nyc: day 1

remember back here when i mentioned we were going to nyc?! well we went (almost a month ago. yikes!) and it was amazing, magical and exhausting, just like you would expect nyc to be! i love nyc! as cliche and cheesy as it sounds, the energy in the city is amazing and every time i visit, i am ready to pack my bags and move there. it seemed so quiet coming home. we didn't land until 10:30 pm and even though it was close to midnight by the time our cab pulled up to ryan and lynda's place, the city was still hoppin'! we packed a lot into our 3 days there and worked our way around the city by foot, cab, subway, bus and ferry! man i love [good] public transportation! 

day 1 highlights

ellis island and the statue of liberty

wall street, wall street bull, the ny stock exchange, federal hall

9/11 memorial

shake shack

broadway show - "peter and the starcatcher"

times square

brandon's birthday party prep

our first stop was ellis island and the statue of liberty. even though it was chilly down by the water and we had to wait in line quite a while before we got on the ferry (luckily there was a man entertaining us with his steel drum), ellis island was one of our favorite things. it was humbling to learn about the incredible sacrifices so many people made to come to this great country. it is so easy to take the freedoms and opportunities we have here for granted, but i was reminded that so many people gave up so much to come here for a better life. i left with such a full heart.

 the sphere survived the 9/11 attacks and was relocated to battery park where it now stands as a monument to the lives lost, along with an eternal flame 

 

federal hall where george washington was inaugurated as president

apparently i forgot my us history because i didn't remember this happened in nyc

(we also tried to imagine the last scene in the dark knight rises as we walked down the street)

the 9/11 memorial was beautiful. it felt like you were walking on sacred ground and dave commented that it must be the quietest and most reverent place in nyc besides the temple. it was sobering to see name after name of the victims, surrounding the 2 pools that stand where the original twin towers stood (the waterfalls cascade 30 feet into pools. amazing!)
the "survivor tree" which was reduced to an 8-foot stump after the attacks and was nursed back to health in a nyc park where it grew to 30 feet tall. it was then uprooted by a severe storm in 2010, but once again survived. it is supposed to represent the resilience that is so important to the history of 9/11. 

 1 world trade center, which will be the tallest building the united states. there will be 7 towers when the world trade center complex is completed and will also include a museum, surrounding the memorial pools.

dinner at the shake shack. i had heard it was amazing and was expecting to have my life (regarding burgers and shakes) changed. but i must admit, i was disappointed. it wasn't bad, just not worth the hype (you were right sara)

 

after dinner we went and saw the broadway show, "peter and the starcatcher." it had gotten great reviews and even came recommended to us, but it really wasn't our type of show. we didn't realize how "artsy" is was going to be and more than once we looked at each other like, "what is going on?!" clearly we are not artsy people. after the show we hit up times square. it really is crazy how it is hoppin' at all hours. we left after midnight and it showed no signs of slowing down any time soon. which makes this picture of times square and this picture of the times square subway station after hurricane sandy especially crazy.

 dave was in heaven at the enormous toys 'r us in times square

 

 hello huge lego hulk!

we didn't see ryan and lynda during the day, but i loved returning home every night and getting to stay up (really late) talking with them. we could not have done this trip without their kindness. we love you guys! this night we helped a little with birthday prep for brandon's party the next day. dave didn't know our trip to nyc would also include refining his cupcake decorating skills!

ryan decorating brandon's amtrak cake (the kid is obsessed with trains). how many kids can say their dad made their birthday cake! pretty awesome! glad to see all those years as a kid where he helped my mom with her cakes, has paid off!

 lynda sewing some bags for the party guests. lynda puts on amazing parties. she thinks of every tiny detail. i told her she could be a party planner, but then she would never sleep. i won't even put what time she went to bed (i'll give you a hint, it was an insane hour).