Kam's & My Trip to the Big Apple

So, lets be honest. The ONLY reason I am working for jetBlue is the flight benefits. So far, we've taken the kids to Long Beach so when Kambree came home for Spring Break, it was time to get out of town and since we only have two options from Salt Lake we went with the 2nd......the JKF airport! New York!!

The plan was a day trip. Take the red eye out, see the town, catch the 8pm flight back and be home within 24 hours. 

Here we are making our flight!

(We're in the corridor waiting to get on the plane. I got a great seat on row 4 - extra space- poor Kam had the back row and some guy threw up in the bathroom before we even took off!)

When we got there we took the air train to the subway, here we are before our first of many subway rides. (I say "we" because I was there too - just behind the camera - besides Kambree is more photogenic than me!)

First stop Time Square!

We found a big crowd gathered to watch the tapping of Good Morning America. We were asking why everyone was gathered when out came the anchors. Oh my heck. The women on that show are not only beautiful but extremely TALL and skinny. And I'm tall. Women don't usually make me feel short but these two did. It was like they were of a different race.  We probably should have taken a picture but it really happened so quickly and unexpectedly.

This is as close as we got to a Broadway show.

We were there on a Thursday and most of the shows were "dark" (their night off). We needed a matinee in order to catch our return flight and there wasn't an option. We knew this going. We had decided this was a "figure out" NYC trip and to just see the sights. 

We had "bagels and schemer" for breakfast than got back on the subway and went to the World Trade Center Memorial.

Here we are with our ticket - that I ordered online while we were standing in line. HEAVY security is putting it lightly to get into this place. 

About 1/2 way there - after standing in line for a good thirty minutes - we are told our ticket is good for NEXT Thursday. What? But they let us through anyway. Whew.

This is us out in front of the "survivor" tree. It was an eight foot stump when found under the rubble and was nursed back to health and then replanted. 

Then with the help of my iPhone's GPS and some kind New Yorkers we managed to walk from there to Battery Park where we picked up the free ferry to Stanton Island and saw the statue of liberty.

This is me.....exhausted and asleep on the ferry ride!

Just a street. I loved the architecture of all the tall old buildings. It reminded me of Ghost Busters. I am sure we looked like country bumpkins with our mouths open in wonder looking up all the time.

From the ferry landing we walked to China Town. Again super nice people helped us. A police man even announced us to his friend a restaurant owner "Hey, these women from Utah need to use a bathroom!" We really had a lot of help from everyone we met. I don't know why New Yorkers have a reputation of being rude. Not a one we met was anything but nice. 

We ate Chinese food and shopped then walked to Canal Street and shopped some more. We paid to much for our knock off purses but we had fun be ushered into the creepy basement behind the hidden door to see the Gucci and Kate Spade knock offs. 

We got back on the Subway and off again at Time Square. 

Okay, these guys were creepy. At first we thought "cool" and I wanted to take Kambree's picture with one but than they would shake their little satchel with coins in it meaning "You have to pay to have your picture taken". It's someones way of making money? Dressing up like children's characters and standing on a busy street corner demanding money for a picture? Please. I took this picture from far away. Go ahead and try to catch me Cookie Monster!

Here's Kambree texting. I was checking my Facebook a lot. Getting ideas and suggestions of things to do and see. There's a ton more we could have done so I guess we'll just have to go again?

We found a place for a slice of pizza and cheese cake. (We were trying to do all the NY things.) Later we found out we were suppose to go to Juniors for cheesecake - we went to a place called Slice of New York. (Thanks to my GPS and putting in cheesecake - it was the closest place around!)  Honestly, we were so tired of walking by this point that even if we knew we should have gone to Junior's we would have picked the closest place to sit down!

Then we did some last minute souvenir shopping.

No. We did not buy those hats. Just took our picture.

This picture was for James - this was in the middle of the city. Hammer heads. 

We got on the wrong subway and had multiple people help us get turned around to get back to the airport. Luckily we left with ample time. The flight loads looked great until about an hour before we took off. Then they filled up and we were #1 and #2 on the standby list.

Kambree got on.

I was left in JFK.

Here is a picture of the crew break room.

I spent 1/2 the night on the floor in the corner of the airport and then they started vacuuming around 3 am, so I went to the break room and spent a couple hours in there on three of those chairs placed together.

Comfy.

I caught the 6:55 am flight to Las Vegas, then a flight from there to Long Beach, then the first flight to SLC was full so I sat. And sat. By now I'm getting really good at sitting. I caught the last flight out to Salt Lake. I think two people got on after me. 

So, almost 24 hours later than Kambree I arrived home.

Whew.

Yes, we'd do it again. Maybe stay the night though? It was super fast. And for sure we need to see a show. 

Glad I had Kambree - my adult child with me - she was a lot of fun and very helpful. I think the reason we had such helpful people is because she's so cute!

Next week?

Back to Long Beach to take Alex and Ry to Disneyland. 

Alex has never been and Devree and Austin are performing there with their school choir so of course we need to go support them! But thank goodness I'll be renting a car with my trusty GPS and not navigating a subway! 

We loved NYC but we're glad to be home! (Especially me - since it was such an ordeal to get here!)