New York, New York Day 2

Our first full day in New York started by having a great breakfast in lower Manhattan at a little coffee house before heading to the the World Trade Center Memorial.  It was a cold and rainy day, which matched the somber mood of the memorial.  I have been to the memorial twice and I was still fighting back tears looking at all of those innocent people's names, especially the names of women who were pregnant (it says something like "Jane Doe and her unborn child").  I remember speaking with some survivors of the attacks when I was living and New York who said that they have never gone back to Lower Manhattan and never intend on going to the Memorial.  I can understand why because it is so emotional, even for me and I wasn't there and didn't know anyone personally.

This is St. Paul's Chapel.  It was built in 1766 and George Washington prayed here.  I was told during a tour of Manhattan that it should have been destroyed twice: once during the Great New York Fire of 1776 and the second time during the September 11th attacks.

I had plenty of things planned to do in Lower Manhattan, but since the weather was not cooperating, we headed to the one museum that I knew was open on Mondays: Natural History Museum.  Luckily for us, it was the end of the year so every school had their kids on end of the year field trips.  There were many, many elementary and junior high aged kids roaming around the museum.  At one point, one junior high kid even got lost (but I think he just wandered into the hall of human evolution and was looking at the females, haha.  He was found safe and sound or I wouldn't be making a joke.)

Mom and Dad with a Turtle.  I think Mom wanted to take him home with her, haha

Mom and Me with the African Elephants

Mom in front of the subway entrance 

Since it stopped raining, we decided to take a little walk in Central Park.  I think I wore Mom and Dad out and we ended up people watching on 5th Ave, which is always fun!!  I had to hurry back to the hotel after our day at the museum because I was reconnecting with an old friend after not seeing each other for six-and-a-half years and not talking in about five years.  It was as if no time had passed and we had the most wonderful night, but I won't bore you with the details.  Mom and Dad decided not to venture out into the the streets of New York without me and had dinner at the hotel.  I hear that the Brazilian BBQ was amazing!!