New York for Carrie's birthday, part 2

Carrie invited me to join her on her first trip to New York City. I'm thrilled I said, "Yes!"
NYC trip part 1

Day 3 - Friday

Friday was Carrie's 35th birthday! 

The Statue of Liberty

I hadn't been to the Statue of Liberty since I was about 14 years old. I forgot how majestic and lovely the statue is, and how cool the view of the NYC skyline is. I walked up about 6 flights of stairs to get to her feet -- my knees will never forgive me. The good news it is wasn't as cold a day as the previous days had been. Plus, since it wasn't tourist season the lines were ridiculously short and we pretty much walked onto the ferry at every stop. Hooray!

Ellis Island was very cool. It was inspiring to be in the same room as the immigrants whose lives were changed in every way.

We had a bit of an adventure looking for someplace to eat lunch. I'd intended taking Carrie to Black Tap for burgers and some crazy milkshakes. The line was so big there were two lines. We stood in the back for about 10 minutes, and when the line hadn't moved I asked the people at the front of the second line how long they'd been waiting. They'd waited and hour and a half and moved 10 feet. We left, of course. It took half an hour to walk to Venieros and ate some dessert. It was pretty good, but I'm not going to lie: I felt like a HUGE failure that Carrie didn't get a proper lunch.

911 Memorial Museum

By the time we found the 911 Museum we only had about 45 minutes to look around. Here's a tip: You're going to want MORE than 45 minutes to look around. There were artifacts from the day, pieces of the building, and stories of survivors. It was all very respectful and hopeful and somehow not depressing. I want to go back and spend more time there.

Musical #4 - She Loves Me

The catalyst for the trip was Carrie's desire to see Zachary Levi in She Loves Me. She lucked out that the first preview happened to fall ON her birthday. The production was delightful! The cast was perfect, the set deserves a Tony on it's own, the story (basically a musical version of You've Got Mail set int he 1950s) is sweet, and the music is charming. Zachary was darling, but Laura Benanti stole the show. I could not get enough of her facial expressions and glorious voice. Throw in Jane Krakowski and Gavin Creel and I was enchanted. Just so cute. The quintessential old-school musical. 

After the show, we waited at the stage door. Carrie's wish was a photo with Zachary -- and she got it! We were at the end of the line, but he went down (with music blasting from his car) the entire line and signed everything put in front of him. Then he went back down the line, starting with "Birthday Girl" Carrie, and took photos with everyone. There were at least 100 of us. He was such a good sport. He kept thanking everyone for coming and telling us to bring our friends. Such a doll. I was disappointed Laura didn't show, but she'd been sick so I guess I can't blame her.

Then Carrie and I finally got an actual meal. Tom's Diner is famous because of Seinfeld. It wasn't the greatest food ever, but Carrie was happy with her pancakes, and it was her birthday, so I was satisfied.

The final step total for the day. Not bad!

Day 4 - Saturday

We spent Saturday hanging out with friends of Carrie's who live in New York. It was a nice, relaxing way to end the trip.

Alice's Teacup

None of her friends had been to Alice's Teacup, and I dream of the Curious French Toast, so I dragged them there first thing in the morning. Carrie bought Adrien's brunch as a thank you for letting us stay at her apartment. Not having to pay for a hotel was a HUGE relief for both of us.

Adrien, Angela, and Kyle

Play (matinee) - The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime

When I walked into the theatre and saw the stage for The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime, I thought, "I didn't know they were going to perform on the Holodeck!" I had no idea what I was in for. Wow, was this play good. The story is about an autistic teenage boy dealing with changes in his life. The brilliant stage and storytelling was used to tell the story from his point of view. I was amazed by what they could do with the stage, and with the focus and skill of the young man playing Christopher. I can't say enough nice things about it. I'd recommend it to anyone who likes good theater and is interested in something new and a little different.

We spent the afternoon with Lee, who I previously had known only by reputation. That didn't last long as Lee is an open book! We hung out at his apartment with his huge dog, Nancy, for an hour or so, and then he joined us at Arriba Arriba for dinner. Lee is gregarious and entertaining and apparently knew everybody -- totally added to the New York experience!

Musical #4 - Something Rotten!

Dinner went a little long, and I ended up being too late to be seated right away for Something Rotten! Fortunately, I was allowed to watch the first couple of numbers while standing next to the usher, and then seated in the front row of the first balcony -- Carrie and I had seriously fantastic seats. I was about 20 feet away from the stage. The show was hilarious! The basic idea is that a duo of script-writing brothers gets frustrated that Shakespeare is more successful than they, so they decide to write the first-ever musical. It made fun of musicals and Shakespeare and I was totally up for all that. The songs were entertaining, the dancing great, and the characters lovable. Having seen both, I am surprised Fun Home won the Tony because Something Rotten! hit all the sweet spots. It was the perfect show to end the trip on.

We intended to take a photo in front of the curtain, but they raised it right as the camera snapped. And then the ushers yelled at us for taking a photo of the stage. Whoops!

We stood at the stage door again for more photos and autographs. We're officially musical-theatre fangirls -- haha!

We joked that it looks like Christian Borle is about to murder me. In reality, he was the sweetest, more humble man.
Proof that I have the worst selfie skills.

I asked the girl behind me to take a photo of me and Brian D'Arcy James. He can sing to me any time. He's so talented!

After the play, we met up with one more of Carrie's friends, Whitney, at Schmackery's bakery. I'd never been before, so I got a classic chocolate chip cookie, but Carrie's Ginger Rogers was delectable, too. Next time, I'll get that. Whitney is a dresser on Broadway and Off-Broadway, and it was cool to hear her stories about the backstage life. She's living the dream!

Day 5 - Sunday

Carrie had an early flight and left before I got up, sadly. My flight wasn't until the afternoon, so I walked around Lincoln Center and Columbus Circle a little bit, drinking in my last few hours in New York.

I attended about 20 minutes worth of Sacrament meeting at the local LDS church ward. I was in my casual clothes and too embarrassed to go into the chapel, so I sat on a comfy chair in the lobby. Visitors are welcome, after all.

I wandered all around Columbus Circle trying to find Bouchon Bakery. Who knew it was in the mall? I found it eventually, and the macaroons were as good as advertised, particularly the mango. Still not my favorite cookie, but worthwhile when made correctly!

After about 10 hours on a plane (6 of which was next to a man who sniffed and coughed through the ENTIRE FLIGHT), I made it home safely and happily. My mom and dad were kind enough to pick me up from the airport and let me prattle on about my adventures. There had been many!

An eclectic collection of magnets to go along with my theatre experiences

Not a bad week for walking.
Too bad my FitBit died two days before the trip. Thank goodness for a pedometer app I downloaded to my phone.
I do like to keep track, particularly on vacation!

I feel a little badly that we never managed to visit Central Park. We were right next to it several times but we ran out of time in the end. It was cold and leafless, anyway. Better for Carrie to return at a more verdant time of year :)

I am grateful for the trip and the break from reality for a few days. Can't wait to go back!

New York for Carrie's birthday

Carrie invited me to join her on her first trip to New York City. I'm thrilled I said, "Yes!"

Day 1 - Wednesday

Carrie flew in from Las Vegas, so we met each other at the airport and took a couple of trains to Harlem where we'd be staying. We dropped off our stuff, I took a quick nap, Carrie freshened up, and then we went looking for some food.

Carrie's first ride on the Subway. I told her I was happy to figure out where to eat and activities (if needed), but she was in charge of figuring out how to get there. She did a great job.
Every single time I tried to navigate, we got lost. Every. Time.

Late lunch/early dinner at Carnegie Deli

The desserts looked amazing.
That white cake with the strawberries on top was $75.

I was a little afraid of our waiter -- he reminded me of a mobster who had broken knees all his life and was now living the quiet life as a humble deli waiter. I thought I ordered a Reuben, but he brought me this corned beef sandwich. I couldn't bear to send it back. The corned beef and bread sandwich WAS delicious. He scoffed when we asked if it came with fries.

Since they were celebrating the re-opening of the remodeled building, the sandwich came with free cheesecake. ALSO DELICIOUS!!

Times Square

I've only ever been to NYC in the spring, summer, or early fall, so the February cold was new to me. It was between 35-45 most of the trip. We wandered around Times Square for awhile looking for a hoodie Carrie could wear under her jacket. I was glad my mom had insisted I take a puffy coat -- I like to be warm!

Times Square photo bomb!

Musical #1 Fun Home

Carrie chose Fun Home as her first Broadway show. I'd never seen a Broadway show in-the-round before and I thought it was perfect for this story. Last year's Tony Award winner for Best Musical was a memoir of real-life cartoonist Alison Bechdel's coming out to her parents, and her childhood in a Funeral ("fun") Home with her closeted-gay dad. There were some light-hearted moments, and in spite of the heavy subject matter they manage to end it on a hopeful note. The storytelling and acting was terrific. I don't know that I would recommend it to everyone, but I'm glad that I saw it.

Day 2 - Thursday

We were disappointed when we realized there weren't any tickets for matinees that day. Luckily, Carrie is easy going, and we found plenty to do!

The Empire State Building

Carrie had a very short list of must-sees, and The Empire State Building was first on the list. This happened to be the sunniest (not most warm) day. And yet, being the off season, the lines weren't bad at all :)

Mini food crawl

Since we couldn't see a matinee, I suggested we try some of the famous eats. Fortunately, a bunch of my favorites are near each other. We were stuffed before we knew it!

New York pizza is a must.
I prefer the white pizza at Patsy's Pizza

Dylan's Candy Bar is fun to look around in. So many different types and flavors of candy. Carrie bought a bag of various gummy bears. I'm proud of myself for refraining this time.

We didn't buy anything at Bloomingdale's (the jewelry, shoes, and hats were tempting, though), so I asked a lady in Magnolia bakery if we could hold her bag for a photo. She didn't even bat an eye and offered to take it. Carrie ate banana pudding (she loved it!) and I bought a chocolate cupcake.

We decided not to wait for a table at Serendipity, but had to take a few photos. The place is so eclectic and fun!

Rockefeller Center

We were both disappointed that Jimmy Fallon was in California the week we were in town. We'll see you in person someday, Mr. Fallon!

We stopped in the warm basement to eat our treats. I had a lemon cupcake from Sprinkles (left) and the chocolate one from Magnolia Bakery. They were both great!

We had the most random adventure in the Swarovski crystal store. Carrie wanted to see how much some of the jewelry cost, and we ended up making friends with one of the sales associates. He was, like, my instant sassy gay best friend. He told me he was going to a Fashion Week party and I said I hated him. He insisted on making Carrie try on several expensive necklaces. And then he said, "Do you want to sit on the million-dollar couch?"

Uh, YEAH!

The crystals on this couch add up to $500,000, and the crystals on the curtain behind it were an other ridiculous amount. Our bestie had to help another client, so his assistant took a photo shoot for us. She gave us goblets and told us to be divas. It was hilarious. And awesome. Only in New York!

We grabbed some hot dogs at a stand while hurrying to our show that night. Another item off Carrie's bucket list. $7 for a hot dog. Good thing it tasted great!

Note: They split the hotdog down the middle so you could add more condiments. Genius!

Musical #2 - Finding Neverland

I don't care if it's cliche to say that Finding Neverland was magical. It was! It's the same story as the Johnny Depp movie, and the music added all the right things to it. Kelsey Grammar was funny, the lead actor (the understudy) was handsome and wonderful in spite of a terrible Scottish accent, and Laura Michelle Kelly was gorgeous as Sylvia. It was partway through the play-within-a-play when the company produces Peter Pan in the family's living room, that I started crying and realizing how much I don't want to grow up. I didn't want to go home and have to find a job and be an adult. And then they had the coolest special effect I've ever seen in a play. A simply and effective use of glitter and a wind machine. It was the coolest thing. Anyone who's seen the play knows what I'm talking about. I loved it.

It was freezing that night, but we waited at the stage door anyway. Neither Kelsey Grammar nor Laura Michelle Kelly came out for autographs, but all these other lovely people did!

I was kind of a bawling mess when the final curtain went down, so I needed some time to try to pull myself together. We were there so long, they pulled the curtain back up and started cleaning (how do they pick up all that glitter?). Kinda cool to get a glimpse of the behind-the-stage magic!

NYC trip part 2