So I spent three days in Manhattan. There was so much more to do. But! I got to go to a gorgeous library, some very fine museums, ate some incredible food, saw some sights, and enjoyed a light dusting of evening snow in Central Park. Here are a few highlights:
The American Museum of Natural History: Dinosaurs and gemstones. There's a lot more than that but those were my favorites. And the ocean life. And the Seriously, who could not spend many days oggling the awesome? It became overwhelming fairly quickly. The brain becomes so full of wonder that stuff leaks out the bottom. We were so terribly, terribly footsore that we were limping, and yet we dragged our butts to the fourth floor after hours of hobbling for a last push through the land of prehistoric critters. Oh, and meteorites are amazing. Also, there's this trope in classic fairy tales where 'each (fill in the blank) was more beautiful (or amazing, or incredible) than the last.' The AMNH delivers that sensation. I had an opportunity to poke my head back in on Sunday, and so of course I took it. They were on the verge of closing and ushering people out, but we took refuge in a science display and lingered by the Willamette Meteorite until they started closing up the various displays.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art: (On Fifth Avenue) Mummies! And art!! And amazing furnished rooms! I saw maybe a quarter of the displays, and those at lightning speed. The collections are extremely well organized. And, like the AMNH, overwhelming in quantity and quality. Bonus: Central Park is right there. The park is gorgeous, and totally worth walking through while you're trying to stuff your overflowing brains back in through your ears.
Museum of Modern Art: So, two stories pretty much sum up my experience in this amazing musuem. I was walking through a room, looking at the amazing art, turned around, and there was Starry Starry Night. I audibly, literally gasped. And then, while following signs for the bathroom, I glanced to the side and stopped dead in my tracks. "No way …" On a random wall, on the way to the bathroom, "Christina's World" by Wyeth. So, legs crossed, trying not to pee my pants (okay, it wasn't that bad, but) I had to stop to take a picture. MoMA is like that over and over again. I loved it.
Okay, I could go on with more landmark highlights but let's move on to food!
Café Frida: OMG the delish! I had the chicken burrito, and my friend had the vegetable burrito. Sooo good. And the guacamole was amazing. Even the side salad that came with my burrito was outstanding. The leaves were all perfect, not a wilted or mashed one to be seen, and dressed to perfection. Highly, highly recommended. It's right behind AMNH.
Uncle Jack's: I don't know why this isn't rated a 5.1 on a 5 star scale (though it's got a decent rating and rave reviews all over the place.) The porterhouse that my DH and I split (it's listed on the menu as 'for two') was unbelievably juicy, flavorful, seasoned to perfection, and it was cooked to a true and real medium, not the medium that's served in restaurants that have a lot of people come in who order a medium and send it back because 'it's too bloody.' The seafood was fresh and yummy. The drinks were fab. The service was amazing. They took great care of us. And although it was crowded, we didn't do a lot of waiting around (though I may not have noticed because we were having such a good time.) This is not the sort of place that you dash in and dash back out anyway. The food is meant to be savored. Highly recommended (but be prepared, it is a very nice restaurant with high end restaurant prices.) (Also, be aware that some of the seafood is served raw, so if that's not your thing, ask before you order seafood items.)
I could go on for quite a bit longer, but I think this will do. Thanks for reading! I hope you get a chance to visit NYC, and in particular, Manhattan. I loved our room in the Wyndham New Yorker, btw. On the 33rd floor, there's a room where Nicola Tesla lived. How cool is that? Also, our view from the 36th floor was amazing. Yay!