Day 2 Empire State Building

Looking up from the 103rd floor


Christmas display on the first floor






Carson "helping" me carry Hannah.

We had tickets to go to the 103rd floor of the Empire State Building. It was a good experience but a little overrated. I would never wait in the 3+ hour continuously looping que lines again-especially carrying Hannah in the snugglie. (That's right...no strollers allowed!) Just when you thought you were getting somewhere, you would go up 3 floors only to get out and wait in another huge line.

The interior was beautiful though. It had different colored marble and little tiles in bright colors that looked like jewels. When we finally made it to the top, the viewing area was so crowded you could barely squeeze to the front to see anything. Once we did, the view was breathtaking and windy!

Carson was more interested in playing with the pigeons perched on the viewing area. He was trying to feed them marshmallows-which they pecked at but never wanted to eat. A nasty pigeon landed on my back and I started wiggling and thrashing around like crazy to get the thing off. It wouldn't budge finally my brave Mom had to whack the thing off of me. I now hate pigeons. :)

Day 2 Trinity Church

Trinity Church stands across the street from the World Trade Center Site. Many of the buildings surrounding the Twin Towers were badly damaged from the buildings collapsing but, Trinity Church stood untouched.



(My mom, liked this old headstone, with the skull picture on it. A small old cemetery surrounds the church)

Because of its proximity it became a refuge for the rescue workers at the site. Beds were offered, food was served, and any aid that was needed was given at the church. No one was turned away.


Each day when a cot was prepared for a new person a small teddy bear or other stuffed animal was placed on the bed for its recipient with a note of gratitude. Schools, churches, and volunteers donated the bears and it was a sweet offering to weary rescue workers.

There were two books being sold and the author was there signing copies. Of course my Mom and I (book lovers) had to buy the cute children stories. One was called "The Little Chapel that Stood" and "T. Bear's Tale" Both are children's books that tell the story of 9/11. T. Bear's Tale tells the story through the eyes of one of the donated Teddy Bears.

Day 2-World Trade Center Site

After seeing the sights we wanted to on the bus, we walked to the World Trade Center Site. It was so sad to see all the memorials around the different buildings surrounding the area where the twin towers once stood.

The site was in walking distance of the apartment and was easily viewed from our apartment window. Now, (obviously) all we could see are the huge cranes at the site, moving debris and working on the new buildings there. I am sure to many New Yorkers there is a huge hole in the skyline.

I imagined being in the apartment we stayed in and living through that. It is difficult to think about. We were so close. Even after 8+ years the devastation and hurt still feels so close to the surface in New York. I am sure that will never go away.


You really can't see that much at the actual site. There is a large fence around it with small holes to look through. We could see the foundation of the twin towers though.


On the same block there was a Fire Department that played a big role in the rescue efforts. Because of this, it is now a famous tourist spot. When we were there one of the firemen came to the firetruck. Carson immediately turned to me, and asked if he could have his picture taken with him. I told him he could ask, not sure what the fireman would say. Carson asked and he smiled and said "of course!" This is one of my favorite pictures from New York. It made Carson's day. Of course the T-shirt Carson wanted to take home from NYC was a FDNY shirt.

Day 2 Hairspray and Stardust Diner

Cam received (free!) tickets to see Hairspray on Broadway and thanks to "Granny-Nanny" (aka my Mom) we were able to go. We went with his coworker Nate and his wife. The show was really good. It was a little more risk-kay (spell?) then the movie. (hint a lot of hip thrusting dance moves and innuendos :)). We had great seats and a really good time. After we went searching for a place to eat. Cam saw Stardust Diner and knowing nothing about it said "let's go there." So off we went.

The Diner was your basic American style/classier than usual hamburger joint. But the waitresses and waitors were all Broadway stars (in between gigs) or wanna be Broadway stars. They would sing a song as they served you your drink. It was very entertaining. They also danced all over the booths and right above your head.

The food was good and I ate the best Macaroni and Cheese. I am lame and never try new foods... :)

We walked around the Theater District and then headed home. While we were waiting for the subway, I saw a big fat rat run around the subway tracks. I thought that was very New York-ish. :)

Day 3 Battery Park

Carson loved chasing the many squirrels around the park.

This statue used to sit between the twin towers. After the 9/11 attack it was moved to Battery Park. You can see the damage that was done to it.

Carson posing with this awesome Statue of Liberty. Carson liked this guy. He thought it was pretty cool. Everyone's trying to make a living in NYC...

These pictures were taken at Battery Park. We were planning on going to the Statue of Liberty this day, but after finding out there were no more monument passes, we decided to arrive earlier on Sunday to try and get a pass.

Day 3 Goldman Sachs

Cam walked to work everyday (about a 20 minute walk from the apartment). There wasn't a subway that would take him any closer than walking. We walked to his building which was pretty close to the stock exchange. His building had 40 floors on it and he worked on the 37th floor. This is one out of five offices/buildings that Goldman Sachs has in NYC

Day 3 Wall Street

Financial District (Wall Street) Happenings...

One View of Trinity Church (right behind it is the World Trade Center Site)

Federal Hall-Carson posing like George Washington

New York Stock Exchange...dead on a Saturday

The famous bull and some other guy...


My famous mom, the famous bull and some other guy's arm again.

PS...what is so funny about posing offensively with the bull? It was nearly impossible to get a picture without one of those "jokesters." Not funny. Seriously. I don't get it...

Day 3 Subway ride to the Museum

We were happily riding the crowded subway to the museum, when these three men started pushing people out of the center of the subway. I couldn't understand or hear very well what they were saying, but it looked like they were going to start fighting or something.

My first impression was completely wrong. They were simply clearing their stage for their dance performance. They had a little boombox and turned on some hip hop music and got their groove on in the middle of the subway. It was one of my favorite parts of the trip (I think it was my mom's too).

They were very good dancers- doing flips and all sorts of breakdance moves in a very small space.

When they first started clearing the middle, Cam whispered to me "Put your head down and don't look at them" (I think he was thinking a fight was coming too). After they started dancing I took my camera out to get this picture and Cam was mortified. After their dance, I gave them a few bucks and Cam was ready to put me back on the plane to Utah. :)

Day 3 American Museum of Natural History

The museum was huge and very neat. I don't think you could ever see it all. We could have visited it every day and seen something new.

We went to a lot of shows and "special events" at the museum. We went to a "Monsters of the Sea" show and the famous "Space show"

(Trying to get a descent picture outside of the space theater)

We browsed through the primate section, the deep sea section, the space section, the mammal section, we saw everything we could possibly see in the time we were there.

(This is supposed to be a picture of a huge whale, but it turned out really dark)


(This tree was decorated with only decorations made out of origami, it was very beautiful)

I have to add this in...
We had lunch in the museum and I ate the best thing I have ever tasted. It was a "Crumbs Cupcake" It was delicious and divine and my mouth still waters when I think of it. I kept my eyes open for the rest of the trip to indulge in another one of these delicious treats but never happened to find one. Oh sweet crumbs cupcake, I love you, and would gladly pay another five bucks to eat you...

Day 3 continued ...Butterfly Exhibit at the Museum

Our last stop in the museum was the Butterfly exhibit. This exhibit is not in the museum continiously it is a special exhibit. It was Carson's favorite.


The exhibit is all enclosed (obviously :) and very warm. The only allow a certain amount of people in at one time and a security guard opens and closes the doors to make sure no butterflies fly away. They also look you over when you leave to make sure no "friends" tag along with you.


Carson could have spent all day in there. He made friends with the workes, asking them many questions. One employee gave him a special magnifying glass to check out the butterflies more closely.


She also allowed him to feed a butterfly (a piece of orange that the butterflies love to nibble on).


It was getting close to closing time, but the lady in the purle shirt (who worked there) told Carson to stay and she would let him help her let the newly hatched butterflies out. Right after the butterfly's come out of their cocoon they have to let their wings dry before they can be released. In the wild this is their most vulnerable time, they can't fly yet and if spotted they most likely will be eaten.


There was also a cocoon display and you could actually see the little butterfly bodies wiggling around inside of the cocoon's. It was very interesting!

Day 4-December 8, 2008 Statue of Liberty

We picked the coldest day in the century to see the Statue of Liberty. We were unable to buy "Monument Passes" early but we did have ferry passes. After finding out the day before that some monument passes were given on a first come first serve basis we left the apartment early and arrived at Battery Park at about 8:30.

We were able to get the tickets and went to stand in line for the ferry. Did I mention it was freezing? And that we were standing outside in a ferry line for an hour? After going through an intense security check we made it on the ferry. We were all sitting separate because nobody was fighting for the upper (exposed to the weather) deck and there weren't many seats left.

We made the short trip over to Monument Island got of the ferry to stand in yet another outside que line. At this point we had to check the stroller and Hannah was placed in the snugglie. She fell asleep and was quite a sight. She looked like a monster size baby in a little snugglie. Everyone was pointing and smiling at her. I think I will have permanent back and shoulder damage from carrying her... :)


(Cam called this my immigration woman look. I didn't care, let's just say it was cold-and although you can not see the snugglie it is there and Hannah was currently in it)

When we got to the part of the line that finally threaded its way through a building we went through another security check (the tight security has been in place also since September 11th). If I thought the first one was intense I was wrong. They gave all the people waiting a little credit card type thing that had facts about the Statue of Liberty. I thought it was some reading material to pass the time, but apparently it is to test for any dangerous chemicals on your hands.

After we passed that test we went through a metal detector and a "puffer" machine. My darling baby was warm and cozy with hats, gloves, jacket, coat, all of that plus being stuffed in the snugglie. I really thought I could go through the puffer machine just leaving her be, but that was a very silly thought. I had to undress myself to the bare modest level and also wake and undress Hannah to the bare modest level. We were then allowed to proceed to the puffer machine.

I obviously do not know what the real name of this machine is or honestly what its purpose is, but from what I hear it is also to test for chemicals. It puffs a lot of air all around you and I guess if you had chemicals on you they would blow off you and be detected by the machine. All it did to me was blow my shirt up in an immodest way.

After an hour of getting redressed we headed up to the monument. Before September 11, visitors were allowed to climb all the way up to the crown of the Statue of Liberty. Now access is limited, with a monument pass, to the brown base part you can see in the picture. When you climb to the top of the base you can look up and see the double helix two way stair case that leads to the crown. Although, it would have been so neat to climb that high, my snugglie back was happy for the restriction. :)



The base has a very interesting and neat museum in it. Did you know that the copper covering of the Statue is less than the thickness of two pennies? We learned that the Statue really is quite delicate.





There is a small area around the upper part of the base that you can step out of the base to see the NYC skyline. Did I mention it was cold and windy?



We spent a lot of time in the monument and it really was inspiring. It was one of those things that I always wanted to see. I can imagine how the immigrants felt being welcomed by it and feel the hope they had.