Seventeen years ago I went with Shannon on a business trip just one week after our honeymoon. We went to Dalton, GA - The Carpet Capital of The World!! (http://www.cityofdalton-ga.gov/) A wise woman, Orvella White, who was the Executive Assistant at the office where Shannon worked, told Shannon he needed to take me on a trip so that I would understand early that business trips were not just all fun and games. Let's just say, it's taken me 17 years to attempt that excursion again. This is the first time in 17 years I was willing and able to go on a trip with Shannon. This time, it was to New York City; I couldn't pass that up!! So knowing he was going to actually have to do some work during the days and probably some stuffy dinners at night, I went prepared to finally see things no one else ever wants to see and I wanted to take my camera and take millions of pictures. I have dreamed about certain shots I wanted to get. I made a little map to plan out my days.....
And we are off....
After checking in at the hotel and meeting up with Shannon's co-worker for a little planning meeting before the big meetings in the morning, Shannon and I had a stop to make. When we were in NYC during Christmas just over a year ago celebrating our Anniversary, Birthdays, and Christmas we had planned to go to Tiffany's and "get me a little something". They apparently closed early the evening we were planning to go, and unfortunately we were leaving early the next morning. So, it's been "in the works" for over 14 months.
After our shopping was complete we headed back to the hotel. We had plenty of time before were to meet Shannon's co-worker for dinner so we stopped by Rockefeller Plaza.
There is an awesome Lego store in Rockefeller Plaza. There was a HUGE LEGO display of the LEGO logo.
Upon further investigation we discovered that the whole thing is made of minifigures - but you can only see their heads. Its like looking down on a NYC street at 9 AM!!
We headed back to the hotel to meet up with Shannon's co-worker again to have dinner. She picked Serendipity (yes, from the movie).
Yes, I had the frozen hot chocolate (actually I shared it with his co-worker)!! Several brain freezes were had!! But it was OOOHHHHH so yummy!! The homemade whipped cream was awesome!
After dinner (which was at 9:00, btw - why do they eat so late??) it was uneventful as we headed back to the hotel.
Thurs - Personal Day 1 - The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Central Park
Here is me. I'm all packed up and ready to hit the town. I have on two layers of clothes and a wool coat, scarf, boots, etc. My bag weighs a TON (probably more like 10 pounds). I carried way to much with me today.
Yes, Feels like 2*!! And VERY WINDY!!
Made it to The Met about 30 minutes early so I waited outside with the rest. It was VERY COLD!!
This place is HUGE!!! You could spend a week in here....
The museum is so big that you can often find completely empty rooms. Just me and the masters. I spent the majority of my time in these 8 rooms.
Vincent Van Gogh's Wheat Field with Cypresses (1889)
Vincent Van Gogh's Self-Portrait with a Straw Hat (1887)
Sculpture by Auguste Rodin - Notice the little "Thinker" at top.
Several of the rooms that I went in were just absolutely amazing. I walked past so much stuff and just couldn't grasp that I was walking past some of the most amazing pieces or art in the world. I couldn't even take it all in. I will be back for sure.
The American Wing
The Frank Loyd Wright Room
I was looking forward to taking pictures in The Temple of Dendur room. The windows, the water, the light, the stone...They were repairing the windows......I still took a few, but didn't spend the time in here I had hoped.
The museum itself is a work of art.
Next stop....right outside the museum is Central Park. I planned to walk home via several paths through the park, and had a handful of spots I really wanted to capture. Unfortunately, I didn't spend the time (or energy) here like I had planned. I found myself rushing along and not taking the time to just look around much. I did some, but not like I would have on a nice spring day. I'll be back. I'll post several pictures, and comment on a couple. It was cold...very cold.....
I walked into the park just as these boys were flying down this long hill. I couldn't get my camera up and set fast enough to get them in the splendor of their slide, but captured them right at the end. There were several spots where people were sledding, but these boys did it with the most gusto!!
Bethesda Fountain
There had apparently been an ice sculpture display in the park a few days ago. There were two sculptures still standing. Both of them in almost pristine condition. There was one that had obviously been vandalized recently. But this snowflake was one of the ones still intact. Beauty.
Trump Ice Rink
I ended my journey through the park by watching this sweet family slide down this hill several times. Although it was VERY COLD (have I said that already) I enjoyed my time in the park.
On the way home I walked past St. Patrick's Cathedral. Last time we were here it was being renovated and covered in scaffolding. Was pleased to see it has been rejuvenated.
I loved this picture. The Atlas sculpture. The cross atop the church. The center of the World.
Between the museum, the park, and the walk home from here, I walked about 7 miles (per my fitbit). I was exhausted but I was so pleased with my day. I headed home and took a nap....
Shannon had a dinner with his co-worker and the clients this evening. I was planning to go, but the thought of putting on dress shoes and pantyhose and trying to care about the conversations, just didn't do it for me. Although a nice Italian dinner would have been great, I decided to stay in the hotel and find something to eat. I discovered there was a little pizza place right around the corner. I could get there without having to layer up or anything! Plus, they had the best pizza!!!
La Bellezza Pizzeria
Friday - Personal Day 2 & Date Night - Cronut and Photo Safari & Dinner and a Play
Much colder today. MUCH. Today my plan had been to go get my Cronut and then I had worked out my train route to take pictures at about 7 different locations. Since I ended up spending more time underground trying to get closer to my destinations via train and not at ground level in the bitter cold I didn't get to as many places. Plus, Shannon finished up his meetings a little early so my shooting time was cut short by about 3 hours. I had to decide which shots I really wanted this time. I'll just come back and get the others...
First task at hand...go get my Cronut. Now the Cronut has been a "Craze" for some time, but it is still extremely difficult to get. Just a few weeks ago Dominique Ansel Bakery started a pre-order process. On the Monday morning two weeks before, they open up a pre-order site. You order for the whole week. I was ready. It was like trying to get the hottest concert tickets or even worse trying to schedule a prized Character Dinner at Disney World!! But I set an alarm, bookmarked the wepages, and read all the instructions ahead of time. I logged in about 15 minutes early and hit F5 a thousand times until the page went live. By the time I got my page to load, at about 11:03, they had sold out for two days. Fortunately not for my first choice day. I worked as quickly as the website would let me. I did it. I pre-ordered 2 Cronuts. By the time I had finished my order, at 11:07, they had completely sold out for the week. CRAZY!!! I had to be at the bakery between 9:00 and 10:00 to pick up my order or they would sell it!! I was there 10 minutes early. When I walked into the bakery I walked passed the 100+ people standing in line and headed right to the register to pick up my order. As I was waiting on my order (and a cup of coffee) they announced to the 100+ people in line, who had been waiting for hours, that they had sold out of Cronuts for the day. Dejection. I was scared I'd get mugged for my golden box as I walked back to the subway!!! Now, was it worth it....YES!! Would I have waited outside in -17* cold for it....NO. But because I got a pre-order, it was definitely worth it....It was SOOOOOO good. They make one flavor a month and only a limited amount every day. This month was Cherry Blossom Ganache and Sour Cherry Gelee with citrus sugar. Um...YUM.
Most subway stations are pretty bleak. This one was pretty neat. I wasn't in it long, and I can't even remember which one it was, but I liked it. This was the only picture I took...with my phone.
After the Cronut was safe in hand I headed to the first location on my shot list. The day I realized that Broadway and Wall Street intersected (Actually Wall Street begins here), I knew I wanted this picture. I said this was a picture of US. Together Shannon and I are the meeting of Wall Street and Broadway. My plan is to blow this image up and print it for our house.
I laughed while taking this picture. It reminded me of a sociology experiment. I spent about 15 minutes taking pictures of the two signs at this intersection trying to find the right angle and feel I wanted. A group of Asian tourists approached, probably to see the historic Trinity Church a this intersection. But they all saw me taking pictures of this sign and all began taking pictures of the sign as well...
The trains were my life savers this day. I spent more time on them today than I did above ground.
I headed to Grand Central Terminal.
Yesterday I carried WAY TO MUCH equipment with me and never used any of it. Today I packed much lighter and several times wish I'd had my tripod and cable release. This was one of those instances. I did the best I could but at these long exposure times, just the action of pressing the shutter button creates to much camera movement, thus fuzzy images. (The people are supposed to be blurry) I'll just go back.
While here, Shannon called and said he had finished up his meeting a little early and that he and his co-worker would meet me here for lunch. I stopped and talked to a couple from Chicago while I waited. We had lunch at the Grand Central Oyster Bar and Restaurant. Delish.... And I just loved the architecture here I had to take a picture (with my phone) during lunch....can't help it.
After lunch we headed back to the hotel. I still had 5 places I wanted to go, but our afternoon plans were moved up a bit. And I am so glad they were. Shannon had a friend from high school who now lives in New York.
You know when you say, "If you're ever in New York City give me a call and we can grab dinner!" at a 20 year high school reunion, you don't think anyone will actually take you up on that.....well, we did. Thank you to Beth and Joe for being very gracious hosts. We met up at their BEAUTIFUL apartment on the West Side not too far from where we would be heading for our show later in the evening. We chatted over some great wine, met their BEAUTIFUL boys, and then decided on dinner. They suggested a few places and we picked this Thai place down the street. I so wish I could remember the name of this place. This picture is the WHOLE PLACE!! The six of us almost filled 1/2 the seats!!! It was GREAT food. I'd go back.
After dinner Shannon and I headed down the street and stopped at a nice little bakery that Beth and Joe had suggested, to have a cup of coffee and something sweet while we waited for our show to begin. This was Amy's Bread. Shannon had a black coffee (shocking) and I had a Latte with a little art on top. Shannon had a coconut bar and I had a black and white cake. We hung out here until we needed to head to the theater.
We went to see It's Only a Play. It was great. Martin Short, Matthew Broderick, and more. Stockard Channing's part was played by an understudy. Wished I could have seen Stockard, but her understudy did a great job. The poor girl slammed her finger in the door during the play, and returned again with a splint. Hope it wasn't broken. Is a broken finger as much good luck as a broken leg???
This wasn't an accident. I finally got a seat in the GAP. I've spent years in the theater having to look to the left and to the right of someone's head. Being 5'1" isn't great when watching plays. These seats were great!!
I usually take a curtain call photo (yes, I know, I'm not supposed to, but I gotta!). I was so caught up here I almost forgot. I didn't even get a chance to frame the shot (missed Martin Short, because I'm short). The curtain fell about 0.005 seconds after I took this picture.
We decided to walk over a few streets to catch a cab where it was a little less crowded. Um...Times Square isn't "less crowded". We decided to head towards the hotel and catch a cab on the way. Problem was, there were no cabs on the side streets to our hotel. It was a long cold walk home (in heals and pantyhose). But we made it. My feet were so angry.
I have to say this was my favorite day. Although I had a LOT more on my shot list, I had so much fun seeing "the Real NYC" with Shannon's friend and her family and spending time in places where the locals live.
Saturday - Our Final Day and Getting Home - 9/11 Memorial Museum
Finally someone who won't look at me funny when I talk to them on the train!! I had to show him the ropes...
The 9/11 Museum is amazing. We were told to allow 2 hours to get through the museum. Really? We were there for 3 and skimmed past about 1/2 of it. I'd say you could spend a whole day here, but truthfully, you need to just come several times to take it all in. There is so much to see.
Recounts of that moment we will never forget. Audio files of people retelling that moment when they knew.
Images of people on the ground watching it unfold.
The final column and the Slurry Wall
"No day shall erase you from the memory of time." - Virgil
Each blue square is a watercolor painting of the artist attempting to recreate the beautiful blue of the sky that morning. Each square represents a life lost that day.
Several memorial pieces created by people around the world remembering those lost.
This one is a quilt. There are pictures of every person lost that in the many attacks.
The kids' artwork was special.
There are several pieces of the steel frames from the two towers in museums across the country. There is even one in the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History. There are several here. This one, is from the exact place of impact from the first plane that struck tower one. The bottom of the plane struck at the top of this steel.
Several emergency apparatus were destroyed in the collapse of the towers.
The part of the museum that retells the events of the day minute by minute didn't allow photographs (as well as the memorial section), but I took a few pictures of the "after" section of the museum.
After we finished at the museum we visited the memorial water features. So many names. Too many names.
Freedom Tower.
After we made it back to the hotel to pack up we had lunch across the street and waited for our ride to the airport. As we were standing in front of our hotel to head to the airport, it began to snow...4 hours ahead of schedule.
We arrived at the airport in plenty of time. We actually arrived before the earlier flight for DFW left, so we ticketed for that flight instead. We sacrificed our first class seats and dinner, but it was worth it. They got my luggage moved over and we managed to make it out of NYC. They were canceling flights left and right. I am so glad we got out when we did.
Deicing the plane. After they melted the ice that had accumulated while the aircraft was at the gate, they sprayed it with this green jelly type stuff. It stayed on the plane until we took off. Pretty neat.
Thank you to my Mother-In-Law for coming down to watch the kiddos. Thank you to all the people who helped shuttle Landon to and from all his events this week. Thank you to Shannon for letting me tag along on your trip!! Can't wait to go back!!!
2 comments:
Superb photos and commentary, Shelley. It was nice to enjoy your trip via your blog. Joe
Love the atlas photo. Really impressive. And the one with just st pats on its own. Very clean and sharp. Love it.
Aaron black
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