Last day in NYC

The whirlwind adventure didn't stop for our last day in NYC... if anything, we sped up! Jill continued as our tour guide, helping us navigate the city, above ground and below.
On Jill's suggestion, we took a tour at the Tenement Museum for a great history lesson:
Lunch at nearby Bruschetteria:
Amazing brunch for $12:
On the move again:
Staten Island Ferry:
Ground Zero:
Street performers:
Brooklyn Bridge: (Notice the dark sky? It finally rained for a few minutes but didn't really clear the air.)
Little Italy:
Dinner with the whole fam:
Dessert across the street:
Jill said she had been dreaming about this peanut butter gelato thingy:
More performers to entertain us on our walk to Penn Station:
Our last train trip out of the city:
We got in late and then packed for our very early departure. We squeezed in a little sleep before our cab came at 3:30 a.m. for the long drive to JFK. And the adventure didn't end there... we sat in the plane for 2+ hours before the mechanical problem was resolved and we were allowed to take off. We flew to San Francisco and sat on our connecting plane for another 2+ hours before its mechanical issues were fixed. Yikes. Soooo tired.... zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Overall, it was a very fun trip and a great adventure! But we were glad to be home and out of the East Coast humidity. Thanks, Mom and Dad for taking us on a good, old-fashioned family vacation! Happy Anniversary :)

Tour Guide Jill

Brad's sis, Jill, has lived in NYC for five years, first moving to the city to earn a master's degree from Columbia University and then putting down roots. I've been to New York a couple times, but this was Brad's first visit. Thankfully, Jill was available to show us around... and boy did we see a lot! Here are some of the highlights.
From the Top of the Rock observation decks:
Back down on Earth:
That's where we were, way up on top:
Lunch at a very NYC deli. Veggie panini for me and Jill:
A bunch of different salads, sold by the pound, for Brad:
Lego Chewbacca at FAO Schwarz:
The gift shop after our NBC studio tour:
Jill's apartment on the Upper East Side:
It's actually pretty spacious and really nice! Lots of windows.
The cat was fascinated by Brad's camera and kept getting very close:
Hercules, the roommate's dog:
We had dinner at a favorite place right by her house. Very good food!
And we got to meet the beau, Ben:
After dinner, we strolled to Central Park right near her home for even more photos:
And then the Guggenheim:
And the Met:
A quick stop at Times Square on the way to the train station:
We stayed in New Jersey and took two quick train rides to our hotel: Penn Station to Secaucus Junction to East Rutherford. And then a short walk from the train station to our hotel.
:)