This weekend my husband and I are headed for New York, just the two of us. We’re celebrating twenty-five years of marriage: a good start on a lifetime agreement. We have a few firm plans and a lot of ideas. In it all we hope to discover New York, and rediscover each other.

It won’t be the first visit for either of us. I once spent an entire day in Manhattan, trying to keep up with my family on a whirlwind walking tour. I remember the stock exchange and Rockefeller Center, the UN and Chinatown. I don’t remember the train ride back to my sister’s place in New Jersey.

Jon’s experience with New York is far different from mine. A federal law enforcement agent, he worked there in the aftermath of 9/11, on a crew that gathered evidence from the rubble. A few years later he went back to help with security for the Republican National Convention. Neither trip was conducive to sightseeing, but he has a feel for the place.

Our wish list contains some conventional items. We have reservations at the mid-town restaurant of a TV chef, and tickets to a Broadway show. I want to see Central Park and the Museum of Modern Art. We’ll visit the 9/11 memorial.

We have some unusual goals, too. I want to see the New York Public Library. Jon remembers some restaurants he’d like to visit again. The area around Chelsea Market has been recommended as a good place to spend time.

Several scenes in Lottie’s Gift take place in New York. We plan to look up the landmarks I wrote about, and take pictures. Watch my Facebook page this weekend for glimpses of Lottie’s New York.

As vacations go, this one will not be restful. No lying on white sand beaches for us. We’ll work at our play, and come home tired. Tired, but refreshed.