Day 2: New York City

Up and ready to go . . . my first test is to see if we get on the correct subway!  BINGO I did it and we ended up in the Lower East Side just as planned.  No other way to kick off our first full day than heading to the Tenement Museum.  Colin is thrilled but this is the city that is known for its melting pot of immigrants and this museum will explore that exact topic.  I had purchased tickets for the Hard Times tour which would let us explore the 2nd floor of a typical building and its living conditions that immigrants experienced when they arrived in NYC.  Before our tour we watched a great video about the Tenement building and families too.  We had a fabulous tour guide that was one of the most energetic I have ever had . . . she really did bring the stories of the residents to life!  Sadly there are no photos allowed so you will have to visit with your own eyes.  You won't be disappointed.   One interesting fact was rent on a small second floor room was $12 a month and a families monthly income was about $25 per month!  A view of 97 Orchard Street . . .

So off to our next stop . . . Ice Cream!  Again, I had searched for top ice cream in NYC and this one was high on the list.  I wasn't sure what to expect when we entered 10Below Ice Cream but were we in for a treat!  This is a Thai inspired ice cream rolls place; I had never heard of this so had no clue just how awesome this place would be!  The menu is limited but we decided on s'mores.  So first they gather your ingredients to prepare . . .

. . . then add ingredients . . .

. . . and pour this cream liquid on this crepe like pan that is very cold; hence the name 10Below . . .

. . . give it a good mix . . .

. . . paper thin . . .

. . . roll, roll, roll . . .

. . . and there are your ice cream rolls!

By this point Colin had absolutely no memory of a museum visit!  And I must admit it was pretty cool and good too!  Wonder how long before he ask me to go back?  Back to the subway to head to our next stop, The Empire State Building.  This was one of those credit card reward vouchers that I bought with points for free.  Since it wasn't costing me any money, I upgraded for the VIP ticket which meant we jumped to the front of the lines . . . nope did not feel guilty at all!

I wasn't paying to ride the subway a few blocks so we hit the pavement . . . man was it hot outside, and we were hungry.  Colin spotted a Chick-fil-a.  I said okay and off we went.  It was very efficient and tasted just like Chick-fil-a.  Do you know how awesome that sweet tea tasted on this hot day?  Fabulous I tell you!  We found a table upstairs near a trash can.  This wan't any trash can but an automated trash can that also compacts.

 We were not the only customers that were fascinated by this machine!  We were back at the hotel in a few minutes which was nice due to the heat from the pavement.  We were able to relax a bit before heading out later this evening.  I really, really wanted to go see a Broadway Show . . . like really bad . . . but the prices were insane and paying for two tickets was outrageous!  Colin could have cared less so found an off Broadway show called Liberty:  A Monumental New Musical.  Tickets were buy a $74 premium ticket and get a child ticket for free.  Sign us up!  I thought it went with the theme and order of our trip.  It was pick your own seat so we went from front and center.  I really did like the small theater setting . . .

I also did enjoy the show too even if it did have a tad of a political undertone a time or two.  Well worth the cost and the performers were great!  It was a quick, easy walk back to the hotel, but we stopped for a sweet treat at Carlo's . . .

It is a good thing we are walking because we are eating a lot!