We actually got onto an entirely empty subway car, although some people joined us before it left the station. While we were there, a MTA (subway) employee came by with his tool bag and was just looking around, he was super friendly, jolly kind of guy, and talked to us 5-10 minutes about the subway, Arkansas, the normal stuff, and seemed to enjoy Kyla telling him how awesome she thought the subways were, and how we didn't have them in Arkansas, etc. Then, it was so funny, as he's getting off, he digs down into his tool bag and says that he has a present for her, and pulls out a totally homemade/pirated Puss in Boots DVD for her, ha! Which, as you may know, doesn't even come out on DVD for another month & a half. I haven't tried to watch the whole thing to see if it works, but thought it was hilariously random.
Our next stop (I bought a 1-week unlimited subway pass for $29, and Kyla was just at the borderline for riding free, I think the height requirement was 45", so she did & ducked under the turnstile thing) was Grand Central Station. It definitely is another of the ones where the pictures just cannot even begin to do it justice, even the professional ones in books and stuff, it's just so huge and echoing and marbley and busy that you have just be there to experience it. The ceiling is famous also, I guess at some point it was so dirty from being so old that it was brown, but they restored it back to the constellations that are even lighted, super cool. It was everything that you would expect 'Grand Central' to be.
Another of my absolute favorites.
Like I said, although I do occasionally have to remind her to slow down if she hasn't been able to get her energy out (as she says) lately, Kyla does a great job of really 'soaking it all in'. She stood there looking up & around for quite a while :) I just noticed just now the lady looking at her & smiling in the center photo.
We headed down to the food court that I had read was a great spot for lunch; tons of variety, but all good "New York" food, not chain stuff. Like Times Square, I was so disappointed that nearly all of the food and stores were things that we have here locally, like most of them even in Fort Smith! Olive Garden, Red Lobsters, Toys 'R Us, stuff like that. I guess they're the ones that can afford to pay the big rent? Not sure, but that part of Times Square was disappointing to me....anyway, Grand Central was the total opposite of that.
We ate at Juniors. I had actually read a book, a nonfiction book about the family that started Juniors, in Brooklyn I believe, many years ago. I can't even remember why I read the book, except that I do like nonfiction and good food books, but we ate the corned beef & pastrami on onion rolls for lunch, and they were fabulous! They came with a cabbage slaw kind of stuff, and these really 'dilly' pickles that didn't taste like you expected them to, but they were good, and beets. Kyla ate about 2/3 the pickle and said it was pretty good, and said she would eat more beets if I wanted her to, they were fine, but she liked the other stuff better :) Our waitress there had a very heavy accent (as did most of the people we ran across everywhere), but was very kind (again, as was pretty much everyone) especially to Kyla, and Kyla asked if she could take her picture. I had told her that she couldn't take any pictures of people without them asking, and the waitress blushed and acted so flattered, the other waitresses gathered around & watched Kyla take her picture, it was super, super cute. Juniors is actually famous for their cheesecake, but we were too full to try it. Don't worry, we did go back, and did eat cheesecake. And I did take pictures, of course :)
Chrysler Building in the background....
And, the crazy warm weather is starting to leave us, crazy wind is arriving! New York Public Library Main Building behind Kyla.
Famous lions on the famous steps of the famous New York Public Library, ha!
LOVE this....that's my girl! And no, of course, I didn't tell her to do this, that's all her, ha! Lego models of the lions. It seems like anytime we went to anything that was architecturally famous, they had it made of legos inside :)
We just went inside really briefly, thinking that we could cut through to get to Bryant Park, behind the library, to meet Bob and Sue. Nope, one way in and out, straight through the front doors, but we did walk throught the 100 anniversary exhibit trying to find the way through and got to see the Gutenberg Bible Kyla wasn't really impressed, but it was mostly above her eye level, and the "real" Winnie the Pooh stuffed animals. Those stories, as you may know, began like all good stories do, ha! from a father , who happened to be A.A. Milne, telling his children bedtime stories he made up. These happened to be about their stuffed animals, and they had them on display.
Apparently the lions were inspiring to Kyla :) And, right around the corner we met.........
Bob, Sue, Anna, & Amanda! Cue the soundtrack, they all ran towards each other, hugged, it was perfect!
This is my Aunt, Uncle, & Cousins from Virginia. We were so, super excited when they agreed to take the Amtrak & meet us in NYC for the weekend! We usually only get to see them once a year or so, and it had actually been a year & a half since they were here....the year before that our family & their family met in Chattanooga, TN for a great vacation, etc. but it always amazes me how the girls just pick right up and never miss a beat, like they see each other all the time instead of only every so often.
Sweet, beautiful girls!!
Love the picture, love them all!!
There are these souvenir shops everywhere along the street in this part of town, and they all have a statue of liberty outside, so I had to get a quick pic.
Love Kyla's look of wonder, her lion faces, and that you got to meet the Cappers :)
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