Quick recap on weekend in NYC. We drove up Friday morning and arrived in the city early Friday afternoon. Due to a miscalculation, coming out of the Lincoln tunnel, I had to go north into Times Square traffic because you can't use both lanes to head south. Google maps doesn't tell you that there are all kinds of traffic cones set up as you exit the tunnel so that if you are in the right lane you go south and in the left lane you go north. This resulted in 45 minutes to essentially go around the block. There is construction and street repair going on everywhere, so driving in the city is just not great. Fortunately we only drove in with intentions to park until departure. Other than this snafu, the drive up and back was seamless and I actually enjoyed stopping at the turnpike service centers because it reminded me of the many trips from when we lived in Newport, RI, plus they pumped my gas for me.
First evening, we did pizzas and other snacks, plus some additional food from the pub at the hotel.. Daughters and friends headed out and walked for hours, including the nearby Highline. I took a nap and was out for most of the afternoon. They also brought back some Laduree macarons later on. I didn't sleep through those!
On Saturday we walked to Central Park in the morning, stopping for coffees along the way and then at a diner on 8th Avenue for breakfast and more coffee.
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We eventually got to Columbus Circle and entered the park and headed for the playground. With two toddlers, that's pretty much a given!
Best slide ever!
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About 1pm, younger DD and myself left the park and walked over to West 52nd St to the August Wilson theater. On the way we dropped into a Duane Reade for something plus stopped at a street vendor for M&M's, the pretzel ones.
We then went into the theater to see Mean Girls.
A few things reminded me of this group:
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This one -@Lain and
@SouthFayetteFan for their 'likes' competition.
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This one
@PolyRob ....just Basic! I have quite a few more stage pics from before show start but I won't bore you with Fetch, Grool and whatever else.
The show was fantastic! Fast moving and funny! I enjoyed it thoroughly and I did not have high expectations. I would actually go see this one again if the option presented itself. Younger DD picked it and treated us to 4th row center orchestra seats, so we had a great view and didn't miss any of the action. She knew every line and song and all the characters and narrated a lot of information about the actors. The actor who played Regina George was my favorite - she's a 19 year old. The actor who portrayed the Janis character also did an outstanding job.
At intermission I took a bathroom break, but as is typical, there was an overwhelming line, so I went to the bar and got a Mean Girls cup with a delicious non alcoholic drink - Regina's Pop something or other. Sorry I didn't retain the name long enough to tell it to my daughter back at our seats. Then I found my own private bathroom by asking the usher if I had time to go back in line before the show restarted. This is where I encountered my New York moment where someone did something really sweet for me - led me backstage and let me use a bathroom quickly so that I could get into my seat before the show started!
After the show, we walked back towards the hotel with me reading menus at every step. But DD was not yet hungry and to be honest neither was I at 4:45ish. Eventually the crew ordered food in as everyone was exhausted from lots of walking. Poke bowls, which were just okay, nothing spectacular. I should have insisted on a 4:45 dinner on my way back.
The hotel was great. We had a premium family room that slept 8 at the Wyndham Tryp Hotel on 35th street. I thought it would be a little far to walk to the theater but it was not for me. Probably faster than driving, lol. The room was basic but in good condition and there were 2 bathrooms. It was almost suite like in that the two queen beds were in one end with a bathroom and sort of separated by the closet and storage chest. The other end had a sofa and a set of bunkbeds, plus a dining table and a wet bar with a good sized sink and a small refrig and a Keuriq. And the 2nd bathroom. No microwave but reports on trip advisor said one was brought when requested. We didn't need it. I would definitely recommend this room to those of you with parties of 5 to 7 that don't fit in regular rooms. It was downright spacious by NYC standards, but the sofa bed was small, not a spot for two adults unless they wanted to be very cosy while sleeping, but fine for 2 toddlers. Our room was 214, and it was slightly different in a better way then what is pictured on the website. It was very light with the bedroom end being a corner and 2 walls of windows plus another large window in the living room (bunks and sofa) area. I would stay here again. It was free with points but can be had in the $350 range depending on date and it's really almost better than two rooms.