New York City - Mother Daughter Trip

Since I'm super behind on blogging I decided I was going to post this today since are were headed to NYC! Winter storm Hercules had other plans for us...we cancelled our trip and will be going at t the end of February instead.

My mom and I took a weekend trip to NYC the first weekend of December...After a long evening of traveling (we left our house at 2:45pm and got to our hotel at 1:30am...due to delayed flights and a horrible super shuttle experience) we finally got to our hotel! We stayed at the Millenium in Times Square. We went right to sleep and woke up ready to take on a rainy NYC day. We realized in all of the times we've been to New York - it's never rained when we were there - crazy! 

Our first stop was Chelsea Market...which is inside the old Nabisco Factory!

Some Nabisco history

So many yummy smelling spices!

After a quick breakfast and a stroll through Chelsea Market we went to the High Line...and luckily had umbrellas because it was misting (and COLD).

We walked to the end of High Line and walked over to Macy's. It was sunny when we went in but dark when we came out! In our defense the sun sets at 4:30 there and it was an icky day.

Empire State Building!

We tried to hail a cab but were not successful so we ended up taking a pedicab a few blocks to save mom's foot! She was a trooper trekking around NYC with her boot on!

Most expensive couple of blocks ever! haha

We decided to try a new place for dinner and ended up at Brooklyn Diner (It was only around the corner from our hotel). We got lucky and sat right away. We split a rueben and OMG it was the best rueben we have ever had!! It probably should be for the price...a $27 sandwich! but it was sooo good!

The next morning we got up early to get to the Rockette's Christmas Spectacular in time!

Really Starbucks?! I don't think I've ever seen my name spelled quite like that....I wonder what she would have done with Trojacek!

After the show we walked over to Rockefeller Plaza and then down 5th Avenue to the Central Park Zoo.

View from Central Park Zoo

Sea lion!

OWL!

This little guy is too cute!

We saw lots of fun animals at the zoo and waited to see the baby snow leopards but apparently it was nap time because they just wouldn't come out and play! After the zoo we took the subway down to chinatown to shop for some small gifts. After about an hour there we took the subway uptown and went to Bryant Park and walked around the Christmas market.

Tree in Bryant Park

We went back to the hotel to rest and watch some football before my uncle came and met us for dinner. We looked at eating at a few different restaurants near our hotel but Times Square was CRAZY so we decided to walk away from it and see if it was less busy. We found a Turkish restaurant that wasn't crowded and decided to have something a little different. You know I'm a picky eater but I've had Turkish food twice (once in Turkey and the other time in London) and both times I enjoyed it so I thought, why not?!

Zucchini pancake appetizer & Spiced chicken dinner....SO good!!

Sunday morning was sooo cold but we went down to the 9/11 Memorial and then came back and did a little shopping in Times Square.

9/11 Memorial

a

Freedom Tower

Survivor Tree

Times Square

Hersey Store

Mmm...chocolate!

Mom & me in Times Square!

It was a quick trip but we had a great time! I'm looking forward to our trip in February with Michael & Christine and our in May after our cruise!

New York City | Sunday

Sunday Morning we got up bright and early (again) and packed up our stuff because we were staying the night downtown (so on Monday we didn't have to go back & forth  from Queens...to Manhattan...to Queens...to Manhattan...to Newark). We were able to check in at our hotel at 9:30AM...that was a pleasant surprise! Even better was the view of Times Square we had! The icing on the cake...the WARM oatmeal chocolate chip cookies we were given!

86th Street - Jackson Heights

Uncle Bob's Apartment

The view from our hotel!

Mmmm we each got a warm cookie at check in!

After dropping our stuff off at the hotel and grabbing a quick breakfast we headed to the Central Park Zoo. It was a fun little zoo. Only took us about 45 minutes to go through everything but I loved all the animals we saw and it was crowded at all!

Sea lion exhibit

The sea lions were chasing each other & putting on a show

I love that the zoo was so quiet but the bustling city was right outside its walls

It seems that just about everywhere has a view!

Funny looking tree! 

Pretty - headed duck

The pigeons were trying to get to the duck's food and it was quite comical!


These ducks were SO funny - they were chasing each other and getting so puffed up! I only caught a clip of it but they entertained us for like 20 minutes

The polar bear was resting!

The snow leopard was on the move! 

Pretty foliage everywhere

Even underwater 

Pretty bird

Red panda...I want to hug him!!

SO cute!

This bird was cracking me up...he didn't care how close people got to him because the zoo keeper kept tossing him his favorite treat...live worms

Some more crazy looking birds

A hissing cockroach...I petted one of these at my birthday party at the Houston Zoo when I was little...EW

Outside the zoo entrance

Buildings

I was a lititle disappointed there was no zebra, lion, elephant, etc like in Madagascar...and that the animals didn't try to break out and talk (I guess that would be kind of scary in real life!) but I really did enjoy the zoo!!

We walked around Central Park for a while after the zoo.

On top of this giant rock/hill

Another gorgeous view!

This could almost be a painting 

More pretty leaves

And some more!

After walking around the park we decided to head over to 5th Avenue. Since there was no line at FAO Schwarz we decided to go in! I don't think I've been in there since I was like 6 and David and I HAD TO HAVE Pete the Talking Parrot...So our moms bought them and carried them around NYC and on the train to CT only to find them for like half the price at home at walgreens...oops! 

I like the solider guys at the door...and the fact that there's no line to get in!

Such a fun store!

FAO Schweetz - YUM!

Check out those nerds!!

Twizzlers anyone??

My childhood heaven - SO many stuffed animals!!

Angry Birds section

Justin & a Star Wars Lego man!

Me & the Lego Statue of Liberty!

We continued on down 5th Avenue...

Tiffany & CO. 

Harry Winston 

Pretty window display

then we took the subway and headed over to Macy's. I love shopping at Macy's at home but I LOVE shopping at Macy's in NYC - especially when it's decorated for Christmas. This shop is an entire block long/wide and 9 stories...it's heaven!!

Christmas tree on top of the Macy's entrance

We shopped in Macy's for a while and then dropped our bags off at our hotel and headed straight to Rockefeller Center for our NBC Studio Tour. Unfortunately you aren't allowed to take any pictures on the tour so I don't have any but it was a lot of fun! Since it was Sunday and nothing was filming there are more studios you can go in. We went to the Dr. Oz Studio, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon Studio, & the Saturday Night Live Studio. We learned lots of cool facts about tv in general, as well as about these shows!

After our studio tour we went to the East Village to meet Emily, Ryan & Drew at Motorino for pizza. Oh my gosh was it delicious!! We were so stuffed but Emily said we had to try the best cannolis ever around the corner at Veniero's and she was right - they were AMAZING! After dinner/dessert Justin and I had to go back to Macy's because I had to exchange something I bought earlier that day. Then we went to American Eagle in Times Square and Justin got to go shopping :) By the time we were done here we were done with crowds, people, and walking so we went back to the hotel room and turned in for the night!