A Couple of Rebs in Yankee Country

My kids really love their cousins, and were disappointed when we had to tell them that they wouldn’t see each other until Christmas.  We’re busy, and it is a long drive for my sister to come up to NY, so we decided to see if the kids would be interested in getting together in NYC.  They had never been to the Big Apple, so we decided to meet in Time Square and spend the day exploring.

So we walked down Broadway to our first stop in Time Square, and since we are talking about a kid centric tour, it was the Toys R’ Us store with the Ferris wheel in the center.  We went to our favorite areas (Legos, Nerf, and hot wheels), and then head up 6^th Ave. to Rockefeller center.  I guess I knew there wouldn’t be any ice skating (it was a beautifully warm day in the neighborhood), but I didn’t know they put tables in the center.  We went to the Legos store (where else), and looked at the different sets available.  It was time for lunch, so we went by Radio City music hall to the Heartland Brewpub. 

I’ve been to Heartland before, in fact Jacob and I tried to get in February, and after a bit of a delay we got in for lunch.  We got a choice table in the back where the kids could talk together.  That was the important part for me for today.  I got the Cobb salad (right sized, not too large and enough to eat) with their Kolsch (nice German light beer that goes down WAY too easy) and their Summertime Apricot Ale (much sweeter than Magic Hat’s #9).  The sit-down lunch was needed for my niece and nephew, both for being hungry (don’t you feed them Grammy) and for being tired (welcome to the Salmon marches). 

Next was up to Central Park, which I had never appreciated before, for a short stroll around the pond.  The kids liked the turtles sunning themselves the best, and I enjoyed seeing the people doing the same.  Jenn and I both agreed that a tour around Central Park would be a must-see for us in the future.  We went up to FAO Schwarz.  Jessica got to play on the “Big” piano (chopsticks, anyone), and Greggie got to learn a new magic trick.

Next we went to check out the arboretum in Trump Tower.  I got to see the elevators where folks leave the Apprentice after being fired by Donald, as well as checking out the Trump Bar.  I really did want to see what they had on draft, and discovered a limited, by high quality, offering of local microbrews.  I had the Kelso Recessionator, a fine dopplebock.  It was nice taking a momentary break, but we were back on schedule.  We made it to St. Patrick Cathedral, the American Girl store, and the Nintendo store.  We were getting tired, so we made our way to our final destination, the Top of the Rock at the GE building. 

The Top of the Rock is on the 67^th floor, and offers three levels for viewers.  I liked it a lot since you could see both the Empire State Building and Central Park.  It was a beautiful day, and we got great views of the city, all the way from the George Washington bridge to the Statue of Liberty.  The kids liked the heights, and Jacob especially liked the elevator.  It was a great end to a wonderful day.

 
We wrapped up at TGIF (America’s largest) so we could grab some dinner before heading home on our separate ways.  I found out that Jeter got his 3K hit today, a home run, while going 5-5 in a close win.  The kids could always say that they were in NYC when that happened.  The restaurant was a great way to spend some last moments together, but I wish I could have gotten the kids to walk another 2 blocks to Rosie O’Grady’s.  Better food, better prices, and something unique to NYC.  Live and learn, I’m sure we’ll be back. – 5789/11046

"I decided to stop drinking with creeps.  I decided to drink only with friends.  I’ve lost 30 pounds." – Ernest Hemingway