Yankees Game with Dane

After a busy and the end of our P-day, we headed to the Bronx to catch a Yankees game.  Take the B subway Uptown to 161st Street.

The weather was so nice tonight.  I was amazed at how beautiful everything looked.

We had a fun time just watching people and Stan telling us about the glory Yankee days.

Not only was the location great but the seats were cushioned.  I have never been in an outdoor stadium with such comfortable seats.

These were our seats.  In the 3rd inning, a foul ball came right at us.  Stan was holding his cell phone and a box of popcorn in each hand.  He had to make a decision to either drop both and try and catch the foul or let it hit the seat next to him and scramble for the ricochet.  Needless to say, he didn't get the foul ball and the guy behind us did.  It took a couple of very quiet innings for Stan to get over this.  He kept mumbling how a few years ago he would have caught the ball and now he's a wimp.  It's only a game and a scuffed up ball.  Get over it.

Between the Yellow and Blue signs, if you go down you will see a blue speck.  If you look closely, the blue speck is me sitting there with a blanket covering my legs as I watch batting practice.  The guys are out scouting the stadium.  It was a really fun night and I can't wait to come back to Yankee Stadium.

Lets go see some more while Dane is here...

Dane and Stan headed out this morning to ride across the Brooklyn Bridge and see lower Manhattan.

It was a spectacular day and the weather is truly becoming outstanding.

You are always a little surprised how crowded it can get with both lanes filled with pedestrians and bikers going in both directions.  Today, however, it was a quiet day and the traffic had already headed into Manhattan.

There is a great bike trail that goes all around Manhattan.  This section of the trail they just reopened after some minor construction.

Later in the day, they took me down to the 911 Memorial to look around.

Besides seeing so many great things, these guys were having a pretty good time also.

At the 911 Memorial, we found this tree.  It is called the "survivor tree".  Underneath all the rubble and mess from the collapse of the Twin Towers the construction crews found this tree...still alive!  It was removed so the demolition and construction could continue and was transplanted in almost it's original location some 12 years later.  It is in full blossom and beautiful. 

We then walked over to Wall Street and saw the famous "Charging Bull".  The sculpture is a symbol of the "strength and power of the American People".  It was installed following the 1987 stock market crash.  It now stands two blocks south of the American Stock Exchange at Bowling Green Plaza.

Aboard the Staten Island Ferry we headed across the harbor.  This is looking back at Manhattan.

The Statue of Liberty with the Staten Island Ferry heading in the other direction to pick up more customers.

It was a fun day and Stan and Dane were relaxing after a busy day on the Red 1 for Uptown and the Bronx.

The poor guy that didn't realize that your bike has more value than your tire!   We love New York City and everything about it.  We loved having Dane here, also.  We had a blast.  We are so blessed and feel it is a privilege to be here and to be serving in the Temple.

The Bennetts are Leaving New York today :(

Across the street from where we live, is a waffle cart that Stan and I have wanted to try. We decided to wait until the kids were here to do so. We all had waffles for breakfast...and they were great! (We hope to make this a tradition when all our kids come see us!)

Sitting in a small park located in the middle of Broadway and Columbus. You can see the side of the temple in the upper left.

As competitive as our family is, a 'waterfall' contest began. ('Water-falling'---sharing drinks with people without passing germs by letting it 'waterfall' into your mouth.) Instructions were given, demonstrations observed....let the games begin!

Nice try, Riley!  No one wanted to 'share' with her!

We love our family. And because we love them, we are serving the Lord on a Mission. We known our service is blessing them. There is nothing better we could be doing at this time in our lives.  The Church is true!  Come Join Us!

Another BIG day in New York City!

Today we visited the American Museum of Natural History...truly a kid's paradise! So much to see and do. In fact, Stan and I had visited this '27-interconnected-buildings facility' four times prior so we would know our way around.

The front steps...standing by the statue of President Theodore Roosevelt (26th President of the US) who was one of the founders and the original 'conservationist'...a true nature lover.

The grand entryway inside the Museum. We are greeted by some life-size dinosaurs. (We also spent time on the 4th floor which houses the largest collection of dinosaur bones in the world.)

In the Hall of Ocean Life where we were greeted by a 10-ton blue whale replica hanging from the ceiling.

The Bennetts and President Theodore Roosevelt. A moment to sit down and rest!

Outside the Museum, Stan bought a very expensive lunch for everyone at one of the many famous restaurants in Manhattan...the outdoor hotdog stand. And look who met us there...Dane!!! He is here for a few days to visit.

After the Museum, Stan and I needed to get to the Temple for our assignment there. The Bennetts and Dane continued on to the 9/11 Memorial in Lower Manhattan. Standing next to one of the reflecting pools built in the 'footprints' of the Twin Towers. Each pool is surrounded by a brass plate where names of the victims are engraved.

Inside the 9/11 Museum in front of a fire truck that had been used to try to rescue survivors. This underground museum (built below the tragic site, is a fitting tribute to those who died in this unforgettable incident.

 

Statue of Liberty

The first FULL day in New York was spent visiting one of my favorite New York icons....The Statue of Liberty. We were up early and on the ferry headed to this marvelous symbol of freedom.

The statue itself was a gift from the country of France in 1876 to celebrate America's 100 year birthday of Independence. The building of the pedestal was to be OUR responsibility. After getting little response from the wealthy, a plea was given to the 'common people' and through their donations of dimes and nickels, the money was raised, the pedestal built and the monument was dedicated in 1886.

The view of the Manhattan skyline on the return trip. It was a great and memorable morning spent with the Bennetts.

Our next stop was Grand Central Station.....always a busy, bustling place...and a backdrop scene to many movies. Dax and his mom.

The Central Park Zoo was a hit with the kids. It is small but entertaining....and better than anything we have in Vegas!

The Bennetts had a great time in Central Park, (conveniently located one block from Grandpa and Grandma's apartment!) where they not only visited the Zoo but rode the Merry-Go-Round and the boats on the lake, too!

 That night, the kids had enough energy to see ALADDIN...a top-rated New York play. They loved it, but were definitely ready for bed when they returned to our place.

P-day and Intrepid Aircraft Carrier

We caught the Red 1Subway to 42nd Street and for the first time in NYC took a bus to 12th Ave. Our destination?

The Intrepid Aircraft Carrier.  There is so much to see here that we decided to only see half today and return another time. 

The first thing we visited was the submarine.  Behind me is one of the nuclear rockets that could be deplored from this submarine.

In order to go through this tour you had to first make it through this open door.  If you couldn't bend over or fit through this opening- you weren't allowed in the submarine.

Stan passed the test...

The control room and everything happened.  Imagine driving a car with no windshield.  Imagine driving a car in total darkness and having to rely on your instruments.

One of the few toilets on board.  Very tight quarters.  Enough said.

The dinning room.  It also worked as a game room after hours.  The crew would take shifts at mealtime.

Every submarine has one of these.  I would think this would be one of the most fun items.

The sleeping quarters.  This is tight.  I am not sure how the men even crawled into these bunks.

 

The torpedo room.  These was really amazing how they loaded these chambers with torpedoes and how it all worked.

We made it through and it was amazing.  We are so glad we waited in line to view this. This was a real submarine and it made you appreciate all who served on these vessels.

Then we went up on deck.  This is the Blackbird aircraft.  The fastest built plane in history.  As big and long as it is, the poor pilot had little room to mover around.