Footloose in the "Big Apple" with Barbara Dundas (Sims)

This is the account of an adventure without Kingsley and without Alan..... a different kind of adventure!

We headed out on Friday, November 7th via Air Canada (Barb from Calgary & me from Edmonton) bound for NYC and a little holiday. This was a birthday present for me from eldest daughter Barb & hubby Keith and our third trip there. The first time was 20 years ago and a really exciting adventure for both of us in the big city. The second trip in the spring of 2003, there were four as daughters Catherine & Karen joined us. Unfortunately, Cath, Karen & Michelle were unable to get away from work to come with us this time.
Friday was a long day with a connection in TO but, we made it to our lodgings at the Westside YMCA about 6:00pm. The Y is a great place to stay in NYC...definitely spartan but, clean, safe, central and very affordable! The four of us stayed there in 2003 and Barb & Keith stayed there a couple of years ago when they ran the New York Marathon. It's a bit of a well kept secret.... and now I've let it out of the bag!! Anyway, it works for us and with the money we saved, we were able to do lots of other fancy things.We went for dinner to a great restaurant, Le Bonne Soupe, which we discovered the last time we were there and after dinner walked over to Rockefeller Centre where we bought tickets to the Top of the Rock. It was a beautiful night, warm & misty with a very fine drizzle up on the roof. What a view and what a beautiful Art Deco building! We spent over an hour up there and I took lots of pictures.

Saturday, after breakfast we headed thru Central Park and over to the newly renovated MOMA(Museum of Modern Art)where we spent over four hours. So much to see including a Van Gogh exhibition ...48 paintings from the Starry Night collection.
It was raining when we came out of the museum and several fellows were right there with $5.00 umbrellas for sale. We bought one and proceeded to walk over to the TKTS outlet in Times Square to buy same-day ½ price tickets for a Broadway show. The line-up was around the block and everyone was getting soaked so we decided to come back the next day. We saw a movie instead: ‘Rachel getting Married’. Barb wanted to see it in Calgary but so far, it hasn’t arrived there. It was very good. We walked to Columbus Circle after the movie and had curry in this wonderful place(Whole Earth Market)in the Time-Warner Mall. On the way out, we watched them setting up the Xmas decorations and coordinating the lights to the music. Awesome! It was even snowing from the ceiling of the four story rotunda…something new being added this Xmas season.

Sunday, after breakfast, we headed to Time Square to line up for tickets to the matinee performance of ‘Spring Awakening’, a musical which won the Tony award in 2007. We really enjoyed the show…a good choice. On our way back to the Y we passed the Ed Sullivan Theatre, home of the David Letterman Show. A small sign outside said ‘show tickets available’ so in we went and signed up for a lottery for one of two shows being taped on Monday. After a glass or two of wine in our tiny room, it was back to see another movie at our movie theatre around the corner. We walked through the night streets to Barnes & Noble bookstore and café, bought some books and had a late meal.

Monday, we headed west to the docks and the East river..a beautiful day and a brisk walk. We discovered the USS Bataan, a supply ship and aircraft carrier on active service and just back from the middle-east. They were having an Open House for the public so we checked it out. It’s a massive ship and all the crew were so accommodating. They are in port for the Veteran’s Day parade through the streets of NYC Tuesday. The newly refurbished museum ship, the Intrepid, was at the next pier. The grand re-opening and dedication by George W. Bush also set for Tuesday. We were heading to the Harbour Cruise Pier for a circle tour around Manhattan when my cell phone rang. It was the Letterman show and we had tickets for the first show taping. It’s not every day we have the chance to see Letterman & company…the harbour cruise was off! The show did not disappoint. Dave’s guests were Ted Turner (CNN, Jane Fonda’s ex), Jamie Oliver (celebrity chef & cookbook author) & Taylor Swift (up and coming C & W singer). The band & Paul Schafer were terrific and it was fun seeing how the show is put together. Dave came out before the show started in his shirtsleeves and talked to us for about five minutes. It was one of those great New York minutes (well…hour)!! Back to our little home away from home for Happy Hour and then out for a chinese dinner.
Everywhere we went, we walked…so central to all the action!

Tuesday, November 11th - Veterans/Remembrance Day and our last day in NYC.
It was a long traveling day: first the subway and bus to Laguardia, then the plane to Toronto. Then we parted ways; Barb leaving for Calgary and me for Edmonton. We had a wonderful holiday and lots of fun. Hope you enjoy the pictures!