New York!

I tried REALLY hard to do a little of what everyone suggested, but now when I go back and read, I realize I did really well on Melanie's list.. and barely okay on everyone else's!

(but thankyou all so so much for your ideas!)

We lucked out and were able to go with some great old friends of ours, Rob & Lisa..

They were awesome and patient tour guides.. very happy to do whatever we asked..

So..

Here are my more interesting pictures..

Lisa & I in front of the tree at Rockefeller Center..

Looks much more impressive on TV or in pictures..

to us it looked like a big.. shrub..

Inside St. Patrick's Cathedral.. Really beautiful and HUGE!

Very full of incense and odd, because they were having a service (in Spanish) and hundreds of people were just milling through..
The entrance to the Apple store.. all underground here in this sidewalk area right outside FAO Schwarz (didn't get any interesting pictures, sorry Wendy) yes, I may have made it to the World of Disney Store..

Central Park

The fire station right across from the World Trade Center..

You couldn't even see into Ground Zero.. Its all just construction now..

Okay, we didn't take the ferry, but went to Battery Park to see the Statue of Liberty..

A little disappointing.. I thought we'd be able to see it better..

These light-up stairs in Times Square.. Not sure what they're for, but everyone seemed to want to take their pictures there.. So we did too!

So, Friday night.. We went to Lion King! Definitely my 1st choice of a Broadway musical.. and we were in the 3rd row, right in the middle! Amazing!

This is at the Top of the Rock.. Overlooking the Empire State Building.. This is on the 80th floor!

Really a nice, clear day.. could see everything!

But you cannot see how absolutely freezing we were!

Davy, Marcikay, Lisa, & Rob

(kind of overlooking Central Park)

K.. This picture just killed me.. When we came out of Rockefeller Center, this was our view..

Sorry to St. Patrick's Cathedral, but I can't be the only one who found this odd.. and a bit funny..

Rob & me waiting for a subway.. (Davy & Lisa were there too!)

The Manhattan Temple

Grand Central Station

Remarkably clean and beautiful (not at all what I pictured)

Our view of Times Square

We were on the 20th floor of the Marriott Marquis

K.. Saturday night we saw Shrek the Musical.. I will say it was definitely NOT my second choice, but I will say I was VERY pleasantly surprised - Loved It! Really funny, and followed the movie well, but had lots of extra stuff (well, it was a musical for one..) Lord Farquaad was hilarious, and did the whole show on his knees! For this we sat in the 14th row, again, amazing seats, and as an added bonus, Camryn Diaz sat 3 rows in front of us.. She was actually cuter in real life to me, and smiled and waved to everyone, even though she was rushed off at intermission and afterwards.. I tried to get a picture of her with my cel phone.. we'll just say it wasn't worth posting.. So afterwards, we went around the stage door to see if we could see her leaving.. We kind of did, but was whisked out so quickly all we got was a dandy picture of the guy guarding the door, and a woman who could have been her sister..

Now, my next picture is for a select audience, but I did get an autograph from John Tartaglia..

Better known to Playhouse Disney fans as Johnny from Johnny and the Sprites!

K, I did it for my girls, since it was someone they would recognize (unlike the pictures of "this is the guy who played Donkey") Just gave them a little more context!

He played Pinnochio, and sounded just like he does in the movie..

don't know how he can still talk normally..

Just to show you.. The World of Disney Store.. Went twice!

The nice thing was.. it was a park store, not like going into a regular Disney Store,

Just like the ones in Downtown Disney in Florida & California..

So.. I absolutely LOVED New York! Would totally go again (which shocks Davy, he even told Rob the day before Lisa & I arrived that we needed to document this trip well, cause he wasn't sure he'd ever convince me to come back!) I would like to NOT go on the 2nd Saturday before Christmas, what a zoo! (worst crowds I've ever been in in my life!)

Totally loved it!