New York, New York -- Happy Birthday Kate!

Kate's birthday dinner at Le Bernardin

We celebrated Kate's birthday with a weekend holiday in New York City.  We jammed museums, theater, great restaurants, shopping and sight-seeing into three days in the city.  The first day we walked through Central Park and visited the Museum of Natural History.  On the way back the girls peeled off and did some shopping while the boys went back to the hotel to rest.

It was also Easter weekend, so FAO Schwartz had the biggest Peep display ever.  

More FAO Schwartz fun.  

The Dark Knight

Central Park

The model of a blue whale at the Museum of Natural History.  At 100 feet long they are the largest living animal -- and the loudest.  They can be heard 600 miles away.    

Cross section of a Giant Sequoia

Can you tell which person has had enough museum?  Or perhaps it's the fact that he and I flew in from Europe the night before so we were a little jet-lagged.  

Right out of Night at the Museum

Recently renovated entrance hall.  

Spotted on our walk through Central Park

Kate had Happy Birthday desserts both nights.  

The second Happy Birthday dessert. 

This is what happens when you ask the hotel desk clerk to take a family photo.  You get a great shot of their flower arrangement with a family in the distant background.  

Blooms in Central Park

The Empire State Building

On the second day the girls headed out for more shopping.  Grant & I went to the Empire State Building.  Fearing long lines, I went on line and bought "Fast Pass" tickets.  For a small fortune, we bypassed the security line, the ticket purchase line and the elevator line.  The only way to be faster would to be Superman and fly to the top.  These tickets were amazing -- they easily saved us 2 hours of waiting. The only downside was that we had to walk past all these other people who were waiting and waiting and waiting in line.  Luckily none of them knifed us.  I highly recommend the fast pass.

View from the top.  Freedom Tower in the background. 

The last elevator tells you your elevation as you ascend. 

The ice rink was still active at Rockefeller Center

There was a display of "eggs" around Rockefeller Center, all with a different design. This one was made of money.  

Kate's Happy Birthday cupcake from Magnolia Bakery

On Saturday night we saw Kinky Boots, a musical comedy.  Packed house.  Great show.

Grand Central Station is a beautiful building.  Especially at 7:30 Easter Morning when it was practically empty.  

On Sunday we drove out to Lori's sister Carol's house for Easter lunch. Or at least we tried.  The hotel valet brought Kate's car around from the parking garage.  We loaded up and went to leave --- and the car wouldn't start.  Long story short, the battery was low.  After sitting idle for three days, it had enough juice to start for the valet, but that was it.  It wouldn't start for us.

So there we were.  Stuck in NYC on Easter Sunday with a dead car.  So what did we do?  We called our trusty GEICO hotline, they sent a tow truck who jumped us off and we were good to go.  Needless to say it was a nervous hour waiting for him to come.  So on Monday we got Kate her final birthday present.  A new battery.