December 22, 2011

From Barn Sale to Broadway

Yes- So many you figured out my trip V-E-R-Y easily!!!! Three generations headed to New York City for Thanksgiving!!! Let me re-phrase that- Three female generations! We left the guys at home for a busy week of working cattle and the three girls headed north! This was no spur of the moment trip- it's been in the works and saving for about 3 years!
 

The youngest- my daughter has never been to New York City- although we've read alot and looked at alot of picture books before heading that way. My mother and I had been together about 8 years ago, and I had been once previous to that. However, it's new and different each time- yet carries that stability of the same great City!


We worked on a list of must see and do while on the plane. From there we tried to figure out which day each activity would best work. We knew we would have an evening and partial day of rain, so that factored into our plans!

After getting unloaded at hotel we manged to find a great little Italian Restaurant- cannot go to New York and Not eat homemade Italian food! Then- my first store to head into....a Re-sale shop! Yep, I must have a radar for them or something....it just happened to be right on our way to the restaurant! Scored some great buys- including a Vintage pair of The Old Gringo Boot Co. boots, and the best thing was they told me there is one in Austin! Woo hooo......new fav shopping place! 
Then we were off to the big store- MACY's!!!!!! We Love the old wood escalator there- the Christmas displays were pretty and we spent most of our time on the Christmas floor finding neat ornaments! It was a great way to start off the trip- even though we lost a jacket somewhere in the store- uhgggg.
We had our days filled- Metropolitan Museum where the Angel Tree was more stunning and breathtaking than what I remember last time. We spent a great deal of time looking at the detail of the activity down below the tree and marveled at how every one of the Angel's faces on the tree had a real glowing light to them. Stunning. The museum has some of the most amazing artifacts in the world- and one day does not do it justice.
Rainy walk through a Central Park Street, being fortunate enough to see the balloons being unrolled and blown up for the Macy' s parade (quite the production and I Highly recommend this to anyone headed there in coming years!), stumbling upon great little eateries and corner deli's. Finding new favorite stores that replicate vintage when you cannot find real vintage in your size, taking in the window displays, Finally finding the American Girl store- 5 floors of little girls with their parents and grandparents filling bags blew my mind! We enjoyed the experience and found a few 'little' things, and it made my little one very happy!
The MACY's parade is of course beyond belief to see Kermit the Frog taking up half a block, Buzz Lightyear, Spiderman, and an assortment of others going overhead. The floats are always decorated with such detail and movement. The bands precise in tune and step- and the weather- Perfect! 
On the parade route we do not get to see the Broadway performers that you see on your t.v- so you have a good spot in a warm house! The performances are in front of Macy's, and not just anyone gets to sit in those seats!!!! None the less- it's an experience to behold and watch kids faces, and those of us adults too that get excited when special balloons and floats make their appearance!

One of the Biggest Highlights of the Entire trip-------- The Radio City Rockettes!!!!!!! 

 
I could watch that show 7 times and still be in awe at the precision, beauty & excitement that exudes from each performance! Such talent and skill goes into any Broadway production- and this one is beyond. 
Performing since 1933- there are 2 acts that repeat in every Christmas Spectacular; The parade of the Wooden Soldiers (a Personal Favorite) and the Living Nativity (brought tears to my eyes again). Time Well Spent.


Rockefeller Plaza bursting with excitement at an ice rink filled with novice and amateur. The line was too long for us, so we enjoyed watching for a while. Christmas music filling the crisp air, windows decorated with extreme detail and shoppers bustling along the streets! It made me want to break into song and skip around singing like Andy Williams' It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!
Taking a double decker tour of the City is recommended - you get the History and the Beauty of being up (at least if you sit on the top level of the bus)- I love looking up at the old buildings to appreciate their architecture. Buildings now totally lack the distinct design and decorative art that was part of most late 1800 early 1900 buildings. I took alot of photos strictly of the buildings! 
 
While we were there we started watching a movie one evening called Silver Bells. We only saw the first few segments and then I promised my daughter that it would be on Hallmark again between then and Christmas. It of course was and we watched it with delight at all the New York City landmarks that we had enjoyed! One of the theme's of the movie is to 'look up' and appreciate the structures of New York! I was proud that I had already immersed myself!

A Must see for my daughter- Lady Liberty! Thanksgiving week is the busiest of the year for the Statue Island Cruises- we waited over an hour in line, but when you have people from all over the world around you time goes very quickly! Lady Liberty had just celebrated her 125th birthday a few weeks before we were there- and she looks Gorgeous for her age!!!! Such a sight to behold, and you cannot imagine the sheer size of her until you are standing at the base of the statue! She is under renovations so we were unable to go inside, but we enjoyed the island and the view across the harbor to lower Manhattan. Such history, we tried to imagine what it would be like coming into the harbor by boat after being at sea for 3-4 weeks waiting your arrival to America and seeing Lady Liberty, what a surge I imagine so many immigrants felt!
 


Small parks dot the city from lower to upper and are refreshing to see some green grass and a few trees, a little breath of fresh air amass some of the tallest buildings in the world! Gorgeous hotels like the Waldorf Astoria and the now residential Plaza- where we wanted to see Eloise's quarters but were too late. If you have a little girl or granddaughter- she can fill you in on Eloise!
We took almost every mode of transportation- plane, taxi, personal driver, pedicab, subway and of course our own two feet! The only one on our to-do list that we didn't accomplish was a carriage ride in Central Park. My little one loved the subway! We only stepped on the wrong train once- and thank God for some sweet New Yorker's who walked off with us and turned us in the right direction! We had such pleasant experiences again with everyone we encountered in the City. I've always been able to ask directions and get good responses each time I've been in New York. So I think the 'rude' attitude thing only comes from certain Taxi drivers who don't have manners and only like to pound on their horns even when they cannot change the traffic that is in front of them!


We heard languages from around the world and never left our country! We are so Proud and Thankful to be Americans- especially that week- the week of Thanksgiving! I hope you were able to enjoy your Thanksgiving wherever you were. I know I did- seeing my Mother and daughter enjoy the sights and sounds of the City were reason enough to be thankful. And to know I had a husband at home hanging out with our son and his father in law was another thankful feeling. Even though we weren't all together as a family- we were able to enjoy our respective activities and appreciate where we were at that moment of life! I'm thankful to be able to share with each of you- and for those of you that I've met and that I call friends! I'm thankful for more blessings than I can even count- most Thankful for a God that loves me enough to allow all the blessings!
Now we are on to celebrate the best holiday of the year- That of the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. I hope that you spend special quite moments with family and friends honoring our God that loves us so much.


Back from Broadway,
Suzanne

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