NYC : Part 1 : 2009

What's that?!
You want to see some pics from our NYC vaca this year?!
Well, alrighty then!!

It started bright - er... dark - and EARLY Sunday morning...

Proof.

This is how I look that early in the morning.
Lovely, I know.
I knew no one would believe I did, in fact, get up, around & make it to the airport on time, so I had D.Might take my picture to prove it.

Here's us in the first cab ride of the trip!
I was so proud of myself for making it through both flights & not getting sick!!
Woo-Hoo!!
It was a much more pleasant experience this time :)

Here's my traditional just-off-the-plane-give-me-something-to-eat-like-NOW lunch!

We love this little cafe down from our Hotel, which happens to be right down from Times Square!

After lunch, we started walking around Times Square & found SPONGE BOB!!
He was wanting a tip for this picture, but I had no cash - he was not happy.
Oh well.

We also decided to try out the Subway & get it down pat for the week!
So much cheaper than taking a cab.

St. Patrick's Cathedral - 5th Avenue
This is also just down from our Hotel.
We're not Catholic, but this building is soooo beautiful!!

This is where Seinfeld works out!!!!!

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Sitting on the steps of The Met - everyone does it.
I wanted to do it because it's wear Serena and Blair eat breakfast every morning...

I loved the Alice in Wonderland statue in Central Park!
Wish all those kids would get off of it so I could take my picture, ha!

The Boathouse, Central Park
27 Dresses Much?!?!

Bethseda Terrace, Central Park

This is the Angel of Waters Fountain in Central Park, it sits in front of the Terrace and overlooks the Boathouse.

While walking around, we stumbled on this street show just below the Terrace - it consisted only of 3 guys, but it was HILARIOUS!!!!

The Mall, Central Park
Maid in Manhattan, Uptown Girls much?!?!

I made D.Might get another drink out of this fountain because I thought it was cool :)

The Great Lawn, Central Park
This is where most of the large concerts take place.
It's full of people when there's not one - they don't have much grass :)
The Essex Hotel can be seen in the distance... love it...

The Dakota, on the West Side of Central Park
This is where John Lennon was murdered.
Yoko Ono still owns an apartment in the building.
Creepy.

D. outside of the American Natural History Museum - Upper West Side
That green horse with the guy on behind D.Might is supposed to be Teddy Roosevelt.

The dinosaurs were straight out of 'Night at the Museum'!!

It was so dark in there, my camera didn't get many good pictures.

D. is standing in front of the skeleton of a Boa Constrictor... ewww.....

Yay!!! I found some Indians!!!
Didn't find any Cowboys, though :(
Nor did I see Pocahontas, either!
Dang movies - they just set you up!!

We really did enjoy the Museum - it was so cool!
Even better, we got in for FREE because that's just how awesome we are!!
Or, it could've been the fact that they let everyone in for free an hour before they close... whatev...

MMMMmmmmmmm!!!!!!
Hello loovvvaa.... I've missed you!!!
Yes, our first dinner was at Abatino's!!!!
Doesn't get much better than NY Pizza and Garlic Knots...

Did a little more walking around Times Square, too!

Is that Green dressed as Lady Liberty?!?!
Why yes -- yes it is!!

We HAD to go to M&M's World - you all know how much Tutu loves her Yum-Yum's!!

I sent her this picture of me in front of the Yellow M&M - she loved it!!

Cant you believe I didn't eat ALL of those tubes of M&M's all by myself?!?!

There were too many witnesses....

Here's a 'portion' of the 'My Color Wall' inside M&M's - it's 50ft. wide & 2 stories tall!!

There are 72 continuous candy-filled tubes!!!

D.Might in front of 'The Wall'!

I hated to get Ava some Yum-Yum's & have them melt before I got home, so Dusty found her an M&M night-night gown!!!
It's SOOOOO cute!!
Purple, with Green on the front wearing a cape - it says 'Super Sweet'!!
Ava LOVES it & has asked to wear it every night since we've been home!!


The next day, we took the Subway downtown - our first stop was the Chelsea Market in Chelsea.

Yes, because the Food Network films there!!!
Unfortunately, they don't let you upstairs unless you're Rachael or Bobby, so I settled for my picture by their logo downstairs...
The Market was pretty cool, though - the sweetest little bake shop was in there...
It was too early for cupcakes, though....
{gasp!}
Did I really just type that?!?!

D. taking his turn with the Food Network sign!!
We really are Food Network junkies!!
We're just Food junkies in general...

Taking a break in Tribeca Park - it was hot.
Not Arkansas hot, but the way people were fanning themselves you'd think there was a heat wave going on...
They clearly have NO IDEA....

A street I liked in Soho.
Soho is where all the Celebs live - I just couldn't bring myself to stalk the neighborhood in search of one...
True New Yorkers just don't do that...

Yay!! Little Italy!!!
Pretty sure the Mafia was eating lunch 15 steps from me...
Didn't snap their picture...
Don't worry...

First glimpse of Chinatown!

Everything in Chinatown is written in Chinese.
Everyone speaks Chinese.
No one speaks English.
One trip down there was good enough for me.

Here's me chowing down on some authentic Chinese cuisine!
I just ate my LoMein noodles and rice.
The chicken scared me.
While walking around, I saw a few to many windows with rat-like-chicken-things hanging in the windows... yuck...
We went to the first restaurant I saw without those in the window...

I'll be glad to get back to New China where they know how to really do Chinese!

We walked down to the Brooklyn Bridge!
Like my Chucks?!?!
Don't know how I ever lived without them...

Here's D.Might in front of the Brooklyn Bridge!

Neither of us felt like walking 5 miles accross it.

We also walked over to Ground Zero.
Every. Single. Piece. of machinery has an American Flag hanging from it.
It's still very moving to go down there.

There are 12 foot walls surrounding the site, so it's hard to see how much progress has been made in a year.
Dusty went back down there after I left & got to see more of it.
Behind those walls, they are working on all of the 'below ground' stuff.
Even in all the hustle & bustle of the Financial District, it's still very somber around the site.
It will look completely different once the Freedom Tower is done.
I hope I get to see it...


We also decided to go up to the Bronx to take in a ballgame while we were there...

To see the New York Yankees at the new Yankee Stadium, of course!!!!

The two of us outside the Stadium!
Love that 'New York Yankees' is right above our heads!!

Here's D. in the 'Great Hall' inside the Stadium.

This will be the first year to play in their brand-new stadium, but it is filled with Yankee history!

This is the scene we got when we walked in the gate - the Orioles were warming up!

We sat just below the sign - thankfully, it was in the shade!!

Here's a view from our seats!

They might be the 'cheap seats' but they were still good & we didn't miss any of the action!!!

Here we are - GO YANKS!!!!

Of course, my favorite part of the game was the
Nathan's Hot Dogs & Cheese Fries!!!!
Y'all seriously haven't had a hot dog until you eat one from up North - they know their business.

Derek Jeter handing out an award - Snoopy was there, too!

Here are me & D.Might with Mr. Bobblehead!
I must say I thoroughly enjoyed my first Major League ballgame - we had a blast!!!


Since we're 'Foodies' and all - we decided to try out a place called Ted's Montana Grill one night for dinner....

I had D. take my picture with this Bison head in the restaurant - it was for my Sister :)
She's a Harding University Alumni & their mascot is the Bison - so the caption read:
'HU found in NYC!!'
'Why is there a Bison head in the restaurant?' you say?!
Ted's Montana Grill's specialty is Bison Burgers....

I had the Chicken Sandwich.
Oh & those delish Onion Rings.
Mmmm.. see those cucumber pickle things above my plates?!?!
I had two orders for myself.... seriously -- some. kinda. good.!!!
For the record, I did try a smidge of the Bison Burger - it was very lean, but not chicken.

It was raining after we had dinner, so we ducked for cover at Carnegie Hall.

We also ducked in a little Cafe for some authentic NYC Cheesecake.

My traditional Strawberry was divine...

D.Might {with his patented 'Food Face'} also enjoyed his Chocolate cheesecake - I can't even remember what all was on it...
He later regreted cheating on his beloved Cheesecake Factory and vowed not to do it again.

For the record - I did not regret it at all.
I do not discriminate against Cheesecake.
I {heart} Cheesecake.

Did a little more chillin' in Times Square.
Hmmm... wonder if this years NYC pic will make our Christmas Card?!?!

They've closed down the streets in Times Square & provided lawn chairs for people to sit & socialize. So cool. Not so cool, however, when it's raining.

I snapped this pic as we walked back to the Hotel in the rain.

Love the look of all the cabs, traffic, and people - it's always hustlin' & bustlin'...

I {heart} NY!!!!!!!