Basden and Nettie's Great Adventure ~ NY, NY

Mama and Daboo took Basden and Nettie May on a "10-year-old Adventure" to New York, and I got to tag along. It was a fantastic handful of days ~ a few highlights we want to remember:

- Flying in felt like we were traveling to a foreign country




- Daboo's extensive research and planning


- Arrived at evening, driving from airport to hotel, using Uber for the first time ~ all new experiences

- First night ~ lovely pizza dinner

- Marriott Courtyard - spacious, clean and updated - 5 of us fit great


- Staying in heart of midtown, Manhattan. Short walk to Broadway, Central Park








- New Yorkers so helpful with subway, directions


- Difference between taking the subway at 10 am (crowded) and 7 pm (sardines)


- Girls aware and figuring it out. Basden having fun, but at this point wants nothing to do with living here.


- Empire State Building (effective for looking over the city, but very crowded)


- Macy's (spent much longer there than expected)


- Penelope's brunch with nutella french toast, good coffee, darling atmosphere


- Watching TCU game our second night curled up in bed ~ ready for a quiet evening

- Everywhere we went we met neat people with interesting backgrounds. Our young Uber driver from Turkey, so proud to be an American citizen. CA lady in Penelope's who flew in on an invitation for a horse race the day before, familiar with party scene in the Hamptons, very kind and happy for us

- Men and women going out of their way to help us on subway rides

- Basden and Nettie eating ice cream and cackling on the hotel room floor




- Walk-in delis where good food is ready available, easy to eat there or take with.


- Getting across Manhattan to the Statue of Liberty in the rain. Priceless $5 umbrellas.

- Chinatown

- Seeing Lady Liberty for the first time ~ made me a little weepy to see her up close, to imagine the history she's witnessed.




- Ellis Island. So interesting - imagining all the millions of immigrants coming through there. And America being divided on letting in "outcasts" and yet that's what the fabric of our country is comprised of. It's part of the great generosity of our country. It's what makes us grateful for liberty, justice and the pursuit of happiness.




- 911 museum. Disheartening to walk through a memorial museum of something that happened in my adult lifetime. Yet such a historical marker. The footprint memorial water gardens are just incredible. Personalized the museum beautifully. If I had a loved one die in the attacks, I think I would feel like their lives were represented and honored through the museum. Girls did great, took it all in, until we got to the medial room. The images of the planes hitting and people's responses got to be too much for their little 10-year-old minds. They were mature enough to handle and process the information, but seeing the images play out was too heavy - for all of us.




- Processing the beginnings of our country and celebration of freedom through Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, and then reliving 911 was a lot to take in in one day. Reminds us how precious that freedom is, and reignites the importance of fighting for it.

- How one life can make a difference- Pulitzer funding of Statue of Liberty's platform to stand her on.

- Wicked






- Shopping, shopping, and more shopping...






Meanwhile, at home, Corbin held the fort down and kids were breathing easy to be finished with school and out for SUMMER! 












Happy New York, Happy summer!

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