April - New York Special - 2019

DAY 1

We were up before the sun in order to get to the airport by 5 am.  Steve drove us so we wouldn't have to pay for parking and it was really nice to not be running to meet up with Mr. McSwain and get our tickets.  

As hard as it was to get up at 3 am, this is the sunrise that greeted us while we were waiting to board the flight.  

On the flight and on our way to NEW YORK CITY!!

Walking through JFK on our way to the subway ticket counter.  

We took the airport subway to Queens and walked to our hotel.  It was fun walking the streets of New York and experiencing the sounds, smells and sites.  I will admit that it was both exhilarating and terrifying to cross the streets, but that is part of the experience.

After dropping of our stuff at the hotel (The Vetavier) we went in search of good food for lunch.  Mr Funchess (the high school vice principal) found a pizza place not too far from the hotel and it was a huge hit with the kids.  For $5 we got a slice of pizza (as big as our head) and a drink.  Nick said this was his favorite part of the trip, the pizza.

Devan, Ari, Nick, Ashley and Ms. Rose

While we were waiting for everyone to finish up lunch we had a fun photo op in front of some really good grafitti.

Lindsey, Chelsea, Bethany and me.  

Devan imitating the facial expression on the drawing.  

After lunch, we took the subway into New York City.  It was a bit overwhelming at first, but we quickly adjusted to the busy-ness.  

Grand Central Station

42nd and Park.  SOOOOO COOOL!

We walked through Times Square on our way to the Intrepid.  It was interesting to see the variety of people in a city of this size.  I kept trying to distract the kids that were closest to me.  There was a naked lady who was painted as if she were dressed and a guy in tighty-whiteys playing the guitar.  Welcome to New York.  It took us a bit to walk to the Intrepid, but there was so much to see we didn't mind.

Once at the Intrepid (an air craft carrier turned into a museum), Mr. McSwain gave us all our tickets and told us to meet back at the front at 4.  I was in charge of Nick and Grace and since Grace wanted to be with her friends, Nick and I got to explore at our leisure.  There was so much to see and do that we used every last minute we had before meeting back up with the group.  They were all finished much earlier than we were, but Nick and I got to see almost everything on the ship.

Nick wants to build one.  

The view of New York from the front of the Intrepid.  

Hands on experience of what it was like to work on the parts of the ship.  

Taking a break in one of the bunks.  Good thing Nick isn't in the Navy - he barely fits in the beds.  

When there is a big gun we must give it a try.  

Nick had one of these in his Hot Wheels collection as a kid.  Seeing a real one was another highlight of the trip.  

Nick is in airplane heaven.  

One of the space shuttles in in the museum.  

We also toured the submarine (The Growler).  The long line was worth it.  The sub was so cool.  

The game room.   It would fit in the bathroom at home.  

We met back up with the group at 4 and headed to Juniors for dinner.  It was a bit cold eating outside but it was part of the whole experience.  We got to watch all the people while having an excellent meal.  Juniors is famous for their cheesecake.  Nick and I found out why.  YUM!!!

Nick, Devan, Ashley, Peyton and Grace.

The slice was so big that Nick and I had to share it and almost didn't finish.  It was sooooo good!!

After dinner we went to Studio 54 to see Kiss Me Kate.  My first broadway show!  I think I am addicted now and will have to come back to see another one.

Momo, Anna, Lindsey, Bethany and Chelsea.

Devan and Nick.  Devan is holding a picture of Mrs. Schroth, the chemistry teacher from school. This whole thing got started when Devan found out that Mrs. Schroth was checking bags at prom.  Devan printed off a picture of Mrs. Schroth and put it in her purse to see if Mrs Schroth was really checking all the bags.  The joke now was that Mrs. Schroth was going to go on many adventures with Devan.  You will see her a lot in the following photos.  

Hannah, Devan, Nick and Ava.

Wow!  Just Wow!!! 

Kelli O'Hara played the part of Lilli Vanessi/Kate and she was outstanding.  She is a Tony Award winner as well as two-time Grammy and Emmy nominated singer and actor.  Will Chase, Fred Graham/Petruchio, has been on show's like Nashville and Stranger Things . His comedic timing was spot on.  Corbin Bleu (Bill Calhoun/Lucentio) is best known for his role in High School Musical.  He did a great job as well.  Stephanie Styles, Lois Lane/Bianca, stole the show though.  This role was her Broadway debut and she rocked it!!!!    After running since 3 am, I thought I would have a hard time staying awake, but NOPE!  It was excellent from opening to close.

After the play we got back on the subway to the hotel and enjoyed a wonderful nights sleep.

Our home away from home.  

DAY 2

We were all up early and went to Dunkin Donuts for breakfast before heading into New York for the day.  Our first stop was Radio City Music Hall.  The way the numbers fell I was in a separate group from Nick.  He stayed with Mr. McSwain and that group while I went with the first group.  It was a fascinating tour.  I didn't realize how many big events were held in this historical building.  

There are multiple moving platforms on the stage and they are all moved and controlled with an impressive system of hydrolics.  It was call the "hall of a thousand illusions" when it first opened.  It can move a 35-piece orchestra complete with two grand pianos.  It was really cool to see.  

More of the cool art.  I can't remember who did this one, but the picture does not do it justice.  

The elevators were decorated with "Bakelite-accented rondels of satyrs and nymphs."  It was the coolest and most elegant effect for an elevator.  

The Rockette's costume room.  I always wanted to be a Rockette.  

Roxy's Suite for special guests.  

Willie Nelson has performed at Radio City Music Hall.  I took this picture for my dad,who is a HUGE Willie fan. 

A picture of the lobby from the upper floor.  

The stage area as seen from the back row of the balcony.  All the blue lighted area can change to whatever color is needed  It is the coolest effect.  

I got to have my picture taken with a real Rockette!!!  I can check that off my bucket list.  

Back outside we met Mr. McSwain who had just dropped the other group off for their tour.  

St. Patrick's Cathedral.  The other group toured it while we were in Radio City Music Hall.  By the time we got out there was a funeral procession lined up for a fallen marine who was also a part of the New York Fire Department.  We weren't able to get across the street to see inside, but we got to watch as all the fireman and police line the street to show respect for their fallen comrade.  It was touching to watch.  America is the best. 

When the other group was finished with their tour we all walked to Grand Central Station for lunch.  It was definitely an experience.  I wasn't completely prepared for the mass of people and activity we found under the city. It was the perfect place to get out of the rain and away from the cold that had settled in.  We all got our various lunches from the sundry vendors and talked while eating.

I had to take this picture because growing up my dad would always say "It's like Grand Central Station in here" whenever things got a little crowded and/or chaotic.  I didn't fully understand that saying until this moment.  It was crowded and chaotic!!!

By the time we got back above ground it had started to steadily sprinkle.  We thought we could walk the several blocks to the Metropolitan Museum of Art before the rain really started.  We were wrong.  By the time we got there and had waited in the forever line (since everyone else was trying to do indoor activities as well) we were soaking wet.

Standing in the rain, waiting to get into the Metropolitan Museum of Art

 Nick and I took off our socks and put paper towels in our shoes to hopefully soak up the majority of the wet.  We walked around the museum with our socks hanging off our backpacks, drip drying.  Not far into our exploration of the museum the exhaustion caught up with us and we had to sit down.  Nick fell sound asleep.  I left him on the steps and explored the room. 

There was plenty to see while Nick slept.  

The room was large and there weren't many people in it. 

Nick, sound asleep.  How do I know he was sound asleep?  At one point I heard him softly snoring so I sat down by him in that small space between him and the wall to make sure he had something to lean on.  The only problem was I started dozing as well and woke up just as I saw him fall forward and hit his head on the floor.  It was a rude awakening for him.  I felt so bad.  It wasn't all terrible though.  He felt nice and rested after his 45 minute nap.  Time to explore some more.  

There was so much to see.  We could have spent two or three days there just exploring.  We only got to the first and part of the second floor before it was time to meet everyone again.  Here are some of the highlights of our exploration.

Cool modern art.  

This piece covered almost the entire ceiling of one room.  

This statue was about 20 feet tall. We called it "Big Head, Little Tiny Arms."

Steve is always looking for something new to carve.  We sent him a picture of this for inspiration. 

Nick really liked the Venetian art rooms.  

I sent this picture to Naomi, since her nickname is Pigeon.  Her message back to me said, "They are part of me, keeping an eye on you."

The Egyptian stuff was a favorite, as always.  

Back outside it was still raining and all of us had just gotten dry.  Mr. Funchess and Mr. McSwain figured out a bus route that would get us close to Times Square and Planet Hollywood for dinner.

I liked this picture of Nick with Ava and Katherine peeking out from behind him. 

Planet Hollywood was loud and fun and the food was amazing - especially after a long and wet day.  

Nick was happy with his Mac n Cheese.  

Mrs. Conder, Mr. McSwain, Mr. Funchess, me and Mrs. DeMilt (Ms. Rose  not pictured)
I had so much fun with this group of chaperones.  

After dinner, we walked the few blocks to Madam Tussand's Wax Museum.  It meant a short walk through the heart of the city.  

New York at night was so cool.  The big, tall building in the middle of the picture has the New Year's Eve ball on the top.  

Another view of the city from the second floor of the wax museum. 

All of us in the elevator up to the second level.  

I enjoyed the wax museum a lot more than I thought I would.  We spent two hours exploring every nook and cranny.   We met a lot of "stars" but didn't find Benedict Cumberbatch.  I was a little disappointed about that but.

Devan, Morgan Freeman and Nick. At this point Nick wandered off with some other members of the group.  That didn't stop Devan and me from having a little fun.  

Having tea with the Queen

Devan and Pope Francis

The Obamas looked real.  It was kind of creepy.  

Devan is a huge Ghostbusters fan.  She was excited to see some of her favorites  

Justin Timberlake and I are BFFs now. 

Bruno Mars sang me a song.

Prince, just as excellent in person. Nice guy, but doesn't say much. 

Hello!!   Harrison Ford.  

The light almost makes Devan look like she is made of wax.  

Iron Man

Hanging with Frank Sinatra.  

Goofing off with Charlie Chaplin. 

We found Nick again in the gift shop.  

We were all kind of exhausted by this point and decided to head back to the hotel for a little relaxation before bed.  Nick and I were starting to unwind in our room when the girls next door started banging on our door and asking me to come quickly.  They had all been sitting around talking when Mo had suddenly collapsed and hit her head on the floor.  The couldn't get her to wake up.  I went in and made sure she was breathing and there was a heart beat and then sent one of the girls to get Mr. McSwain.  By the time Mr. McSwain and Mr. Funchess arrived I had Mo awake and somewhat answering questions.  She had started to shake uncontrollably so we wrapped her in blankets and got her laying down with her feet elevated.  She started to calm down.  About this point, Mr. McSwain had gotten hold of Mo's mom and was asking her questions.  I turns out the Mo cannot eat a lot of foods with a high fat content otherwise she passes out and starts shaking.  It was good to know that this was normal.  I was about to call 911.  That would have been an adventure.  We got some antacids in her and she drank a little water and was on her way to recovery.  We got her into bed and she fell asleep almost immediately.  That was a good thing for her, but bad for Devan who was supposed to share the bed with her.  Devan ended up on the floor that night.  I would have let her stay in our room but... and she couldn't remember which room her grandmother was in.  By the time I got back to our room and had showered it was eleven.  I was so tired I ended up rubbing toothpaste on my sunburned chest instead of cortisone.  Turns out the peppermint in toothpaste is really good on sunburns and I was minty fresh at the same time.  

DAY 3

We were all up early and decided to have a nice and relaxed sit-down breakfast at the diner across the street from the hotel before taking the E train for the long trip to the World One Center and the 911 Memorial Museum.  While we were waiting for the train the group took advantage of the acoustics in the subway.  They sounded amazing.  I got a video of it, but I can't get it to upload on the blog.  You will have to take my word for it.  The day was really cold so it was nice to have inside things to do.  

Ground zero where the first tower was. 

Nick and Devan in front of the memorial pool.  

The artwork and architecture was so diverse and captivating.  I can see why New York is a favorite tourist destination.  

The mall at the end of the E train line.  It was really cool.  

Our view of the One World Center while waiting in line.  It was so tall and the moving clouds gave the optical illusion that the building was falling on us.  

It was cold standing in line but Nick had fun bundling up. 

His silliness made the time pass faster. 

Devan and Nick keeping everyone entertained while staying warm. 

Once inside we had to go through security which was as thorough as airport security.  We got our passes and stood in line for the long elevator ride to the observation deck.  We had to wait a bit because the building is so tall that on windy days it sways slightly which throws the calibration of the elevators off and they need to be recalibrated before they will work properly.  Weird, cool and disconcerting all in one.

Such a cool view of New York from the top.  That is the Empire State Building the distance.  

Another view of the iconic Empire State Building.  

The Manhatten and Brooklyn Bridges.  

Nick enjoying the view.  

The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.  

We didn't get to see the Statue of Liberty up close because of the rain, but I did get to swap pictures with another tourist.  She had gotten to do the tour of Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty but missed going to the top of the One World Center.  I gave her my pictures of the view from the top.  It was a good exchange. 

Peyton and Grace waiting for the whole group to come back down from the top.  

At this point everyone was hungry for lunch.  We walked across the street to the fanciest mall I have ever seen and got some lunch.  We all went our separate ways to find the food we wanted.  Nick and I were happy with a toasted bagel with cream cheese and had time to explore the mall a bit before meeting back up with everyone.

Chelsea, Lindsey, Bethany, Anna and Mo waiting to get going again after lunch.  

Our next site to see was the 911 Memorial Museum.  Once again, Nick and I could have used a whole day to explore everything there was to see, but we only had 2.5 hours.  We got as much in as we could.

Part of one of the original supports of one of the towers.  

There was a respectful quiet and peace in the museum.  Nick really enjoyed just taking his time and soaking it all in.  

This is the front of the fire engine 3 which was one of the first to arrive on the scene after the first airplane hit.  

This exhibit let you write your thoughts and they would be projected on the wall.  

What Nick wrote.  

The slurry wall. 
If this wall had been breached the site would have filled with water. If the site had filled with water then the subways would have been submerged as well.  The wall held and prevented further devastation, destruction and loss of life.   

The foundation support from the ground level.  

This motorcycle was designed just for the museum. 

We all took the E train back to Times Square for dinner at the Hardrock Cafe.  We all really enjoyed this dinner and joking with each other after such a sombre day.

The whole group all at one table.  

This was a highlight for Nick as well. It was one of the places he wanted to see  

The whole group.
Front row:  Mr McSwain
Row Two:  (l to r) Hannah, Ashley, Mo, Kathryn
Row Three:   (l to r) Nick, Grace, Lindsey, Anna, Devan
Row Four: (l to r) Ava, Peyton, Bethany, Chelsea, Ari
Top Row:  (l to r) Mrs. DeMilt, Mr. Funchess, Ms. Rose, me and Mrs. Conder 

After dinner we all split up into interest groups.  There was a group of six that wanted to check out some anime shops and so I volunteered to go with Mrs. DeMilt so she didn't have such a large group all on her own. Nick was excited to get to spend some time with Mr. Funchess and Mr. McSwain.  After about two hours of shopping the crew was ready to head back to the hotel.  We managed to find the subway entrance and get on the proper train and we made it back to the hotel safe.  I was amazed because that is no small feat.  

I have always wanted to visit 42nd street and here I am!!  Another bucket list item checked off.

We thought we would be the only ones back at the hotel but we weren't alone for long.  Everyone started trickling in about 15 minutes behind us.  Nick really enjoyed his time exploring with Mr. McSwain and Mr. Funchess.  There wasn't much activity coming from any of the room tonight.  We were all exhausted after another full day.  

DAY 4

Everyone voted for another sit-down breakfast which gave the adults a chance to discuss the plans for the day.  We were supposed to take the E train and see the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.  The weather called for wind and rain which are not the ideal for this tour and that is a long way to travel only to get turned away because of weather.  Also, we didn't want wet kids in the airport.  I was sad, but it was the right choice.  We decided to spend the day in the city and let the kids do some shopping and sight seeing in smaller groups after checking out the Ripley's Museum.   On the way to the train some of the kids wanted to stop for some coffee at Dunkin Donuts.  I was a little bit behind the bigger group because it took us longer to pay for our meal.  When I arrived at the Dunkin with Nick there was a crazy lady yelling at Anna for getting in her space and yada yada blah blah blah.  It was really scary until the crazy lady saw Mr. Funchess coming and she backed off a bit, but kept yelling at us to get off her turf.  We made it safely away and got on the train for Times Square.

Leaving the hotel on the last morning for some last-minute sight-seeing.  The walking bridge you can see in the distance is the subway system to catch the N or W train.  

The Ripley's Museum was full of interesting and strange things.  As usual, Nick and I had a blast exploring every nook and cranny.  This time Devan came along because she heard how much fun we had been having at all the other sites.  The rest of the group hurried through while we took our time.  

Nick found something to drive.  It was an airplane train.  

Nick as the half guy. 

Devan found some family photos.  

Those are real cockroaches  I thought they were fake and freaked out a little when they started to move.  

This cool exhibit would digitally put a hat on you.  

Nick and Devan in the stocks.  

Nick's head in a jar.
Nick disappeared and I was looking for him when I saw something that looked familiar in one of the jars. He scared me and loved every minute of it  

This is what happens when you scare you mom too many times in one day.  

Abraham Lincoln made out of pennies.  

Devan is swinging from the Empire State Building
It is a cool optical illusion created with mirrors.  About this time I got a text from the group asking where we were and how much longer we would be in the museum.  I sent them this picture and told them we just had to get Devan down from the Empire State Building.  Suddenly they all wanted to go and explore things they had missed before.  

Big head, little tiny arms.  

We had so much fun in this tunnel.  The tube is projecting swirling lights while spinning clockwise.  It felt like the bridge was tilting.  We did it several times because it was so much fun.  

The world's tallest man  WHOA!!

We ate a lot while on this trip!!

Nick's new buddy.  

After the Ripley's museum we divided up and went shopping.  I told the girls in my group (Peyton and Grace) that since we had followed them where ever they wanted to go the night before we were going to go where Nick wanted to go.  This got us to the M&M store, an Addidas store and the Disney Store

Nick found his idol, Lightening McQueen  

Shopping time was soon over and we were headed back to the hotel to collect our luggage and get to the airport.  The trip was almost over.  It went by so quickly.  We will definitely have to plan another trip to NYC.

Devan, Peyton and Grace chilling at the airport.  

Steve met us at the airport at 10 and drove us home.  We got to spend a little time with Dianna before everyone crashed for the night.  Dianna was gone the next morning before I got downstairs for seminary.  She had a really early flight.  As much fun as Nick and I had while in New York, Steve, Dianna and Naomi had an equal amount of fun eating sushi and Carolina BBQ as well as seeing Captain Marvel and just hanging out in addition to Naomi's Honor band stuff.  It was a good weekend for everyone.

Nick got this mug at the Disney Store in New York and was dying to give it a try.  It was worth the wait.