New York, New York (Part 2)

After being closed for almost nine months, we were fortunate that the Statue of Liberty re-opened while we were on vacation.  We were lucky enough to get tickets that allowed us to climb to the top of the monument.  The inside of the monument includes a museum featuring Lady Liberty's former torch, artifacts, and replicas showing just how large she really is.

The views of the City from Liberty Island were beautiful and the statue itself was quite impressive.

Ava is a fan of Eloise - a six year old who lives at The Plaza.  As a very special treat we enjoyed an Eloise Tea complete with sandwiches, scones, and sweets.

Moving from Manhattan to the Bronx, we visited the New Yankee Stadium.  Ava is proud of the fact that she is older than the new stadium (opened in 2009).  Living outside of DC for three years before the Nats came to town, Chris and Abby's closest MLB team was the Baltimore Orioles who happened to be in town.  Ava proudly cheered against the hometown Yanks without getting any dirty looks from the locals.

Even though the Yankees don't have a mascot, Ava was able to meet the Cracker Jack mascots Sailor Jack and his dog Bingo.

Taking a break from the hubub of Manhattan, we took the subway to Brooklyn to enjoy some time at the beach including visiting the original Nathan's, jumping into the Atlantic, and enjoying some of the carnival amusements.

Heading back into the City, we stopped by the New York Public Library where Ava entered the scene from Goodnight Moon and saw the original Winnie the Pooh animals. 

Just behind the library is Bryant Park where adults were laying out in the sun and kids were enjoying the carousel.

We wandered around Rockefeller Center and the surrounding area on our last morning in town.

The final stop of our trip was the American Museum of Natural History where we saw halls of mammals, Ava got in touch with her Micronesian roots, we got up close with dinosaurs, and Ava was able to touch gems and minerals.

Ava really enjoyed her time in New York and is looking forward to a trip in the future.  Goodbye New York City!

New York, New York (Part 1)

After a four hour train ride from Boston, and checking into our hotel, we ventured out to explore the sights and sounds of New York.  After surviving a heavy rainstorm, we made our way onto the New York Water Taxi where, despite the wind, we enjoyed views of the City from the Hudson River.

From Battery Park, we walked to the World Trade Center site to remember and reflect at the 9/11 Memorial.

Afterward, me met up with our friend Carly for some snacks and drinks.

Our hotel was near Grand Central Terminal, the largest train station in the world (by number of platforms), which is celebrating its 100th anniversary.

In addition to the "real" trains, lots of subways go through Grand Central and we used the subway system to get all around town.

The trains were often crowded, and although she was a little wary, Ava was fine sitting in between strangers.

A short train ride away was the Empire State Building, as seen in the film classics King Kong and Sleepless in Seattle (neither of which Ava has yet seen).

Just down the street from the Empire State Building is Macy's at Herald Square, self-proclaimed as the World's Largest Store.

We spent most of July 4th in Central Park - visiting the Zoo and Arsenal, climbing rocks, eating at the Boathouse, and trying our hands at boating on the pond.

After enjoying some of New York's natural beauty, we found the other end of New York's spectrum at Times Square where we were all overwhelmed by electronic billboards, hordes of tourists, and freaks.

Big Apples

Just as Major League Baseball did with the Mickey Mouse All-Stars in 2010, they created statues this year honoring each team and league in anticipation of the MLB All-Star Game.  The 2013 Midsummer Classic will be hosted by the New York Mets, so the theme is Apples on Parade.

The apples were primarily dispersed throughout Manhattan in various public places including the New York Public Library, Grand Central Terminal, and in front of office buildings, hotels, and stores.

MLB not only honored modern teams but New York teams of the past including the beloved Brooklyn Dodgers and the reviled New York Giants.

The final apple we found was that of the New York Mets.  Three years ago, the Mets Mickey was at our local mall and we took a picture of Ava with him.  How she's grown!