My Eyes have Beheld It!

...I've officially been to New York City!

The whole time I was there I couldn't believe that I was actually seeing/hearing/smelling/tasting and feeling everything in the Big Apple! When I've seen something so many times on TV, it is crazy fun to behold it in real life. I imagine this is how it will be someday when I finally meet Oprah, whom I already consider a friend. Still can't wrap my mind around the fact that she doesn't know who I am.

Anyway, here are bunch of pictures. I haven't learned how to collage my pictures or even put them into a slide show format. Sorry. Most of our time in the city was spent at night because Tyler was working during the day, and I was sleeping (it was amazing to sleep in with the three hour time change. The first morning I got up and saw that my watch said it was 9:30 but quickly learned that it was actually 12:30and the day was half over!). The day time was beautifully refreshing coming from here. It was just wonderful being there.

Enjoy.

These are from the first night spent at Times Square. It felt a lot like Las Vegas to me, but less sleazy. We drove our rental car in for the first and only time, saw The New York Times building, Rockefeller Center (the famous ice-skating rink which wasn't filled), the place that Good Morning America airs from each morning, and Broadway among other things. We bought our Wicked CD (in anticipation of the show), went out for Sushi, saw the many knock-off purse and Rolex salesmen, the hundreds of Taxis (there are actually 13,000 in NYC!) and smelled the gross mid-night air filled with the daily dose of garbage lining the streets (the do garbage pick-up nightly for an obvious reason). Oh, and we saw SPIDERMAN. Cool shot for Luke.

These pictures are of Grand Central Station. It also reminded me of Las Vegas, the Venetian or something. Just incredible how large and complex and populated everything is!

On day two we decided to try the train system. This was really, really cool. To be on the trains coming in from Newark, to Penn Station. It was crazy. We found lots of kind, helpful people and managed to make it into the city in one piece. Late, but in one piece.

The last night we took the train in again, and saw the show "Wicked". It exceeded expecations, even after all the great things that people had told us about it! Super show. I wish we could take our kids sometime. Following that, we hailed a taxi (We got a thrill yelling "Taxi!"! and having one pull over! The drivers are super nice, too.) and went to see Ground Zero and Wall Street.

Definitely a sober thing being at the site of the World Trade Centers. We were there late, at like 10pm and there were few people down around that area, but the construction work was going. A nice man walking by stopped to talk with us about that day, where he was, and what's been done since. It was so sad! They say they are five years behind schedule and way over budget. The plan is to rebuild the two buildings a few stories higher than the last ones... so much work with all the intricate details of the subway running underneath that they are restoring and all.

Also, the fire station that was right there on the opposite corner is special. Obviously they lost many firefighters that day and whole place is a working memorial. There is no museum or anything up and running yet for us to visit but you could feel the Spirit there. It was so sad.

We topped the trip off with a quick peek at Wall Street, a slice of pizza from 'Little Italy', and a couple souvenirs. And as quickly as we'd come, we were gone. Great trip. So much fun.