The Leftovers!

First, I need to apologize to those of you who have been intently following the blog for not writing about the final day of our trip sooner. It was as if the plane landed in Kansas City and we were thrown back into the "real world"...I am sure you all know this feeling! Somehow it is now Wednesday and I am just finding the time to sit down and type about Friday!
We decided to get up and at a decent time and see if we could make it down to Rockefeller Center to catch John Mayer who was playing for the summer concert series of Good Morning America! Catch him we did! We were about a half a block away from the stage, and we could barely see the top of his head, but we could see his band and we had no trouble hearing him! It was neat, but as dad said, "not NEAR as exciting as Southside Johnny"! ;)
Next, we had breakfast a place called Toasties, wonderful name for a breakfast joint, don't you think?! It was a large portions of hearty goodness, so we filled our stomachs and packed the rest up to give to another homeless person in need. My fear was always that they were going to turn down the food or be offended, but to my surprise this never happened, and the man I gave the breakfast to said, "thank you darlin'"! Yes, I cried again. Then we wanted to watch what he did with it (of course we hid), and sure enough he went into Starbuck's to get a fork, came back out, sat on the stoop, and ate it...
Then, we got back on the subway and headed for Central Park where I was dying to ride one of those bicycle cabs (pedicabs) around the area. Our peddler was a very nice man who liked movies and was happy to tell us where many scenes from many films and TV shows had been shot so that was pretty neat. He also peddled us to Strawberry Fields which is the memorial right across the street from where John Lennon was shot. It used to be on the corner of his apartment building, but people would stop so often it was interfering with traffic so they moved it to Central Park! Although it was by far the hottest day and we were sweating profusely, I could not complain because I was not the one peddling 3 full grown adults up and down hills, around and through the park...I don't know how those guys do it! We also popped into the Metropolitan Museum of Art, but we did not stay long as we had to budget our time!
Upon arriving back at the hotel, we took it as a sign that we should pack up our things and head back to Kansas when we saw on the news that NYC was under a tornado watch...REALLY?! A woman had teased us when we arrived that we, "wouldn't be seeing any tornadoes in these parts". Boy was she wrong! Like the good Midwesterners that we are, we did not sit in our hotel room and wait out the storm, oh no, not us, we put on decent clothes and headed outside to "chase the storm". Dad, being the voice of reason, reminded Mom and I that we should probably stay near the hotel, so after the torrential down pour we ran to a quaint bar across the street from the back entrance of the hotel for one last appetizer and one last drink!
Saturday morning we headed to the airport, and arrived safely in Kansas City. Sunday we did laundry. Monday, Tuesday, and today have been spent at work, exercising, running errands, and enjoying the beautiful trees, the green green grass, and the humidity! :)

Johnny or Justin?

Okay, so this post is going to go from finish to start because we just got home from the Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes concert in Tarrytown and I have to type while my mind is still fresh! As we entered the Music Hall it was clear I was going to be the youngest audience member by 20 years...however, after the second song, I was convinced all of the middle aged people around me had turned into teenage girls at a Justin Biber concert!!! Running to the front of the stage, clapping, dancing, yelling, singing, etc. Behold, the power of Southside Johnny! It must have taken them all back to their glory days (and I'm sure their dance moves were VERY hip then)! I was certainly entertained, but I am not sure it was for the same reason everyone else was! ;) I am very glad we went because my parents (Dad especially) seemed to really enjoy themselves!
Before the concert, we arrived in Tarrytown by way of the Hudson Line train, great for people watching (one of Mom and my favorite pass-times). We wandered down to the Striped Bass, located right on the Hudson River and were intrigued by a sign that read "Waterfront Cabana Bar Open Today"...YES PLEASE! We had Jumbo lump crab cakes, Feta dip, and frozen concoctions that were out of this world good! Miami Vice was my favorite: strawberry pina colada! Heaven! The shot of Patron the 50 year old man at the bar wanted to buy me...pure hell! We had dessert (homemade ice cream) at Main Street Sweets, and there we saw: a two year old with a cell phone in his shirt pocket, a young girl wearing fairy wings, another with a macaroni necklace, and a young boy with mis-matched stripped blue pajamas. We also learned it is standard procedure to get a gumball out of the machine while waiting for your ice cream! I began to wish I had grown up in Tarrytown! :)
Previous to this, we had lunch at an Irish Pub called Emmett O'Lunney's. Dad had fish and chips and Mom and I split chicken pot pie. Again, delightful. The food has not ONCE disappointed us on this trip, and that's a good thing because we like to eat!
Our day began with a brisk walk to the "camera store" that Mom had bought a battery from on Monday. Of course, the sleazy man told her the battery had "double capacity" (whatever that means) and would allow her to take 1,000 pictures. I tried to warn her but, you guessed it...we had to go back today because her camera died last night after only taking less than 50 pictures! He did give her a new one and offered to charge her old one, and so our day began.

Macy's, Memphis, and Margarita Murphys

Wednesday began at noon when we left the hotel (we had to get caught up on our sleep). We headed down a street we had never been down before in search of Daniel's Bagels (remember...this is the one Mom and I were headed to on Saturday!). We found it, and it was delicious! Well worth the walk and the wait! Dad got egg salad on a pumpernickel bagel, Mom got tuna salad on an everything bagel, and I got chicken salad on a garlic bagel! We all agreed we would go there again, and we just might have to! :)
Next, we did some strolling and some "light" shopping at Macy's on 34th street! This is the one from Miracle on 34th street, the movie. For an afternoon snack we stopped in at the Wharf for happy hour drinks and $1 tacos! Then, it was off to Memphis, our last Broadway show of the trip. My oh my did we go out with a bang! It was high energy and kept us on the edge of our seats...well, except for the time when they stopped the show for technical difficulties! One of the actors came out on stage to entertain us for a few minutes until they had things figured out! Overall, it was a huge hit with this family: dancing, singing, good tunes! It had us rockin' and rollin' all the way home!
We ended our night at Margarita Murphys, and although no one ordered a margarita we had great appetizers and beer! Our waiter was from Dublin, Ireland so we had a good time talking with him about his perception of America and New York City. He told us his girlfriend from college broke up with him when he moved to NYC (12 years ago...I guess he is still bitter) because she did not like the smell of the peanuts they sell on street (and I can see why).
On a random note, I literally saw/heard more emergency vehicles than I have ever seen/heard in my life. Those poor drivers that have to navigate through NYC rush hour to save some one's life! What a disaster!

Seeing the Sites

Tuesday, or day five of this wonderful adventure, began early with a subway ride to Battery Park. Although the park itself did not seem to be kept up as well as others we have been to, this is where tourists go to board the Staten Island Ferry. Similar only to the fitness center, the Staten Island Ferry is FREE! In my opinion, if something is free in New York... it's worth checking out! The ferry takes travelers from Manhattan Island (where we are staying) to Staten Island. On the way across the body of water where the Hudson River and East River collide, one can see Ellis Island (where immigrants were processed before entering into the United States), the Statue of Liberty (a gift to the United States from France), and an awesome view of the NYC skyline. Being the boat and water lovers we are, the ferry ride was definitely a highlight of our day and of our trip! I could have just ridden the ferry back and forth all day!
Next, we took the subway to the Brooklyn Bridge where we had a tasty, light lunch at an open-air cafe. This was the sight of the second highlight of the day, Mom was SHAT on by a bird for the second time this trip! I don't care who you are, this is hilarious!!! :) Until now, she had never experienced this. Needless to say, she was a trooper and we continued with our plan to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, another beautiful sight! I was a bit nervous walking about the millions of cars zooming underneath us, but it was totally worth it! Once on the other side, we took the subway back to our hotel (so Mom could change her shirt) and so we could all rest our weary legs and feet. For the next hour, I went shopping, Dad checked email, and Mom took a nap!
Rested and ready to go again Mom and I headed to Grand Central Station for Happy Hour at Zocalo, a Mexican restaurant. The margaritas were fabulous (evidenced by the large amount of regulars and locals filtering through) and the guacamole was delicious, as were the chips and salsa. Then, it was off to Broadway for Promises, Promises. Funny, serious, flirty, hysterical, and fabulously retro, this musical is a MUST-SEE for anyone who visits NYC...we LOVED it!
Our day ended with light hearts and heavy tummies. We had 10 pm reservations at Carmine's, "NYC's legendary family style Italian restaurant". The atmosphere was loud, the portions were ginormous, and the menu was painted on the wall! Fantastic! Although we were unable to finish our Cesar salad and lasagna, our waiter bagged it up to go and we delivered the leftovers to our favorite homeless man that sits near our hotel every night. I had to wipe the tears from my eyes as I walked away and heard him say, "God bless you".

Media Monday

It was 10:15 am and we were in line for the NBC Studio tour. It began with video commentated by Matt and Meredith that took us from the beginning of broadcasting to HDTV! Then it was off to the Dr. Oz set, the Football Night in America set, and then the one and only Saturday Night Live set! Pretty neat! I am embarrassed to admit our cuisine for lunch was burgers, fries, and a Coke at McDonald's, BUT we were in a hurry to get in line for a taping of the David Letterman Show, so we have an excuse! We were in the audience for today's show (Monday, July 19th). We we able to see Sylvester Stallone, Rob Corddry, and musical guest ROBYN. This was another wonderful and once-in-a-lifetime chance!
Next, we were headed to Serendipity for frozen hot chocolate, recommended by Oprah! Map in hand, we navigated our way to this famous restaurant (as seen in the movie Serendipity with Kate Beckinsale and John Cusack) Oprah was right, it was delectable! Our wait was short and our tummies were satisfied! Five stars from us!
Last, we were in search of the Shubert Theatre so we could purchase tickets for Memphis, however, we had to make a pit stop at the Walgreen's on Broadway to buy band-aids for our multiple blisters that have surfaced from the past four days of walking! We did make it to the theatre by 8 pm and we were able to purchase tickets for Wednesday evening! Stay tuned for that post, I cannot wait! On tap for tomorrow is Promises, Promises and dinner at Carmine's.

Subway Sunday and the Pu Pu Platter

No, not the sandwich shop, the REAL subway system! I personally could do without this mode of transportation, but being that it truly is the fastest and the cheapest, I obliged. We bought an $8.00 ticket that allowed us on and off four times.
First stop, Chinatown! After being mauled on Canal St. by the Asian women as we ascended into the light of the street, we decided we were already overwhelmed and headed for lunch in Little Italy. We had read it was blocks lined with authentic Italian restaurants, and that it was! Although we were enticed by many young Italian men, we chose a sweet little place called La Nonna (which means grandma). We were not disappointed, evidenced by the plates that looked as though we had licked them clean, and we may have...! Who knew a pitcher of Sangria was $35? The best money we have EVER spent! YUM!
Second stop, Ground Zero. This was both moving and thought provoking. My friend's husband suggested we visit fire house 10, the first unit to respond on 9/11, their bravery was memorialized by many and will never be forgotten. I am glad we took the time to visit, and look forward to visiting again when the Memorial Pools are finished. (These will be placed in the original footprints of the Twin Towers.)
Third stop, Empire State Building! To be honest we made this stop to drink Apricot Ale at the Heartland Brewery, but the Empire State Building was right next door! Also on the menu was something called a Pu Pu Platter. I am not sure who decided to name this appetizer a nickname for feces, but you bet we ordered it! Fried pickles, chicken tenders, mozzarella sticks, mini burgers, and buffalo spring rolls were neatly arranged on a five tier serving stand. We did go into the Empire State Building, but had been advised to go to the Top of the Rock for a better view!
Fourth stop, Rockefeller Plaza! Here, we bought a Rock Pass that allowed us into the observatory at the Top of the Rock at Rockefeller Center AND a tour of the NBC Studios. One word for the sun setting and the night lights appearing right before your eyes from 70 floors high...BREATHTAKING! Can you believe the only thing between you and death is a Plexi-glass wall?!
Walking back to our hotel we discovered there is more than one Magnolia Bakery...thank goodness, because Mom has come to the conclusion they have the best Lemon Bars on earth! She has had one a day since we got here, but don't tell her I typed that! ;)

New York City here we come!

Our alarms went off at 2:30 am Friday morning and we were off to MCI. The flights went well and we landed safely in NYC at noon. From there we took a taxi to the hotel...and the fun began! Day 1 consisted of orienting ourselves to our surroundings: finding Time's Square, the Ed Sullivan Theatre (David Letterman Show), and Grand Central Station. While strolling we were approached by a shady character wanting to sell us tickets to a comedy show...YUP, we followed her and bought tickets! Later that evening we returned to the HA! Comedy Club, went down two flights of stairs into a dark basement (we were among other wanderers who were sucked in!) where the show took place. There were three comedians and the crowd only had three local attendees (apparently they know better than to buy these tickets!). It was entertaining to say the least, and we did laugh, so I guess it was worth it! We ended our first night at Sweet Caroline's, a dueling piano bar. Don't get your hopes up Howl at the Moon and Ernie Biggs fans, these guys were funny, but the atmosphere left something to be desired! Again, there was only one table of locals and the others were from Texas, Boston, Florida, and Colorado. Exhausted from being up for 22 hours straight, we decided to head back to the hotel and rest up for the next day!