NYC 2012 Day #1

It's that time of year--a recap of our adventures with 60 people on the island of Manhatten.
Our adventure begins Monday, June 11th around 9:30pm at the SLC airport, JetBlue terminal.
No matter how early Jackie and I arrive to check off everyone that's flying with us, there is always someone that gets there earlier (there are also students that start packing 3 weeks before we leave.  Jackie and I packed an hour before we left...).
As Jackie checked everyone off as they headed to security (where for the first time in a while, no one was detained...) we waited for our flight (11:35pm) to JFK.
We loaded and I was seated next to a father and daughter going to the city for the first time.  Jackie was on the other side of the plane next to the Coxes (chaperones since 2006...one day they'll get sick of it...that day may have already arrived...). 
Even with a melatonin and an Ipod sleep app, I only lightly dozed...but we landed without incident (that came later) at JFK before 6:00am. 
The weather looked cloudy with a potential of rain, but we were excited to go into the city, drop off our bags, meet up with other people (including Jackie's parents who had arrived from Portland a day earlier) and walk the Brooklyn Bridge before it rained on our heads.
Then we met the best bus driver we have ever had (and we've had some doozies...).  First, he was 45 minutes late picking us up.  He then yelled at Bob Guymon (our travel cordinator) when Bob asked him for help.  Then he refused to help load luggage.  Then his bus smelled like pee mixed with tree freshners.  Then he tried to play chicken on the freeway with a lady in her Range Rover.  Then he hit her.  Then he tried to talk to her but she refused to roll down her window to speak to him.  She called the cops.  Our driver stayed off the bus and refused to tell us what was going on.  45 minutes later, a cop arrived.  Took statements (all the while we are trying to call dispatch to get them to send another bus...) took our flight list which had everyone on the bus and their ages, was told by the cop to exit the freeway, wait another hour until we finally headed into the city.  Luckily, most people napped on the bus- but he was awful.
We arrived at our hotel on 8th and then me and every adult male (except our bus driver) risked life and limb unloading our luggage on the side of the street (our friendly driver told us that the compartments on the side of the sidewalk were locked and that he didn't have a key...).
We met up with our other travelers (esp. Ray and Renae who looked fresh as morning daisies not having just arrived on a red eye) and we passed out our Metrocards and we were all off on the subway (60 total people).
We invited 2 fellow Salt Lakers that had been on our flight to tag along with us because we had extra tickets to the 9/11 Memorial.  We didn't have time to do the Brooklyn Bridge, but we made it in time to enter the Memorial. 

The 2 fountains are huge and beautiful- and the museum looks like it'll be great when it opens.  After about 30 minutes, we met up and took everyone to St. Paul's Chapel (where George Washington worshipped).  After that, I volunteered to take adults to the Seaport TKTS so they could pick up their tickets for Wed. matinees a day ahead.  Jackie and Amanda Cox were off with students and others that already had their tickets to Grand Central Station for lunch.
Of course it began pouring rain the second we arrived at TKTS- and I also encountered the longest line I've ever seen there.  But, we made friends with the people in front of us (hope you made it to London friendly mom from Boston who got tickets to Spiderman for her 11 year old whose passport was expired so they couldn't leave the country...) and Kelly DeHaan shared his umbrella and songs with everyone in line.
After scoring our 50% off tickets for 1 Man 2 Guvners (and convincing a lot of people in our group to get them as well), we were off (soaking wet) to meet up at Grand Central.
Of course by that time, Jackie's group was done, but Jackie and Amanda graciously said they would take the group up 42nd St. to look at the NYC Library and Times Square while we ate (yummy chedder tomato soup).  After eating (and a nice cupcake from Magnolia thanks to Brent Cox) we were going to walk our group the same way Jackie and Amanda...until we saw the sheets of rain pouring down.
After that, it was the subway all the way to our hotel.
We arrived to find Jackie and Amanda's group (mainly students) looking like drowned rats.  Amanda and Jackie had taken control releasing luggage and rooms as they became available.  After looking at Jackie and realizing she was completely sleep deprived, we shipped her off to her room for some R & R so she could enjoy the show that night.
After a much needed shower and power nap, we were off to Peter and the Starcatcher.  We were excited because Christian Borle had just won the Tony for Best Supporting Actor 2 days earlier- a title well deserved. 
The play was charming- a fun and theatrical retelling of the origian of Peter Pan.  There was a moment in Act 2 involving Mr. Borle (playing Black Stache- a precursor to Captain Hook) involving a trunk that was one of the funniest moments of acting I have ever witnessed.  It was a perfect way to start the week (and wash off the nastiness of our awful bus ride).
After being stuffed like sardines (both physically and stomach wise- really John's Pizzeria?  Our whole group upstairs in a very tight confined space?  But we forgive you because your cookies were delish.) We walked around a slightly drizzly Times Square, changed our reservation for Top of the Roc from the morning to the night (we couldn't face an early morning after our red eye) and went to our hotel to fall unconsicious until Wednesday morning.  NYC 2012 had officially begun.