Last day in NYC

I woke up early early early and rode the subway to Rockefeller Plaza to see the Today Show. I don't watch it anymore because my mornings are more full than usual, but I've gone on all four of my NYC trips, so it's tradition.

 

 

While I was celebrity-spotting, Todd finished packing up the kids and all our junk. We rode the subway to Harlem and then walked a few blocks to the Metro-North train station. Harlem is very different from the other parts of NY that we'd been too. Todd said, "There were all of a sudden a lot more people talking to themselves." Also, a Metro-North train had a fatal derailment the day after Thanksgiving, and those are full-sized trains going pretty fast.

We bought our tickets at a charming old train station and climbed up the stairs to the elevated tracks. We didn't have a very long ride to the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx.

 

We went to the Garden for the Holiday Train Show. The Hapt Conservatory was built in 1902 and it's strikingly beautiful.

The artist had made a whole New York City out of twigs, leaves, acorns, nuts and other natural things, and a couple of trains too.

 

 

St. Patrick's cathedral



Angels around the Rockefeller Center Tree.



Oh the train-lengths we go to for this boy.

 

We rode the train back to Harlem...

 

...then back to our "home" station.

We ran into Piers Morgan in the elevator when the kids were dragging their luggage about. He was kind and patient and he said, "All the best to you." in an English accent when he finally got around the traffic jam that is two preschoolers with rolling luggage in a little NYC elevator.

We loaded our preponderance of baggage into Marsha's car and she and Mitch took us to the airport, after a few last-minute selfies.

 Ikey cuddled up with Todd for the flight home.

Grandpa Joe braved the cold weather (11 degrees!) and load of new snow to pick us up from the airport. We were so glad to be home as always, and we feel so lucky to have had such a wonderful trip to visit a family we love and see things we will remember forever.