Last weekend was the first of 3 trips where I'm meeting up with friends. And what a way to start the tour! Not only was it in New York City, but it was with GREAT friends from all over...1 couple from Texas, 5 people from Indianapolis, and 2 couples living in the city itself! And we painted the town red! Or at least a deep shade of pink!
The trip started out with just Eric and me on the SoHo hotel rooftop at sunset.
Later we walked to a wonderful Italian restaurant for dinner and then ended up at a little bar near the hotel.
The following day, while awaiting the rest of the crew to arrive, Eric and I walked to Wall Street, saw the 911 memorial and Freedom Tower, and had lunch at Battery Park.
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| The powerful Freedom Tower |
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| Inside St. Paul's Chapel |
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| Strong police presence all around lower Manhattan |
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| Looking up at Freedom Tower |
Words or pictures cannot express the overwhelming feeling brought on by these two giant holes in the Earth. Footprints of where the twin towers stood. Reminders of what we lost.
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| 911 Memorial |
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| My squirrel friend at Battery Park! |
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| Trinity Church and a red umbrella |
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| Eric with the Hudson River and Liberty Island behind him |
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| Me in my sailboat dress with a sailboat behind me! Oh...and Lady Liberty! |
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| NYC birds bathing in the drinking fountain |
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| USA Splash |
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| 'Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound!' |
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| Stone Street |
And then...they arrived! And the real party began!!
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| Yoshi, Shellie, Brian, Brittany, Lisa, Eric, Tomo, George, Mike, Amber, Robert, and Dan...photo by bartender Brandon |
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| Who farted?! |
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| Obligatory New Zealand Pose (not sure why Dan's is upside down!) |
The following day a few of us hopped on a New York City tour bus and rode on the top of the bus around the city...taking it all in and taking it easy on our feet!
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| A glimpse of Times Square |
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| Didn't make it in this trip...but next time for sure! |
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| The iconic Flatiron Building |
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| My mothership! |
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| Anthony Bourdain's restaurant |
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| Joie de Vivre in Zucotti Park |
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| American Merchant Mariners Memorial in the Hudson River near Battery Park |
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| Lady Liberty...more vibrant than I imagined! |
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| Liberty Island |
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| Lisa, Amber, Eric, and Robert on the non-party boat :0( |
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| View of Manhattan from the Hudson River...near where Capt. Sully crash-landed his plane (can you imagine?!) | | | |
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And the architecture within this city is not lost on me...I find something new and unique each time I visit...even if it's really something old.
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| Old building with a pop of color |
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| Built to honor the survivors of the Titanic |
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| Funky! |
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| Love the gargoyle-type figure hanging out |
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| More color |
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| This was an outdoor bar |
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| Of course, Times Square |
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| Reflections of buildings |
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| The Dakota...where John and Yoko lived and where he was shot and killed |
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| A beautiful Imagine display in Strawberry Fields, Central Park |
And then there are the people of this wonderful, vibrant, challenging, enticing, exuberant, city:
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| The Grandmother |
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| The Lonely |
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| The Lost |
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| The Dog Lover |
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| The Construction Worker |
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| And, of course, The Subway, which is it's own character in this city |
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We had an outstanding dinner at La Bernardin which was sort of our "excuse" to go; but really, the reason was to spend time with one another, to explore this city with one another, and to strengthen friendships.
I would be remiss not to mention the lovely gentlemen I met through Tomo...her dear uncle, Yoshi, and his friend, George. I hope to share cocktails with them again soon! And if you meet George, please don't try to take his cosmo before he's finished!
Thank you dear friends, and dear New York City, for a wonderful visit.
"One can't paint New York as it is, but rather as it is felt."
~Georgia O'Keeffe
"Each friend represents a world in us, a world not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born."
~Anais Nin
