Bada Bing Bada Boom

So I recently met up with my parents and my niece in NYC! They had just gone to DC as well to tour the east coast this summer before Ashie went back to school. It was a great time although it was HOT! I thought it was so hot I couldn't stand it....and then I walked outside the airport in FL and remembered....Nope! hahah! We stayed in a hotel off Times Square. I could only imagine what this place looks like during New Years!

Me, My dad and Ashie in Times Square

naked cowboy in Times Square. Conrad said that he even saw this guy when he went years ago...I was pretty amazed by his legs...must work out for that bikini...hahah

We started on "top of the rock" - rockefeller center observation deck. We didn't go up the Empire b/c this was the "best view". It was nice...again you can imagine those that witnessed the 911 happening from the observation deck. It was really hard not to think about that day while you're mosing around NYC.

Out in front of Radio Music Hall back in the right. And the NYFD showed up for some work in the Rockefeller....great! Thanks for coming after we left....didn't hear any bad news on the news that night so I guess all was well.

Times Square at night - bright! bright! bright!

Ashie in front of the Times Sq subway of which we never took.

This was our means of transportation...the tour bus! hahaha! It was great though - saw everything. Rode it multiple times for 3 days

Parsons School for Design!! Yahoo! My fav show takes place here...Didn't see any designers but something great happens later (see below).

This was the memory wall for the Children during 911 - however this was blocks and blocks away - amazing to think of just how far the damage spread out from the buildings.

Ground Zero - This was HUGE!!! So many memories of what you saw of TV blew through your mind while you're here. We stopped off and went to the now memorial which was small but incredibly moving. Lots of shoes, pictures, missing person's signs and videos of the event. I can't help but imagine the horror that the people felt who perished and survived this event....

The church outside ground zero that apparently has God's blessing. This church has survived multiple HUGE fires and 911. Even George Washington had a pew here. But this sign was pretty touching for us Okies as it hung inside the church. Small world.

Next we took off to Battery Park to see Lady Liberty and Ellis Island. First picture timed. Everyone is out to make a buck. Tons of characters were all around...Wanna take a picture with these crazies?? Nope $5 first. hahaha!

Miss Liberty's behind when we were on the island. Again it was hot and we had a show to catch so we just walked around and back on the boat to Ellis Island. There were able to look up my mom's and dad's side to find people who came over. Amazing how everyone checked in and now millions of illegal immigrants are here and coming daily......

Wicked!!! We saw the Broadway show which was really great. Very cute and such a good story line. It states alot went down before Dorothy came. Hahah! It was too funny though I'd definitely see it again.

The Wicked Stage.
The MET - art, art, art. And TONS of it. Pretty overwhelming. but they had an amazing collection from Eqypt and tooms.....

Here's Ashie with the mummy.

HaHA

Oh and Tim Gunn was there from Project Runway!!! I couldn't get too close b/c he was downstairs checking out some art books. ahha!
Central Park Zoo - it was nice but pretty pretty small. Huge polar bears x 2 and many many penguins. It was nice, I'd go again but hopefully I'd have a NY park pass for a discount...Pretty expensive there (for my dad, really, since he picked up the bill)

FAO Schwarz - Toys! Toys! Toys!! We stopped by here on our last day and then my parents and Ashie went to the biggest ToysRus after I took off to the airport....It was pretty neat...

They had some pretty huge lego characters

the BIG piano...hahah! These little guys just kept running and running and running up and down the piano. HA! No one played chopsticks. Where's Tom Hanks when you need him egh?

All in all it was great. Had some crazy taxi rides - they drive worse than me which is really saying something!! My ride from the airport I was so fortunate to get the taxi without AC! So I saw my first views of NYC with a 60 mph headwind!! hahah! The ride back to the airport made me sick and he hit every curb to each of the wrong terminals he pulled in to at JFK! ahhaha! But what an experience.