BGWoody's "Life on the Mountain": A Week in New York City

Last July, without my having any idea, Dennis planned a Christmas/New Year's Eve/Birthday surprise for me. He booked first class plane tickets, bought tickets to three Broadway shows and reserved a room for seven nights overlooking Times Square in our favorite hotel . The plan remained a secret until mid-November when American Express accidentally sent an e-mail to my address, confirming a gift certificate he had purchased for me at Bergdorf Goodman! The look on his face as we were driving in the car when I read the confirmation was priceless.

So, on December 28, off we go to New York City to join the million-plus other tourists (we have learned New Yorkers do not go to Times Square on New Years Eve) to say goodbye to 2009 and welcome in the new year. And despite single digit temperatures and 35mph winds, we felt so fortunate to have crossed yet another experience off of our "Bucket List".

My nephew Cody was home from Los Angeles for the holidays and thought a New Year's Eve trip to New York City (as he called it ("NYE in NYC") was the perfect opportunity for him to visit friends there and make a dent in his bucket list also, so he flew up and joined us for a few days.

To me, besides the cultural opportunities, some of the best things about New York City are the restaurants, the Broadway shows and the shopping, and we spent as much time doing all three as possible. Our friend Al got us into his favorite Italian restaurant, our friend Leonard got us into his favorite French restaurant and the other wonderful places, we found on our own. We saw three amazing shows: the revival of "Hair", "Superior Donuts" and the new musical "Memphis". "Hair" was a bit more raunchy than I remember the original version from 1967, and like the original, there is a brief scene in the first act where the entire cast is nude. "Superior Donuts" was a touching story about the human condition adapting to change. But my very favorite show was "Memphis", which is perhaps the best Broadway show I have ever seen. The cast, stage sets and costumes were amazing, the music was contagious and the story is one that will move anyone who sees it.

Despite walking blocks and blocks every day we were in the city, eating out three meals a day took a toll on our already out-of-shape frames. And the numerous snowfalls and breathtaking winds made us a little homesick for the milder weather conditions at our Arkansas home on the mountain. So, it was a little ironic when we returned home and turned onto our driveway on January 4th and found it covered with snow and ice! A very poetic way to end the week, don't you think?

Happy New Year to all.

One of the Christmas Trees at the Marriott Marquis. We are on our way to dinner and a play.

Our nephew, Cody Alford, on New Year's Day in NYC.

Betty and Dennis having dinner at a wonderful French restaurant with our friend, Leonard Jacobs, Fox News panelist, theater critic and popular liberal blogger (http://www.clydefitchreport.com/).

A carriage in Central Park on a snowy afternoon.

Central Park on New Year's day, 2010.

Dennis and Cody at Columbus Circle.

Dennis and Cody on Time's Square during one of the four snowfalls during our visit to NYC. But the snow doesn't faze New Yorkers...they walk everywhere!

The ice rink at Rockefeller Center. The line was over a block long with people and their skates, waiting for a turn on the ice