Labor Day Weekend in NYC

I had so, so much fun cruising all over NYC over Labor Day weekend! It was a totally unplanned, last minute thing, but such a fun weekend whirlwind.  We usually go somewhere on Labor Day as summer's final hurrah.  Even though it isn't really an anniversary, I celebrate it as such.  Bill and I have officially been together now 22 years!  OMG.  Really?  22 years?  Where did the time go?

Bill's brother works for United Airlines.  He called on Thursday and said there were 10 seats available on the 2:47 flight out of Denver.  Oh boy. How is it even possible to get ready that quick?  Oh, and what about our fur baby? Who's gonna keep her?

Well, for those that know us, not a problem!  Gracie was dropped at the PetsMart hotel @ 11:00, and we were at the departure gate by 1:00.  As we watched the standby list get longer and longer, we thought for sure we were gonna turn around and go home.  We ended up being #9 and #10 for the 10 available seats!  Yep, two middle seats for a 3-hour-forty-five-minute flight.  Talk about luck!  Bill's brother was working and wouldn't be home until Sunday afternoon.  So, we had his apartment in Queens all to ourselves until then.

We arrived in NYC about 9 pm Friday night.  It was absolutely sweltering.  I hate humidity (especially since we live in such a dry climate).  Evening of rest.  We were gonna need it.

We started out first thing Saturday morning.  We've been to NYC a few times now, so we had some not-your-average-thing-to-do-in-New-York-City to-do list. 

First, we walked over the Brooklyn Bridge.  Great spot for photos of this magnificent city.

We stopped @ City Hall and rested our feet at the cute little park.  I have a new iphone app called Glimps.  Just couldn't quite get the hang of it.  Feel free to call me a dork.

Headed over to Pier 17.  They have a great summer set up here with tables, lots of craft beer booths, and some very expensive food items.  We shared a beer and a $16 lobster roll.  They were setting up the plaza for an outdoor movie night.  There is also a remote TKTS booth at the Pier...and no line!  We bought tickets to a 7:30 pm Let It Be Broadway show. 

We decided to hop a Water Taxi back to midtown.  Beats the subway and costs less than a real taxi, but boy did it take a long time...zigzagging across the east river, but offered many more photo opportunities.  I was happy.

Lower Left:  Pier 17
You can see One World Trade Center!

Funny how humidity & fog looks in the daytime!
Another view of the Freedom Tower.

Let It Be was like being at a Beatles concert throughout every stage of their career!  These were four of the most talented musicians I've ever seen.  The "Paul" even played the guitar left handed!

I loved those B&W TV's.  They played Beatles footage complete
with TV commercials from when I was a kid.  Great throwback!

Bill get's just a tad bid overexcited.
Sorry you can see his tonsils.

Afterwards, a stroll through the busiest place on earth!  Times Square!

The City has a new share-a-bike program called citibike.  Bill's brother had left behind two prepaid bike keys so we could use the bikes.  Let me just tell you, I was SCARED!  Bill wanted to get them as soon as we arrived, but I kept dragging my feet, always thinking of something else to do.  On Sunday, I had no choice.  We picked up the keys and got our first bike that afternoon.  Bill thinks we can just ride all over the City.  He is INSANE!  The City is INSANE!  I haven't ridden my own bike since we got the tandem probably 15 years ago!  New York City is not the place where I wanted to see if I remembered how to ride!

But...ride we did.  All over the City.  From as far as the Flatiron Building up to and through Central Park.  I was a wreck (literally wrecked the bike pulling into a docking station...a scrape on my arm, a bruised hip and a bruised ego), but got back on and rode them from Central Park to Chelsea...long after dark.  Even got honked at by a NYC taxi.  Check that off the list!

I got it in my head that we absolutely had to have lunch at the diner made famous by the Seinfeld Show.  We rode and rode in the exact wrong direction.  Well, after getting lost on the bikes, we decided to take a taxi...a THIRTY DOLLAR taxi, but the sandwiches and milk shakes are just as good as everyone says they are!

We were really far uptown.  Just at the top of Central Park.  Of course, I wanted to see it.  Sitting just across the street is the 2nd most magnificent church I've ever seen. 

The Cathedral of St. John the Devine

It is surrounded by beautiful gardens and a school campus.  They have their own (dog) commandments for the area.

Monday was rainy.  We had brunch and then headed back to Broadway.  We might as well sit in a theatre.  We decided on Spiderman and tried to get discounted tickets at the TKTS booth on Broadway.  Every other tourist was in the line.  So we hightailed it over to the Foxwoods Theatre only to find out that there is no Monday matinee!  So...again, we bought tickets for the 7:30 show.

After indulging in some famous Crumbs cupcakes and a Starbucks, we WALKED from the theatre district to Central Park and spent a very leisurely afternoon riding a park bench and people watching.  Of course, we stopped by to pay our respects to the Imagine Memorial and Strawberry Fields as we were still humming Beatles tunes.

...we walked back to theatre!  Tired and ready to be entertained.  Well, let's just say that Spiderman was not my favorite musical, but it is surely a spectacle to see!

See that cabling on the ceiling?  Superman flies everywhere!
Tip: if you get a chance to see the show, get balcony seats!

Back to Queens for about four hours of sleep.  Our red-eye, standby flight left @ 6:50 Tuesday morning.  We were back at our desks by 10:30.

Oh my gosh...it took my feet a full week to recover.  Note:  never take sandals and/or flip flops to NYC. Although I was comfortable, I had a hard time getting the New York City grime off my toes!  Definitely not the souvenir I was looking for...and P.S. they are definitely not good for riding bikes.