First we visited the Monmouth County 9/11 Memorial. Almost 300 people from their county were killed in the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks. It was in a beautiful location with a nice view of the sound and the city.
From there we took a drive down the Jersey Shore. Much of it was being rebuilt from Hurricane Sandy. I was most baffled by the rock walls that line the beaches. Our hostess told me that you can only cross on to the beach at special crossings where you have to PAY someone. PAY someone to lay on the beach?!? Insane!
There were some really pretty areas and some rough ones that seem to be up and coming (Asbury Park). We made a quick stop at Ocean Grove. There is a lot of Methodist history here including the Great Auditorium, constructed in 1894 and the nearby "tent" houses. They were empty while we were there, but supposedly become a very fun community in the summer time. It is right on the Atlantic.
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On the way home, we stopped by a market called, Delicious Orchards. It was FABULOUS: homemade everything, beautiful produce, etc. I could have stayed for days. Knowing I only brought an (already full) carry-on, I was able to leave with just licorice for Andrew and some peach rings for my prego BFF.
That night, our hostess took me to a NJ MANSION to play Bunko and Left, Right, Center with her friends. The house was incredible and the ladies were very kind and welcoming!
The next morning we woke up and took the train into the city. We entered the lottery for Matilda the Musical which was a fun experience and one I would recommend if you're looking for cheap tickets and have a flexible schedule. We didn't have any luck, but the possibility of being one of 10 people to get two $27 seats was worth the risk.
After losing the lottery, we bought full price tickets. They were GREAT seats and worth every penny. We had lunch at Carmine's across the street (44th and 7th). It was very good. I would definitely go back. We split a salad and spaghetti and meatballs. It was all very yummy.
After that we bought our Bullets over Broadway tickets--more on that below. Then, headed to Matilda. The show was PHENOMENAL. It would be great for all ages. I would give it two big thumbs up!
After the show, we met up with the boys (who had been working all day) to go to dinner. We ate at Thai Thai . It was good. The food was excellent, but the service and ambience were ehh. We went home, watched TV and settled in.
Thursday morning, Andrew's boss's wife and I took Andrew and I's the luggage on the train to the city. After an adventurous trip that involved the problems on the track, switching to the PATH train and switching trains again, we (surprisingly) had no troubles.
We stayed at the Courtyard Marriott Times Square West.I would recommend it as well. I thought it was going to be further our that we wanted to be, but it was perfect. One of our tour guides told me you can count each block (North to South) as a one minute walk. That makes things way easier. The hotel was nothing fancy, but clean, safe, and well located in the Fashion District. Close to Parsons and Mood (Hello, Project Runway!).
We wanted to check out the Orchid show at the NY Botanical Gardens. However, we decided with the unexpected train issues, we didn't have time to go all the way up to the Bronx. Upon hearing we wanted to go to Chelsea Market, the ladies at the front desk directed us to the High Line. I'm definitely a fan. It was nice to be able to walk the 15 blocks we needed without waiting for traffic signals every minute. Plus there were some great views including this one of "graffiti."
We exited the High Line just before it's end at 10th St. We walked the short walk to the Chelsea Market. The market was full of delicious smells, tantalizing foods, and culinary shops.
It was difficult to choose, but we ended up at Tuck Shop. I had never had Austrailian food before and there was a line to pick up their food. When all else fails, look for a long line. Their food is probably good. I had a lamb shank and veggie pie with mind and my hostess had the traditional meat pie. We split a kale salad. Everything was delicious and I would recommend it. After lunch, we were drawn in by a gelato stand at the North side of the market. True to my fascination of trying new things. I had Olive Oil gelato. It was mild and scrumptious!
After the market, we walked around for a bit and headed to the nearby Union Square for some excellent people watching. I realized that nearby were Max Brenner and Strand. The first, a chocolate haven friends had recommended and the second a recommended book store.
The concept of Max Brenner was cool. However, our experience was not great. We weren't hungry and only there to say we had done it. We decided to split a deconstructed tiramisu and it wasn't great. Also the service was terrible. However, the woman next to us had a waffle roast beef sandwich that she said was delicious. I would give it another try...
Strand was unbelievable! 18 miles of bookshelves!! I could have wandered them all, but we were on a time crunch. I left with some NYC books to share with my students.
We had <1 block walk to our show, Bullets Over Broadway. Matilda was an easy pick. But, this night we knew we would have the husbands and their teenaged son with us. That makes it much harder to choose a show. We initially looked at it because of it's proximity to Matilda the day before. Andrew's boss's wife heard it was good and the tickets were decently priced. Plus, it starred Zach Braff, whom Andrew loves from Scrubs. I knew that would help him to enjoy the show. I was pleasantly surprised! It wasn't nearly as odd as I expected a Woody Allen show to be. We laughed a lot and the stars were very talented. I think everyone enjoyed it, which is saying a lot!
There, we said our goodbyes. They took the train back to NJ and we walked to our hotel.
I'm so grateful for Andrew's boss and his family. They are wonderful Christian people and I know they are really looking out for Andrew. They were so kind to welcome us to their home. We had a wonderful time with them!
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