After driving to Omaha, Jason and I ditched the minivan and cheated on our epic road trip by flying to New York. We were excited to celebrate a belated fifteenth anniversary there, courtesy of Jason's AIA conference. Coincidentally, we celebrated our tenth anniversary in the Big Apple as well. Since the beginning of our marriage is connected to New York (that's where we first lived), I was curious if we'd spent any time there around our fifth anniversary. Nope, but we were preparing for our trip to France, so I guess I won't complain.
My parents and the kids left for New York minivan style right around the time Jason and I left for the airport. (Just for the record, it was my parents' idea to drive them. Jason and I simply asked if they'd be willing to watch them, and they said, "Sure! We'll drive to New York while you're gone and meet you there." Aren't my parents amazing? Still, I wanted you to know that Jason and I aren't quite so obnoxious as to say, "Hey, we're flying to New York for some alone time. While we're gone, would you mind traveling 1300 miles with all four of our kids?") Back to the flight, it was overbooked so we got bumped, making us wonder if they might beat us there. Fortunately, the delay was lucrative enough to make our airport time well worthwhile.
Instead of arriving in the morning, we made it late in the evening, walking past the New York Public Library to get to our hotel.
The view of the Empire State from our room.
One of the things I love the most about the city are all of the fascinating works of public art that you unexpectedly encounter. This one is called "Rebirth", although at first glance it reminded me of the poop emoji.
While not exactly art, I saw this rat parked at the end of our block and had to chuckle, thinking about all the stories told by Uncle Jay.
This brightly painted section of Broadway was closed off for pedestrian access.
I walked a little farther, and discovered the entire street filled with yogis.
Apparently there was a big event going on all day in honor of the summer solstice.
As much fun as it would have been to join the yoga fun, I kept on walking so that I could get in line for some Broadway rush tickets. It took most of the morning, but was well-worth the wait. At lunchtime I met up with Jason and we walked past the Flatiron...
Big spender that I am, I stopped to buy a five dollar pair of shades from a street vendor along the way.
Designed by architect Santiago Calatrava, this station connects the PATH trains from New Jersey with a whole bunch of New York subway lines. Plus, it's got cool seating.
A view from outside.
Don't let the pigeon drive the bus.
Here's the entire structure as seen from the World Trade Center reflecting pools. While there's sorrow that the original stations were destroyed on 9/11, I am comforted to see such beauty rise from the ashes.
The Oculus connects with this new foyer in Brookfield Place...
...and the Winter Garden atrium.
Last but not least, One World Trade Center
It's only a short walk from the 9/11 Memorial to Battery Park, so Jason and I hopped a free ferry to Staten Island.
We ended the night with a Broadway show, Come From Away.
We were lucky to get tickets with our friends from Salt Lake, the Schreiters. I was a bit nervous about our standing room tickets, but they were fantastic. They only sell a few so it's not crowded; personally, I've never been able to see so well. As for the show, I loved it. It tells the true story of Gander, a tiny town in Newfoundland that opened its heart to 7000 stranded passengers who were forced to land there following the 9/11 attacks. The experience was so poignant, having just visited the World Trade Center memorial site. I may have bawled, but I also laughed until my sides hurt. Despite evil, I believe that goodness prevails in this world.
After the show, it was time for a New York slice.
We passed on the ice cream and brownies.
The next morning I went for a run up Broadway, past Columbus Circle, and into Central Park.
Can I just say that I love big cities? There's always something going on. At 8:45 in the morning I heard some live music playing. I'd inadvertently run into Good Morning America's summer concert series. A bit farther up, I passed the spot where they perform Shakespeare in the park. Slipping out of the park for a moment, I ran right by the Guggenheim.
Next up, I discovered the Shuman Running Track.
I had no idea this peaceful little Central Park reservoir even existed.
By this time it was nearly ten, so I swung by the Museum of Natural History for a brief visit.
Utah does a pretty amazing job with dinosaurs all on its own. Still, I was impressed by this cast of a 122 foot Titanosaur that was too long for the exhibition hall. According to our docent, it was entirely reproduced on site via 3D printing.
After the museum, my legs were ready for a break so I let the subway take me back to our hotel. In general, the subway stations were quite clean, but check out Brooklyn.
After a shower, I met up with Jason for a fantastic lunch.
This clam pizza may seriously be the tastiest pizza I've ever eaten.
After lunch, Jason went back to some more conference sessions while I treated myself to an afternoon at the Met. Would it be obnoxious to say that I love exploring the city all on my own? At this stage in my life, it isn't very often that I get to indulge in only what I want.
The Egyptian collection was incredible.
Apparently the Egyptians would bury the mummies on their side so they could see out these painted eye holes.
Evidence suggests that our little ponies hairstyle dates way back, with the original elastics being gold wraps.
Just in case you needed more gold. So the question is, what got lost: The toe cover or the toe?
Farther along, I found some furniture I liked. Turns out I have expensive taste. It was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright...
...as was this fun sprite.
In honor of Papa Kay, here is Renoir's original Two Girls at the Piano.
And for the New Zealanders, some impressive totems from the Pacific Islands.
My very favorite part of the Met was a temporary exhibition called Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination.
I loved the interplay between these contemporary designs and centuries of religious tradition.
It was particularly powerful to experience these designs amidst the grandeur of the Met's regular exhibitions.
I loved this Heavenly Bodies exhibition so much that I took the train uptown the next morning to the Met Cloisters so I could see the rest of the collection. For those unfamiliar with NYC, it's surprising to find raw nature so close by.
Of course, the Cloisters themselves are inspiring all on their own.
Even though we usually consider fashion to be ambulatory, these works were obviously designed for their specific exhibition context, such as this dress representing the medieval unicorn, often seen as a symbol of Christ.
The Garden of Eden.
More enduring than even the most beautiful dresses, here is a hand-painted, miniature prayer book.
In the afternoon, we met up with Schreiters again for a walk along the High Line. Guess it's mix-n-match spouse photo time?
Our kids would have loved this water feature.
As amazing as the High Line is now, it's about to become even more incredible. At Hudson Yards, they are currently constructing a beehive-esque public art structure called the Vessel.
Scheduled for completion in 2019, I predict that it's it going to be totally awesome.
Skipping back to the traditional, here are Jen, Ben, Jason, and I crossing the Brooklyn Bridge.
Fifteen years married, fifteen years of fun.
We caught dinner at a delicious Thai place in Brooklyn Heights, just a block away from the place Jason lived for a few months. We strolled for a moment along the Brooklyn Promenade, then caught the train to reunite with family at JFK.
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