10/1-10/2: NYC Manhatten Edition

The most adventurous part of NYC was probably the entry! We paid $14 in tolls to cross a bridge...FOURTEEN!!! Then we arrived at my (Nicole's) extended family's apartment and had to unload EVERYTHING from our car. Normally this would be an semi-easy task, but since we currently have our lives in our cars, it took two full bellman's carts to get it all up! The waiting chili made all of the work worth it ;)

It was wonderful to get to know people from my extended family who I didn't know before. :)

We spent one main day in NYC. But we filled it with as many things as we could! Our day started with a rush hour ride on the subway. It was exhilarating! We got off on Wall St where it began to pour rain. Thankful for rain coats and umbrellas! On Wall St we met in front of the Federal building where our Free Tours by Foot tour began. We learned how Wall St was named because of a wall that used to stand there as a defense for the city. Sadly it was a poor diffence because people ended up walking around it. :P The wood squares where the posts of the wall can still be seen!

We proceeded to walk around lower Manhattan on our tour. We enjoyed getting to know our fellow tourists who flew in from England and Scotland. :) This included Chinatown (where we bought a yummy stuffed bun!) and Little Italy. We learned history about immigration in the city as well as how different neighborhoods have changed over time. We stood in front of a church that had a breath-taking view of the One World Trade Center. This church was the only building not affected by the crash of the twin towers in 2001. Because it was spared, the rescue efforts were based there. God's hand of protection and provision are everywhere...even in the midst of the worst of tragedy. 

After the tour we went to the 9/11 memorial. Here is what I posted on Facebook right after we saw it: 'The 9/11 memorial right next to the One World Trade Center. One of the most humbling experiences of my life. As we walked here a man stopped to look up at the One World Trade Center. He said he's lived here his whole life but still it takes his breath away. He said he has worked at 2 world trade centers. I can only imagine what his 2001 story is. It puts this into perspective. 

Here so many lives were lost and our country faced attack. Yet they have transformed it into a tranquil oasis. Beauty from ashes. I cannot help stop and remember where I was that fateful day. #neverforget'

Then we hopped back on the subway to go to Times Square! It was surreal to actually be IN Times Square!! Alyssa first noticed the ball that drops on New Year's. We wandered around for a bit taking in all of the sites. 

Before we left that area we stopped by Radio City Music Hall to check it out. :) We are both are fans of America's Got Talent so it was fun to see where it takes place, even if it was from the outside. 

Then we walked to Central Park to conclude our day. Our legs and feet were tired but we enjoyed the views all the same. Incredible that a park like that could exist inside a city! We loved it!

Our last stretch was to walk back to the apartment where we were staying! This brought our total up to nearly 11 miles that day! We arrived exhausted but happy. It was an incredible day!