The YMCIA (Part 4)

Our flight to New York was the longest I have ever been on.  Not only time-wise, but because of the happiness butterflies fluttering inside me in a well-contained explosion of surprise and anticipation.  At around 1:00 pm on Tuesday afternoon, we arrived.  I was in New York!  Once we gathered our things and entered the main terminal of the airport, Allen handed me my next envelope.

Sweet!  Now to get to the hotel.  I asked if we were renting a car.  Allen told me that there was no need for a car in New York City because public transportation was plentiful and could get us anywhere we needed to be.  We boarded the air-train to Jamaica Station, transferred to the Long Island Railroad

and got off at Penn Station, just below Madison Square Garden.  When we surfaced from the underground station I was not disappointed.  The streets were filled with all of the sights and sounds that I expected - masses of people, honking taxicabs speeding through traffic and street vendors galore.  I snapped a couple of pictures of Allen at Madison Square Garden

and we headed toward our hotel.  Allen asked if I wanted to take a bus, ride the subway or walk - I had to choose walking.  It seemed the best way to soak in what the city had to offer.  And I was IN NEW YORK!!  We purchased hotdogs from a street vendor and made our way to the Hotel Edison.  As we walked we passed the venues for all sorts of productions and I realized we were staying in the heart of the theater district - also just a short walk from Broadway and Times Square.

(the view from our hotel)

After we checked in to our room on the 18th floor Allen told me that we should do everything we possibly could in the next 3 days (we would be heading home Friday morning).  We talked about the extensive list of things we would like to see and do and Allen suggested we get passes for a tour bus that could take us uptown, downtown, and everywhere else while informing us about the city along the way.  After a quick and simple dinner we boarded the open-air tour bus and took the night tour of New York City.

The lights, the skyline, the bridges, the architecture - so. awesome.


Once we returned, we just walked the city and found all sorts of great places.

 Rockefeller Center

 Saint Patrick's Cathedral

 Radio City Music Hall and the NBC Studios

 And just when I thought it couldn't possibly get any better...

Newsies on Broadway.  Wednesday night.  Amazing seats.

Goodness gracious.  NEWSIES ON BROADWAY!!!

This was almost too much happiness for one day.