20111220 - Night in NYC

20111220 - Up and met the guys for breakfast.  Then into the site for all day meetings.  It was a really cool factory and they had tons of high tech body replacement parts.  We had really good meetings and I learned a lot.  We got out a bit early and Rick and I went to the hotel in Newark.  We checked in and then ventured out.  We took the trains and subway into NYC and came out at the World Trade Center Memorial.  We arranged tickets from the hotel and joined the line of people to get in through HEAVY security.  It was AMAZING.  the pools are very dramatic lined with the names of those that died in the attacks.  There were several of the steel columns burned and bent encased in glass to see and it was all very sobering and overwhelming.




We walked around the pools for a bit and then headed back down into the subway.  We came back up right in Times Square!  What a magnificent site.  The languages being spoken the pictures flashing and people all around just amazed and happy to be there is so very cool.  The New Years Eve Ball was all lit up and ready to do its job in a few days.  (Clink to see a 360 view of Times Square)

On we walked to Rockefeller Plaza.  You have NEVER seen a Christmas tree until you have seen this one.  Come to think of it I am not sure there was really a tree there; there were so many lights you couldn't even see the green part.  But it is magnificent. There people ice skating and light shows on the sides of the buildings.  I hadn't been there since Lori and Gma&paW I were all up there for my cousin Mark and Beatrice's wedding.

From here we took a stroll down 5th Avenue looking in the shop windows, catching a glimpse of the Chrysler building and made our way to the Empire State Building.  We were going to go up but we decided to save that for when we had the wives with us.  Back on the subways and trains to the hotel and a very late dinner.