A Northeaster: Part 1

In the spring, we decided to travel north in August -- an invitation to a family wedding in NYC quickly turned into a sightseeing tour of southern New England. At the time, we had no idea that we'd be moving overseas just weeks later; as the date for our trip neared, it seemed a foolish time to take a "vacation." But I'm so grateful we did, as it turned out to be a most enjoyable (if not particularly restful) getaway. A whirlwind of a trip: a Northeaster, if you will.

And so, we found ourselves at the Met on my 35th birthday! It was far too large to tackle in our one allotted day with many young children in tow, so I had selected our "must see" galleries ahead of time and mapped out our route with the Met's interactive map. Of course, I managed to forget said map... but the fact that I was able to accurately recreate the route on the spot says something about how much time I'd spent working it all out! *wink* We asked if they had a military discount, and the gentleman behind the ticket counter didn't charge us at all -- an unexpected boon, for which we were most grateful (lodging and food and activities for a party of seven adds up rather quickly).

  

Navigating buses and the subway was an adventure,
but happily we didn't have any issues! Laddie spotted
a rat, and all of the children were a bit put off by the 
lack of cleanliness...

We made it just before they closed the Van Gogh "Cypresses" exhibit -- "Starry Night"
was on loan from the MOMA just down the way, and I was so happy that we got to see
it in person. It feels surreal to view such famous pieces of art in person; even beautiful
reproductions just can't compare to the real thing.

Washington Crossing the Delaware -- absolutely massive, it dominates the entire gallery

Egyptian funerary boat from a tomb. There were a number of mummies, to
Rosa's dismay. *wink*

Tiffany stained glass, always exquisite

"Think of the scariest animal you know so we can frighten our enemies..."

Do I need an armor skirt? I think I might...

King Henry VIII's armor -- the man was massive!

Childe Hassam, one of my favorite Impressionists

John Singer Sargent is my favorite portrait artist,
and they had some really lovely pieces at the Met!

The Met itself is so lovely, full of courtyards and corridors

We all love Monet, so we were delighted to see one of the 12
water lily bridge paintings he made during the summer of 1899

I've seen prints of this portrait before, but the colors in the actual painting were
shockingly vibrant and beautiful.

The Wisteria Room -- I loved how many entire rooms there were at the Met (and if
they're Art Nouveau, so much the better *wink*)

Degas was a must-see!

Another of Van Gogh's "Cypress" paintings -- so mesmerizing. I've never considered
myself a fan of Van Gogh, but this exhibit may have converted me.

After the Met, we moved on to Central Park. It was drizzly, so not the ideal day for outdoor adventures. But we managed to visit Balto and ride the carousel before a trip to the LEGO store!

I snuggled a sleepy baby while the little rode the carousel -- not a bad way
to spend a birthday!

The next day, we joined up with family to visit Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. Fortunately the weather was lovely! The historic train station was beautiful in decay, and Ellis Island was fascinating. I'd love to find out if any of my ancestors came through there when they immigrated to America. 

This photo of a young woman working in a textile factory captured
my interest -- it's so strange to be able to gaze into the eyes
of someone who lived in the past, and wonder about her story.

The stairwells at Ellis Island were paved with 
the most beautiful black stone

Kit enjoyed stretching his legs on Liberty Island!

We didn't realize at the time that the little insects we saw everywhere were invasive lantern flies!
They have beautiful red wings when they're flying, but apparently they're quite a problem. 

The beautiful New York City skyline from the Statue of Liberty

A view of Ellis Island

What a beautiful setting for a wedding!

Goodnight, NYC

For part 2 of our New England adventure, read here.

Last Looks

While I always look forward to the new adventures that come with military life, the farewells aren't easy. We've been blessed to find welcoming church families and friends every time we've moved, and I don't love leaving them behind (though there's always the hope of reunions, either here or in heaven!). But there are also the places. While I didn't get to say "goodbye" to every favorite spot, I'm so glad we managed a last visit to this woodland wonderland -- and yes, these pictures are from early June, but I'm feeling "nostalgic"...

I wish you could smell the aroma of the sun-warmed pine needles!

Still snowcapped in June

Lupine will always hold a special place in my heart!

Much as I love the beauty of the east coast, I'll miss these icy mountain rivers

Snow plant, an unusual parasitic flower (notice the absence of green leaves)

Whitewater

Little details, all tributes to God's glory

 

Wild Side

It's been a while since we've been to a zoo, so we took advantage of a beautiful spring day to visit a local wildlife refuge. 

I could not get over how huge the cheetahs' eyes were -- huge, luminous, mesmerizing orbs. Pictures do not do them justice!

This prickly fellow was ensconced in his log, and barely opened his eyes! But we admired him, nonetheless:

The zookeeper spent a good 15 minutes just setting out the brown bear's snack! Fruit stuffed in every cavity and crevice -- it was quite amusing to watch her sniff out every last piece.

Magnificent creature:

Um, pardon me, but there's a little salad on your chin...

Not the most exotic of critters, but the raccoon was quite amusing and very active!

This fellow was sleepy, but he did open his eyes a few times:

As a bonus, we saw a bison ranch on our way to the refuge and this little one was having his (or her?) lunch:

Such a stunning day! Happily, we were able to spot most of the animals, with only a few shy (or sleepy) residents. 

The littles enjoyed themselves immensely -- Scout kept asking if we could go home, and then the next day asked if we could go back...  We did eventually make it home, though sometimes I think our "zoo" is a little more wild than the animal refuge! *wink*