Sunday, December 27, 2009

Christmas in the Big Apple

Jan and I flew into New York on December 18 and left a week later. Matt got there early on the 19th; Sarah, as most of you know, lives in Brooklyn while she goes to NYU. Our hotel was in Manhattan, near the Empire State Building. It was a great time, the words I use to describe it are "exhilarating" and "exhausting"...we really walked a LOT...and took a LOT of photos.

Day 1 - Dec 18
Two from Macy's
And two from Times Square
Day 2 - Dec 19
Sak's Fifth Avenue

FAO Schwarz
Lego Chewbacca

Central Park in early evening


Day 3 - Dec 20 - We saw Blue Man Group this evening. It was an extremely entertaining show, great fun. But no photos allowed.
It snowed at bit more overnight.
(Taken just outside our hotel.)

American Museum of Natural History
Above and below: Wildabeestes & wildebeestes
Two just outside the museum entrance.

Forlorn figure (Sarah) awaits the train.
Day 4 - Dec 21 - Spent the day in Brooklyn; saw Sarah's apartment, met her cat, ate in a couple of neat restaurants.
Jan and Sarah at vegan Asian restaurant.
Statue of Liberty from the Brooklyn Bridge
Brooklyn Bridge
Manhattan Bridge (from Brooklyn Bridge)
Manhattan

Day 5 - Dec 22
Chinatown
Pic below is "The Bloody Angle," a 90 degree turn
in an alley where Chinese gangs ambushed each
other in the mid 1800s.

In a Buddhist Temple
Little Italy
On the subway.
Stage as we waited for In The Heights (a great show).

Day 6 - Dec 23
Metropolitan Museum of Art
Lots of Egyptian stuff
A small part of Arms and Armour exhibit.
(First is armour of Henry II.)


And a lot from Asian cultures....
In an Afghani restaurant (Khyber Pass)
Grand Central Station
Day 7 - Dec 24
Gramercy Park - not open to the public, only to folks
who live in the vicinity or are staying at the GP Hotel; part of
an old agreement with the city (and the last such park in NYC).

Topiary near Tavern on the Green in Central Park
John Lennon Memorial (thank you Yoko)
Cental Park in the day time
Wedding photos in Central Park...how cool is that!?Christmas Eve (almost) atop The Empire State Building.
The dark "V" to the right of center is the flatiron building.
Day 8 - Dec 25 - Back to La Crosse with surprisingly no delays and a long stop in Minneapolis; thankfully Delta had changed our schedule so we didn't go through Detroit as originally planned. What a great trip it was! Back in May when Sarah graduates.