It’s been ten years since “the brunettes” have taken a trip together. The last time involved a spring break trip and lots and lots of Aloe Vera. We’ve grown up since then, but we still know how to have a great time. So, when April and Nicole thought we needed to take a trip and it needed to be this summer, we jumped. No one is pregnant, nursing, getting married or moving. It was the perfect time.
Kristina, April, and I arrived at La Guardia Airport and waited for our driver, Nicole, to pick us up. Nicole drove up from North Carolina, picked us up, and we were off to our stay at Fort Hamilton in Brooklyn. We had no agenda and the city was awaiting us.
We made reservations for later that evening, but on our way to Manhattan, we stopped a great pizza joint that didn’t even take credit cards.
Our first stop in the big city was a restaurant called The Spice Market located in the Meatpacking District. Thanks to a great tip from my friend, Teri, we had a great dinner in a wonderful atmosphere.
Our mode of transportation was the subway. For $27, and a little map-reading, we could get anywhere in the city we wanted to go. Thanks to Nicole, we got pretty much everywhere without much hassle.
The subway and our late nights did make us privy to a side of the city that was not so glamorous, the transient side. After 11 p.m. there seemed to be a lot of panhandling on the streets and the subway system. Apparently the city has a phone number that a person can call when this happens and someone from a shelter will come and help the individual out. I never saw anyone call the number.
DAY TWO
On our way to the subway in Brooklyn, we passed a park. It appeared as though a photographer was taking pictures of a wedding party, as everyone was dressed up in matching dressings and the “bride” was in a poofy white dress. We commented on this as we passed the limo driver and he quickly informed us this was a sweet sixteen party. Wow.
First stop of the day…Central Park. Well, I will be the first to say that I am pretty good at directions, but for some reason I could not grasp how this city was laid out. Well, we took a detour and ended up at One Central Park West where we met a fabulous bellhop and a great couple that quickly set us in the right direction. They were even nice enough to take our picture. I bet they love tourists. 
We dined at a fabulous little restaurant called Sarabeth’s recommended by the nice couple of One Central Park West. It was delicious.
Then it was off to Times Square. Oh, the sights we saw. Gone was The Naked Cowboy and in his place, The Naked Cowgirl. There she was in the middle of broadway, wearing cowboy boots, a jean skirt, a guitar, and strategically placed stars. (No photo for this one folks). I am sure she makes a good living off the tourists.
We purchased tickets to Mamma Mia for later that evening and popped in at a bar to catch the rest of the US-Ghana World cup game. We met some nice boys from Brooklyn who were big Team USA fans.
We had some time to kill before the Broadway show, so we hopped on the subway and headed to see the Empire State Building. One of my favorite stories about this building is that my college roommate worked inside of it right after we graduated from college.
”Guess what floor I work on.” she said.
Ummm…..”The 43rd??”, I replied.
“Nope. The basement. That’s right, I work in the Empire State Building and I am in the basement.”
Isn’t that great? Anyway, this is a marvelous building with fantastic views of the city.
Mamma Mia was amazing. I did not think that I liked musicals, but that is because I have not seen the right ones. I could not stop smiling throughout this performance.
Day Three
We brunched at quaint little bistro with Kristina’s friend, whom Kristina met while she was in residency in St. Louis. This gal uprooted herself from the midwest and followed a calling to New York City. I have such respect for people who are brave enough to conquer the big city.
After brunch we headed to the Highline, which is an old elevated railway that has been converted into a park. But we landed in Chelsea two hours before the gay pride parade and they had closed the park due to the expected crowds.
We ended up moseying down to Chelsea Pier and took a gander around at the harbor.
We then took a trip down to the World Trade Center site. The last time I was here, it was only 9 months after the disaster and there were still “missing” posters everywhere. It will be an amazing monument once it is completed.
We strode home via the Brooklyn Bridge.
Our last day in NYC, we spent at the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. It was so good to see so much of our country’s heritage through the portal of which so many came. April found a name in the database that could have been her grandpa. No luck for the rest of us.
One of the gentlemen that worked at Ellis Island was also a freelance photographer. So he would take pictures of the immigrants as they came onto the island.
Once upon a time, Nebraska actually recruited immigrants.
