New York City

We spent a few days in New York City after we arrived back home in the USA.

Our apartment was very close to High Line Park.  We walked its length on our first afternoon.  

The weather was beautiful!

A few snaps from the scenery around High Line park:

Our apartment was on the 4th floor of this cute building.  We decided God was just trying to reinforce what we had already decided:  We should pack lighter next time.

We visited the Bronx Zoo.  It was the most exciting day I've ever had at a zoo...so many animals doing animal things!

We saw black squirrels - not a featured animal at the zoo, but we have never seen a black squirrel before.  Kind of weird looking.






See the lion w-a-y back there?  We heard him roaring!

The vet was in the pen with these cuties just checking them out.

We didn't realize we'd be much closer to the lion when we came around the corner.  He needed to stretch a little before laying down again.

Oh my goodness, it just got better.  These giraffes were walking all over their pen - and look at the baby!

This is the reptile building.

This Komodo Dragon walked into the water, swam a bit, then hopped back on the rocks.

Oh, the monkeys were everywhere!

The Bronx Zoo is a really pretty place.

Some water buffalo doing buffalo things with their friends

Tiger Mountain - pretty exciting place!

I liked this swan's fluffy wing feathers.

In the brown bear exhibit, the bears were actually moving around.  The polar bear, not so much.  We heard a mom say "Look, there's the polar bear right where we left him three months ago when we visited."    

I didn't think the bear on the left climbing over the fallen tree would make it gracefully, but he surprised me and made his way over without incident.

The way they played reminded me of puppies.

More monkeys!

A baby gorilla, even!

She was so proud of her baby.  At one point, the baby went away from the window to play.  She followed him and let him play for a bit, but then scooped him up and brought him back to the window so we could see him better.

We walked around the financial district one day.

It just happened to be the day the window washers were hanging by their scaffolding at the new One World Trade Center.

When J worked in the financial district here, this harbor was full of fancy yachts.  Now it is home to a sail club.  How times have changed.

I totally looked like a tourist with my head tilted as far back as it would go staring up at the sky scrapers.  I couldn't get over how tall the buildings are!

The New York Stock Exchange building









You can barely see Quacker Jack with George Washington:

Tiffany and Co

After we spent all day around the Financial District, the scaffolding was still hanging from the side of One World Trade Center.  We were glad to hear that the workers were safe and sound and only the scaffolding remained on the side of the building.

We went to Ellis Island and learned so much about our country's history.  

The Manhattan skyline on our ferry to Ellis Island

We sailed under that bridge (Verrazano-Narrows) when we came in on Quantum of the Seas. 

Quacker Jack at Ellis Island

This is where immigrants waited to learn if they were admitted to the US.

There are still a few original benches left in this hall.  It was pretty powerful to sit on one and think of all the people who waited there.

We ferried back to Manhattan from Ellis Island.

We walked through Central Park one morning.

Quacker Jack in Central Park
 








The sunshine was out, but it was SO COLD. 

I always thought Rockefeller Center was the only place to ice skate in New York City.  Apparently, you can skate in Central Park as well.

We had to see the Radio City Music Hall Rockettes Christmas Spectacular!







They were reindeer for the first number - so cute.

What a great show!

We made a quick stop in the Lego store.

Pretty amazing Lego buildings in the window

I recognized these angels from Home Alone 2, Lost in New York.  They are directly in front of the Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center.

I had to see Times Square, and I'm so glad we went at night. 

We didn't spend too long there because it was really, really cold!  We found the nearest subway and headed back home for the evening.

Because we just hadn't had enough museums and history on our trip, we visited The Metropolitan Museum of Art.  It is as overwhelming as the British Museum.  We spent a couple hours before our heads were full of new facts.  We will definitely visit again on another trip to New York City.

Quacker Jack and an artifact from Egypt (and me)

Here's one last picture of the skyline as we caught a taxi very early in the morning to get us to the airport for our flight back to Sweet Home Alabama.