NYC, again

Now, where was I? Ahh yes, Sunday.

NYC day 3:
We got up earlyish and headed up Madison Avenue to 51st Street and then walked over towards Fifth Avenue. The roads leading to Fifth were all closed off because Sunday was the Annual Puerto Rican Day Parade (that runs from 44th - 86th Streets along Fifth Avenue). There was an expected attendance figure of 2 million people at this one event and I think by the time we finally found a place to stand (in the shade across the street from Versace) I'm pretty sure we were surrounded by at least half a million people displaying their proud Puerto Rican heritage... if we didn't stand out as major tourists before the parade, we certainly achieved this due to our lack of a flag, whistle or any comprehension of what was being hollered from the passing parade floats. It was a really fun experience but the intense heat, intensified by the massive crowds, turned us away by noon.

We headed west towards Broadway and grabbed a much needed drink at one of the city's many Au Pain locations and then took a very slow walk in the heat down to Macy's and then to a few more shops in the area where we searched for new sandals for my dad. He'd gotten a blister walking around on Saturday in his too-tight running shoes, so the sandal expedition, though took up a few hours of a painfully hot afternoon, was well worth it.

We had a bite to eat at the Tick Tock Diner just up the street from Madison Square Garden and after sufficiently photographing the exterior of MSG we walked back to the hotel to rest our feet and shower. That was the plan, but we all had a bit of heat exhaustion I think so rather than get sick and risk having a lousy time at Yankee Stadium the following day, we relaxed most of the evening in the hotel and grabbed a quick sandwich from a shop nearby before calling it a day.

NYC day 4:
This entire trip came to be out of my love for baseball and my desire to see a game at the original Yankee Stadium. "The Cathedral" as it is lovingly called by many Yankee and let's be honest baseball fans alike, is going to be torn down at the end of this season. The new stadium (across the street from the current one) is currently under construction and looks like it will be a really nice stadium, but let's face it: there's nothing like an old baseball stadium for watching games. I've only ever seen major league games in Toronto at Exhibition Stadium and the Skydome (aka Rogers Centre) and can honestly say that the 50,000+ seat stadiums really separate you from the action a little too much. Standing in right field during batting practise at Yankee Stadium we were nearly hit by numerous balls and could almost reach down and touch the players on the field (okay, so maybe I couldn't actually reach them that easily, but if my arms were ten feet longer I could have). The game itself wasn't fantastic (vs. Kansas City Royals) but for the first time ever I was truly proud to be wearing my Alex Rodriguez t-shirt, because he hit a 2-run home run to tie the game up early on but the Royals had more luck in the 7th inning and went on to win, despite a valiant effort by the Yankees in the 9th. Our seats were between home plate and first base very, very high up. Thankfully that area of the stadium was shaded because it was HOT, again, that day!

The loudest applause of the game (aside from A-Rod's home run) came when a huge cloud moved over the stadium, blocking the sun and providing relief to the rest of the fans who weren't as fortunate as us to be sheltered during the game. You know it's hot when a cloud brings that much joy. After the game we walked around the stadium for a little while, waiting for the subway crowds to die down a little, and then jumped on the train and headed back to Manhattan.

Just before getting on the subway I dropped my sunglasses and was disappointed as I watched the left arm snap clean off as they hit the ground. I spent the rest of the afternoon squinting but was pleased when I managed to pick up some New York souvenir t-shirts and postcards for friends at very reasonable prices. Only in New York can you walk away with 8 t-shirts for $10.99 and 30 postcards for 99 cents. Well, maybe other places offer similar deals, but as I said before, there's just no place quite like New York City.

I should also mention that Monday was also my dad's birthday so after the game, after showers, and after a bit of down time at the hotel, we headed back to Times Square area for our final meal in the Big Apple. We ended up at Charlie O's on Broadway and enjoyed a nice meal followed by NY Style Cheesecake - traditional, delicious, a perfect end to a very enjoyable trip.

(The drive home on Tuesday was good. We spent over two hours at an outlet mall in Pennsylvania - no, not Grove City - and missed some torrential rain as a result of our shopping expeditions. We got back home just after 11pm, exhausted but in one piece and still a happy family.)