trip to New York, part 2

After breakfast Wednesday morning, we (with all our belongings) got onto a shuttle for the last time and went to the train station.  We arrived at our destination about forty five minutes later, then we switched to the subway.  I will stop here and say that you should have seen us.  Two adults.  Three large and heavy suitcases.  One weeny wife who needed her husband to lift the big one.  Switching from train to train was fun (said sarcastically) and none of the elevators worked.  When we finally reached our final stop, you should have seen us walking the thirteen miles (or so it seemed) to our hotel with all our junk.

I needed a serious nap afterward.  But then I saw our room's view, and I was better.  Todd hooked us up with a corner room with two walls to view the city.  It was magnificent.

We left and went off to lunch.  After walking a while, we reached where my friend Rachel recommended that we go.

Carnegie Deli.  It was delicious and we shared the hot pastrami sandwich and a giant slice of chocolate/peanut butter pie.  We earned every calorie, trust me.  After lunch, we went to the Rockefeller Plaza and to the top of the Rock.

We won't talk about how I almost threw up on the elevator because they turned off the lights and you could look up and see yourself zooming up to the 67th floor of the building.  I leaned on Todd and looked at the people around me instead.

After this, we stayed in the building for a long time.  It was like an indoor mall on the bottom floor.  Seriously.

There were all these shops and restaurants, and we managed to find another Starbucks with an outlet so we could sit and recharge our phones.  This drink you see is a venti cold brew.  No cream, no sugar.  My friend Chandler got me hooked on these in the spring at D Now, and it refueled me and kept me going for the rest of the long day.

From here, we got back on the subway and went to Central Park.

It's crazy to think of this massive park in the middle of NYC, but it was gorgeous.  We found Bethesda Terrace and just sat and people watched for a long time.

The actual terrace that you see in that middle picture is where part of 27 Dresses was filmed.

I loved this afternoon.  It was so tiring but so relaxing, all at the same time.  We just sat on a bench, Todd with his arm around me, and laughed and talked.

By this time, it was around five thirty or six and would be getting dark soon, so we left and started to make our way back to the subway.

We walked slow and took in the sights.  This church was beautiful!  When we finally got to the subway, we were crammed in there like sardines and had people shoulder to shoulder.  We reached our hotel and ordered dinner to be delivered and I was asleep by eight thirty or nine.  I'm not even kidding.

Thursday was our last day in the city, and we were up early and ready to go.  It was going to be a long day.

Our first stop was to the 9/11 Memorial and Museum.

It was beautiful and sobering and moving and tragic, all at the same time.  We both teared up several times, especially when seeing all the names and faces of those who lost their lives that day.

This is a firetruck that was buried under ashes and ruble.

I am so glad we did this.  With the exception of Sunday, this was my favorite part of our trip.  I cannot recommend enough that you do this if you ever get the chance to go to NYC.

After this, we made our way to the Hudson river, where we thought we would catch a boat tour of the city.  We ate at a Subway along our way, and fifteen minutes after leaving, found the Hudson.

However, we walked to the wrong place and did not find the boat tour.  It was beautiful, though!  We walked slowly back where we came from and finally reached the subway again and called it an afternoon.  We went back to the hotel for naps and to change before our evening out.

This picture above was actually called a park.  And the pigeons?!  Goodness, you might trample them, because they do not move!

I liked the look of this building.

I actually slept on the subway ride, with my head up and bobbling around and people everywhere around me, and before this trip, I never would have believed one could do that.  It was a nice fifteen minute nap, though.

We left refreshed and ready for a late night out in the city.

We ate dinner at a place one of my girls from community group recommended.

It was really good!  We shopped for souvenirs for the boys and I stood in front of The Majestic and waited for Todd as he came back from the M&M store.

We talked to people in line before us from Tennessee and got thoroughly homesick while doing so.

We saw Phantom of the Opera, and it was amazing.  Seriously.  I did not want it to end!

We found another Starbucks on our way back to the subway and our hotel and crashed the minute we got there.  It was after midnight.  And this city literally never sleeps.  Look at all these people out so late!  Amazing.

The next day we slept in, had breakfast, I took an epic two hour nap, then we packed up and left for the airport.

This was the greatest trip I have ever been on.  My sweet husband planned this for two years and made sure that all the things on my list got checked off.  He researched and worked himself to death to make sure that it would happen, and I can never thank him enough.  He did a magnificent job of making me feel cared for, safe and protected and thoroughly treasured.  If you're reading this, thank you, Toddley.  I love you more than words can express.

Even though it was wonderful, I have never been so glad to be back at home in the South and to see my boys.  There is no place like home.

Love to all.