Cityscapes... NYC

Our trip to the top of the empire state building was "awe"some! Here's a 360 view of NYC....

what i like about the above picture..... is the shadow of the empire.... on the building in the middle of this picture... cool!!

above is the view of new jersey.......(across the hudson)

close up of the flatiron building.... this is considered the "downtown area....." headed twd wall street....

this is "dwntown" the tip of manhattan, if you squint hard enough you can see the statue of liberty...... it's just a small point in the Hudson off to the right...

cityscapes... NYC 2

central park.... in winter.....

manhattan view uptown.....

museum - nyc - part 2

world trade center site - freedom tower construction....

the bull!


nyc public library...now I get "read btw the lions...."

museum - nyc - part 3

Natural history Museum.... where the night at the museum was filmed.....
entrance - a dinosaur christmas tree! how cool!

incredible bones....

amazing space exhibit...

extensive mineral collection

amazing fossils!



the world's oldest rock!

cool interactive exhibits for kids...

I was completely blown away by this museum. Being married to a "rock guy" I have a huge appreciation for this kind of thing. First of all this is what I feel ... the LARGEST museum I have ever been to ..... not mention the variety of exhibits to see but each one..... was just... well..... over the top! I could not believe it!! they did not just have one huge dinosaur skeleton on display but EVERY single type of dinosaur.... and an imax movie about it.... they did not just have one amazing mineral found in the depths of china .... but every type of mineral you could imagine.....you get my drift right..... It was truly a spectacular museum. I have been to the smithsonian...... and well.... I think this one won. It make my most favorite museum list. I would love to go back and take my kids here. next - I will post "cityscapes".... and last will be just random pictures with anna......

Window Shopping - NYC Style.....

OK.... some window shopping photos from..... remember you can click on these images to make them BIGGER.....
I took over 100 shots alone of window displays....seriously how do you pic from 100.... I took over 800 shots from the entire trip... talk about needing a new hard drive just for my photos....
Lord and Taylor (theme my favorite christmas cards)

(check out the expressions on the people's faces in the reflections of the window... I love it!)


If I had to pic a favorite of ALL the windows... it was lord and taylor's display and among their display.... the gingerbread house....truly awesome!



MACY's - the worlds largest store (nyc location - on 34th st.. thus their "Miracle on 34th st display)




On the broadway side..... the "believe theme"


this the swarovski crystal millennium ball - inside the store...


see next post for more pics......

more.......

More window pics (these were for fun ....)

brooks brothers (...had to go in especially for matt)

Tinsel Trading (had to go in for Linda :)


SAKS!!!

a view of saks from the famous rockefeller tree......

the glamor......





the official theme... a story about a snowflake named mike...... (it was really cute)





see next post for bloomingdales....

the last window shop pics post!

anthropology....


louis vuitton....



lastly - empire state building displayed in several different forms!




come back tomorrow for a night at the museum (hahah - just awesome museum shots.....)

New York, New York

I finally understand the fascination with the biggest US city of New York, New York. I am not a city girl by any form or fashion, so for me to say I wanted to visit this city was a bit surprising to my husband. I was just so interested to see why everyone was always talking about it as a travel destination.... I would think some place like the Bahamas or hawaii might top someone's list of travel destinations... not nyc!

What a city of wonder, history, culture, activity!.... I could go on forever trying to describe what it is, what it encompasses. I was ill conceived with the idea that NYC was a place of self centered, egocentric, money mongering people.....in a criminal and litter ridden city. (phew it's a mouthful I know....) Of course any place you go can have these types of people... I just did not expect to find anything but..... I was taken a back by the beauty of the city and yes it was clean! The immense amount of buildings piled and crammed into 305 sq. miles! The diversity of building types, cuisine, people from one district to the next - the amazing history of this city. The people were actual people! They had GREAT New York accents and a MULTITUDE of languages to express themselves. They even smiled and said "excuse me" when brushing up against someone in the crowed streets and subways. I was even awe inspired when one morning walking to coffee shop, I saw a man (and his son) helping an elderly woman down the street. Taking time from his busy New York life, to help this sweet little old woman (probably in her 90's) walk to the store. Seriously in my little mommy-centric lifestyle - I don't know that I have taken the time to help someone down the street.

Growing up on the opposite side of the US - and spending relatively little time on the east coast. History has a different meaning to me. I was only taught about mayan civilizations, native americans and mission settlements up the coast of california... yes of course I heard of boston tea parties and important land settlement but never actually being there to put a first hand experience with this time frame - I kinda just glossed over it all - simply memorizing dates and names to pass the mid term... only to forget them a few weeks later while trying to learn how to boogie board at the beach....

We did pick the most spectacular time of year to go and visit... The beginning of the Christmas Season. The lights, the window displays, broadway, time square, rockefeller center, wall street, central park...... the decorations throughout the WHOLE city. The excitement of downright CHILLY weather (even a "clipper" snow storm). The next few days I plan to post my favorite pictures (out of 800+ that I took.....) but for this post I only wanted to tell you of my experience of this amazing travel destination. It's not a lazy, tan making, beach going experience but a cultural discovery of urban ambiguity that should be seriously considered as travel destination, if you have never ventured to do so.

Come back tomorrow for some window shopping pictures at saks, macys, lord & taylor and bloomingdales...