Itinerary Day Seven

This is the first weekend we'll be in NY and, after going to museums and zoos and such, we're going to avoid the family themed places and head out on a walking tour.

Today we're going to Greenwich Village.  I spent the best part of my childhood in this area so this is going to be a lot of fun.  Between the people watching, the window shopping, and the architecture, we'll have a blast!

We'll stop by the Jefferson Market Library, my favorite place to be when I was young.

And we'll at least walk by PS 41, the elementary school where I went to school for three years.  (I went to two different schools for grades 4 and 5 and then onto IS 44 for 6-8.)

Then we'll head to Washington Square Park which looked more like this when I was growing up--lots of dirt children.  Again, a lot has changed.  Even before I moved to Georgia, Washington Square Park no longer looked quite like this.

And we'll walk along 8th street so Rob can see some of the truly amazing places that are still there while I point out a few that are no longer around.

And then we'll head to Ray's to get some real New York pizza.  I don't know that this will be our first pizza but this will be the one that I feel is worth going out of our way to enjoy.



At this point I'm probably dragging Rob to the Thich Nhat Hanh calligraphy exhibit.  Afterwards, we may also swing by and see the Chelsea Hotel, although by this time we may both be ready to head back to the hotel.

Itinerary Day Six

After yesterday's trip to the zoo (assuming the weather was cooperative), we're back to looking at art over on the west side.

We'll be going to the Frick Collection first.  It small enough to enjoy without feeling overwhelmed.  And there is a music room I know Rob will want to explore.

Just a few blocks north and we'll go to the Guggenheim Museum.  They have a café where Rob and I can have a bite to eat.  Sandwiches, water, perhaps a coffee.  Depending on how we're feeling, we may then walk a little further north so I can show him where I used to live.  We can catch the cross-town bus from there and take a bus south to our hotel or catch a cab.  Or we may just head back to the hotel after going to two museums.  I've warned Rob New York is a walking city.  I don't know how seriously he is taking my warning.  I'l have to tell you how it went when we return.

Itinerary Day Five

We are about halfway through our trip and, as you can see, we've been keeping very busy.  Today is no different, if the weather permits, because we're leaving Manhattan (!) and exploring a whole new borough.  Or one small part of it anyway.

Rob really wants to go to the Bronx Zoo and who am I to begrudge him a trip.  I've no doubt we'll go to see the penguins and tigers.  What else we'll want to see is anyone's guess.  Whatever else, it will be fun and also a long day so I'm guessing we'll just head back to the hotel from the zoo and stay there for the night.  Good thing we'll have some cheese we picked up a few days before from Zabars!

Itinerary Day Four

I am writing these Itinerary posts before we leave for our trip.  Of course, plans often go awry but I thought it would be fun to post what we plan on doing and, when we return, share what we actually did. This will be our fullest day, I suspect, unless the weather is not cooperative.

Because this is our honeymoon and a gift from my mother and step-father (how else could we pay for all of this?), we are under orders to not spend the entire trip socializing.  Don't tell them but we will be socializing a bit today.  Rob's Uncle Kelly and his husband Michael will be coming into the city to play with us.  So first stop:  Grand Central Station.

Rob's Catholicism is showing because he insists on seeing St Patrick's Cathedral.  I don't know if we'll light any candles or anything but we have enough respect for tradition to time things so that we will not intrude on any of the morning masses.

Just a few blocks over, however, is one of my favorite churches so we'll be making a stop there as well.

Then we'll stroll around Chinatown, do a lot of window-shopping, perhaps buy some gifts or grab a bite to eat.  I haven't been in over 25 years. I have only a vague clue what to expect, so much changes, but some things don't change with the same urgency.

Rob and his uncles will then head to the Feast of San Genarro (and Rob better come back with a cannoli for me!) while I head back to the hotel.

I am going to have a late lunch with my step-sister, Janice, at Nice Matin or in the hotel room, depending on how we are feeling.  She won't be able to hang out too late because she's leaving for a trip of her own that evening but having a late lunch will be wonderful, just us girls.

I'm hoping that Rob and his uncles will return to the hotel so we can hang out for a bit more as well but, if they cannot, I will understand.  I have a feeling we'll all be pretty exhausted by then anyway.

Itinerary Day Three

I am writing these Itinerary posts before we leave for our trip.  Of course, plans often go awry but I thought it would be fun to post what we plan on doing and, when we return, share what we actually did. We won't be doing too much today but it will still be a lot!

Our hotel is right across the street from the Museum of Natural History and we have a late night planned so it makes sense to go somewhere close to the hotel.  Close enough to take an afternoon nap before heading out for dinner.

We'll have dinner here at Café Edison because this particular diner is a classic spot, one of the few old school restaurants left from the early Broadway days.  And Rob wants a hot pastrami sandwich.  Who knows what I'll order but I hear the cheese blintzes are worth trying.  Yummmmm . . .

After dinner, we'll walk from the restaurant to the Ambassador Theater where we'll be seeing Chicago. Oh boy oh boy oh boy!

Itinerary Day Two

I am writing these Itinerary posts before we leave for our trip.  Of course, plans often go awry but I thought it would be fun to post what we plan on doing and, when we return, share what we actually did.  This will be our first full day in the city so we have lots planned.  

Our first museum trip must begin with my favorite:  The Metropolitan Museum of Art.  We'll have to travel through Central Park to get there but it'll be worth it.  Hopefully, we'll arrive early and get to enjoy the museum before it gets too crowded.

After the museum, we'll walk around the neighborhood near our hotel a bit.  We'll walk past my middle school (which is no longer IS 44) and over to Zabar's where we'll buy some cheese and such for our room.  Then we'll back to our hotel, doing a little window shopping along the way, I'm sure.

That night, we'll have dinner at Scaletta Ristorante with my mother, my step-father, my step-sister, and her husband.

Itinerary Day One

I am writing these Itinerary posts before we leave for our trip.  Of course, plans often go awry but I thought it would be fun to post what we plan on doing and, when we return, share what we actually did.  This will be Rob's first time experiencing my home town, meeting my step-father and my step-sister, and more.  We're so excited!

We are heading off to New York City today.  Flying from Atlanta to Newark then taking a car into Manhattan.  Oh boy!

We'll be staying at the Hotel Lucerne.  That night, because we won't arrive at the hotel until after our usual dinner time, we'll have dinner in the hotel restaurant, Nice Matin.