Judging from the lack of New York-ish posts around here in the past week, you’d never guess that I went to New York. But I’ve had the jet lag to prove it. Holy moly, people, I’ve never been hit so hard by jet lag. I blame it on the fact that I had to get up at 3 o’clock in the freakin’ morning to get to the airport. By the time I got home I had been up for 14 hours, which isn’t bad, but it was only 2:00 in the afternoon. I promptly took a five hour nap. And then I slept for ten more hours. And I still felt like crap for a couple of days. Next time, I’m definitely booking a later flight home.
Anyways…I spent a week in New York. And it was marvelous, every minute of it. Well, maybe not that minute I was dripping with sweat in the 90 degree heat. But otherwise, it was a fabulous trip. And you’re going to hear all about it, whether you want to or not. 
Over the next few days I’ll be posting about my adventures (which makes it sound wilder than it was), both with my mom as we played tourists, and at Book Expo America (BEA) and the very first-ever Book Blogger Convention (BBC).
Let’s start with the first few days (and just so you know, I totally write these posts for myself so three months from now I’ll be able to remember what I did!).
We (we being mom and me) flew into Newark late Saturday afternoon, and took a Super Shuttle to our hotel in Times Square. The shuttle ride was entertaining…at one point the driver was talking on two cell phones at once. The Englishwoman in front of me was outraged and pretty much shamed him into hanging up. I’m not sure he would have hung up for an American, so I might just owe my life to the British.
By the time we got to our hotel (the lovely Renaissance) and settled in it was time for dinner. We walked a few blocks south to 42nd St, to Simply Pasta, a restaurant that Nicole (of Linus’s Blanket) had recommended. I can now attest that Nicole has good taste in food. We had a quick, yummy and fairly cheap dinner and then walked back through the hordes of people to the hotel. Granted it was Saturday night, but I was amazed by how many people were out and about. I definitely felt small town.
On Sunday our goal was to visit The Cloisters. And it took some doing, but we finally found it (while we got off at the right subway stop, we took the wrong exit out of the subway and walked around and over (who knew there were hills in Manhattan?!) Fort Tryon Park until we finally stumbled upon the museum). The Cloisters is part of the Metropolitan Museum and it is built to look like a cloisters. It’s beautiful, and it’s filled with churchy treasures (that would be the official non-art history term, the correct term is medieval art and architecture), and the Unicorn Tapestries. It was so worth the trek to find it. No flash allowed, though, so please excuse the lousy photos.
After coveting the gold chalices and marvelling at the tapestries, we walked a few blocks north to the Dyckman farmhouse, which is cerainly the last thing you’d expect to find in a modern New York neighborhood (Inwood, to be exact):
And this is the view in the other direction:
The farmhouse was built in the 1780s and has been a museum since the early 1900s. One buck will get you a self-guided tour. There’s not much to the house, but it is interesting. And watch your step and your head on the way down to the winter kitchen!
Since it was mid-afternoon at this point and we had no other plans for the day, we took the subway down to Ground Zero. Believe people when they tell you there is nothing to see. We didn’t go into the museum.
On the way back to the hotel we ran into one of my heroes, and I was lucky enough to have my picture taken with him. How silly am I that this is one of the (many) highlights of the trip?
For dinner we headed over to Restaurant Row on 46th St and had wonderful Italian-style pizza at Tramonti. After dinner I was able to visit briefly with Amy (My Friend Amy), Trish (Hey Lady! Whatcha Readin’?), Lenore (Presenting Lenore), Natasha (Maw Books), Michelle (Galleysmith), Laura (I’m Booking It) and Pam (Bookalicious).
Whew. And that only takes me to bedtime on Sunday. More to come… (and yes, I promise I’ll get to BEA. Eventually.)
I have always wanted to go to the Cloisters — now more than ever. And I had no idea that the farmhouse existed in Manhattan! What a great find. And I’ve never turned the wrong way getting off the subway — ever (hey! how come my nose just got longer?).
.-= Beth F´s last blog ..Wordless Wednesday 80 =-.
I think my mom secretely enjoyed taking the longer, hillier version to the museum. She’s all about the exercise. We should hook her up with Dawn…she’d be happy as a clam to be walking in circles all day.
Sounds like you had a good first couple of days! You were busy. I wondered where that famed Unicorn tapestry was! Now I know. Off to plan a new trip to NYC.
.-= Serena´s last blog ..New York City, the Last =-.
There are multiple panels to the tapestry, too…I didn’t take more pictures because I thought they wouldn’t turn out. But it was all very cool…I’d definitely encourage people to go!
sounds like a whirlwind adventure!!!! i love new york but not in the summertime! we like to visit in the fall or winter mostly. even though we’re so close, we rarely do the tourist things. i’d never been to the top of the empire state building until 2008! sad, really.
loved your photos and hope you had a great time.
I love your pictures, especially the last one! And that farmhouse in the middle of nowhere (or should I say, everywhere) is really cool!
.-= rhapsodyinbooks´s last blog ..Review of “Into the Beautiful North” by Luis Alberto Urrea =-.
Amanda posted about The Cloisters, and now here you are tempting me, too! I sooo want to go. I might just snatch that unicorn tapestry and fold it neatly into my pocket and take it home. It’s a memory from my youth when I actually believed that the mountain goat with a horn implanted into its head at the circus was a real live unicorn.
Looking forward to more of your BEA posts. It got a little monotonous reading them this week, but yours seem fresh somehow. Maybe its because Elmo is in your post. So jealous!
.-= Andi´s last blog ..Who the H-E-L-L Am I? =-.
1) I hope you feel better from the jet lag now!
2) I’m a complete geek. I got excited seeing the unicorn tapistry – they have one like that in the 6th Harry Potter movie!!!
3) I went to Ground Zero a few years ago when I was in NYC. I was highly disappointed.
We got to NYC a few times a year but haven’t visited the Cloisters yet … it is going on my list! We’re still covering Central Park … still have a third of it left to explore after 5 visits! (Of course, we spend lots of time in the various cool playgrounds they have stashed all about … you probably wouldn’t spend as much time there as we did.)
Love Elmo!
.-= Jenners´s last blog ..Review: "How To Get Things Really Flat" by Andrew Martin =-.
What a beautiful church! And I know what you mean about Ground Zero. I expected…more. I feel guilty saying that. I love that you took your photo with Elmo!
.-= Helen´s last blog ..About Me Meme =-.
Oh wow! These photos are really bringing back memories for me of my first trip to NY a couple of years ago! I love the one you with Elmo! Looks like you had a great time
.-= Amused´s last blog ..Life is About Choices =-.
Well, I think I’m taking an early flight next time. I had a late flight home and after sitting in the airport for hours, my flight was canceled and I got home a day late. I loved getting to meet you!!
.-= bermudaonion (Kathy)´s last blog ..BEA/NY Day 1 =-.
I am so glad that you went out and really got to see some of the wonderful parts of New York that are off the beaten path. I think that you have given me the heads up on a few places that I have missed. And glad you like Simply Pasta! I am often overwhelmed by their menu, were you? There is so much to pick from. It is a standby for me before winetasting. Got to have that filling.
.-= Nicole´s last blog ..Hosting a Deliciously Successful Book Club Dinner, by Aviva Goldfarb =-.
I’m so jealous- I’d love to visit The Cloisters and your pics are absolutely incredible. Thanks for sharing them. I love that farmhouse. Seems so odd seeing it there. lol.
.-= Darlene´s last blog ..Sunday Ramblings & Buddy =-.
I love that you had your photo taken with Elmo!! He must have been excited to meet you.
The farmhouse photo really surprised me! I never imagined a farmhouse in NYC! Learn something new every day!
I would love to go to the Cloisters–so cool! And Simply Pasta is making my mouth water. Pasta is undoubtedly my favorite meal!
.-= Stephanie´s last blog ..The Sunday Salon =-.
I enjoyed meeting you and our couple of brief visits! I did more touristy stuff last year…this year I was more book focused!
.-= Lenore´s last blog ..Where My Last 20 Books Came From (8) =-.