The fourth day of our trip started out as another protein bar and Starbucks coffee morning. After we repeatedly chewed on bits of the cardboard-like bars and tried to swallow them down with gulps of coffee, we headed to the subway. Even though we had been on the subway many times, I never recognized any of the faces like I do at home, and I missed that. I was surprised that I was feeling a bit homesick already! I pushed the feeling aside and reminded myself to call home later that night. I had been sending many pictures to the kids via text, but I missed having talking conversations with their Dad.
Susan thought it would be fun to find The World’s Most Famous Subway Grate. We walked around the midtown area searching for the grate where Marilyn Monroe stood while a subway passed underneath. The swishing air made the white skirt of Marilyn’s dress fly up which caught a lot of attention back in 1954. Since it was a Wednesday, many professionals hurriedly walked by us. When we found the grate, there wasn’t even a sign to confirm our discovery. That made us unsure if we were in the right place. After I read about The World’s Most Famous Subway Grate, I think we were in the right place, but now it doesn’t seem very exciting because we didn’t know for sure. Anyway, if you’re interested, click here for a movie location guide, which would be fun to have on a trip to NYC.
Next we visited St. Patrick’s Cathedral. The Cathedral is currently going through some renovations which will take a couple more years to complete. A lot of unlit candles greeted us, and Susan and I each lit one. Here are some of my favorite pictures, even though you can see the scaffolding in the first one.
The protein bar was starting to wear off. We spotted another Le Pain Quotidien which are all over the place in Manhattan! This is the scrumptious salad I had:
Our next stop was the Museum of Modern Art. The Campbell Soup Cans by Andy Warhol were quite the attraction as was The Starry Night. Susan asked me to take a picture:
While we stood in front of the painting, the man behind me started singing Starry, Starry Night, by Don McLean, and it helped me remember some sad things about Vincent Van Gogh. 😦
Thankfully, this piece of artwork had me laughing out loud:
It’s so fun to be cultural!
After leaving MoMA, we found the Metropolitan Museum of Art Gift Shop by Rockefeller Plaza, and I bought a beautiful umbrella with a Tiffany “stained glass” fabric and some Monet coasters. Plus, I remembered to use the coupon from my New York City Pass booklet.
Not only did we see Rockefeller Plaza, and
Atlas,
we found Gilly at the NBC Store.
Our next adventure was to go to the Top of the Rock(efeller Plaza). We waited about 20 minutes before we could get on the elevator. I liked seeing Central Park from the Top of the Rock. I couldn’t believe how many buildings were below us. It’s incredible how Manhattan stretches out further and further.
When we got back to the Upper West Side, we decided to have dinner at a Chinese restaurant. I thought I would try the scallops, and our waitress, Heather, said that was a great choice. We told Heather that we were going to go see the Statue of Liberty on Friday, and she told us about a lot of fun spots down by the pier. The scallops and the fresh vegetables were very tasty. By the time we were finished with dinner, it really was a starry night.
After only being asleep for a couple of hours, my stomach woke me up because it felt a little sour, and that’s when I decided that scallops didn’t like me. Thankfully Susan slept through the whole miserable outburst. That miserable outburst made me feel even more homesick.
The next day turned out to be the most relaxing of our trip. We hoped that I would be feeling good so we could go see The Jersey Boys the next night.
To be continued…
My Reality Show 
This is such a fabulous trip, Mary Ann. What are you using to find all these great spots? Do you have a travel book you’re taking suggestions from, or is this all typical places to visit in New York? Love the “view from the top”.
My friend, Susan, has been to NYC many times, and she came up with a lot of great suggestions of where to go! She could be a travel guide!
Plus, we bought the New York City Pass which helped out a lot.
I’m glad you like the blog posts!!!
Those city pass books are the way to go, aren’t they?
Hope your tummy settled down and you were able to enjoy the next day’s adventures.
Occupancy rates in New York hotels have been very high in recent years and, especially if traveling to the city during Thanksgiving week, in the month of December, or in the month of May, it is best to book well in advance for the best prices. The best way to spend the night in New York is, of course, on the couch of a friend or relative. So, if you want to stretch your dollar, check your address book when planning a trip to New York! Another option is to check short-term room or apartment rentals on Craigslist, but of course it’s risky to pay up front for an apartment you haven’t seen, so you might want to spend at least your first day or two at a hotel or other place of more or less known quality while checking out possible alternate locations. Inexpensive short-term rentals of decent quality are likely to run for $100/night and up for a double.
hope you recovered quickly! on a side note, my husband likes scallops but will rarely eat them and has gotten me paranoid about them too as he says it’s so common to get a bad one, as you know 🙂
A quick subway ride away is Brooklyn, a borough known for its diverse culture, rich history and amazing architecture. Like the Golden Gate is to San Francisco, the Brooklyn Bridge is an iconic image in the New York skyline. It was completed in 1883 with the purpose to connect Brooklyn to Manhattan. This architectural masterpiece is a must-see as it magically illuminates the dark East River at night. Brooklyn’s Coney Island is another key attraction. This amusement park is banked on the water and features several rollercoasters, carousels and games. It’s fun atmosphere and original Nathan’s Famous hot dog stand draws in millions yearly.