NYC - Part 2

The next morning, we hopped on the subway and headed toward Central Park.  Breakfast was at a place called Sarabeth's, and it was really popular with the locals.  They have 5 locations, and it was perfect for the day's itinerary.

The little one got a pumpkin waffle with hot chocolate.  I had coffee and a granola/yogurt parfait.  This place was recommended to me, and I'm glad we tried it.  So good.  

Our main agenda was the Natural Museum of History.  The entrance was one of the iconic scenes from the movie "Night at the Museum".  

Several dinosaur exhibits were on display.

Photo quality wasn't the best inside, but we managed to get a few that turned out okay.

She loved the African exhibit, especially her favorite giraffes.

And the Easter Island exhibit that's also featured in the film.

The museum is next to Central Park, so we spent the rest of the day walking in, out, around, and through this precious green space where you can still hear the sirens and sounds of NY's bustling city.

Here's one of my favorite pictures from the weekend...

The little one enjoyed leading us, because she knew how to get us out. 

She said Central Park was her favorite place of the whole trip.  I have to agree.  We just sat on park benches and big rocks, soaking in the last few rays of daylight before the sun set.

The temperature was dropping quickly, too, so we bundled up and enjoyed the scenery just a bit longer.

As we headed back to catch the subway, we passed by this building.  She didn't know what it was or why I was taking a picture.  Ha ha.  Johnny Carson, Jay Leno, and now Jimmy Fallon...TV legends on the Tonight Show.  

NYC - Part 1

Our youngest is turning 13 this year, which means a trip to NYC with mom.  Three kids, three trips!  Each child wanted to see something different, which has made it more fun for me. 

Her trip to the Big Apple began by navigating the public transit system to get to our apartment.  She rode the subway system like a pro!

We stayed at a friend's place in Upper Manhattan, right along Wall Street.  It was a cute place, and saved us about $300 a night!  She had the kitchen full of snacks for us, too!

Since we were in the financial district, I took her on a quick walk to show some iconic sites like the New York Stock Exchange and the bull.

We were only in NYC for two full days, so we got up early the next morning to hit all her highlights.  After looking unsuccessfully for a bagel bakery, we settled for Starbucks.

We took the subway into midtown, then walked to the Museum of Mathematics.  

It was a little more juvenile than she wanted, but it was still fun.  She rode a square-wheeled tricycle....

Powered a magnetic car...

Twisted strings by twirling in a chair...

And used her brainpower to solve tricky wooden puzzles.

The most advanced math at her level was the display of fractals.  This is the concept of never-ending patterns of the same shape, but different scales, like in a mirror maze. 

After the Museum of Math, we decided to walk down Broadway towards our Times Square.  When we passed the Empire State Building she said, "It doesn't look that tall."  Ha ha.  I went to the top with child #2, and yes, it's tall!

We saw a pizza place and decided to grab a bite.  Something about a NY-style pizza heated in a brick oven that you just can beat!

At Times Square, she liked seeing all the TVs on buildings and the people walking around.  No Naked Cowboy or Toys R Us store, though.  That was the experience here with child #1.

Another item on her Must-do list was a Broadway Musical.  She picked "Come From Away", a play about 9/11 from the perspective of passengers who on a flight from Paris to Dallas that morning, but were diverted to land on an island in Newfoundland, Canada in a town called Gander.

This small town of 12,000 people were host to nearly 6,700 travelers and 17 animals from 38 planes who were forced to land due to the terror attacks in the US.  Passengers were not allowed to access their luggage or pets during the 4-day grounding.

The play was AMAZING!  It made you laugh, cry, feel humbled, and hopeful.  Great choice!  We had front-row seats, like only 12" from the stage, and sat next to residents of Newfoundland who flew down just to see this play and visit the 9/11 Memorial.  They had their country's flags with them, so the cast kept coming stage forward to our area throughout the play and giving a special acknowledgement with a nod, gesture, or song dedication.  

We wrapped up the evening with an over-the-top decorated Christmas-themed restaurant called Rolf's.  

Our little one loved the atmosphere, but wasn't a fan of their ham, sausage, potatoes, and sauerkraut.  Basically, she doesn't like German food, and this was a German restaurant.  I thought it was delicious!

30th Reunion

I took the opportunity to visit my hometown for my 30th high school reunion.  We were a relatively small class of 118 graduates, and about 25 attended the events for the weekend.  

I stayed at the farm along with two other classmates who drove in from out of town...Tammie Marion and Robin Bannister.  It was the perfect getaway for three ladies who needed to unwind, reconnect with old friends, and form a lifelong sisterhood.  One of my favorite events of the weekend was watching Tammie catch her first fish!

The Friday events started with a lunch at Lee Parsley's restaurant.  Besides seeing Lee, I saw a few other classmates and friends of my parents, Gordon Todd & Floyd Byrd.  We then moved to the school for the big pep rally!

Starting at the top is Melissa Barcuch, Chloe Boyd, then bottom row is Roxanne Svetlik, me, and Stephanie Zapata (my tennis partner).  The day ended at Worley's Apache Pass having a few beers and lots of pepper puppies!

On Saturday, those who wanted could take a tour of the school.  Only the ladies showed up...Robin, Tammie, Priscilla, Chloe, me, and Roxanne.

The tour brought back so many memories!  Upstairs to the left was typing, up to the right was business/accounting.  Down in the bottom was the library.

The auditorium hasn't changed a bit... the wooden chairs, the drapery, the old wood smell, it was so nostalgic.

Then we had some free time before the big reunion night.  Some of us decided to take a drive along the cruising route which included Sonic, the KC Hall, and Mr. Gattis.

For the big reunion, I've posted pictures with names.  It was an amazing weekend, and I'm so glad I went.

Top:  Billy Herridge
Middle:  Jason Worley, Constance Carr, Melissa Barcuch, Robin Bannister, and Simon Yanes
Bottom:  Chloe Boyd Skubal, Doreen Mancillas, me, Tammie Marion, Veronica Razo, Cynthia Taylor, Lisa Kovar, and Roxanne Svetlik.

Same crew except Romney Dodd Fischer is on the left.



Amy Marshall and Roxanne.

Lee Parsley and Roxanne

Keely Lawrence, Romney, Roxanne, and Crissy Herrera.

The sweet lady on the left (by me) is Lashauna Ethridge.

 Cheers to the Rockdale High School class of 1989!