Magical New York
We're back from our great trip to NYC. Am I the only person (who lives in New York State) who had not visited The Big Apple until I was 45? That's pathetic because it was a GREAT trip. Magical. Amazing. It was a little like the first time I visited DC and could not believe that I was actually "there," looking at all the buildings and monuments I had only seen in pictures, the movies, or on TV.I have always had a certain amount of apprehension about visiting New York. It seemed like this unwieldy, overwhelming, scary place that was just to big to think about. Anyone who lives upstate will tell you that NYC seems like a different world to them, and anyone who lives in the City thinks the state ends just above the Bronx. But, my trip this past week helped make New York an attainable, entertaining place for all of us.
It started with the trip down on Tuesday, when we drove to Poughkeepsie and caught the Hudson River line metro train into Grand Central Station (majestic!). Then, it was over to the Marriott Marquis on Broadway (our hotel room overlooked Times Square), a walk around the area (Wow! S
o many people!), and a mediocre (yet expensive) dinner at a faux Irish pub. We got moving kind of late on Wednesday so didn't get to the Today show on time to be in the outside audience, but with plenty of time to get to NBC for our scheduled studio tour at 9:45am. That was a lot of fun. Everyone who walked in wondered, "Is that where Kenneth the page sits?" We saw the set of NBC news, the Jimmy Fallon show, and (Oh my God, that's really it!) the SNL studio. Then, it was a walk down Fifth Avenue (and into some of the upscale stores there) to the entrance to Central Park. Around 3pm it was time for me to check into the conference, and Mark and the kids just chilled for awhile before heading out to dinner.
o many people!), and a mediocre (yet expensive) dinner at a faux Irish pub. We got moving kind of late on Wednesday so didn't get to the Today show on time to be in the outside audience, but with plenty of time to get to NBC for our scheduled studio tour at 9:45am. That was a lot of fun. Everyone who walked in wondered, "Is that where Kenneth the page sits?" We saw the set of NBC news, the Jimmy Fallon show, and (Oh my God, that's really it!) the SNL studio. Then, it was a walk down Fifth Avenue (and into some of the upscale stores there) to the entrance to Central Park. Around 3pm it was time for me to check into the conference, and Mark and the kids just chilled for awhile before heading out to dinner. 
On Thursday (while I was inside all day), Mark and the kids did a city tour and visited Chinatown, Soho, Ground Zero and other sites of note. On Friday, we got up early to try another round on the Today show, but were too late again. The crowd was four-deep, but we stuck around long enought to see Lester Holt and Meredith Viera before heading back to the hotel for the next day of conference sessions. Mark and the kids did the second day of the city tour and got a more extensive look at Central Park, and visited the Museum of Natural History and the MoMA.
After I was done with the conference on Friday we walked a couple of blocks to an outstanding Turkish restaurant before heading back to the hotel for the night (I know, we're lightweights). On Saturday morning, it was up early to head back to Grand Central station and the metro train back to Poughkeepsie. Once home, we picked up Jasper from his week in the PetSmart Pet Hotel, where he enjoyed a week of playing with other dogs and a birthday party (complete with doggie ice cream) for his second birthday on Tuesday (April 21).
All in all, an exciting and fun trip. I didn't see a lot of the sights that I wanted to, but know I will go back since it's a fairly quick trip (around 6-7 hours in all) and I'm feeling more comfortable with the ease with which you can get around the city.
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