NYC
So I know you're all dying to hear about my weekend. It was fun, despite the torrential downpours. Friday, we arrived about 10:30 and got to the hotel. Which was nice, but very small. The rooms at the Grand Hyatt are much bigger (and we would have stayed there, except there were no rooms available with two beds, and no, all three of us are NOT sleeping in a King bed) for the same price. But it was very clean, the beds were extremely comfortable (at least I thought so) and the towels were soft and large. AND it was only two blocks from Times Square, right off of Fifth Avenue, so we were conveniently located near almost everything we wanted to see.
It wasn't raining much on Friday, so we had lunch and then cruised around. Up by Radio City, then through Rockerfeller center. Walked into the NBC building, walked around, didn't do the NBC studio tour and should have. The people that work in the building are very nice and very helpful. Went to Nintendo World and Boy was over the moon. Went down to Times Square, hit Toys R Us because it was inside. Back to hotel for a nap, because we needed it. Then we toured Fifth Avenue before dinner at Virgil's BBQ, which is on 44th St., right off of 7th Ave, next to the ABC studio. It was SO GOOD, and very reasonably priced. If you go, I highly recommend it.
Saturday it was raining and windy (I'm sure you've heard) and we set out again, this time for the FDNY Zone. It's on Rockerfeller plaza, tucked into a building behind Radio City. Was not impressed. Back to Nintendo World so I could pick up a few things I haven't seen anywhere else (like an old-school Sonic the Hedgehog game. I LOVE SONIC. Apparently it just came out - who knew? And I got a case for my games and a pink protector for my DS. Yes, I like video games.) and then we cabbed it (because it was POURING by now) to Madame Tussauds on 42nd street.
Pricey? You bet. It was the most expensive thing we did all weekend. Way more expensive than any other museum I've ever been to. But it was worth it. I have a ton of pictures, and I'll try to get them up this week. So fun, and a great rainy day thing to do. And while I was there, looking at the figure of Henry Ford and his plaque, I realized I had to change something important in my WIP, because it was way out of historical accuracy, becaue old Henry was only 15 years old when my story takes place. Research in odd places, right? So I fixed most of the mess last night, but I know I have some tweaking once I run through it again to smooth out the rough spots.
Lunch, then hotel for another nap (omg, yes, we needed it. We pretty much dropped, and Boy slept two hours). The rain had tapered off, so we headed out again. Times Square, off to dinner. When we came out, it was POURING again. Ran down to the M&M's store and then back to the hotel for turning in. It was just too wet to stay out.
Sunday. The rain had stopped YAY!. Checked out, then stowed our bags and caught a cab to Central Park Zoo. So cute and fun and totally worth the money (cheap comparatively). We came out of the Penguin habitat and it was pouring again, this time with bonus lightning and thunder! But there was shelter, so we rode it out until it slowed up and then saw the rest of the zoo - the polar bears and snow monkeys and snow leopard. The children's zoo was cute, with its little farm animals.
We were done but had time to spare, and the rain had stopped, so we took a walk across Central Park, clear to the other side, and came out on Central Park West and 72nd St. Walked a few blocks south to enjoy the lovely Upper West Side (gorgeous buildings), and past the old Tavern on the Green, which is so sad that it's shut down, and then a cab back down to grab some lunch, grab our bags, and get to the train. We headed off to Penn Station in the middle of another deluge, where everything was drenched.
Other than the fact we were wet and the idiot conductor who insisted there were seats toward the front of the train (not), the ride home was smooth. It was a great time. I told Boy that maybe one day I'll take him back to Radio City for the Christmas show, when we can just run up for the day.
And maybe someday I'll figure out the subway system so we don't have to take cabs. We didn't take that many this time, but I can see how we might have saved some money if we knew how to get from here to there.
I sort of miss it already. It's really a friendly place and I feel at home there. My husband, on the other hand, needs a compass and a map.
It wasn't raining much on Friday, so we had lunch and then cruised around. Up by Radio City, then through Rockerfeller center. Walked into the NBC building, walked around, didn't do the NBC studio tour and should have. The people that work in the building are very nice and very helpful. Went to Nintendo World and Boy was over the moon. Went down to Times Square, hit Toys R Us because it was inside. Back to hotel for a nap, because we needed it. Then we toured Fifth Avenue before dinner at Virgil's BBQ, which is on 44th St., right off of 7th Ave, next to the ABC studio. It was SO GOOD, and very reasonably priced. If you go, I highly recommend it.
Saturday it was raining and windy (I'm sure you've heard) and we set out again, this time for the FDNY Zone. It's on Rockerfeller plaza, tucked into a building behind Radio City. Was not impressed. Back to Nintendo World so I could pick up a few things I haven't seen anywhere else (like an old-school Sonic the Hedgehog game. I LOVE SONIC. Apparently it just came out - who knew? And I got a case for my games and a pink protector for my DS. Yes, I like video games.) and then we cabbed it (because it was POURING by now) to Madame Tussauds on 42nd street.
Pricey? You bet. It was the most expensive thing we did all weekend. Way more expensive than any other museum I've ever been to. But it was worth it. I have a ton of pictures, and I'll try to get them up this week. So fun, and a great rainy day thing to do. And while I was there, looking at the figure of Henry Ford and his plaque, I realized I had to change something important in my WIP, because it was way out of historical accuracy, becaue old Henry was only 15 years old when my story takes place. Research in odd places, right? So I fixed most of the mess last night, but I know I have some tweaking once I run through it again to smooth out the rough spots.
Lunch, then hotel for another nap (omg, yes, we needed it. We pretty much dropped, and Boy slept two hours). The rain had tapered off, so we headed out again. Times Square, off to dinner. When we came out, it was POURING again. Ran down to the M&M's store and then back to the hotel for turning in. It was just too wet to stay out.
Sunday. The rain had stopped YAY!. Checked out, then stowed our bags and caught a cab to Central Park Zoo. So cute and fun and totally worth the money (cheap comparatively). We came out of the Penguin habitat and it was pouring again, this time with bonus lightning and thunder! But there was shelter, so we rode it out until it slowed up and then saw the rest of the zoo - the polar bears and snow monkeys and snow leopard. The children's zoo was cute, with its little farm animals.
We were done but had time to spare, and the rain had stopped, so we took a walk across Central Park, clear to the other side, and came out on Central Park West and 72nd St. Walked a few blocks south to enjoy the lovely Upper West Side (gorgeous buildings), and past the old Tavern on the Green, which is so sad that it's shut down, and then a cab back down to grab some lunch, grab our bags, and get to the train. We headed off to Penn Station in the middle of another deluge, where everything was drenched.
Other than the fact we were wet and the idiot conductor who insisted there were seats toward the front of the train (not), the ride home was smooth. It was a great time. I told Boy that maybe one day I'll take him back to Radio City for the Christmas show, when we can just run up for the day.
And maybe someday I'll figure out the subway system so we don't have to take cabs. We didn't take that many this time, but I can see how we might have saved some money if we knew how to get from here to there.
I sort of miss it already. It's really a friendly place and I feel at home there. My husband, on the other hand, needs a compass and a map.