Tri-City Blitz Day #2 - New York City

Friday, December 7, 2007

Okay, officially, you cannot do New York City in one day. But it was fun to try. So let me share the experience:

We woke up early (around 5:45) and Katherine got to my aunt's house around 6:40. We got on the road. We were originally going to take the ferry from New Jersey into Manhattan, but the directions and stuff got left at home, so we didn't know how to get to the ferry, so we took the train. Because we didn't have time to turn around and go back, because we had tickets to the Rockettes (thanks Aunt Hila!) and we had to be at Radio City Music Hall at 10 a.m. So, of course we stopped at Wawa (not the same one as is in the picture, by the way... a different one - they are EVERYWHERE up there, so why not spread the wealth and send them to Alabama???). The sad part was that this Wawa was out of hot chocolate. So we all got other things, and I got a bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit. It was yummy. Okay, so we get to the train station (and keep in mind it's FREEZING outside and it's early in the morning and we're going along with all the commuter traffic). So here are my mom, my aunt, and my cousin braving the cold while waiting for the train:But it's so cool, because when the train arrives, they make a siren-type sound as the signal and then the signs inform you in writing too:

And yes, I am completely aware of how much of a dork I must be to not only have been impressed by this, but to also have taken this picture. The ride into NYC was about an hour. So we sat and talked and laughed and laughed and laughed. Seriously, we had the greatest time. So, the train arrives at Penn Station in New York City. We pile off the train and the line to get up into the station is lined up. I wish I could describe it, but it's one of those things you have to see to comprehend. People just kept trying to push onto the elevator and we were crammed like cows into rows to go up the (not-moving) escalators. But, you just learn to push along with the rest of them, so we pushed our ways up. So, Katherine and I were in front of my mom and my aunt. When we got to the top of the steps, we looked back and saw our moms looking at us, so we just kept on going (it's either that or get trampled). We get up another set of stairs and stop to wait for our moms to catch up, and they are nowhere to be found. Thank goodness for cell phones!!! Katherine called her mom and she was like, "Where are you?" So we had to track down our mothers and for the rest of the day, our moms kept saying, "Well, we just know we'd better keep up because you guys aren't afraid to leave us." So, we went up another set of stairs and we came out of Madison Square Garden. It was soooo cool. Okay, so we have like 30 minutes to get our bearings and make it to Radio City Music Hall to watch the Rockettes. On top of which, we still have to pick up the tickets! So we are trying to figure out which way to go (because literally EVERYTHING got forgotten at the house). We finally get directions and start walking, but then decide to take the subway. So, let's let Katherine demonstrate how you get to get on the subway: You have to buy something called a metro-card and you put money on it. Each subway ride for each person costs $2.00.
The subway was really not dirty.... I was very surprised! It took us a while to figure out which train to get on to head uptown toward Radio City Music Hall, but I wasn't grossed out by the subway. I'll post a picture from it later. So, we got out somewhere around 46th Street (maybe?? I don't really remember) and started walking up and we could see Radio City Music Hall in the distance. So here's a picture of me and Katherine in front of it:
And we made it on time. Man the crowds outside of Radio City Music Hall (RCMH from here on out) were unreal. But we got inside. So yippee! So my mom and I figured out how to get to our seats while my aunt waited on Katherine to use the potty. The Rockettes were totally awesome. The dancing was precise and unbelievably well choreographed. It lasted about an hour and a half and it ended with the most awesome thing ever: a living Nativity. It was beautiful. And how wonderful it was to see them proclaim that the reason for Christmas (because this was their Christmas Spectacular) is the Savior's birth. I feel like it ended the whole thing on the best note possible and it really brought emotions to the surface. It was truly awesome. Here's the best picture I got of it:

And what other time is going to permit you to see live camels (two of them) walking across the stage of RCMH??? Yes, this is true... along with a donkey and sheep. And here's Katherine, Aunt Hila, and Mom after it was over:So, we left RCMH and asked a police officer for directions to Broadway for lunch. Oh yeah, there are cops on every major corner, directing traffic, both pedestrian and vehicular. Something you don't see everyday around Alabama :). Well, even with the directions from the cop, we ended up going the roundabout way... However, that allowed us to go through a seedier part of NYC (I guess it couldn't have been too seedy, since we didn't get mugged!). It also allowed us to get to Times Square. So Katherine and I were getting a picture taken in front of Times Square, and seriously, people in NY don't care. They just walk into the picture and stand there... Like this guy:
See Aunt Hila laughing over there on the side??? This happened more than once to us! But anyway, now I have a story to tell about it and oh, there's Times Square in the background. You can still see it :).

So, we continued our trek and found our way to Ellen's Stardust Diner. This is where those people who are trying to break into the business (acting, singing, etc) work as waiters and waitresses and they sing karaoke throughout the day. It was a neat experience. Oh, and while we were crossing one of the streets to get there, we looked up to our right and there was RCMH a block away. Haha... talk about going in circles! Here we all are at lunch:
It was definitely crowded, but it was very good. And obviously very popular, otherwise it wouldn't have been crowded! And it certainly added to the New York City experience!

Once we were done there, we bundled back up and went outside again. During the meal, we realized that, while we were at RCMH, we were only a block away from Rockefeller Center.
Haha... So, we walked back toward Rockefeller Center and kept on going. We passed under a sign for NBC's Rainbow Room (I took a picture of it, but I'm not going to post it here). I only recognized it from the "November Rain" video from Guns 'n' Roses. I linked it for your benefit. Okay, actually I just watched it. Maybe it's not the same place. Who knows. But I associated it as such, so I'll leave the link :). Anyway, back to NYC... So we got to Rockefeller Center. There were masses of people, so we didn't take a picture of us in front of the Christmas tree, but we did see it and I did take a picture of it. Then we walked across the street (which was 5th Avenue, by the way) and went into St. Patrick's Cathedral. It is a beautiful and old Catholic Church. The building next to it, with the snowflakes, is Saks 5th Avenue. We didn't go in there, but we did go into the Banana Republic (a 3-story Banana Republic). And when we walked out of Banana Republic, it was SNOWING!!!! I was so excited. It wasn't snowing hard, and was really just little flurries... nothing that was going to stick. But it was still very cool for me. We got directions to the closest subway entrance and took the subway up to close to Lincoln Center so we could see the Manhattan New York Temple:

Then we got back ON the subway and headed down to Ground Zero. Oh, here's some trivia that my Aunt Hila shared. The Angel Moroni on most of the LDS Temples (of which there are more than 120 world-wide) faces East. However, on the Manhattan New York Temple, it faces SW toward Ground Zero, I guess to pay homage to those who lost their lives in that terrible event.

So, we got back on the subway and by this time, it's starting to actually make some sense to me. Haha. We rode it for quite a while this time, and unfortunately, by this time, school was out, so there was one obnoxious teenage boy who kept talking a bunch of nonsense. But luckily he got off after one or two stops. And it was pretty empty the rest of the way down to our stop. So, to fulfill Kristin's request that I get a picture of the subway, I got my mom to take one of me and Aunt Hila. Seriously, it was not that dirty on there, I was impressed! Of course, I'm speaking of visible dirty. I'm sure it was crawling with germs!
We could not see much at Ground Zero, I guess because they are working on re-building there. But here are the two pictures I took there:So, we headed back toward the Subway, but Katherine and I stopped in to Jamba Juice to get one of those before heading back on our way. We made it to the subway and got on board and road it all the way back to right around Penn Station. Because seriously, by this time, I was exhausted and ready to get home! And it was still snowing, by the way :). So, we came out from the subway and The Empire State Building was in the background. So, Katherine and I took a picture in front of it (this was as close as I got to it, but it wouldn't have done much good to go up in it, since it was so overcast anyway). Oh, and if you look closely, you can see the snow. And if you will notice, this was another one of those times when someone stepped into the picture. Haha...
Okay, so we get back to Penn Station and buy our tickets home. Once again, we are in commuter traffic. So I just HAD to take this picture. This is only part of the crowd that was waiting for the announcement for our train to Jersey:
And once again, when the announcement for our train was made, we just grabbed onto each other's coat or bag and pushed through the crowd. Like cows. It was great. But we made it onto the train and it's a new train and it was quite comfortable. But I think our moms had lost some of their marbles during the course of the day. Know why?? Because:They were wearing the 3-D glasses we got at RCMH and they called us to look at them. They are so crazy. My Aunt Hila said that picture is almost Christmas-card material. So, I went one better and put it on my blog for all to see :). And here are their daughters on the train:
I like my hat, by the way. I bought it from a street vendor for $5. I'm sad I didn't buy more stuff from street vendors. It just seemed like we were just always en-route to somewhere and stopping wasn't really something I ever thought about!

Anyway, we made it back to New Jersey and stopped at a grocery store called Acme on the way home. I bought these gourmet pretzels (only they were misspelled on the container and said 'gormet'). They are soooo yummy. They are pretzels dipped in chocolate (some white chocolate some milk chocolate) and then covered in other things, like peanut butter chips and sprinkles and coconut.... Yummmm. And then we stopped at Wawa (yes, that's twice in one day). This was yet a different Wawa (which makes #3). And this one, too, was out of hot chocolate, which they explained to us happens when it gets cold, because there's such a high demand for it. So that was sad. But we just made up for it by getting milk steamers. I got hazelnut. And then we went to my aunt's house and made cheese olivettes (basically individual green olives wrapped in a cheese dough) and ate them while watching "Blades of Glory." And this is the only picture I took inside a house:And actually, (and don't get me wrong, I LOVED this whole trip)... This night was part of my absolute favorite parts of the trip. Just all being together and sitting around watching a movie, laughing, and eating appetizers for dinner. There's just something that I really enjoyed about this night.

And that's MY New York City experience, in a nutshell.