New York City - Dec. 18-19

The night of December 18, after seeing all the sights in Philly, we boarded a bus and headed to New York City with Karene. Karene and her roommates were awesome enough to let us crowd into their small apartment with them for a couple of days. It was a whirl wind trip through New York, but a ton of fun. The night we got in we went to eat at an amazing little Indian restaurant. I haven't had Indian food before, but it was absolutely delicious!! It was so crazy how squished together everything was, and no nature, just concrete everywhere! We got in late that night, and there were so many people still out walking around at 11:00 p.m.! That city really doesn't ever sleep!

The next morning, Friday the 19th, it was snowing like crazy but there were still people everywhere!! Now I know why they sell stroller rain covers, galoshes, umbrellas and scarves. They are a necessity when walking around in the snow in New York city - and since walking is your main source of transportation there you can see just how critical those things are!

The first thing we did that day was find a stroller rain cover for Taevin, then we went to Max Brenner - a chocolate restaurant in Union Square. It was so fun and delicious, I had died and gone to heaven. They have huge vats mixing chocolate when you walk in the door, and pipes overhead that supposedly chocolate flows through. You can get chocolate shots, chocolate soup, chocolate pizza, pretty much anything you can think of in chocolate. As if that isn't enough, they have the most excellent hot chocolate I have ever had and they serve it in a Hug Mug which is shaped especially for "hugging" in both hands as you sip your hot chocolate. It was divine! They also had regular food on their menu which was also very delicious.

The Hug Mug with Irish white chocolate hot chocolate
Me drinking from my Hug Mug
our chocolate pizza

Karene, me and Taevin at Max Brenner

We went to the Empire State Building next, but didn't go to the top for two reasons: 1) it was snowy and overcast so we wouldn't have had much of a view and 2) it cost $19 a person. But here we are just inside the door and under the huge chandelier they have in the lobby, this picture doesn't do it justice, but it was an awesome chandelier made of tons of individual hanging crystals.

Then we went to Rockefeller Center and saw the skating rink and the tree. Just a side note, that tree is huge!! It looks so much bigger in person, and the skating rink is so much smaller than it looks on TV.

We also saw the huge Macy's store and their awesome window displays,Snow flakes on Macy's that did a light display set to Christmas Music

Saks Fifth Avenue, This gown is covered with Swarovski crystals in the window of Saks Fifth Avenue. Wouldn't you LOVE to wear a dress like that?!?!

Tiffany's (I really wanted to bring a souvenir home from there!), Radio City Music Hall,
Time Square,
St. Thomas Cathedral (is that right Karene?), which was amazing!, the Charmin bathrooms, and Toys R Us at Time Square.
A huge robotic T-Rex at Toys R Us

Life size Barbie House at Toys R US - I wish my girls could have seen this, they would have LOVED it!

Karene was such a fantastic tour guide!! We would have been lost without her - especially on the subway! Thanks Karene!!