Central Park, Museum, & Julliard

Another fun day for us here in New York. We started off with a timeshare presentation at the Hilton Club. Abi and Lily waited for us. 

It was a nice little talk, and if we frequented NY I'd have been tempted to consider signing up, but we decided not today. We all had a nice little complimentary lunch. After that we walked over to explore Central Park. As we entered the park, a nice guy from France sweet talked us into another petty cab to allow us time to see more in the Park. 

It was less $ than our bike ride last night, and about 40 minutes longer than that ride, so it was good, with the bonus of our rider/driver giving us a little history tour on all the movie scenes that have been filmed here.

The "How Does She Know" song from Enchanted was filmed in Central Park, and ended at the Bethesda Terrace. So that song was stuck in our head for a while.

Under the street looking at the Milton Tiles.

At the Bethesda Fountain. 

There were lots of cute little turtles in the green water. 

So we were excited about those cute little guys.

Next our driver took us over to Cherry Hill where he parked and waited for us, and we walked over to the Bow Bridge. 

Walking back to our ride.

After that we went to the American Museum of Natural History. 

I was lucky to get in cause they required proof of vaccination, but I left my card in my wallet back at the room! I didn't want to carry my whole wallet around so I almost messed things up there. I searched my email for the confirmations of my appointments from in the spring, and luckily that was enough proof that she let me in. Phew! Walking around the museum was mostly fun except for Abi was getting impatient and a little bored, but Lily liked it. Abi said to Corey "Lily likes it cause she likes stuffed animals. Have you seen her bed? She has a lot of stuffed animals." 

Corey - "You're right, this is just a big stuffed animal museum, huh!" . Corey said "This would be cooler if the animals were real..." A funny thing that Lily said after seeing these little clay molds... "How do we know all these things weren't just some kid playing around with clay?"

"...cause that's what I would make if I had clay..." Corey also made me laugh in the reptiles and amphibian hall at all the variety of frogs, and snakes, and turtles, and salamanders, when I heard him say “At what point do you say ‘Allright, that’s enough variety’?” - as if he was pondering God’s work room. When do you call it good? Ha. 

Walking out to go see the "Worlds Beyond Earth" in the Hayden Planetarium. Wait, one more picture by the Olmec Head replica! I have one of Corey by a head in a museum in Mexico, yay, I got a match.

The movie was cool. Then we tried to see a little more, but the girls were tired. I think we saw a lot of the museum for only being there for a few hours, but there was still so much we didn't see. I didn't know of the Gem and Mineral exhibit until it had closed, and I really wish we had seen that. I remember seeing that at the Smithsonian when we lived in Virginia and I thought it was so cool. So it was great, and I wish I had time to see more and understand it all. I wish I could travel back in time to see all these nations and people and cultures. 

I'd like a vision of it all like Moses had, and I imagine I'd like it to be similar to how the movie was in the planetarium. Just have it all wash over me and  That would be cool. After the Museum, we walked to Julliard. We walked past the temple on the way. 

We love seeing that angel Moroni!

At Julliard, we went to the Paul Hall for a free piano recital. 

We enjoyed two of Beethoven's Piano Concerts - Pinao Concerto No. 1 in C Major, Op. 15 -  I Allegro con brio by Biguo Xing on Piano, and then II - Largo by Shangru Du. I was amazed by the violists, Ji Hyun Baik and Kenta Nomura. Also Maddie Pintoff on Viola, Fiona Cheng on Cello, and Blake Hilley on Bass. I thought the way the Bass guy holds his bow looked really different from how it's held on the violin and cello. Anyway, that was fun, then we walked a bit.

We got Abi and Lily some street food - Lily got a hot dog and Abi some chicken over rice. 

Ok, that's enough walking, let's take the subway.

Corey tested their knowledge for buying tickets. Then we waited a long time it seemed like for the train. Back at the hotel, we dropped off the girls and then Corey and I went out to eat for date night. We walked and found a nice place - Darbar Grill. Good Indian food! It was delicious and we have some left over for breakfast tomorrow. Now it's 11pm, we've been watching Running Wild with Bear Grylls. We watched two episodes with Don Cheadle and Brie Larson. It was really fun. I like seeing actors do reality tv, especially ones that play super heroes! I was really impressed with both of them, but especially Brie for eating a grub like it was nothing... I would have gagged. Fun stuff. Ok, time for bed. we are going to see the Statue of Liberty in the morning at 10. Goodnight.