OK, so I'm going to give this blogging thing a try. I figure no better time to start than when you're on vacation!
So today my mom and I made our way to NYC! Our day started out extremely early...about 2:30am central time. Got up and ready, last minute packing, and made our way to the airport. Our flight was scheduled to leave at 6:05am, so of course they request that you get there two hours early. Well just a little heads up for anyone who takes early morning flights...the ticket counters do not open until 4:30am! That would have been nice to know ahead of time...I mean hello...I could have used that extra 30 minutes of sleep! (Side note: I actually only had about one hour of sleep last night. I wasn't tired at all and finally feel asleep around 1:30am!) So here we are at the airport getting ready to check in at the self check ticket area and we realize that this Sharon Carr travel group that we are with...well they didn't put any reservation number in our paperwork, so that of course makes it a little difficult to check in. Luckily, you can also swipe your credit card on the machine and it will pull up your name and then pull up your reservation. Well this is good for all of you who are lucky enough to actually go by your first name. For those of us like myself who have had the difficulties of going by their middle name (if you only knew how many times I've had to say...well that is my first name, but I go by Rachel. And then they stand there and look at you like you're stupid. Yes dude...I realize Rachel is not short for *insert first name here*!) this whole swiping your credit card doesn't really work for me. My credit card has Rachel on it and my reservation has my first name since it has to match your id. Well needless to say, I then learn that the American Airlines is now requiring that you have that reservation number and they will not pull up your reservation by just having your id. So, since mom and I were on the same reservation, I was able to take the reservation number off of her boarding pass and finally pull up my reservation that way. Craziness happening all before 5am! So we get checked in, make it thru security, and chill at the gate for a while. Finally board the plane and by 6:05am we are off to NYC!
We arrive in NYC around 10:15am eastern time. I am so freaking excited to be back in this city! I don't think I could ever live here, but I definitely can not go 8 years between visits ever again. So once we arrive at LGA, we grab out luggage and wait for the rest of the group, and then we wait for this so called "group leader" to call for the bus to the hotel. OK, now let me give a little warning about this "group leader". This lady apparently does not work for Sharon Carr, however she has been put in charge of the group to get everyone to and from the airport to the hotel and then checked in at the hotel. Well let me just say that I am going to make an educated guess that this lady has never been to NYC before, so needless to say this causes a little more drama. She apparently has called for the bus, but like a true tourist, has no idea where to pick it up at. So mom and I are standing at the back of the group and me staying true to my nature I'm standing there telling my mom that we are not standing in the right spot at all. After standing there for about 20 min (side note: we could have already been half way to the hotel by this time if I was in charge!) they finally figure out that we are standing in the taxi and hotel shuttle line and that the bus that we need is not going to come thru there. (NO SHIT!) So we finally get on the bus and start heading to the hotel. Now this "group leader" gets even more stupid as we keep going. Now most people who travel in groups know that it is always a good idea that while you are on your way to the hotel, to go ahead and call them to let them know that you are on your way there to check in. Yeah no...not this lady! We arrive at the hotel un-load the bus and the "group leader" gets off and just goes right in side before grabbing her luggage. She just leaves it there! Hello lady...in NYC that means you are just begging for someone to come and steal it! Luckily there was another lady in the group that was way nicer than I and took the "group leader's" bag in to the hotel with her. So now we are in the hotel lobby waiting to get checked in. Reminder: "group leader" did not call ahead of time. So here we are around lunch time in NYC, one of the busiest times of day at a hotel in general with event groups letting out for lunch and several other people checking in and out of the hotel...we wait there for a good 30 minutes before we finally get our room keys. Needless to say as soon as mom and I grabbed our keys we were off and we haven't seen the "group leader" or group since! (This is not a full guided group trip, so we got the group price for airfare and hotel, but luckily we are on our own while we are actually in NYC.)
So then mom and I head up to our room throw everything down and immediately head to the closest deli for lunch...we were starving! We walked across the street and went to the Stage Delicatessen & Restaurant for an amazing half sandwich and mom also had some soup. After we finally ate and were no longer potentially dying from starvation, we walked around the Times Square area. Since we had such an early morning today, we decided to come back to the hotel, take a little nap (it is vacation after all!), then we got up went to dinner at Ellen's Stardust Diner. A cute 50's themed diner complete with the wait staff dressed in 50's attire and they entertain you with their singing talents while you eat. Pretty cute little dinner and show...especially when you're just to tired to even want to think about doing anything else. Oh and we had this amazing Strawberry Shortcake dessert...huge...but the perfect way to end a nice meal. After dinner we walked around Times Square, went to the Hershey's store (you smell the chocolate as soon as you walk in!) bought some Hershey's Kisses with Mauna Loa Macadamia Nuts...ummm why don't they have these at home?!
So now we are calling it an early night! We have our day planned for tomorrow (I would tell you now, but I don't want to spoil tomorrow's blog! HA!) and have agreed to set no alarms while we are here. Just wake up and fly by the seat of our pants...perfect way to spend 5 days in NYC!
I am extremely excited to spend these 5 days with my mom and hoping that we will get to have lots of fun and no thoughts about work until we return!
Hope everyone has enjoyed this first entry to my blog, and I can see lots of crazy blogging madness in the future!
