009 has now turned into a popular spot in the city for decadent ice cream treats featuring witty names and unique combinations. Their toppings include wasabi dust, sea salt, olive oil, dark chocolate, pretzels, Nilla Wafers, and more! The soft serve comes in 2 flavors (chocolate and vanilla) daily but the also have 2 weekly specials.

While everything sounded delicious including the ever popular Bea Arthur (vanilla soft serve, dulce de leche, crushed Nilla Wafers) I went with the American Globs. How could I resist vanilla soft serve, pretzels, sea salt, and chocolate dip? This is like the Dairy Queen of my childhood on steroids after a year of culinary school!

Laura went all the way with the Monday Sundae which was incredible! Hers included a Nutella lined waffle cone, whipped cream, dulce de leche, sea salt, and soft serve ice cream! Holy goodness! Needless to say this was an incredible end to an active morning and afternoon. (source)

What’s your favorite ice cream topping?