Thursday, September 7, 2017

Only in New York

It had been 6 years of debating whether to go back or not, but my husband decided he wanted to go home for his birthday weekend, which also happened to be Labor Day weekend.

Home is New York City.

A few days in New York City can stay with you for a lifetime.

Entering New Jersey, you can see the NYC skyline. A little surreal!

He found a hotel in New Jersey that provided bus service to NYC in as little time as 20 minutes.No crossing the George Washington bridge, waiting for 2 hours to get into the city. We did have to go through the Lincoln Tunnel everyday though, which kinda freaked me out.

I survived.

Our hotel had the prettiest flowers on the walkway. Anyone know what these are?


And this was a sight for weary, cold bodies after walking the city all day......Free!


The night we arrived we drove into Hoboken, NJ for dinner and a stroll along the pier there.


The skyline from across the Hudson River was fabulous.





We were excited to find Carlo's Bake Shop, of Cake Boss fame. We loved the show, but not the baked goods in this shop so much.

Actually they were tasteless and stale.


The next day we were in Times Square with a lot of familiar and some unfamiliar sights. The NYPD barricades on the sidewalks are new, due to the recent tragedies of pedestrians being run over by wayward cars.


The police were all over and were ready, in full riot gear, hands on rifles.



One of my favorite shows to watch in the morning....


My husband got tickets to Madame Tussauds Wax Museum. Kind of a creepy thought to me, to see life size wax figures of celebrities and other famous people. Only a few looked like themselves to me.

Like Pharrell Williams, minus a hat.


Trump looked pretty good too (the picture came out too blurry). And how can you miss with ET? My husband, always clowning around....


Woody Allen....eh


Just to show you the size of the Hulk.....he was not made of wax.


We had time before our next adventure, The Ride, so we went to Chelsea Market which is in an old meat packing warehouse in the meat packing district.


I saw a few pairs of these feet around the market....not sure what they represent. Not sure I want to know.


The Ride is a sightseeing tour on a bus that is like a theatre with one side all windows that face out to the street.  

We had two girls doing the narrative on the sights and they made it so much fun with their banter back and forth and their theatrical antics. To add more fun, every now and then on the street, a person would start singing or dancing (all part of the tour) and interact with the people on the bus. The picture below shows a saxophonist with a guy that came along and started singing to the music. 



At Columbus Circle, a ballerina with a lit up tutu was dancing and bumped into a man walking. He took her in his arms and they both danced ballet in front of the fountain.

I won't give anymore of that away. It was a lot of fun.

One of the highlights of my trip was to meet Amy, who blogs at Ms Toody Goo Shoes, in person. We met in a cute coffee shop, Le Pain Quotidien across from Bryant Park.


My desire and goal is to meet as many blog friends as possible and Amy was the first! We had a nice chat over coffee and high calorie treats!


Another highlight happened that same day when we went to see the Broadway musical, Beautiful. I just love Carole King and have listened to her album Tapestry faithfully since it came out. Also, recently I saw Carole King: Tapestry – Captured Live at Hyde Park London at the movie theatre. She is in her early 70's and boy, she's still got it!!

The musical was fabulous!


Some random pictures from walking around the city.

"Give me your tired, your poor, your bananas....."


My son will take one of each please.....



No comment.


So at the beginning of this post I mentioned that a trip to NYC can impress you for a lifetime.

Our visit to the National September 11 Memorial and Museum is one of those that will play back over and over in my mind.


We've all seen the pictures the media put out at the time, of the engraved names, and heard the playback of that fateful day many times. 


But to walk into that museum with hundreds of other people and have no one speaking, surrounded by pictures and soundtracks and actual pieces of the buildings, was a sobering event. It was a dreary, rainy day outside and it was dark and somber inside.

The pictures are just to give an idea of the magnitude of the museum and the events that happened on that very ground.

Ground Zero








Most striking to me were the names engraved around the reflection pool.


Todd Beamer, a hero known for trying to avert the terrorists.


I saw a few of these.......and her unborn child......so sad


and a few of these.....



But there is always hope and this tree is a symbol of that. It is called the Survivor Tree, found in all the rubble, still alive and was nursed back to health and brought back here.


These are just a few of the many things you can do and see in New York City. There are links if you want to check any of them out.

If it's spectacular, weird or unbelievable, it may just fit in the category of "only in New York".

28 comments :

  1. Oh Ann Marie, I loved all your photos. I absolutely love NYC. You hubby was so funny in the pictures. He must have a great sense of humor. The 9-11 museum was just being built when I was last there. Those feet things are creepy to me. Glad you go to meet another blogger, you looked great. I am hoping to met Nana Diana this month. Blessings to you, xoxo, Susie

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  2. I am heading there next month - to meet all the Traveling Tote bloggers! So looking forward to it as I love the city. I will be staying at the Lotte NY Palace and we are all meeting at the Russian Tea Room - and then we will walk down to MacKenzie Childs store! Isn't it fun meeting bloggers?? I plan on going to Chelsea Mkt - Every time I go I say that and then get distracted and never get there...BUT this time I WILL! And I will look for the "feet" - intriguing!! Loved going on this 'virtual' trip with you!!

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  3. Love all your photos of your stay in New York, AnnMarie. New York is on the top of my list for places to visit. There are so many wonderful things to see and do there. I have always wanted, among many other sights, to visit the garment district where there is the most amazing trims and fabric shop (can't remember the name). How sobering to walk around the Ground Zero museum; there would be so many tragic stories there to read and to see. I love Carole King also. She is looking wonderful for her age, isn't she. I watched a documentary on her life the other night. How wonderful to see the Tapestry show.So happy you and your husband enjoyed the most marvelous time. Happy birthday to him!

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  5. Hi AnnMarie, it looks like you had a fun and a nice time visiting NYC. There are so many places to see and visit and it sounds like you did a lot. It's so nice that you had the chance to meet up with Amy. Next time you come to NYC please email and let me know as I would LOVE to meet you!
    Thanks for sharing your trip, I enjoy looking at the photos. Enjoy the weekend.
    Julie

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  6. I haven't been to NYC post 9/11. What a time to be there. Very sobering.

    How lucky you are to visit this fabulous city with someone who knows it so well. I'm a tad envious! And I have to say you are a wonderful tour guide! Loved every single sight and photo!

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  7. Such lovely photos. Will be as close as I will ever get to see NYC.
    Them flowers you where wondering about. They are Rainbow or 'Patriot' Lantana.

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  8. We were there last week and it was soul satisfying to 'go home'. Amy and I have met three times and I'm so glad you two had a fun day :).

    xxx

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  9. What a nice trip. I need to go NYC at least once in my life. What an amazing trip.

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  10. Hi AnnMarie, What a great trip for your hubby's birthday. Love seeing your photos of all the sights in NYC. How fun to meet up with Amy.
    Happy weekend. xo

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  11. How much fun! I enjoyed your tour, and I would love to take a tour on "The Ride." Isn't it fun to meet bloggers? I've met a couple, and I enjoyed it so much.

    Wow, your photos of the 9/11 museum brought tears to my eyes. It's been so long since I've been to NYC that the last time I was there we ate at the Windows on the World Restaurant at the World Trade Center.

    Thanks again for taking the time to write this post.

    xo,
    RJ

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  12. I thoroughly enjoyed the tour! Thank you very much. I've never been to NYC and your pictures make me want to go.

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  13. Looks like you had a super visit. What a great idea to stay in NJ. The view is beautiful from there and you still have access to the best the city has to offer. It looks like you took a little taste of it all. Happy Birthday to the husband! :)

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  14. Oh wow, what an eventful time you had in New York! It sounds like you got to see some really fun things, like someone dancing in a lit up tutu! My daughter used to dance, so she would've enjoyed that. Thanks for sharing all the pictures and letting me see a place I probably won't ever be able to visit. The pictures from the 9/11 museum were a sobering reminder.

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  15. AnnMarie, I'm so happy that you contacted me to get together during your busy weekend in NYC! Meeting you was a highlight of my weekend, and it was a bonus to meet your lovely husband and handsome son! Here's what I love about NYC - I've lived there, worked there, and visited there countless times, and you still managed to do and see things I've never done! I can't believe I've never been to Chelsea Markets (no idea what the feet mean, but I'll ask my sister). I had never heard of The Ride until you told me about it, but ironically one of my friends (who lives here in NJ) posted it on Facebook the day after I saw you. Now I want to do that, too! I thoroughly enjoyed all of your photos! Till we meet again, my friend!

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  16. I'm so glad that you decided to go. sounds like you had a wonderful time. I find that often with many bakeries. They look good, but taste good, not so much? :) The feet thing was weird. I've only been to one wax museum. It was when I was a kid. We went to Disneyland and visited a wax museum there. They are a bit eerie. Hubby and I travel alot, but have never been to NY. I would love to go some time. Memories of 9/11 will be with all us forever. Such a tragic day!! Thanks for sharing with SYC.
    hugs,
    Jann

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  17. There's are so many things to do in NYC. Looks like you had a great time. The wax museums are a little weird, yes. We visited the one in Washington DC and had a lot of fun taking our pics with our favorites. The flowers look like lantana to me.

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  18. Great post AnnMarie :) We love NYC and believe it or not, haven't been to the 9/11 museum yet--hopefully soon. We just revisited the 9/11 exhibit here in Albany and found it very moving. Thanks for sharing your trip!

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  19. Thank you for sharing. I haven't been to NYC in years but would so love to go back. I did a review on the 9/11 disaster book called "The Stories They Tell" so I was really interested in seeing your photos. I'd love to see that in person.

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  20. What a wonderful trip ~ thanks for taking us along! Your photos are fabulous. That flower is lantana--it's big here in the South ;)

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  21. Looks like a fun and interesting trip - love the photos, especially of the skyline! So much to see and do there. The 911 memorial is so touching and sobering. So nice to meet up with another blogger, too. Happy Belated Birthday to your Husband! xx Karen

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  22. Wow, what a trip! So many interesting things, indeed! The feet thing definitely strange. Sad that the police have to be in riot gear and have the concrete blocks up for protection as people walk. You got to see so many amazing things! Looks like your husband is a lot of fun to travel with, isn't it great to have fun together :) I have never been to NYC, but it definitely looks like an incredible place to visit. The 9/11 visit must have been a very somber reminder of such a terrible event, and to see relics from the place where it all took place. How sweet that they place flowers on the birthdays of all who died. Wow. So glad I got to share along with your trip to NY :)

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  23. What a wonderful trip, AnnMarie. Exciting to go back home again when it is to NYC, but really sad when all the precautions have to be taken. How fun to meet another blogger, and I probably should have "no comment" either, but Troll is right on!..Happy Wednesday..Judy

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  24. NY is my hometown and I can't still get over what happened on 9-11... it still makes me cry. You had a fabulous trip to that awesome and unique city in the world.
    Thanks for dropping by dear friend.
    Enjoy your weekend.
    FABBY

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  25. Sweet lady, I have so enjoyed looking at your wonderful pictures and reading your travel. I have never been to NY. Two of my three daughters has been and matter of fact one of my daughters is going back in Dec. Ooh I bet it will be some kind of kind too. So glad you enjoyed yourself and got to meet a blogging friend. How wonderful. Hugs and blessings, Cindy

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  26. Such an awesome inspiring and lively city! Thank you for bringing us with you on this wonderful journey! xx

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  27. What a wonderful trip! I would have loved to be able to stay longer when I was there in June. I love NYC! SO much to see and do. Fabulous photos...I'm glad you and the hubby had a lovely time!

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  28. A great trip and yes, very sobering to see the museum. I myself have not been there yet so thank you for sharing. Something to share with the younger ones in our families so they can learn from past history.

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