New York City Day Two Pictures: Part One

After our delicious Pret breakfast -- we headed over to Rockefeller Center...where we would begin our walk up 5th Avenue. 

The skating rink was still set up.

I take his picture every single time I visit.  I feel like he's my secret boyfriend...

AND, I take a "shoe shot" on every trip.  Looking back at these photos, I can tell you who I was with...

Then, right up 5th Avenue

This is what Window Shopping is all about!

See my reflection in the Versace sign?

Fringe is ALWAYS in style.

Our destination?

THE PLAZA, OF COURSE..!!

The iconic Palm Court.

My obligatory photo of Amy and Nicole in front of the Eloise painting.

Relaxing in the lower level of the Plaza (having a nosh), I took a picture of my new NYC ring (thanks, LP), my favorite watch(thanks, Marion)...and the NYC subway map.  Yes.  The perfect day, people...

This is the exact table where Lilly and I played Bananagrams two years ago.

A random sculpture.  thank you, New York!

Time now for our visit to Bergdorf Goodman -- to see where "the rich people" shop.

Where a simple silk frock costs $6890

It really is hard to imagine who can (or ever would) spend this kind of money on clothes.

OF COURSE I had to take a mirror picture inside the elegant bathroom of Bergdorf Goodman!

The bathroom is on the second floor, at the corner -- through the children's department. On our way there, we noticed a sweet little nylon baseball jacket. Size 12 months. $640. Holy cow. Really?? WHO COULD DO THAT? They must be selling them to somebody, right??

We didn't actually go near the purses...

But we did ride the escalators

This jacket was over $3000

These designs are all made with safety pins!! ($4000)

Day Two NYC:

There is never any opportunity to "sleep in" when I'm visiting New York City. Our time is too precious. And there's no way we'll get everything done.

This was the "theater day" for Amy and Nicole.

Jackie and I had different plans.  Maybe we'll walk the Highline...maybe we'll find a Flea Market...

New York cooperated -- it was a beautiful spring day -- perfect for M.O.R.E....W.A.L.K.I.N.G.....!!

Sunday April 7: The little "bodega" next to the hotel was closed (last year, we discovered they made a great ommelette!). I asked Nicole to Google "Pret A Manger"...and, sure enough -- there was one only 400 ft. away (there is one on just about every corner.)

• 7:00 Pret-A-Manger breakfast (we shared a quiche, cream cheese danish, and coffees...breakfast was about $20 for four of us)
  
• Walked over to Rockefeller Plaza…
  
• Walked up 5^th Avenue, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Sak’s 5^th Avenue, Tiffany’s.
  
• The PLAZA. wowza. This lobby ! The incredible chandelier, the stunning fresh flowers, the iconic Palm Court -- well, it NEVER gets old. We went downstairs to the food court and had a nosh.
  
• Walked into Bergdorf Goodman’s Department store.
  
• We split up at the 59^th Street corner, and the girls rented BIKES to ride around Central Park, past Tavern on the Green. (only $15 for one hour!)
  
• Jackie and I walked through Central Park…over to Columbus Circle…we took a bus up to 77^th Street, to visit the Greenflea market. (remember, Marion?) 
  
• We went into a Thrift Store, to benefit the homeless. Jackie found a great cotton dress.
  
• 3:00 COME FROM AWAY…Amy and Nicole went to see the Broadway show. (Deena -- they LOVED IT.!)
• 7:00  Carmine’s dinner!! We had reservations, and got to sit in the front window room, on the banquette. The bill was $148. We ordered the four pasta special, the salad and the chicken marsala. We had at least 10 pounds of leftovers…

After supper -- Jackie and I went back to the hotel (hoping to find a homeless person who would like our Carmine's leftovers).  The girls power-walked down to Macy’s to do 20 minutes of SHOPPING,  But, hey -- that's another story...

New York City Day One Pictures: Part Two

You didn't think the Macy's escalator was the end of Day One, did you? Oh, noooooo. Sorry...but this trip to New York City is probably going to happily occupy my brain for the foreseeable future.

I mean -- it was A VERY AMAZING TRIP.

We took a cab up to Grand Central Terminal

Cornelius Vanderbilt did a pretty good job!

And the ceiling of the Grand Concourse, with the constellations -- well, it is an AMAZING public space.

Not to mention the priceless Tiffany clock.

We had a little "nosh" in the food court. Cupcakes, anybody?

Laura told me EXACTLY where to go to see the great literary quotes in the sidewalk!  But I was so excited, I forgot to look down...!!

I was just too busy "looking up".  At another one of my "must see" buildings in New York city. the Public Library, of course!!

And there is SO MUCH TO SEE

The Rose Reading Room. The windows, the light, the books...every chair occupied.  Yet, so quiet...

Actual pay phones? That was fun...and unexpected.

After our first LONG subway ride -- the iconic Tom's Restaurant at 110th Street.

The girls had never heard of an Egg Cream. (odd that this East Coast treat has neither egg nor cream in it...)

We took the BUS down Broadway -- back to our hotel.  And we got off at Lincoln Center.

This would be the only time we were in this part of town.

And it is pretty spectacular at night.

Nicole and Amy did great. They ROCKED New York City.

I don't have any pictures of me, falling into bed, putting a bag of ice on my swollen feet. But, that's what came next.

AND THIS WAS BASICALLY ONLY A HALF DAY...!!

According to their phone activity trackers...we walked 8.1 miles on this first day.
 

New York City Day One Pictures

I can't believe it's over. After years of talking about it -- and months of careful planning -- my nieces Amy and Nicole have BEEN TO NEW YORK CITY.  We're back in Iowa now -- and I get to blog about our fabulous visit.

Amy and Nicole are two very busy young Moms...and neither of them has ever been to New York City.

Because we were flying "basic"(more about that later)...we had to limit our packing to one carry on and a totebag.

I put luggage tags on EVERYTHING. My camera, my purse, my totebag, my suitcase...

I made some new luggage tags -- using Mary Mulari's fabric tie-on tag method...

Buying our MTA subway pass.

The BEST value for a dollar!!  We loved, loved, loved the subway...

The Macy's Flower Show was going on

Macy's was decked out.  Flowers EVERYWHERE...

This Flower Show is a miracle.  Really -- not one dead head or brown bloom anywhere.  HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE??

Jackie, at Herald's Square.  Daffodils were blooming all over this beautiful city.

Oh, yeah -- that's the Empire State Building just down the block.  Wow.

Our last stop at Macy's was to find the original wooden escalators...in continuous operation since 1914.