NYC Here We Come!

At the end of our day in Philly, we headed up the turnpike to Jersey where we spent the night in a hotel about 45 minutes out of the city. We got there early enough that the kids were able to swim in the pool and that made for some happy kiddos!

We got up the next morning and drove the 45 minutes into the city. We had planned to go to the Lower East Side, Chinatown, and Little Italy, so that the kids would be able to get a taste of what an immigrant community might be like. However, we had to alter our original agenda because the rain was coming down in sheets. To say that we were a little nervous about navigating the Suburban in Manhattan would be an understatement. Fortunately, we drove into the city at 9:30 on a Sunday morning, so we were able to sail through the Lincoln Tunnel and easily find our way into the parking structure for the Metropolitan Museum of Art. There, we happily spent the next 6 hours. It was my 2nd time there, and I still don't feel like I've seen half of what that place has to offer. It is absolutely incredible! Fortunately for me, Isaac says he's going to work there for a while when he gets older, so I'll have plenty of time to see it all. I'm not sure if he's going to do that before or after his time as a trash truck driver, but I'm sure he'll fit it in.

Here are a few of our favorite pics of the day:

I knew Isaac would love the Egyptian exhibit, and I was right.

The kiddos inside the Temple of Dendur exhibit

Just inside the main temple structure

The armor was a big hit too.

Taking a rest after exploring the American Wing- one of my favorites! Of course, my very favorite has always been the Impressionists.

Degas!

Renoir!
Van Gogh!
Monet!
I could have stayed there a very long time, but this candid shot shows how the kids felt by about the 10th room of paintings. Recognizing that they were at their limit of art appreciation for the day, we headed out.

We thought we'd drive over to Chinatown, park, and explore the area. But, the driving scene got increasingly hairy as we made our way across town and we decided we would have to ditch the Suburban before we could enjoy exploring anymore. Ryan and I decided to head on over to Queens, where we were going to spend the next two nights with my cousin. The kids were happy to just hang out and play ping pong and Wii in the apartment for the rest of the evening with their beloved Nadia and Steve.