New York City

WOW New York City, as exciting as ever.  We stayed at the Marriot Marquis in Time Square, right in the heart of the tourist section.  The marquis has 47 floors and in order to access an elevator quickly, you punch in the floor you want in a keypad and it tells you the elevator to take (A through O).  Then your elevator only stops at a couple floors.  Very efficient.  We saw Time Square, Radio City Music Hall, Rockefeller Center, Trump Tower, Tiffany's the first day.  Had to get something as a memento (I hadn't gotten anything my only other trip to New York). They sent me to the "cheap floor" when I choked on the $1750.00 price of a bracelet.  Got a much cheaper sterling silver bracelet, Brianna and Taylor both wanted something but they will have to wait until they are paying for it.  Had drinks on  the 48th floor of our hotel, The View, a rotating restaurant at our hotel.  The night was rainy and foggy so the view wasn't great, but it is an experience I didn't want to miss.  Late night , the next morning  we walked outside and there was a street fair for several blocks selling all kinds of things.  Taylor got a $3 ring (we are watching to make sure her finger doesn't fall off)  Brianna got dangly earrings (we are also watching her ears, wouldn't want another "ear problem" though her ear ach is all gone and we are consistently forgetting to put the drops in.  After returning our packages to our room, we walked down to the Garden Center Theater for the matinee of "Mama Mia" We all enjoyed the show very much.  Very funny and great "Abba" music.  Bri and Tay laughed throughout the show and were up dancing in their seats at the finale.  It was really a good choice of a show we could all enjoy.  After the show, we caught a cab to 9/11 memorial very moving and then walked to Battery Park.  We were too late for the tourist trips to the Statue of Liberty, but our cab driver had told us to catch the Staten Island Ferry and it goes right past the Statue and is free.  (Since he was not a yellow cab driver but a limo driver and he charged us $45 for the trip, and the return trip in a yellow cab was $20.  at least he saved us the cost of the trip to the Statue)  The tourist trips to the island had ended for the day, so our only chance was to take the Ferry.  Think we still got some great pictures of Lady Liberty.  After we got back we ate dinner at a BBQ which was very good.  Sunday before leaving, since Taylor has been nagging since we got here to go to Forever 21 which is directly across from our hotel we finally made it over there.  Brianna had a $25 gift certificate for Forever 21, but since she isn't a close horse, it was hard for her, but she did find a shirt and pair of sun glases.  Taylor, of course, found a couple of things, so we used Bri's gift certificate and I will give Bri some money to use somewhere else.  We are now on the Amtrak train back to Phillie.  Much better more convenient train ride than our train ride in California.