Yay New York City!Howdy! Today is New York Tourist Day! If you have been following the blog the past few weeks, you might remember that I went into the Manhattan for a birthday weekend two weekends ago and decided to plan a "Touristy" day with a double decker bus tour and lunch at Rockefeller Center. Well, today is "that" day! I was thrilled when Denise said that she and her family would join us. This will be my second time to Manhattan this week, to enjoy what this amazing city has to offer!  Go New York Double Decker Tour Bus (courtesy of dnainfo.com) And so begins our day!! Here is my NYC Tourist Day itinerary for today: Long Island Railroad Ride to Penn Station We'll all be meeting at my house to catch an early train into NYC. Our entourage includes Denise and her hubby Marcello, their two little girls, me, Tedd, Gianna and Kelsey. The train ride in and of itself is usually a little adventure for the kids and I'm hoping that since today is Sunday, we should not encounter a big crowd. Taxi to Rockefeller Center Once in Penn Station, we'll head to the taxi stand to catch a ride uptown to Rockefeller Center. I'm not sure if we can fit in one cab considering there are 8 of us, and a stroller. This is when I totally miss the old Checker Cabs! (Am I dating myself too much?) Lunch at Rock Center Cafe I've always made the fatal mistake of trying to get a reservation at Rock Center Cafe at Rockefeller Center during the Christmas season. It's pretty impossible, since that is time most other New Yorkers are thinking the same thing AND when the city is flocked with tourists wanting to get up close and personal to the famous Rockefeller Center Christmas tree. As I suspected, it was ver easy to snag a reservation in early November and so the 8 of us - particularly the kids - are in for a treat. The Rink has been open now for a few weeks and we will be dining with a great view of the skaters gliding around outside. Can't wait! Double Decker Bus Tour How much more touristy can you get than one of these bus tours! It's supposed to reach a high of 60 degrees today, but very windy. I bundled the kids up (and Lord knows Denise has her little ones prepared for arctic weather!) so I'm planning on getting seats up top where we will not only feel the most blowing, but also get the best possible views for picture taking! The drive, which is "hop on, hop off," takes us past historic landmarks like Times Square, The Empire State Building, Flatiron District, Greenwich Village, NOHO, SOHO, Little Italy, St. Paul’s Chapel, World Trade Center site, Wall Street, Battery Park and The United Nations. We haven't yet decided where and if we are going to Hop off with the kids. We will just have to be spontaneous! You can bet I'll be taking TONS of photos today!  The gang all ready for a windy day in the city! (Baby Mia is all bundled up in the stroller)  Arriving at Penn Station  Silly Gianna with Tedd and Elisa  At Rock Center Cafe  Elisa & Denise Stay tuned tomorrow for a full wrap-up about Go New York Tours. Today (November 2nd) is All Soul's Day. This Christian Holiday which was started in 998, is the day that remembers and pays respect to the souls of all loved ones who have died, and to pray for their souls that they may be received into heaven from Purgatory. All Soul's Day is also known as "Day of the Dead." Happy Sunday! -E  | A 25 hour day!Well Hellooooo there! How did everyone enjoy there extra hour of sleep this morning? With the exception of: States and territories in the United States that do not observe daylight saving time, aside from most of Arizona, include: Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.  Yesterday afternoon worked out very well; I managed to squeeze in some shopping, found Cosette's Christmas Dress, bought some more Christmas and Birthday gifts, and altogether had a very successful outing!!! All after hitting up Green Bliss for Breakfast, and taking Dominic to his Saturday class. And all before going to the Fundraiser for the kids International Peace Choir which was held at Veggie Grill and just by coincidence happened to be on World Vegan Day!  Early in the event. The kids having dinner with some of the other IPC Ambassadors. It was nice to see so many people come out and support these kids in their efforts to sing and spread the meaning of PEACE! It was also very nice to catch up with a few prior members and their families that we haven't seen in sometime. A couple of us (who recently did the Gladiator Mud Run) got to chatting about doing another one in June that happens to be up in San Jose and have 26 obstacles! (8 more obstacles than the one we just completed last weekend). My only question as to if I could participle was when in June it was... Well, if happens to be on June 13th and we are totally up for it and IN!!! WooHoo!  After dinner I had promised Dave that we could go grab some tea at the new favorite 'Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf'. Today, although it won't be half as exciting as Elisa's day, will still be quite fun! We are heading for brunch on our way to take Cosette to the stables, going to the mall and some other speciality shops to continue my quest for shopping, and then being that my mom agreed to make dinner for the clan, the four of us are heading out for the big event of the weekend... We are heading to Descanso Gardens in La Canada for the RISE of the Jack O'Lanterns event!   The Halloween extravaganza – More than 5,000 hand-carved jack o’lanterns created by professional artists and sculptors are arranged in artful displays throughout a 1/4-mile scenic trail. The entire family-friendly stroll is a multi-sensory experience that is sure to be a lasting annual family tradition. Some of the artists include:
Tomorrow is a big day for me to continue swapping out clothes and begin packing for our upcoming and very exciting journey! Stay tuned & please remember to vote for us ---> One click is all it takes :) Hope you have a smashing day! -T  |
