Thank You, Thank You Very Much

Just like a book, the author of this blog would like to take a few moments to acknowledge some wonderful people...

First, the best travel buddy and partner in life...EVER!  My husband Guy (doesn't he look great in his "Indiana Jones" hat?)  He is so lovely to travel with on a daily basis and even more so when we journey far from home.  The best part of any of the states we visit is disconnecting from our "same ole, same ole" and discovering new territory with my husband. 

Guy makes me laugh and always has a handkerchief when I cry.  He enjoys fine dining and "hole-in-the-wall" joints.  Guy lets me reserve the best room  in the inn and drives the rental car wherever Map Quest points us.  He loves to visit museums and baseball parks.  Guy even lets me buy one more poster when he really believes "we have run out of wall space!"  And he loves to ride trains...(coming soon in the New Mexico post.) 

Guy is...Simply the Best!

Next, my good friend and best blog tutor...EVER!  Sara, (pictured here with her beautiful family), is my great friend, indeed I think of her as family.  And if you are enjoying this blog she's the one to thank...she taught me all I know about blogging.  Sara has generously shared her family, home, insights and skills with me for the past 6 years and I treasure every one of those moments.  Especially those with Ri and K!

Sara is...Better than all the rest! 



And now related to our recent trip to State # 32, our sincere thanks to...

• Scott Law - he risked his life on icy streets to give me the best hair style...EVER!
• Anita & Stephen - they took care of our home and are the best next door neighbors...EVER!
• Chickie & Tom - true New Yorkers and gave the best travel advice...EVER!
• Claci & Jeff - neighbors, Equity actors and gave the best advice on Broadway musicals...EVER!
• Haley Gordon - the MK package waiting in our room and the best limo service...EVER!

And now from my snowbound home that is quickly thawing out; I send you thanks for your kindness.  It will be long remembered.  You all are..."Simply the best!" 

In addition, photos displayed on this blog, not taken with our camera, were provided by:

• Tanner Photography - http://tannerphotography.com/
• Broadway.com - http://www.broadway.com/
• Bravo TV - http://www.bravotv.com/top-chef/bio/eric-ripert
• Sara' s Blog

January 10, 2011

Every 45 years there is a snow event on my birthday.  My 10th birthday party was cancelled on account of snow, in Baton Rouge!  And now this.  I can safely say that it will NOT snow on this date until I am 100 years old...hope you all enjoy it!


Next time...Land of Enchantment

Dining Destinations

Cartier

Window shopping sure works up an appetite!  And NYC is regarded as one of the finest dining destinations in the world.

Tommy Hilfiger

Our 50 state alphabetical tour affords us the opportunity to sample some of our country's finest restaurants and fun eateries.  I love to research the places we visit to find the highest reviewed and local favorites when it comes to eating out.  No surprises here...NYC is a marvelous location for dining.  (Thank you former New Yorkers for your suggestions!)  Following is a list of restaurants that we enjoyed while visiting NYC and I have included a link if you would like to know more: 

Bill's Piano Bar - across the street from our hotel
http://www.billsnyc.com/

 Monkey Bar - inside Hotel Elysee

http://monkeybarnewyork.com/

Virgil's Real Barbecue - Times Square

http://virgilsbbq.com/

Flip Burger - inside Bloomingdale's @ 59th

http://www.examiner.com/freelance-artist-in-national/flip-burger-opens-bloomingdale-s

Slice of New York Pizza - 8th Avenue

http://local.yahoo.com/info-11151140-a-slice-of-new-york-new-york

Cafe Boulud - Upper East Side

http://www.danielnyc.com/cafebouludny.html#intro

'wichcraft - Rockefeller Plaza

http://wichcraftnyc.com/

Serendipity 3 - 60th between 2nd & 3rd

http://serendipity3.com/

Le Bernardin - Theater District

http://www.le-bernardin.com/



Just a quick review of each place -

• Bill's - charming speakeasy, good bar food and Gena Rowlands at the neighboring table!
• Monkey Bar - if you watch "Mad Men" you've seen this bar!  Great murals and grilled cheese.
• Virgil's - you will think you are in the South.  Good barbecue and large portions.
• Flip - Create your own burger and unique milkshake flavors.
• Slice of New York - delicious pizza by the slice.  Eat here after seeing "Billy Elliot."
• Cafe Boulud - chic place for a delicious Sunday Brunch.  Delectable brioche!
• 'wichcraft - quick hot sandwiches.  Wonderful hot chocolate near the skating rink.
• Serendipity 3 - FROZEN HOT CHOCOLATE...YUM!

Ladies and gentleman, may I introduce Eric Ripert...the chef and owner of Le Bernardin.  Throughout all 32 states this was the most extraordinary dining experience we have ever had the pleasure of enjoying.  (And the most expensive - don't ask, we won't tell you!)  Sorry, no photos allowed in the restaurant; but take my word for it, this gorgeous dining room was elegantly decorated for the holidays. 

The service was impeccable.  (What's not to love...attractive men dressed in black suits and speaking with French accents.)  Evidently they are all New Yorkers - NO rude behavior here!  Our meal was simply sublime!  Seven courses, all fish, except the dessert course.

And much to my delight, after completing our 3rd course what to my wondering eyes should appear?

The chef in the dining room!

I am happy to report that I am the proud owner of an autographed menu and cookbook from Chef Eric Ripert.  (And he pronounces my name..."Leeezz"!)

 



So ends another post from my snowbound home.  (Day 4) 

Next time...Thank You, Thank You Very Much!

Give Our Regards to Broadway!

In my first post I mentioned that we saw 5 Broadway shows.  Did you know a Broadway show is a theatre seating 500+ and Off-Broadway is 499 or less?  (Thanks Claci & Jeff for all of your theatre advice!)

Our first show was WICKED...which was magnetic!  (The audience literally leaned closer to the stage with each number.)  If you have the opportunity, see this show at the Gershwin Theatre.  Guy always looks for set design and he was amazed by this set and special effects.  (And no superheroes fell to the stage!)  The story was enchanting.  And on this particular evening the cast was spot-on perfect and they KNEW it! 

The leads, Elphaba and Galinda were magical!  And the shoes were silver not ruby.  (We learned that in Kansas - State # 16.) 

On a related note, the Gershwin was the newest and most comfortable theatre we attended.

*Did you know Salma Hayek is developing an 8-part mini-series of Wicked for television?
 

  
Our next theatrical production was Guy's choice and his absolute favorite.  (Because he grew up with this music.)

We had tickets for a Saturday matinee at the August Wilson Theatre.  The music was phenomenal!  Of course, we recognized all the great songs and got the jokes.  (If you need the 60's humor explained - Guy will gladly accompany you.)   Who knew a young Joe Pesci played a role in putting this group together?

Next on our list...Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular Starring the Rockettes.  (How's that for a title?)  If you visit NYC at Christmas, this is mandatory.

First, the theater itself is part of the show; it's gorgeous.  (And you can have your photo taken with a Rockette.)  Speaking of...they were FLAWLESS!  Our favorite number was the actual rolling tour bus in NYC with the Rockettes dancing on board.  

A large part of the fun was watching the children in the audience.  (All dressed up in their Santa photo outfits!)  And the live camels, donkeys and sheep in the nativity scene.

We exited the theatre into Rockefeller Plaza and became part of a tidal wave of human beings.  The Saturday night before Christmas; apparently every one wants to see the tree and skating rink.  (This rink is so tiny in real life. Must be where the saying "rinky dink" comes from.)





And then we saw the most amazing stage production EVER! 

(A note to parents:  Although this show has a dozen children in the cast it is not for kids.  Evidently the Brits have no problem with children hearing or saying the F-word!)

The story of a boy who is better in dance class than boxing lessons; Billy insists he is "NOT A PUFF!"  And the choreography brilliantly depicts his struggle...with himself, his family and the world around him.

Due to child labor laws there are 3 different boys cast as Billy.  The night we were at the Imperial Theatre, Billy was played by Jacob Clemente.  A supremely talented young man.  His solo performance that started as an angry tap dance evolving into an elegant ballet, moved me to tears and shouts of Bravo!


*We discovered that a large portion of the population of France travels to NYC the week before Christmas.  (Must be a rule!)  This was comically evident at this production.  Two adults and 8 teenagers were seated all around us...none of them spoke English.  The usher gave up trying to tell them they could not smoke or bring in pastries.  The girl on Guy's left even fell asleep on his shoulder!  We adopted a saying during our trip, each time we encountered rude behavior we just said, "Oh, it's the FRENCH!"  New Yorkers were delightful...their reputation is undeserved.


On our final night in NYC we made our way to the Nederlander Theatre for a show you may not know...

Let me set the scene.  "It is December 4, 1956, (I was 11 months old and Guy was 4), in Memphis, Tennessee at a small recording studio called Sun Records, a quartet of soon-to-be superstars meets for a jam session."  Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis come together for a one-time performance of their greatest hits.  The cast re-enacts this legendary event right before your eyes...and no one is faking it.  All the music is live and these men can really play their guitars and "pie-an-o!" 

The actor playing Jerry (Levi Kreis) won the Tony award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical!

We had the pleasure of sitting with 4 high school teachers from White Plains and their 36 students for this performance.  The kids were being "exposed to real music" according to their teachers.  This show was great fun and we had a great time watching these kids.  (All New Yorkers, not French!)

After exiting the theatre we took one last walk through Times Square and made one last pass by the store windows at Saks Fifth Avenue.  (My personal favorite!)

Hope you enjoy the photos!

Spent so much time outside admiring the window displays...never went inside to shop!

This little girl with pink hair had magical bookshelves that revealed 3 mannequins dressed in stunning gowns.  (I wish you could see the shoes!)














Speaking of shoes, I have not had any on for three days.  We are SNOWBOUND!  And on that note I will end this post...next time DINING DESTINATIONS!

Welcome to a new civiLIZation!

On the occasion of the 55th anniversary of my birth I am launching a blog! 

I can still learn new tricks! 

You have received an invitation to my blog because you are family or a valued friend. 

I am fond of saying "my advice is worth the same thing I'm charging you for it."  This quote also applies to my blog.  My thoughts regarding family, friends, home, garden, food, movies, TV, music, geneaology, books, theatre, travel and other topics will be FREE.  Now you will be able to choose which, if any, of my thoughts you wish to hear.

So, where do we go from here?  As it turns out, we just returned from New York...State #32!
You know the story don't you...

See AMERICA First!

A little over 14 years ago, at the New Orleans style "funeral" for Liz's Hallmark Shop, we were dared to visit all 50 states...in ALPHABETICAL order!  As you know we took that dare, seeing as how Alabama was the first state on the list (right next door.)  We thought it would be easy (and we might have had a little too much to drink!)  At any rate, in 1996 we began Liz & Guy's Excellent Adventure!  Let's review... 

December 2010 - State #32 - NEW YORK



On top of the Empire State Building

When it came time to visit State # 32, we wanted to see New York City all dressed up for Christmas.  So we spent 6 days in the Big Apple seeing as much as we possibly could.  We attended 5 Broadway shows, visited 2 museums, toured 6 landmark sites and dined in 5 very good restaurants and spent the Saturday before Christmas shopping on 5th Avenue!  We had one fabulous dining experience!  Thank you, Eric Ripert! 

And a partridge in a pear tree!

  We took all of these photos!

For all of you making recommendations for my very first visit to NYC...my heartfelt gratitude!  Without you I'm sure we would have missed out on something wonderful.  And I strongly recommend Frommer's Travel Guides for your travel research!  As always, we flew Delta...we love our hometown airline!  And while I'm on the subject of our hometown; we love the Atlanta Airport!  We have seen many domestic airports in our travels but none of them compare with the "Several Dead Mayors" airport here in ATL!





We love this hotel!
http://www.elyseehotel.com/

 If you are traveling to NYC we would like to recommend a marvelous boutique hotel...Hotel Elysee!  Right in the heart of midtown and dwarfed by glass towers on either side; it is small and discreet.  A hotel since 1926, the rooms have a nice size and modern bathrooms done in marble!  In the hotel Club Room a complimentary continental breakfast is served each morning and on weekday evenings a complimentary wine and cheese reception is held.  Every member of the staff was gracious and charming. (Evidently a great sense of humor is required!)

You can't possibly see all NYC has to offer in 6 days but thanks to all of your recommendations we saw the best! (Besides I need an excuse to go back.)  On your way to the top of the ESB remember to admire the beautiful art deco lobby.  Architecture in NYC was one of our favorite attractions!  The library was amazing!  You have to see Times Square in person! (Look closely and you can see the ball.)  And the tree in Rockefeller Plaza is beautiful but smaller in real life. (I guess the TV cameras add 10 pounds!) 

 

The Met was gorgeous inside and out!  Be sure to go on a Sunday morning; (opens at 9:30), we had 3 galleries all to ourselves! (Monet, Renoir & Degas)  Tour for 3 hours and then leave for Sunday Brunch at Cafe Boulud; (12 block walk) and return to The Met via Central Park.  We stayed 3 more hours and hardly saw it all.  Of course, some of that time we were shopping in the best museum store EVER!  When you visit the Statue of Liberty you should be on the first ferry of the morning. (Thanks, Chickie!)  However, you should know this was the coldest Guy and I have EVER been in our lives!  While standing in Battery Park waiting for the Statue Cruise my right foot FROZE to the ground!  As expected Lady Liberty was awesome!  (Note: In November 2011 the statue will close for 9 months for extensive remodeling of the stairs & elevators.)  When you visit it is worth taking the time to see Ellis Island (same boat, different island); I loved looking up my ancestors who came to this country through here at the Family History Center.

After Ellis Island we took a short walk to the WTC site.  I had an emotional moment here...the scale of tragedy on 9/11 was revisited on both of us.  We were inspired by the working construction site and busy New Yorkers moving on with their lives within steps of the Tribute Wall.  A couple of blocks north and we were inside Trinity Church; here was the reverential awe for NYC's tragic loss.  The next morning we visited Grand Central Station; beautiful art deco building, absolutely thriving with commuters and sightseers!  We caught a cab and took a wild ride to the American Museum of Natural History. (AKA: Larry Daley's museum - according to our grandson!)

This museum covers four blocks!  I think we could have spent our entire vacation here and still not seen it all!  We went to a place "no Guy had gone before"...the Planetarium!  And saw incredible displays of animals in beautiful dioramas; (Guy's favorite!)  A special exhibit was a walk through Brain; amazing interactive display!  And my favorite...The Butterfly Conservancy!  A hothouse filled with over 500 butterflies!  Enjoy the photos and then I will tell you a funny story...



Guy took these photos!

 So, after you have wandered around admiring these beautiful creatures for about 10 minutes they get curious and decide to "admire" you!  One beautiful specimen landed right on my diamond bracelet!  I named her Tiffany because she loved the bling!  (Besides butterflies are the inspiration for stained glass!)

Tiffany

After Guy took this photo he moved on.  You are instructed NOT to touch the butterflies so I remained still and other tourists enjoyed Tiffany communing with my bracelet.  Now here is the funny part...a large Blue Morpho decided to commune with Guy in an unexpected place!  Now I'm about 15 feet away with my own butterfly and a total stranger grabs Guy's camera and she says "Let me take a picture!"  Her daughter declares loudly "That butterfly is drinking your husband's pants!"  And tourists descend from all over to photograph Guy and his new friend!

This is the only photo on our camera but there must be a couple of dozen of these in the world somewhere!  (Some of the tourists were speaking French and German)















On that note I will end my first post on this inaugural issue of my blog.  Next time...Give Our Regards To Broadway!