A New York Adventure

As has become tradition in my family, for our wedding anniversary each year, we take the kids and go to New York City. Celebrating an event such as an anniversary at this time of the year is a bit challenging given the other festivities going on and the fact that the kids are off from (and home from) school. So we just decided to make it family affair.

The plan this year was to stay over (using hotel points accumulated from my years of travelling as a consultant) and see Avenue Q. So we got into town about 11:00, checked our bags with the bellhop and headed over to the Stardust Diner. Food was average, entertainment was exceptional. All the servers are Broadway hopefuls and they put on quite a show taking turns singing/performing (karaoke style) for the patrons. Made the $$$$ food a bit more palatable.

So after checking into our room, we set out to see some sights and kill some time until the 8:00 show. The city was packed. In all the years I have worked and spent time in New York, I have never seen it this crowded. This would be a theme that would repeat itself over the next two days. Ughh! NBC Studio Tour, forget it. Empire State Building, no way, Jose. The sidewalks, the stores and all the attractions and even Central Park were crammed with people. I did happen to get the above shot of the me and tree in Rockefeller Center.

So, we ended up at the AMC Theaters on 42nd Ave. and decided to see Walk Hard. Great movie, lots 'o laughs. There is even a section where the main character (Dewey Cox) is living in Berkeley circa 1966. There you go, my Cal reference!

Avenue Q was great. Funny, clever, great performances, puppets and more. Just a notch below Spamalot, IMHO.

This morning, my son and I headed over to the Today Show to mingle amongst the throngs vying for airtime in the background of Ann Curry and Matt Lauer. Well, we almost got it! We may have actually been behind Willard Scott as he was dong the weather. The world may never know... I took the shot above during that momentous moment.

We went to breakfast this morning at the world famous Lindy's. My advice, stay away from this tourist trap. $85 for lukewarm eggs, oil soaked potato chips and watered down OJ. We spent the next hour walking off the fat in Central Park.

We left the hotel and began our oddysey back to Penn Station. Via Grand Central - to meet one of daughter's friends and the Empire State Building (see above). When we boarded our train to Trenton at 2:01pm, I think we were all relieved the adventure had finally come to a close.

All in all, though, a great but suprisingly exhausting trip - even for experienced NYC-hounds such as me and my wife. Family togetherness - no better way to spend our 21st anniversary!