Today is the Day: New York City part one

I must say that this was the best trip ever. Drew and I did not go on a honeymoon. We almost always used vacation to visit family. We have only both been away from the kids at the same time for one night. This was a much needed vacation for us. And, for it to occur on the weekend of our 15th anniversary was just amazing timing.

We went with the choir from our church. Drew and the choir sang the "Messiah" at Avery Fisher Hall at the Lincoln Center on Sunday evening. So, each afternoon Drew had practice, but every other second was ours to do whatever. We made the most of our time!

We loved New York City. We had both been there before, but never together. The weather was perfect beyond words...like high of 70-75 and lows around 60. We walked so much of the city and saw everything we planned to do and then some. It was just great. The only bad thing was me breaking my toe about 10 minutes after we arrived at the hotel. I walked into my suitcase and instantly knew I broke my toe...been there done that before. The pain was crazy bad, but I made the best of it. I did not slow down much. I refused to let one little broken toe ruin a dream vacation in any way at all! So, this post is really for me and Drew. Move along unless you care to see what we did on our trip!

We arrived on 6/14...our anniversary! Drew planned a lovely dinner for us at "One if by Land, Two is by Sea". It was this little hidden treasure in an old carriage house. The food was incredible. It was a great pleasure to dine leisurely and really enjoy a meal. It was fun!

Stupid toe meant I had to wear flip flops instead of my fancy shoes

Centerpiece on our table

Happy 15th Drew!

Friday we woke early to hit the town walking slowly! We took the subway (best transportation system ever) to the south part of Manhattan. We walked along the Hudson River through several pretty parks. We saw the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. The parks were filled with pretty flowers, lovely walkways, and quirky statues. It was a great way to see some of the sites.

Hudson River looking at New Jersey

Ellis Island

Miss Liberty

Drew watching the ships

After leaving the park we headed to Ground Zero. We had been unable to get tickets so we visited the Visitor's Center and St. Paul's Chapel. Both places made me cry so I cannot imagine what my emotions would have been at the actual memorial. St. Paul's Chapel became a staging area for the rescue workers following the attacks on 9/11. It remained a place of rest, a place of comfort, and a place to eat until May 2002. I did not feel right taking pictures inside the church even though it was allowed. I am very glad we visited the church.

The new tower under construction

Friday night we saw "Anything Goes" after a wonderful dinner at Carmine's. This was the only actual activity we did with the choir. Dinner was so good! Italian food is my favorite and nothing we had disappointed....highly recommend this restaurant!

The show was silly at times and definitely old school Broadway. The lead had an amazing voice and was just too talented for words. There were some great dancing numbers and of course, singing. The show was also very funny. It was quite an enjoyable evening!