NYC Day Two, Oct. 21, '10

We had another great, fun-filled day in the Big Apple today.

We got up at a reasonable hour and had breakfast, visited, got ready, and Luke and Ryan did a little business. Then we hit the streets and started a tour of the West Side by walking through this great Chinatown area to get to the office. We met a couple of the other tour guides, they all seemed very nice, and had an informal tour from Luke as we strolled along the streets. And of course we stopped and had a little lunch in a great place in Chinatown. We ordered a dish called Soup-filled Dumplings. I don't know how they did it but they came in a bamboo steamer and were not in liquid. The soup was in the inside of them with pieces of pork. Delicious!

It seems that almost every nook and corner of this island has some sort of history to it and Luke knows them all.

From China town we walked into Little Italy. Where we Luke bought us a couple of the best pastries I've had and we sampled as we walked along. We went into a bar that many scenes of the Soprano's was shot. Where there was real Mafia history. And there were so many stories as we walked we would never remember them.

From Little Italy we wandered into SoHo, and from there into Greenwich Village. Walking, walking and walking mixed in with the talking. We took the subway to the Bronx where we got to go to game 5 of the MLB play-offs with the Yankees and the Texas Rangers. We were so squished into the subway that I have a couple of new best friends we were so close. And when it rolled and rocked, it didn't matter because we were so packed in that there was no room to fall.

Yankee Stadium was so much fun! Enormous! And it was interesting to be there and get some of the flavor of intense fans being there to cheer on their team. (Also we had a little flavor of sausage dogs in the stadium.)

Ryan said that on Monday night when he and Luke left the game after a very downheartening loss it was a very subdued crowd to be in. Tonight with a win everyone was so excited and happy. I am so glad we went.

After the game we met a coupld of their friends in a little place on the west side by Central Park and visited and had a little dinner.

I love to be on vacation. I don't need to make a plan to go from where to where. I just want to know where we are going from food to food!

Ahhhhh, this is the good life!

I just want to let you all know I love taking the subway. There is something about the smell of the hot engines, dust, metal, and the train rushing along that makes me feel like life is a great adventure. Maybe it is because the only times I have taken them, we have been on great adventures. I am glad I have a few more opportunities to use them before we have to leave this amazing, busy city.

I love you and miss you all!