Oh my poor feetsies!!! What a day this has been, but I have to say that I am very proud of what we accomplished and of my ability to operate like the Energizer Bunny-keep going and going and going!
We woke up rather early today 630am (330am CA time, but whose paying attention to that) and got ready for the day. We pre-ordered breakfast room service the night before and it arrived on time, we then contemplated our plans for the day. It was raining outside and we were unsure of how this might impact our originally scheduled agenda. We headed off to the Empire State Building with the hopes that the skies would clear up a bit by the time we got there- well no such luck, they said there was zero visibility, so we decided to walk around and stumbled upon the ride they offer there called NYC Skyride. It's a simulated "soaring over NYC" type of ride, but you're in a theater style "car" that moves hydraulically. It was good and interesting- gave you lots of history of the various skyscrapers that make up NYC. We finished with the ride, bought the traditional destination magnet for our collection and then headed off to Grand Central Station.
My cousin was arriving from Stratford, CT via train to spend the day with us- we got there right on time, met up with her and then began walking to Rockefeller Center- we got to watch people ice-skating and take some pictures, but once again- going to the Top of the Rock was not advised due to the low clouds. So we proceeded walking to Radio City Music Hall, then onto FAO Schwartz to see the "BIG" Piano- but it sure did look so much BIGger in the movie "Big" with Tom Hanks! A little disappointing, but the store was pretty cool to see the things they had to offer! All of this and it was only lunch time! We grabbed some traditional New York City pizza at a place called Mariella's on 60th/Lexington- it's supposed to be Oprah's favorite NYC pizza, but who knows. It was good and no regrets for going there.
After lunch we headed (via taxi) to Pier 17 near Battery Park to board our water taxi ferry cruise that took us cruising past areas to include: Ground Zero, Ellis Island, Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge and Manhattan Bridge. We of course saw the skylines of NYC/Manhattan, Jersey and Brooklyn/Queens. This was an hour long cruise and the narrator/tour director was excellent- this was the Circle Line Water Taxi Tour. It was perfect and luckily for us by now the sun was shining and it was absolutely beautiful out on the water! Next stop after this cruise was a taxi ride to Times Square - what a crazy place that is!! Yikes! Did some walking around the area and checked out the new Toys R Us- very cool place, they have an awesome Ferris Wheel inside that is worth a whirl! It was then back to the hotel to meet my cousin's brother and wife who were joining us for dinner and we had a wonderful Italian meal down the street on 45th at Gente- highly recommend! After dinner, the cousins headed to Grand Central Station for their trains/subways back to Stratford and Queens and hubby and I decided to head back to the Empire State Building to do the Observatory- we paid for the guided tour (worth every penny, very interesting and loads of information of what all the key buildings are that make up the Manhattan Skyline) and we also paid the upgrade fee to have access to the 102nd floor- personally I don't think it's worth the $15 upgrade charge and my husband agrees, but also says he doesn't regret doing it- guess it's just one of those things you have to try, but won't do again.
A quick stop to the Walgreen's next to the Empire State Building to look for a pair of mittens- the weather was overall good- but I had my moments of very cold hands and had forgotten to pack mine- so I found a pair on clearance for $2! What a deal! Now if I have any cold nights in Paris, I'll be prepared! Then taxi back home (or to the hotel)- settled down with our glass of wine and of course the computer to catch up on things from the day!
Tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day and I never realized that it is a BIG day for NYC- they put on a parade and seriously there are pubs on every other block in this city- which makes sense when you consider just how many Irish Immigrants came here through Ellis Island back in the day...supposedly most pubs stay open tonight (St. Patty's Eve) all night long! Bars normally close at 4am, and pubs can open up at 6am, but they can apply for a special permit to stay open longer or open earlier- which makes it a non-stop party!
Have to say that I am enjoying our quick visit to New York City and really do wish we had more time to see and do more. Some things that we didn't get to do, that we'll have to keep for our next trip:
Actually visit Ellis Island/Statue of Liberty by foot (and climb her crown), take in a Broadway show (or two), see the taping of one of the popular shows filmed here (Today Show, Letterman, etc.), St. Patrick's Cathedral, Central Park during the day and during a colorful season, show at Radio City (Rockette's)- visit Wall Street (did see from a distance), Carnegie Hall, Tiffany's and Macy's...I'm sure I'm missing more-- Oh- and a trip across the pond to Hoboken NJ to get something yummy from Carlo's Bakery (Cake Boss)!
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