Our Trip to New York

Spencer and I just got back from a 6 day whirlwind trip to New York City and the surrounding areas. We had such a blast! I highly recommend everyone to visit the city at least once in their lifetime. It was so much fun. In all of the big cities that I have ever been to, never have I seen anything in comparison to NYC. I loved seeing all the colonial style architecture mixed in with modern day structures. Add in all the other beautiful sites such as the bridges, Lady Liberty and the Hudson River and the place is truly majestic! I also found the city to be clean, safe and family friendly. The subway was fun and quite a treat from walking all day.

Here is a breakdown of what we did each day while on our trip:

Day 1: Thursday

• Arrived at Newark Airport (New Jersey) at 5:15 p.m.
• Took shuttle to Hotel, checked in, and was on our way to Timesquare by 7:00 p.m..
• Met my brother and Dean in Timesquare, went to Daves Famous BBQ for dinner.
• Walked around Timesquare, which was amazing!
• Walked to the Manhatten LDS Temple.
• Crossed over through Central Park to 5th Avenue and saw Trump Tower, the Park Plaza Hotel and the major 'outrageously priced' shopping district. Something I imagine you'd see on Rodeo Drive.
• Walked through Rockefeller Center, then left the city at 12:30 a.m.

Day 2: Friday

• Went to Rockefeller Center and watched them film The Today Show, anyone see me? Spencer's Uncle Mike, who lives in NJ, joined us for the day and showed us around.
• Picked up something for the kids at FAO Schwartz
• Walked through Central Park. (I loved, loved Central Park! Even though you are right in the heart of a major city it's so peaceful and secluded.)
• Rode the subway to Little Italy (true Soprano territory) and had a delicious lunch.
• Did some shopping in China Town (one of the funniest moments during our trip).
• Rode the subway down to Battery Park where we saw the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.
• Walked past Ground Zero. Was disappointed because you can't see a thing. They have started rebuilding and have fences up all around it.
• Back to Timesquare for dinner.
• Left the city and drove to my brother's house.

Day 3: Saturday

• Drove to Boston, MA
• Saw some famous historical sites such as; The Boston Commons, Faneuil Hall, and the site of the Boston Massacre.
• Enjoyed a breadbowl of Clam Chowda' from a local restaurant.
• Listened to Spencer and Cory say "Wicked Good" all day long...
• Saw the Boston LDS Temple.
• Walked through the Harvard University Campus.
• Did some shopping at the Pro Bass Store, which was right next to the New England Patriots Stadium.
• Left Boston and headed back to my brother's house

Day 4: Easter Sunday

• Drove to Palmyra, NY
• Luckily, the church Visitor Centers are open on Easter.
• Stopped first at the Hill Cumorah site and Visitors Center
• Stopped by the Palmyra LDS Temple
• Took a tour of the Joseph Smith Farm and House
• Walked through the Sacred Grove
• Took a tour of the Book of Mormon publication site and visitors center
• Walked to the Erie Canal
• Finished the day with a fabulous Easter meal at an Indian Casino. Go figure ;)

Day 5: Monday

• Drove back to the City to spend our final day there.
• Took the subway to Brooklyn for pictures of the skyline (the park in Brooklyn across from the city was awesome!).
• Back to China town for more shopping.
• Said goodbye to my brother Cory and headed to the taping of the Dave Letterman Show. Guests included; Zac Efron, ESPN's Mike & Mike and a Canadian band, A.C. Newman with Nicole Atkins. It was so much fun. We sat in the 2nd row and had perfect seats.
• After the show we went to the Empire State Building.
• Then we headed back to our hotel.

Day 6: Tuesday

• Arrived home at 12:50 p.m. after 8 hours of flying.
• It was so good to see the kids and to hear all of the fun stuff they had been doing too. Lots of hugs and kisses.
• Back to the daily grind.

It was a fantastic trip!