Hi everyone,
Would you like to hear about my trip to NYC? Well, you’re going to anyway!
My friend Jill drove up to my house on Monday and we hung out in the afternoon and then had to get up at 3:30 Am on Tuesday! We drove to Orlando International Airport and got all checked in by 5:30 AM, at which point we got to sit and wait for two hours!
Flight was smooth and it was quite thrilling to fly over Manhattan. From the air, we saw the Statue of Liberty, the Brooklyn Bridge, and all the tall buildings, Chrysler, Empire State, etc. We landed in La Guardia and took a cab to our hotel which was one block from Times Square. We met Rachel there and she took us to our room on the 34th floor!
Thanks, Rachel for letting us stay with you!!!! She had a business trip, which is how Jill and I got to go in the first place!
And thanks for surprising us with the Mary Poppins tickets!!!!!
The main purpose of the trip for Jill and I was to see Beauty and the Beast on Broadway, since it is closing in July. But I had heard that Mary Poppins was really good, too, and I wanted to see it, so I was really happy to hear that Rachel got us tickets to that!
Anyway, Jill and I walked around Midtown a little on Tues afternoon, hitting some stores like FAO Schwarz and walking around Rockefeller center. Then we met Rachel and cabbed down to Greenwich Village and ate at this cool restaurant called Max Brenner Chocolate by the Bald Man. It features many desserts made with chocolate, yum yum! Then we wandered around the Village, admiring the buildings and stopping in some bookstores. Incidentally, Jill and I had walked in Central Park a bit earlier and our muscles were not used to hills, coming from flat Florida, so our legs were quite worn at this point. We made it to Washington Square Park and sat and rested and watched interesting people. There was a guy practicing with a baton, he looked like he wanted to be a majorette. There were people playing guitar and sax. We left when it began to get dark and seedier people moved in!
Wednesday, Jill and I headed out for Central Park. We walked all around the south end of the park, stopping to see the carousel, Strawberry Fields and the famous Imagine tribute to John Lennon, and got a bit lost in the Ramble area. We walked for a long time and eventually made our way out, quite tired! We had lunch at the boathouse by the Lake and walked up to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I had been there before, when I was in New York with Rachel six years ago, but Jill had not been there. So we went to the same sections I had seen last time, 19th Century paintings and Musical Instruments. I found my favorite painting again, Van Gogh’s Wheat Field with Cypresses. Jill really liked Toulouse Lautrec and the Stradivari violins. After browsing the gift shops, we took a cab back to our hotel, because we couldn’t fathom more walking!
Rachel ordered room service for our dinner, and I was shocked at the prices! $24 for a hamburger, for heaven’s sake!
That evening, we walked the one block to the Lunt-Fontanne Theater to see Beauty and the Beast. It is my favorite animated movie, so I was really looking forward to seeing the Broadway version. Well, I loved it! It was very cool, lots of neat sets and pretty costumes. The music was good, the acting was good, and there were lots of funny and touching moments. I’d love to see it again!
Thursday, Jill and I found that we had gotten used to all the walking and our legs were feeling much better! We walked several blocks to see American Girl Place. I collect the American Girl dolls, so I really wanted to see it! It was very nice, with all the dolls and accessories on display and different sections for the different time periods that the dolls represent.
Then we stopped at the three story M&M World store, featuring oodles of M&M merchandise. Jill wanted to get her younger brother a souvenir there. Then we had lunch at a 50s style diner called Ellen’s Stardust Diner. I had eaten there 6 years ago and loved it. It turned out to be a highlight for Jill. All the waiters and waitresses sing! They take turns singing various Broadway show tunes. And the food is excellent. And we got Egg Creams, which I guess you can only get in New York, so I have heard.
We wanted to go to Chinatown and Little Italy and other places downtown, but by the time we were done with lunch, it was after 2:00, and we thought we wouldn’t have enough time. So we stayed in Midtown and decided to check out some more museums nearby. We went to the American Folk Art Museum first and then to the MoMA, Museum of Modern Art. We enjoyed both! Most modern art we didn’t care for, but it was quite thrilling to see Van Gogh’s Starry Night in person. I also really loved Van Gogh’s The Olive Trees. And I liked a lot of paintings by Matisse and Gaugin.
After we were done at the museums, we went back to the hotel for a break, then went to Roxy’s Deli for dinner. We split a couple things, and it was easy to do. The sandwiches are HUGE! We had a turkey club that could easily feed five or six people. They must have used a whole head of lettuce!
After dinner, it was on to the theatre! We headed to 42nd Street to the New Amsterdam theater, where Mary Poppins was held. Ah, Mary Poppins! I have to say, I liked it even better than Beauty and the Beast! It was really spectacular! The sets were awesome, the music and acting wonderful. And many surprising and really neat things happened. I wish I could go into detail, but I don’t want to spoil it if you ever go see it! I highly recommend if you are ever in New York, go see Mary Poppins! It is fabulous!!!!!!!
Sooooo, that’s pretty much it. Friday morning, we had a quick breakfast at Roxy’s and said goodbye to Rachel, who had an earlier plane. Then Jill and I caught a cab back to the airport and flew home uneventfully! My cats were very glad to see me when I got home!
All in all, a fabulous trip. I can’t wait to go to New York again!
Thanks for reading,
Susan:)
