We spent a fun and filling 4th weekend with good friends - say that 3 times fast!!
Matt and Sandy joined us for a great weekend in New York City where we enjoyed the many sights, sounds and tastes of the Big Apple. Here's a brief review of our fun:
Thursday, July 3rdArrived; navigated the trains into the city; checked in to the Hampton Inn at Times Square (great location & hotel!); waded thru the masses in Times Square and played in Toys 'R Us; saw the city from the top of the Empire State Building (ALWAYS buy your tickets online!); headed out to Yankee Stadium to watch the Yanks get crushed by the Red Socks- we sat in a very fun & rowdy outfield bleacher section (#39!), which, along with the many snacks, made the loss actually fun! And being in Yankee Stadium in it's last season was an amazing experience in itself.
Larry found the perfect bag- Hello Kitty NYC!!
Enjoying the view from the Empire State Building.
Keeping up with the party in Section 39, Yankee Stadium!
Friday, July 4thSaw Natalie and Lester at the Today Show- Matt & Meridith had the day off; We took a "Movie & TV tour" that took us all over the city and showed us where great movie and tv shows have been filmed- saw the
Friends apartment building, the
Cosby brownstone, and 'Rice to Riches' from
Hitch; next toured the NBC studios and saw the studios of
Headline News,
Conan and
Saturday Night Live; dinner at the Stage Deli and Larry's highlight- their mile-high cheesecake; we joined the huge crowd to watch the 4th fireworks over the East River.
The Friends building- looks nothing like in the show!
Visiting with the Cosby's.
Saturday, July 5thWent down to the Financial District and saw the World Trade Center site- it was amazing & encouraging to see the progress that's been made. They are actually re-building there now! We also saw St Paul's church, which is the unofficial memorial site for the WTC, Trinity church (where Nicholas Cage found the lost National Treasure), the NY stock exchange & browsed thru Tiffany's; we met up with my NYC cousin Conor for lunch at Big Ricks, a great, local hole-in-the-wall; went to the matinee show of
Spamalot starring Drew Lachey (Dancing w/ the Stars, 98*) and Stephen Collins (7th Heaven dad)- very funny and enoyed by the guys & girls!!; we took an afternoon stroll (got lost!!) in Central Park; went back to the hotel to rest after our "stroll"; and enjoyed dinner & frozen hot chocolate that night at Serendipity 3; topped off the night with the Times Square lights.
In Central Park, before we got lost!
Sunday, July 6thStarted the day bright and early on the ferry to the Statue of Liberty- saw Lady Liberty up close & personal, then headed over to Ellis Island to see the history of immagration; took the train back uptown & saw Grand Central Terminal; played in FAO Scwartz & saw a dance on the Big Piano; went to the guys' toystore- the Big-Apple-sized Apple store; shopped at a street fair; and headed to the airport to -eventually- get back home!
Visiting Lady Liberty
It was a really fun trip and something we're glad we got to do- especially with great friends & as we know it will get even harder to get away on trips like this one after baby #2 comes!
And since the Phelps will also be busy with a little one soon! (We are so excited that our dear friends are
expecting- see their news
here...) Georgia enjoyed spending her 4th with my parents in Tampa, getting spoiled as usual and having fun in the pool with Uncle Michael & Morgan, their lab. Hopefully she'll enjoy sharing that spoiling-time after December! :)