On The Road to Downtown, Uptown and Midtown Manhattan

Our second full day in NYC was full of surprises! My group had a very early wake-up call! We had to be at the stage door of the Good Morning America studios by 6:45 to see the show from "behind the scenes."  

 

My group already knew the GMA visit was in the plans - they didn't know if we'd be part of the local "talk-back" with ABC7 Chicago!  Luck was on our side, and my group of 6 not only got to stand on the set behind Robin Roberts, but they got to sing to her and all of Chicagoland from New York!

 

 

We stayed for the entire 2 hour show, which included special guest Diana Nyad, and the band Karmin! #KodakMoment!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once the show wrapped, with continued with our ambitiously planned day, heading downtown on the subway to see the 9/11 Memorial.  

We had to wait in a long security line to get in, but everyone understood.  There was strained sunshine, with a bone-chilling wind, which seemed appropriate during this emotional, yet powerful visit.

The Memorial is beautiful, with 2 large cascading fountain pools marking the locations where the Twin Towers stood.  The new Towers are magnificent, like a phoenix rising with resilience.  I wasn't the only one to shed a tear.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our day continued on an upbeat note, literally, as we took the subway Uptown to the Church of the Blessed Sacrament for the students' next concert.  Another impressive performance.

  

My Uncle Malcolm Varon, a native New Yorker, came to see the concert and then gave our group a brief tour of Central Park.  I say brief, because it was SO COLD and brutally windy, even the boys were complaining they needed to get out of the elements!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We wrapped up our day with another Broadway musical - "Matilda" at the Shubert Theatre.

 

 A jam-packed, exhausting yet fulfilling day.  At least we got to sleep in on Wednesday!