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Day 6: 42nd Street

Today we walked along 42nd Street in Manhattan, beginning at Times Square, and walking east toward Bryant Park and the New York Public Library and, finally, Grand Central Station. Neil and Grandpa opted to sit this adventure out to allow Neil's blisters a chance to heal.

At Times Square we went inside Toys R Us, the M&M store, and the Hershey's store. Like everything at Times Square, these establishments have many features that are larger than life. Garrett loves the giant T-rex at Toys R Us, he desperately wished we'd buy him some M&Ms (which, because they were $12.99 a pound, we didn't), and was mesmerized by the steering wheel cranks on the Hershey's chocolate machine.

We arrived at Bryant Park in time for lunch, which today was more street meat -- lamb gyros for Blake, Joyce, and I, and a hot dog for Garrett. After a pit stop in the most amazing park restroom I have ever seen (this place is seriously better than the public restroom in the Plaza Hotel), we stepped inside the New York Public Library to see the original Winnie-the-Pooh dolls. I stayed with Garrett and Caleb in the children's room while Blake showed his mom the rest the awesome architecture in the library.

In Grand Central we showed off the Main Concourse, and then stepped into the Transit Museum Annex which right now is boasting a really cool exhibit. Apparently during excavation for an extension of the South Ferry subway station, some incredible artifacts were uncovered, including the Battery Wall and Whitehall Slip, as well as a variety of items proving that people have been calling New York City home for nearly 400 years. On display were pictures of the archaeological excavation and a collection of items that had been uncovered. I thought it was fascinating.

On Broadway in Times Square.

With T-Rex in Toys R Us. Every time it would roar, Garrett would run back to watch it.

Trying to steal M&Ms.

Cranking the chocolate machine in the Hershey's store.

The excitement of Times Square was too much for Caleb.

Eating lunch in Bryant Park.

The original Winnie-the-Pooh dolls are housed at the main branch of the New York Public Library.

Garrett put that Pooh bear in the background on the chair, gave it a book to read, then got settled down to read a book himself.

A typical scene while we hung out in the children's room.

The Main Concourse at Grand Central Station.

And so ends our adventures with Gary, Joyce, and Neil. They head back to Texas early early tomorrow morning. We've done a lot this week with them, and we've had a lot of fun. But they haven't seen everything New York City has to offer, so hopefully they'll come back again someday.