New York Trip

I realize this is stretching way back into the first week of May, but this is about where I left off, and there are a lot of things I missed!  So, this is the re-cap on the trip Jeremy and I took to Long Island.  He had to go for business, and since it was about 9 days, I jumped on board!  Thanks to the 2 most fabulous grandmas in existence, we went childless for the whole time!

I have been to Manhattan on a couple of occasions, but never to the Long Island side of New York.  It was fantastic!  Just like I would have expected from movies and paintings!

We went to see a lighthouse one evening just a couple of miles from our hotel.

These are a few of my favorite pics from that venture:

Okay, it was really windy, so pay no attention to my awful hair!

The tall grass growing straight out of the sand on the sea shore was my favorite part!

Jeremy ran ahead to touch the Atlantic for the first time!

"I did it!"

 There were deer all over the place, just a stone's throw from the car in most cases!

The rest of our adventures took place in Manhattan, and after our HORRIFICALLY terrifying driving experience getting through by rental car upon our arrival, we decided to opt for the train :)

Nathan would have loved this!

Guess what else he would have loved?  All his favorite celebrities were roaming around Times Square!

Creepiest Elmo I've ever seen... 

Tin Man!

Puss 'N Boots!

Times Square was a sight to behold- no picture can possibly do it justice.  The number of enormous screens and flashy ads was awsome.

Ooooo la la!  Who is that handsome traveler leaning on the potted plant?!?!?!

  Speaking of enormity, the Disney Store was several floor of magical merchandise!

What could be better than princess land?  Chocolate land!

Getting fresh with the sexy librarian M&M!  Go hubby!

This is a terrible picture, but it reminds me of a favorite part of our meanderings around downtown.  We could hear them echoing all through the buildings of Times Square, but we didn't realize it was real people playing with no amplification.  This group of street musicians was remarkably talented AND, as we watched them further- turns out- was going completely improv.  Very cool.

Now for some more touristy photos...

Gotta love the the combo of amazing trees and leaves with super tall buildings!

Who can resist a little trip to the Hard Rock?

The amount of amazing architecture left my and my camera like a kid in the candy store with $1 to spend :)

Horse and carriages!  How picturesque :)

We took a lovely stroll through Central Park, but found that was a pretty popular place on a Sunday afternoon!

Hey, I know that girl!

The foliage, flowers, architecture here...wow!

I even made a friend who agreed to pose as a subject for me :)

OOooo, I like that subject MUCH better!  Yummy.

Wow, speaking of yummy- I have got to say no to the yummy...who authorized that double chin?

The Zoo entrance had a clock and when the hour changed the figurines went circling around the base while the chimes rang.  It was kind of an accident, but we walked under it right as it rang.  Such a treat!

Look who was in the park greeting the kiddos!  This Elmo looked much less creepy :)  There was also another performer in the park I wanted to get a picture of but he was too swarmed with children participating, clapping and enjoying his show.  He was a puppeteer doing a show with marionettes.  Too fun!

Well, after watching the kids have all the fun we got a little silly ourselves :)

My playground?  FAO Schwartz- a huge toy store...with hats!

and sweets- with great signs!

Sugar daddy in deed!

And.... the largest stuffed puppy in existence!  I know that next to me, he doesn't look that big, but trust me- he's big!

I tried to pick it up and just about fell over!  That blonde Clifford impersonator just about took me out!

The soldier out front...well, lets just say he did crack under pressure (not like in England) ... and I almost tried the dirty old man grip!

Jeremy's toy store?  This glass cube was the visible portion of the apple store.  There is a glass elevator that takes you down into the store that is visible from looking down through the glass.  Pretty cool.

The last time we ventured into Manhattan was to see the play Wicked on Broadway, but since we were there we took an extra minute to go see the stature of liberty.

I swear that stylish coat adds 20 lbs! (okay, it's actually a flattering piece, but it was worth a shot).

I thought this was too ironic to not shoot a photo.  The sign says "no standing anytime" and he's standing there looking at it :)

Last but not least, the highlight of the trip for both of us was Wicked.  Obviously, I do not have photos of the performance, but trust me- AMAZING!

This was hanging over the stage.

This was taken from my seat!- or standing in front of it, but yes, its the orchestra pit!  We were 2 rows back, but amazingly, not too close to optimal enjoyment.

Here's the curtain...also very cool.

And, last but not least, a picture for the frame :)

Oh, and who could possible leave New York without a taxi ride?  It was kind of a death defying experience, and I was ready to kiss the ground upon reaching our destination, but a fun experience anyways!

Well, I guess that wraps up the trip out east!  Again, a huge shout out to the grandmas for making it all possible.  The most amazing part of all this was having 9 days to be a person- not just a mommy!  I felt so fulfilled getting to relax, exercise, learn about photography, site see with hubby... thanks to all who made it possible!!!!

Next up, Mother's Day :)  Don't worry, I'll catch up eventually!