Day 4 of Rebecca's Graduation Trip

Day four was a travel day for us.  We woke up at 7 and got dressed and headed to Penn Station for our train to Boston deciding to save time and have breakfast on the train.  At Penn Station I wasn't really sure how the Amtrak portion of it all worked.  We had arrived a few minutes after 8 for an 8:30 train.  I found our train on the board but only the first two trains on the board had platform numbers next to them.  Ours was about the eighth train listed.  So I assumed that all the trains below those two with platform numbers must be using the same platform as the last one listed which was #4.  So, we started in that direction.  There was a long line near platform 4 so I asked someone which train they were waiting for and it was Montreal. While Montreal sounds intriguing, it wasn't on my list of places to visit this trip.

So Rebecca saw a station worker and we went and asked her which platform we were supposed to go to for train number 170.  She told us that we needed to watch the board and a few minutes before it was ready to board, the platform number would appear next to the train.  Ahhhhh!!!  So that explained all the people standing around with luggage starring up at that big board.....  So we just stood right where we were and did the same thing.  After a few minutes the number 6 appeared next to our train number and a huge group of people broke away from under the big board and rushed toward gate 6.  We were near the front of the group.

In line we showed our tickets to a man who confirmed that we were indeed getting on the right train.  Then we went out to the platform and got on board.  After the train left the station the conductor came around and looked at our ticket and stuck some papers in the little clip above our seats.  Then he came around following each stop and checked for new passengers and did the same for them.  It was all very organized and the conductors were friendly and helpful.  He steered us to the dining car which was directly behind ours.  You could either sit in there, but all those tables were taken, or you could get some food and take it back to your seat. We took our breakfast back to our seats.  There were electrical outlets at all the seats so we were able to charge our cell phones and camera during the trip.  All in all, it was a really nice way to travel.  We got to see parts of New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts, that I have never seen.  I think it would be a really nice trip in October when the leaves are turning.

We exited the train at Back Bay in Boston which was the final stop.  Once off the train, we took the T to a stop about a block and a half from our hotel.  The seats on Amtrak were roomy with tons of leg room.  You can fit huge luggage in the overhead and it was super easy, fun and a cheap way to travel.  We arrived in Boston and were checked into our hotel by 1 PM, so we headed out for lunch followed by sightseeing.  At the front desk, we found out that we could get tickets for the Old Town Trolley which was the one recommended by most of the people on Trip Advisor if we just waited a few minutes for the bell boy to come back.  Apparently, he also acted as the concierge in our 1950's era Midtown Hotel.  The hotel was kept clean, but there was no mistaking that it must have been built in the early 50's and had not been through many renovations.... if any, since.  It was in a terrific location on Hunnington Ave just across the street from that huge Christian Science campus.  But it could use an update.

The bell boy returned and sold us tickets for the Trolley and vaguely told us where to board it.  The guy at the front desk had already suggested a location or six for lunch several of which included places like The Cheesecake Factory and California Pizza Kitchen.  Ugh!  I hate eating at chains on vacation when I could have something local.  And I refuse to eat at either of those chains anytime I can avoid them.  So, we steered clear of those and found Thornton's instead.  It was just down the street from our hotel and they served breakfast and lunch with both inside and outside seating.  After we were seated, I ordered a Turkey Club Sandwich and Rebecca got a Phillie Cheesesteak.  The food was good the waiter was friendly and quick and we decided, we'd come back the next morning for breakfast.

Following lunch, we headed for our trolley stop and found it about another block down the street.  We rode through a few stops before deciding to get off at Fenway Park.  There we got off and took a few pictures.  It looked like vendors were setting up around the park for a game, but it was supposed to be an off day for the Red Sox, so I was a little confused by that.  When we got back on the next trolley that came by, the driver said that the Sox were playing a make up game that night against the Rays and make up games were never sold out so we could probably pick up tickets at game time for around $20 each.  I could tell that Rebecca really wanted to go.  But we only had two nights in Boston and we had tickets for the game the following night vs. the Mariners.  So I just felt like we should do something different on this night.

Massachusetts State House

So, we continued to ride the trolley until we came to the #1 stop which was Boston Harbor and Faneuil Hall.  We didn't go to either of those locations during this stop.  I was in search of a Chase ATM.  I was running low on cash which made me uncomfortable, so I really wanted to get a little more money just to be safe.  FYI....  I never saw a single Chase ATM anywhere in Boston.  So beware.  We wound up walking to the North End in our search which was the next trolley stop according to our map and next to Paul Revere's house, we walked into a gift shop where the man told us the closest ATM was a Bank of America a few blocks away.  So we went there, stood in line and got some cash.

By this time it was already after 4 PM and we knew that we had to be back on the trolley by 5:00 PM in order to get back to our hotel using the trolley.  (They stop taking on new passengers at 5:00 each day.)  But we had already decided that we were eating in the North End that night.  So we finally decided to just stay in the North End, visit Paul Revere's house, the Old North Church and then have dinner and one of Mike's famous cannoli's that we had heard so much about before taking a taxi back to the hotel.  So that's what we did.  First we went to Paul Revere's house since we already knew where it was and walked through the house.  It was pretty cool.  Upon exiting the house but while still on the grounds we found a pear tree and Rebecca was determined to "swipe" one of Paul Revere's pears. (Don't worry, no actual pears were harmed in this instance.)

Rebecca trying to "swipe" one of Paul Revere's pears.

 After leaving Paul Revere's house and his pear tree, we headed to the Old North Church and stopped along the way to take a few pictures of the Paul Revere statue. While there, it began to rain, so we hurried on into the church and waited out the downpour.

Just behind the church is this small war memorial. That made Rebecca sad, sorry the photo is blurred, but it was raining and I was in a hurry to take the picture and get inside.  Those are dogtags hanging on the memorial.  So you can imagine why she was sad.  Once we were inside the church, Rebecca saw a sign that said no photography.....  But we were in there for so long waiting for the rain to stop and the church has these little enclosures that I guess were for each family in the congregation rather than just straight pews.  So we went inside one of the enclosures, closed the door and held the camera at waist level and took a few pictures....  Surely we won't go to hell for something as innocent as taking a few pictures in a church.....  Right?!?

Waiting the rain out....

 When the rain ended the sun came out, in fact the sun came out while it was still raining.  It was just a really pretty and quick summer shower.  But afterwards, it became a little steamy to walk down the street.  After the shower, we went into a shop and bought Boston shirts.  Then we started walking from restaurant to restaurant looking at the menus to help us decide where to have dinner later.  The first place we looked was the one that we eventually went back to.  The city was doing some street work and were jack hammering on Salem St. and as it turned out directly in front of that restaurant when we went back for dinner, but they stopped shortly after we were seated and so it all worked out fine. We were the only people there when we sat down. Another family came in later.  But Pasta E Pomodoro didn't do much business that night.  I hope it was only due to he street work being done, because the food was excellent!  In fact it might have been the best food of the trip!  After dinner, we went over to Mike's Pasty on Hanover St. and got in line for our cannoli.  The line moves fast so don't let it stop you from getting the best cannoli you will ever put in your mouth.  But if you can't make it to Boston or don't want to wait in line, they ship!  So, just go to the website at the link provided above for the best cannoli's in the world!

We ended up getting two each since you never know when you might make it back to Mike's. It was money well spent.  I got a plain one and and a lemon one.  Rebecca got pistachio and plain.  They were delicious.  As soon as we had our cannoli's in hand, we got a taxi and headed back to The Midtown where we had our dessert while we watched TV and planned our next day.  By the way, you can't possibly eat two of those cannoli in one sitting, so we saved our second ones for the following night.  Tomorrow, I'll tell you all about our last full day in Boston.  Have a great Monday!

Waiting in line for Cannoli

The crowd inside Mike's

A little piece of heaven in a box....

And now you see what the fuss is about!

Day 3 of Rebecca's Graduation Trip

Well, every trip must have at least one disappointment just so that you will have something to measure the greatness of the balance of the trip by.  Day three was our disappointment.  When I booked our trip, I had booked an all day tour along with it.  The tour was scheduled for Sunday.  We had to meet at the Grayline office on 8th Ave. around 8:30 Sunday morning.  We did so and were first in line for our bus, because after all, I am my mother's daughter.  That was the last good thing that happened until the tour ended.

Our tour guide was a cute little man with a thick Israeli accent who could have been great if he had stopped arguing with the bus driver for about 10 minutes during the day.  The driver had a lot more common sense then the guide.  Among other unspecified sites we were supposed to go to the World Trade Center site, (they no longer call it ground zero because of the negative connotations....) Wall Street, the Top of the Rock and do a short harbor cruise that would take us out near the Statue of Liberty.  We boarded the bus at 9:00 AM on Sunday and the guide insisted that our first stop MUST be St. John the Divine church at 112th St. The bus driver argued that it was a bad time to visit the non-denominational Christian church, but the Israeli guide insisted that he knew best.  So we all climbed out of the bus at the church and filed inside where a church service was taking place.  Then the guide actually began to give us information about the building talking over the minister so that we could all here him instead of the church service!!!!!  Really, dude?

Inside St. John the Divine

 

David the argumenative tour guide

After a few minutes he gave up on that and we left. So then since we didn't really get to see much of the church, he decided to take us to Grant's Tomb which the police had roadblocked just north of Colombia University.  The police wouldn't let the hard headed man through so, we didn't see it.  As we went from site to site throughout the day, the guides single biggest concern was that we beat all the other buses to the sites.  He didn't seem to care that the sites weren't really worth seeing.  After the "un-site" we stopped in Central Park where my niece was introduced to the oblivious foreign tourists who seem to think that the world revolves around them.  A number of the people on the tour, probably two thirds of the bus, were from Asia and although many tourists from Asia are very polite and friendly, none of those people were in our group.  These were self entitled people who looked down on all American's and especially female American's.  Each time we stopped, we waited for the same man who smelled as though he hadn't bathed in weeks to get back on the bus.  When he came rushing on, sweating, he always walked down the aisle of the full bus who had been waiting on him for 5 to 10 minutes with his arms held above his head so that we could all get a good whiff.  Once it began to rain, his body odor intensified to approximately ten times the original potency.  It was really lovely.... NOT!

Following the Central Park stop, we headed to Little Italy at a breakneck pace zooming past the Empire State Building, Washington Square, the Flat Iron Building and so on with practically no commentary on what we were passing.  Commentary would have interrupted the constant updates on where the other buses were in relation to us.  Lunch was good and quick at restaurant called Grotta Azzurra.  We ate from a limited menu but it was really great.  Then we had a little bit of time in Little Italy to roam around.  By the time lunch was over, I was really dreading getting back on the bus with the rude Asian tourists and the argumentative guide, but we had paid for the harbor cruise and the visit to the Top of the Rock and I didn't want to sacrifice those two things.  So we got back on board the bus and then waited for the rude smelly man to board the bus 10 minutes late.

Lunchtime at Grotta Azzurra

When he finally came on board, we headed to the location where we were supposed to board our harbor cruise.  But first we were supposed to go by Wall St., the World Trade Center area and St. Paul's Chapel.  We sped past Wall St. so fast that you couldn't see it at all and I barely saw the street sign. Then we spent 45 minutes driving around and looking at the new buildings that are being built for the World Trade Center. So here's the question.... Why would I want to speed past Wall St. and the NY Stock Exchange to spend 45 minutes starring at new glass and metal buildings still under construction?  We have new glass and metal buildings in Dallas.  I see them all the time. Obviously, they are being built on a historical site. But it doesn't change the fact that it is just a bunch of glass and metal.

World Trade Center Building Two

We got off the bus once again to go into St. Paul's which is the oldest building on Manhattan.  I had been inside before and I like visiting the church.  It played a huge part in the ground zero clean up efforts.  Rescuers, firefighters and searchers slept there on cots between shifts as they searched for bodies.  Additionally George Washington attended church services there.  So, it has played a part in our nation's history.

St. Paul's

Bell at St. Paul's

When we arrived at the Southside Seaport, David the tour guide, had to go buy our tickets and told us to stay near the bus and under the overpass while we waited since it was raining.  Once he had the tickets he had us all walk down the pier to get in line.  We stood in line in the rain for about 25 minutes before they let us board.  I'm still not sure why we couldn't have stood out of the rain, but whatever.  The foreign tourists have no sense of personal space and continually bumped into us and crowded us out of our spots while we waited aggravating Rebecca and I to a point that was nearly homicidal.  I seriously thought I would literally have to hold her back.

Once we were on the boat, we found a spot outside thinking that the foreign tourists would stay inside out of the rain and crowd those people.  Wrong!  By the time the boat left the dock, they had forced us out of our seats.  As an act of revenge we stood on the rail in front of all of them refusing to move so that they couldn't see.  When they tried to get us to move so that they could take pictures in our optimal spot, we drew the line and really became rude Americans. But honestly, it was long over due.

So, finally we got close enough to Lady Liberty to get our pictures and then we immediately went inside and found seats near the bar where I got a beer and Rebecca got a Gatorade while we calmed down and tried to think about anything other than rude tourists. By the time I finished my beer, we were back at the dock and at this point I was thinking very seriously about exiting the tour and doing our own little side trip to Wall St. even though it would mean sacrificing Top of the Rock which was already paid for.  But we sucked it up and went on with the group.

Our last stop of the day was Rockefeller Plaza.  Going up to the top is much quicker than the Empire State Building so we were in and out again within 30 minutes.  I would estimate that we spent less than 5 minutes at the top just because we were so over the entire tour at that point that it was difficult to enjoy anything. Our biggest goal was to get away from the people we had been stuck with all day.  Upon leaving the tour we went into the NBC shops and then headed back toward Times Square so that Rebecca could do some shopping.

After she struggled with options for things to get her boyfriend she finally settled on having a caricature done on the street in Times Square.  I thought it was a perfect gift for him and it was fun watching the guy draw Rebecca.

Once we dropped our purchases off at the room, we headed back to Little Italy via taxi for dinner.  Rebecca is a pasta fiend and so we ate it every chance we got.  It continued to rain off and on as we spent the evening in Little Italy, but I kind of liked the effect on the atmosphere and it made for some nice photos.

We had dinner at The Italian food Center pictured to the left.  It apparently has replaced the Grande Italian Food Center which closed after 50 years in Little Italy.  The new restaurants website is not up yet.  The food was good.  My tortellini was a little more al dente than I would have liked but all in all, it was 5 times better than anything I could get at home and 1000 times better than Olive Garden.  After dinner, we sought out the best cannoli's in NY and quickly found them at Caffe Palermo... as their banner states.  The cannoli's did not disappoint.  I also enjoyed a glass of port with mine which made it kind of magnificent!!!!  While we enjoyed the cannoli, a man playing an accordion came past and you can see the video here.  It just made the atmosphere that much better.  Next time you are in NY's Little Italy, do NOT miss Caffe Palermo. Following dinner, we took another taxi back to our hotel and called it a night.  On Monday we had to get up and catch our Amtrak train to Boston so we were going to have another long day ahead of us. Tune in tomorrow for the train ride and the first day in Boston.

Have a great Sunday!

Accodian serenade with cannolli

Day 2 of Rebecca's Graduation Trip

Day two of the trip started out slightly less early than day one did.  We got to sleep until a few minutes after 7.  We had tickets for the Yankees vs. Rays game scheduled for 1:05 PM at Yankee Stadium so we got dressed for the ballpark and headed out to find breakfast before getting on a subway headed to The Bronx.

I decided that if we wanted something good we needed to get out of Times Square, so we headed to 6th Ave. where vendors had already begun setting up for a street fair that was to take place all day on Saturday. They were already cooking and it smelled really good, but we were drawn to Magnolia Bakery instead of street food.  We both got individual cheesecakes - Rebecca got two!  She got a Red Velvet and something else, I got a Caramel and we both got coffee.... So!  $26 later, we had breakfast at the fountain across from Magnolia Bakery and Rebecca who is not much of a sweet person finished off both of her personal cheesecakes in the time it took me to finish one.  But it was heaven.

So on a huge sugar high the likes of which you may never have seen, we immediately headed back toward Times Square presumably to catch our subway to Yankee Stadium even though we were supposed to get on one a few feet from where we had eaten our cheesecake.  About half way back to Time Square, that little fact dawned on me and we went right back to where we had been and walked down to the subway station.  Now, I have been on subways in NY numerous times but for me it is always an adventure because I always know what color or number train I should be getting on, but I'm never sure if it is going in the right direction.  This only happens to me in NY.  My Google map had said that we needed to get on the train going to Norwood.  The metro worker we stopped and asked just pointed and grunted at a turnstile, so we went through that one.

Once we were down there, I saw that the Norwood platform was the next platform over and you had to go back up and pay again to get to it.  So, we stayed where we were and assumed that the seasoned metro worker who pointed us in the direction we had taken probably knew more than Google and we were correct.  Of course, we weren't sure about that until a lady and her son got on at about 125th St. and began talking to us.  They were going to the game too and we talked to them almost the rest of the way to the 161st St. stop.

Once we arrived at the 161st St. stop, everything else was a breeze.  We just followed the crowds to the stadium and then began walking around and looking in team shops.  I wanted a cap but I was hoping to get a fitted one.  But here's the deal, unless you want one of those stupid gangster looking flat bill caps, you can't get a fitted cap at Yankee Stadium.  What's up with that??!?!?!?  So, I wound up with an adjustable one.

Our seats were in section 424 which is the highest level and on the third base line.  As far as seeing the game goes, they weren't horrible seats.  They were just REALLLLLLY high up.  I mean if the Goodyear Blimp had been present, it would have been below us.  To give you an idea of how high up we were seated, concessions are only available on the first 3 levels.  I'm assuming it has something to do with not wanting the workers to get the bends when they get that high without oxygen masks....  Here's a picture of Rebecca in our seats.  If the Empire State Building had been visible from Yankee Stadium, she would have been looking down at it.  I'm just sayin'....

The Yankees lost the game to the Rays who played well.  Even when you are not a huge fan of the teams you are watching it is still better when the team you are wearing gear for wins.  But neither of us were broken hearted by the outcome.  Following the game, we followed this crazy big crowd back to he subway stop and this is when I learned a very valuable lesson.  Never keep your metro pass in your pocket all day getting bent.  It seems that bent metro passes don't work in the turnstile.  When this discovery was made, Rebecca had already passed through the turnstile and was on the other side, in the 150 degree underground area while I was stuck with no way to get through.  So, I found the line for people who had similar problems and stood in it for about 15 minutes while Rebecca waited for me on the other side of the turnstile.  I'm not sure why, but apparently I look a little bit like a New Yorker.  So, people continually came up to me and asked questions while I was in line.  I would then turn to the girl next to me who worked at the stadium and ask her and then answer them.  I guess they were intimidated by her, but she was super nice and got a big kick of the Texan translating for her.

Rebecca on the other hand had some excitement of her own.  Apparently a lost little boy found her standing alone and came up to her for help.  So she hung out with a lost kid until his parents found him while I stood in line for 15 minutes so that the lady behind the glass could point out the bent spot in my metro pass and then make a huge production of rubbing it across her desk and then handing it back to me.  The whole bent metro pass thing would have been nice to know beforehand.  That's all I'm going to say.

Once we were back at our stop on 6th Ave. we decided to walk around the street fair that had been setting up earlier in the day while we ate our Magnolia Bakery breakfast.  I got a scarf to wear with my plain black dress that night to our play and then we were on our way back to the hotel.  In the hotel, while Rebecca showered, I did a little research regarding places to eat before our play and discovered that in order to be at our 8:00 performance in time, we needed a reservation for no later than 6:30.  So, on Open Table, I got us a reservation for St. Andrews Restaurant and Bar at 6:30.  I made the reservation at about 5:50 and had still not showered.  Folks, you have never seen two females shower, throw make up on faster or run a straight iron through hair at the speed with which we worked.  We left the hotel at 6:25 or maybe 6:27 but there's no use splitting hairs.  Once in a taxi, I told the driver where we were going and he immediately started talking about the street fair which had 6th Ave. shut down and was going to effect his ability to get us there.  At 6:45 we finally got out of the taxi and walked the last block and a half faster than he could have gotten us there.

St. Andrews was a really nice pub that I would have enjoyed spending a nice leisurely dinner in.  Instead we ordered our drinks and announced to our waitress that we had theater tickets for 8:00 and she informed us that in order to get there on time, we couldn't get anything that required a long cooking time.  So, Rebecca just ordered a Caesar Salad and I got a Caesar Salad and a NY Strip cooked medium rare.  The NY Strip was served with mashed potatoes and we ended up sharing part of the steak and potatoes because it was huge!  So it all worked out well except that we were terribly rushed and couldn't sit back, relax and enjoy a great meal.  After dinner, we got a taxi to take us to the Al Hirschfeld Theatre for our performance of Kinky Boots.  Now I'm not sure what you know about this play, but it was the best one I have seen in YEARS!!!  The score which was all written by Cyndi Lauper was outstanding, the choreography was wonderful, the story was both funny and touching and the performers were amazing!  It is a great show that you just can't miss if you have a chance to see it.  I won't tell you the story line since you can see that for yourself on the link I provided.  But check it out.  By the way, it won 6 Tony's this year!

Following our play, we decided to walk over to Junior's for dessert.  I had never been to Junior's before and didn't really understand all the hoop-la.  We waited about 30 minutes for a table.  We were seated outside where I had a latte ice cream soda.  It was really good.  I'm normally a Carnegie Deli kind of girl for cheesecake following a show.  But this was good.

After dessert we made our way back through the hustle and bustle of Times Square and eventually back to our hotel for a few hours of sleep before our all day tour on Day 3.  Tomorrow I'll tell you all about the horrible experience of that tour.  Get ready, this is going to be a fun one.  Have a great Saturday.... or what's left of it.

Day 1 of Rebecca's Graduation Trip

Wow!  I got back late Wednesday night from Rebecca's "graduation trip".  It was intense!!!!  We did both New York and Boston in 5 nights.  We arrived in NYC by noon on Friday and left Boston around noon on Wednesday.  We could have used more time in Boston.  I still feel like I haven't seen everything in Boston even once much less to my fill.  I could visit NYC every year and still have things I would have preferred to have spent more time on.

We flew into Newark on Friday.  I've never flown in to Newark before.  I have to say, I kind of liked it!  If you are somewhat young and mobile, I would totally recommend flying in to Newark and using AirTrain to get into the city.  It is quick and VERY cheap.  We spent less than $13 each to get into the city.  It was comfortable and easy.  You get on an airport train system right at your terminal which takes you to the AirTrain station.  We bought our tickets where we got on the initial train at the terminal.  The train ride into the city was less than 30 minutes.  It was super easy and so much cheaper than a taxi from Newark.  Usually flying into Newark is much cheaper than JFK or Laguardia.  So if you think you can tote your luggage around and either get a taxi from Penn Station or ride a subway from there, I totally recommend it.

We took the subway from Penn Station to the stop closest to our hotel and walked a few blocks dragging our luggage.  We did manage to do the trip with carry-on's only since we knew we couldn't check luggage on Amtrak.  But even so, it was a little bit of a trek from the subway stop to our hotel.  We did much tougher treks than that during the trip.  I felt that it would be more than my Mom could do with luggage.  So for someone over 60 or a person with mobility issues, it's probably not the way to go.

We stayed at The Manhattan at Times Square.  The location was wonderful.  The hotel was perhaps a little run down, but it was still clean and convenient.  It's no Novetel or Hyatt Grand.  But it is good.  In summer  be aware that the A/C will not get the room any cooler than about 75 degrees no matter what you do.  While we were there, the outdoor temperature was never above 85 and even at those temps, the room was just okay temperature wise.  During a heatwave, it might be intolerable.  I think it was the best location of any hotel I have stayed in in NYC.  I liked the 7th Ave. location and that it was just north of Times Square.

Pizza guy at John's Pizzaria

After checking in, we went to Times Square for a few minutes where I bought some sunglasses since I had left mine in the car at the airport in Dallas.  Then we went to John's Pizzeria.  We both loved the pizza and it was fun to watch the guys on each side of the dining room pounding out the dough and making pizzas in the brick ovens right in front of the diners.  The location is actually a couple of blocks west of Times Square, but it is in the vicinity.  Following lunch, we began walking and visited St. Patrick's Cathedral which is undergoing restoration so it was all covered with scaffolding.  But the inside of the church was a beautiful as ever.  Rebecca lit candles for her grandparents on the Baumgart side who have both passed away, her grandfather very recently.  So it was nice.

Lighting candles in St. Pat's

After St. Pat's we made our way up 5th Ave. to Saks, Tiffany and Co.,  FAO Schwarz and the Apple Store.  I normally have a strict rule against shopping on vacation, but this trip was Rebecca's graduation gift, as I continually reminded myself, so I made the sacrifices.  She thoroughly enjoyed hopping from store to store.  I do always like going into FAO Schwarz and Rebecca is the first person I've ever gotten on the Big Piano.  So, that was a lot of fun.  I will never understand the huge fascination with the Apple Store below the glass cube just outside of FAO Schwarz.  IT'S JUST ANOTHER APPLE STORE PEOPLE!!!!!  It was so packed you couldn't move in there and Rebecca loved it!  (That was when I began to wonder for just a minute if we were really related.)  There were actually people there taking classes on using their Apple products!  How can you possibly take in any information in that hectic environment??!?!?!?  I was miserable in there and I'm pretty sure it showed on my face since I can't hide misery very well.

Rebecca on The Big Piano at FAO Schwarz

After leaving FAO Schwarz, we headed into Central Park.  I'll never grow tired of walking through Central Park.  To make it even better, the weather was perfect on Friday evening as we walked through the park and there was a festival of some kind going on, so there were a lot of vendors and entertainers, even a live band.  We entered the park on the lower east side and made our way all the way over to the west side and Strawberry Fields which we sort of stumbled on.  Once we found Strawberry Fields, we followed the trail around to the John Lennon memorial.  Once there we took a few pictures and decided to make our John Lennon tribute complete and went over to the entrance of the Dakota where we got a picture of Rebecca with the doormen who informed us that they were not allowed to pose for pictures, but if I happened to take Rebecca's picture while they were behind her, it would be fine.  One of them even smiled!

Yes, that's right.  There was a wedding going on, a festival and ba-zillions of tourists walking around....

I think we probably spent a couple of hours walking in and around Central Park.   By the time these pictures near the fountain were taken, I was in serious pain.  (My feet and legs were killing me and it was still the first day!)  But we still had a lot left to do and see for the day.  So we sat down around the fountain and rested for a few minutes catching a second wind before making it the rest of the way across the park where we were to begin our impromptu Lennon trek. Once a number of years ago, I lost weight while on vacation due to all the walking that took place.  This trip to NY and Boston with my niece will go down in history as only the second time this has occurred for me.  Rebecca could be a great trainer.  She has little pity for a fat old lady and just continues walking leaving you to either be alone or work harder.  It's a little bit of a cruel thing to do to an old lady, but it works. :-)

The view of the Dakota from Strawberry Fields

The entrance of the Dakota

The goal for this day all along was to make it to Tom's Restaurant for dinner which we finally accomplished after a short cab ride from the Dakota on W. 72nd St all the way up to Broadway and 112th St.  When I took Rebecca's brother, Jacob to NY for his graduation trip, he had wanted to go to the diner from Seinfeld, but I unfortunately didn't know where it was.  A few years ago, during a ride on a HOHO with my mom, cousin and sister-in-law we happened across it and stopped for pictures.  So, I had told Rebecca who is just as big of a Seinfeld fan as her brother, that we would go there.  It's in such a great neighborhood and even though tons of tourists go there, it is still just a neighborhood diner.  The food was nothing remarkable, but it was good.  We both had sandwiches which were reasonably priced.  All in all, I'd go back.  The inside was never used for filming of Seinfeld, they only used the outside of the building on the show.  So the inside looks NOTHING like Monk's did on Seinfeld.  There seemed to be a number of regular customers having dinner while we were there who talked to the staff.  I would totally recommend it.

Following dinner, we walked back over to Amsterdam Ave to see the beautiful St. John the Divine church located at 112th and Amsterdam.  I had only visited it one other time, but it is a really beautiful church.  Of course, it was late in the evening so it was closed to tourists for the day.  But we were able to get a few nice pictures as we walked around the outside before getting a cab to head back to Times Square for some night time photos and to see the craziness surrounding Times Square after dark.

St John the Divine at sunset

We were back in our hotel by 9:30 and we were both totally exhausted after a long day of travel and sightseeing in Manhattan.  Tomorrow, I'll tell you all about our trip to Yankee Stadium and the A-M-A-Z-I-N-G play we went to on Saturday.  Have a great weekend!