I had an early morning spa appointment at Bliss, the spa to the celebrities, and had to navigate through morning subway traffic. I eventually made it there, and back, in one piece. Adam was still asleep, but promptly woke up so we could go explore Central Park.

We took the subway near the park, and walked over to try to find an entrance. Our goal was the zoo, and while we could see it, we couldn't find a way in. We set down a pedestrian path along one of the roads that cars can take across Central Park. I was pretty sure that once we went down the road, we'd have to go the whole way across, but like Adam I thought there may be an entrance or something along the way. Well, no, we walked across the whole park (short way of course), made it to the other side, and then found a way in.

After a very leisurely stroll back, actually through the south end of the park this time, we eventually made it to the zoo. It cost $6.00 to get in, and while not the biggest or most expansive zoo we've been too, it was very well done, with a couple of great exhibits. The indoor rainforest was very neat with all types of flora and fauna directly from the rainforest. Next, we saw a Red Panda, which looks a bit like a raccoon. They were very cute. There were also penguins, river otters, snow monkeys, polar bears, and sea lions -- all animals that can stand the cold temperatures found in New York.

A minute or so down the road, there was also a children's zoo that was included in the admission. It was also very well done, and clearly designed for the enjoyment of children. Animals ranged from the typical barnyard goats and cows, to rabbits, fish and birds. Between the too zoos was a clock with dancing statues that went every half hour. It was about two minutes until 12:30, so we sat and watched the clock go. While the music was kind of out of tune, the statues of various animals were really cute.

We were getting quite hungry, and I remembered a neat looking café across from Grand Central. We headed back, and into the crowded restaurant. It was filled with the business set (which we took to be a good sign), but we were able to secure one of the tiny tables. I had a chicken sandwich with pesto aioli. The chicken and aioli was very good, but it came on foccacia that had olives all over it -- yuck! It was okay, I was pretty full after just the chicken. Adam had a very good steak sandwich. The meal was enjoyable, but we were in New York, and it was very expensive, more than a night out at Outback! I stopped into the Starbuck's across the street from the hotel to grab a chai, and we went exploring our hotel.

The 14th floor was two large public spaces, each with an outdoor patio. They were both gorgeous and a great spot of reading or chatting. It would also make a great spot for a party or very small wedding reception. There were also great views. Our room was still being cleaned, so we went to the 2nd floor to the Reading Room, where they serve breakfast and the evening reception. We sat and read the paper for awhile, until we thought our room was ready.

We were both a bit tired, and Adam wanted to try to finish Wicked before the show, so we held off on our plans to see the UN, and relaxed instead. We left around 5:30 to make our way to Times Square for dinner and our evening's show, Wicked.

Dinner was at a small pizza place called Leone's. We each had a slice and a soda, it was pretty good, even if the placemats were from 1978. Before the show we also poked around in some souvenir shops before heading in. Wicked was in the Gershwin Theater of 51st street. It was a great theater, with comfy seats. The set was amazing, and the show (while an almost complete departure from the book other than title, and characters) was very good. I had been nervous about the music, but it was very fitting to the show and very well done. The Wizard was played by Joel Grey, and I think that it will be neat to say we saw him in a show, as I don't think he'll do many more.

After the show, we walked home, about 20 minutes, but still a lot closer than we thought. After some Jay Leno, we fell right asleep!

Photos

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