NY Extravaganza

Christmas was my last post? Really, Christmas? Huh.

Well, there was Christmas and then holidays and EXTREME WORK DEADLINE CRAZINESS and freelance work and then a trip to NYC with hubby last weekend, so...I forgive myself. :)

Do you want to hear about the NY trip? I am going to imagine that you are all cheering and yelling YES, TELL US.

We flew into New Jersey late Friday night, after a day of traveling. It takes a surprisingly loooong time to get from Montana to New Jersey (more on this flight later, if I manage it). We'd arranged a car, and our driver was waiting for us at the bottom of the escalator with my name on a sign. I don't know about you, but this made me feel *fancy*. We goggled at the city until we arrived at our hotel, IN TIMES SQUARE.

  

It was about midnight when we arrived, so we checked in and headed right back out on the street to check it out. It was still packed, and everything was open. We managed to snap a picture or two with the cell phone and get the feel of the place before we decided it was WAY too freezing to wander around anymore in our leather jackets, so we ducked into a restaurant for drinks & an appetizer.

There was a LITTLE sticker shock when we got the bill--$66 for 3 drinks and nachos--but what are you gonna do? This was a romantic getaway, after all. We weren't looking for cheap.

Next day we set out (a bit later than we meant to, but the bed was so comfy...) to Rockefeller Center, and signed ourselves up for the NBC tour. We headed up to the Top of the Rock until it was our time. AMAZING views! Then the NBC tour, which accounts for our major celebrity sightings (naturally). Most of it was interesting, but the most fun for me was the Saturday Night Live set, where they were rehearsing for that night's show. We saw Kenan Thompson, Jason Sudeikis, Jay Pharaoh, and...the host, Gwyneth Paltrow, sitting on the set in a brown wig. She looked up and waved at us, which was pretty cool. Yeah, I'm such a tourist. Sometimes that's okay. :)

Next we went to St. Patrick's Cathedral, where there happened to be a wedding starting in five minutes. Of course we stayed to watch the procession. It was gorgeous, with 10 bridesmaids all in vibrant Indian saris, walking down to the church organ playing Bach...

We headed down Fifth Avenue to Grand Central, ogled the ceiling, and then had a fabulous lunch at Zocalo before heading back out into the cold to check out the Chrysler Building (M's favorite) and the NYC public library. Somewhere there is a picture of me with the lions, but I don't have it here at work, so you can imagine.

Then it was time to go get cleaned up for the big event, the reason we came to NYC: our Broadway show. As soon as we saw that they were showing DRIVING MISS DAISY with James Earl Jones and Vanessa Redgrave? Had to come. That's a once-in-a-lifetime event, in my opinion, seeing two masters at work live.

Yes, it was THAT AMAZING. It really was. I cried.

To top off the night, we headed to Sardi's after and had a wonderful dinner and bottle of wine. Perfect.

The next day we originally intended to go on the ferry, but it was way too freezing (I swear, it really WAS colder in NY than Montana. 20 degrees and biting wind, with humidity? Ugh.), so we slept in again (what?) and then took the subway down to Brooklyn. We wanted to have lunch at Grimaldi's. I was NOT aware that there are often hour-long waits outside just to get a table! Fortunately we timed it perfectly (accidentally) and got in just as it opened. YUM. Second celebrity sighting: Uma Thurman came in just as we were leaving. We think. :)

Then we headed up to the Morgan Library and ogled all the original manuscripts and documents (this is such an artsy-nerd type trip, isn't it? Fitting). We bought Empire State Building/Chrysler Building salt and pepper shakers. Then we decided to get some drinks and then go see THE KING'S SPEECH, which we currently can't see in Montana without driving for an hour each way. It was so good! I do love Colin Firth and Helena Bonham-Carter.

We went to dinner at Manzo at Eataly (walked right in--another example of our perfect timing) and had a crazy-good gourmet meal. Complete with chocolate drink for me and vanilla mousse/hazelnut/chocolate dessert. Because that was not enough of a day, we stopped at the Empire State Building and went up to the very tip-top.

The next morning we headed up to Central Park. We took pictures at the Dakota, walked across the park and over to the museums. A very long, cold walk, but worth it. We went to the Guggenheim and tried to go to the Whitney (boo, closed, no Edward Hopper exhibit for us) and then walked ALL THE WAY back down Fifth avenue. We finished off with lunch at the Playwright's Irish Pub near Times Square, then met our driver for the ride to the airport and the trip back home.

I have no idea if you wanted to hear all that, Internet, but I was happy to type it all up, as it helps me remember what a fabulous time we had.

*happy sigh*