New York City - Day 4 (Last Day)

It was exactly a week ago that my mom and I were spending our last day in the New York City area. We actually didn't go into the city on Sunday, but we could see it across the river as we spent the morning at Ellis Island and Liberty Island. 

It was especially interesting to visit Ellis Island after researching our family genealogy a few years ago. Some of our ancestors (on both sides of my family) came to Ellis Island when they arrived in the United States. I wonder how they felt as they were crowded in the lower deck steerage area of the steamship for the 8-11 day voyage from Amsterdam to the United States. What were their impressions as they docked at Ellis Island - waiting in the large baggage room while clutching all their belongings, moving to the registry room and undergoing medical and legal exams without speaking English. How many of them purchased a snack at the island's dining room? I know my great-grandfather purchased a banana here and ate it - peel and all - because he had never seen one before. Did any of them have relatives or friends that were waiting here for them? Were they afraid, excited, or both as they entered this country and their new life? 

This was originally the Baggage Room, the first stop for immigrants at Ellis Island.

A short ferry ride took us from Ellis Island to Liberty Island where we had an hour to walk around and see the Statue of Liberty as well as get lunch before the (very) long trip home. 

It was a whirlwind trip - we saw and experienced a lot and had a great time together. 

Thanks, Mom, for going with me to New York City.

New York City - Day 3

Saturday was a little more laid-back on our New York City trip. Our first stop was Central Park. We just saw a tiny section of the park; Strawberry Fields - the memorial for John Lennon. 

We also stopped for a few minutes at Lincoln Center before driving through Harlem, where we saw the Apollo Theater. We also passed Columbia University on our sightseeing trip; in fact, we drove right by the Teachers College where the new reading/writing curriculum I'm using at school was developed. I also finally got to taste my first (and last!) New York hot dog. (Not sure why they're supposed to be so good...it was just a little hot dog with ketchup and mustard on it that was very overpriced!)

Lincoln Center

Saturday afternoon was the primary reason I was in New York City: to see my first Broadway show ON Broadway - Amazing Grace! I had seen the show twice in Chicago when it was doing a trial run and was interested to see the changes in the show. It is still amazing; the changes I noticed enhanced the story and some of the songs still gave me goosebumps. This is a wonderful show; I'm so glad I was able to see it again and in New York! This was definitely one of the highlights of my trip.

In New York, everyone lines up outside the theatre before the show. The Nederlander theatre is quite small and it was interesting to see that the wall on the side was actually made up of doors, so we walked right onto the sidewalk from our row after the show! The other difference from the Chicago, Toronto, and touring shows I've seen is that in New York the cast members come out after the show to greet fans and sign autographs - that was so cool! (Yes, I turned into a gushing teenager when I met the main cast members.)

Josh Young plays John Newton

Harriett D Foy plays Princess Peyai

Chuck Cooper plays Thomas

Erin Mackey plays Mary Catlett

We met the rest of our tour group for supper at Ben's Deli and then rode the Staten Island Ferry so we could get another view of the city at night. We got to see fireworks as the boat left Staten Island - a fun bonus!

New York City - Day 2 afternoon/evening

After a busy morning, our tour guide brought us to Chelsea Market for an hour of shopping and lunch choices. One of the advantages to writing these blog posts after returning home is that I'm finding out more about some of the places we visited from Wikipedia. Apparently some Food Network TV shows are filmed in the upper levels of Chelsea Market! It's a large building that takes up a whole city block and is filled with a variety of stores and restaurants. It reminded me of the new Downtown Market in Grand Rapids (but bigger).

chicken & spinach crepe - delicious lunch

After lunch we visited the Intrepid Sea, Air, and Space Museum. The museum is all on the Intrepid aircraft carrier, which was used in World War II, the Cold War, and the Vietnam War. There are a number of aircraft (both US and international) displayed on the flight deck as well as the space shuttle Enterprise. Although this museum was not on my "Must See" list, it was pretty interesting.

space shuttle Enterprise
(the first space shuttle orbiter and the prototype that launched the space shuttle program)

There were several options to fill the time between the museum and our dinner reservations, so my mom and I decided to spend an hour in Bryant Park. Located just a few blocks from the noisy, crowded Times Square, this 9 acre park is a calm and peaceful refuge from the busyness of the city. The lawn in the center of the park provides a place for people to sit and have a picnic lunch and is also used during concerts or summer movie nights. Along the edge of the park are tables and chairs for people to sit and talk, as well as areas for special activities: a reading room, a game area with games to play, an art cart, a carousel for kids, and a few food kiosks. It is a delightful park; I'm so glad we could spend some time there.

We met the rest of our tour group at Bubba Gumps, a restaurant based on the Forrest Gump movie and located right across the street from the ABC station where Good Morning America is based. It was a fun restaurant and I even won a prize from a trivia contest the waitstaff hosted!

Our final destination for the day was Rockefeller Center and the Top of The Rock observation deck for a view of the city. New York City is certainly beautiful at night with all the lights!

NBC Studios at Rockefeller Center

Radio City Music Hall

the plaza outside

the plaza outside - restaurant in summer, skating rink in winter

outside plaza fountain and statue