There was no sleeping in, but that has to do with my Wyndham ownership and will be discussed in a separate entry for all those searching for this resort. Suffice it to say we didn't get out and about New York until noon, but Maddy caught up on sleep and the rest of us were treated to a full breakfast of eggs, bacon, potatoes, fruit, and coffee.
Monday is a slow day on Broadway with most shows closed. Darcy decided we would attempt to get tickets to School of Rock later in the day and I insisted we DRIVE to the Statue of Liberty. Instead we took the subway. We aren't far from Grand Central Station and so we HIKED there and then spent considerable time trying to figure out which sub to take to get where we wanted to go. Jeez. What did people do before the Internet?
We talked to people rushing by. We talked to the people in the Information booth. Eventually Darcy talked to her friend Noah in Florida. Noah then became our tour guide for the rest of the trip as he got us on the correct sub and we headed to Battery Park where Noah assured me I would see the statue. I did.
We sat and stared at her for a long time watching the people as they came and went via ferry. No one in my party was all that keen to ride the ferry, although if I had insisted they would have done it. So instead I insisted they see the 911 memorial. We set off and HIKED to the memorial following phones GPS systems which were very iffy and had us turning around in circles. That did not go over well with me my hips aching, but we finally ended up in correct area and hiked to where the twin towers once stood.
It was a very different experience then my previous one. Then it was raining, a light mist that seemed so appropriate among the light crowd. Everyone was somber, quiet, and reflective. This day was bright, sunny and the square was packed with people who were talking, talking, talking and taking selfies and pictures. I tried to get that feeling I had the first time I was here, but it wasn't happening. I stood, my hands on the names etched in the stone, and closed my eyes for a moment. They say time heals, and maybe lightness is better than darkness at this memorial, but I'm thankful for my first encounter.
We split up from here. Darcy and Tom went off in an Uber to score tickets for School of Rock and Maddy and I took an Uber back to the Wyndham. It was a long trip back through tons of traffic and Darcy texted us that they were just going to go straight to the theater because of that. Madison and I got to freshen up at the hotel, enjoy some of their complimentary Arnold Palmer iced tea, and chill for twenty minutes before we then took another Uber to the theater.
We beat the other two to the theater so we got a Starbucks and waited for them before entering. The place was packed with small children. Darcy was horrified to think that parents paid that kind of money to introduce their children to Broadway, but I understood it. My mother would have done the same thing had we ever gotten to New York because she was big on introducing us to the theater. My brother and I had yearly tickets to our university's children's theater program for several years.
Broadway theaters were not at all what I expected. I guess I thought they were large like our local theaters, but of course they aren't. This is New York City and no building is large. The Broadway theaters are beautiful buildings, small, and frankly some of them are quite cramped. I was trying to imagine how celebrities sit among the general public and wonder if they are treated differently because there really isn't anywhere to be separated except the balconies, and having sat in one of those it certainly isn't front and center for a great view.
The show was fabulous! The children actors all play their own instruments on stage and were phenomenal. I've never seen the Jack Black movie so it was new to me and so good. The audience was fun, the cast was great, and we stood outside the stage door after so that Darcy could get autographs on her playbill. We decided this show tweaked just a tad over Book of Mormon as the fav thus far.
Darcy: "Jeez, what must it feel like to be in your second Broadway show by the time you're nine years old?"
The kids were pros at the autograph signing and taking of selfies. Of course, they have tons of energy at that age so eight shows a week isn't probably as difficult for them as it is for the adults, but throw in school and other activities on top of that...wow.
We walked Times Square and visited a few shops before HIKING back to the Wyndham for the night. Tom disappeared and returned with some food staples, but it was almost eleven by then and I opted for dressing my blisters and hitting the hay.
New York HIKING is way different than San Francisco hiking.
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