It is time to move on to Mission Bell RV Park in Mission, Texas and our home for a few weeks. We stayed at this RV park last winter so we know many of the people who come here year after year. We get set into a routine quite quickly. We have met new people this year and it seems that most we meet and really get to know are Canadians. There are many here in this park. However right next door to us is a very nice couple from Topeka, Kansas. We have been to several dances and some Christmas shows. One which we saw last year and so much enjoyed again this year is called Raz-Mataz. They are a group of very talented high schoolers from here in Mission and the put on an exciting musical performance in the area at Christmas time. There are performers coming from Branson, and other Winter Texans who come to this area each year to entertain. There is something to do every night if one would want to.
On Dec. 15 we took a break from Mission, Texas to spend the week before Christmas in New York City. We have been there a couple of times and really wanted to experience the Christmas spectacular of NYC. We had a great time. The weather for the most part was cooperative and we were able to just enjoy walking and walking and walking around Central Park, our most enjoyed park in all of the USA, and the areas in and around Time Square. Rockefeller Center, all decorated with the huge Christmas tree and lights is spectacular.
We went to a few of museums, one being the The American Museum of Natural History. It is a huge museum covering at least a city block, maybe more, and 4 floors. This museum has a planetarium and we saw a program there, Collision of the Cosmos, describing the destruction done by meteor in the universe. This museum is so very interesting and a place we would recommend visiting. Another museum we went to, The Body Museum, had many cadavers mostly in upright poses showing various parts of the body, how the body functions and how disease and injury can affect it. Also shown in detail were muscles, ligaments, tendons blood vessels etc. Some very interesting facts we learned: There are more than 60,000 miles of arteries, veins and capillaries in an adult body. (not a typo) and the heart beats 100,000 times a day. We have an awesome God. This museum, too, was quite interesting and one we would recommend. If you go to this website, http://www.bodiesny.com/, you can see pictures of some of the specimens we saw.
We visited 3 very old churches, I think all were Episcopalian. These old churches are quite beautiful on the inside as well as the outside. One is the largest Gothic Style Cathedral in the world. This Cathedral has several small chapels surrounding the main nave which is 600 feet long and holds 5,000 worshipers. The 162 foot dome roof could comfortably contain the statue of Liberty (minus its pedestal). There are 8 massive columns surrounding the alter, each 155 feet tall, 6 feet in diameter and weighing 130 tons. The main entrance has a 40 foot diameter Great Rose stained glass window with 10,000 pieces of glass just above the 18 foot high by 6 foot wide door. This should give you some idea of the massive size of this yet to be completed Cathedral.
We used the subway as our means of transportation when it was too far to walk or when it was too cold, which by the way, did not happen often. We went to 3 Broadway shows, The Jersey Boys, a story about Frankie Valle and the 4 Seasons, The Radio City Music Hall Rockettes, and 13, a musical about the trials of becoming 13 (with a cast of all young teens). These shows are lots of fun but costly so we will just have to settle for the entertainment in Mission, Tx. How funny, cause there is no comparison. We were only allowed to take pictures at this one theatre. Notice, in the picture below, how the Rockettes are just folding down into a prone position. This was quite interesting to watch and they did it very slowly and oh so smooth.
We went to Ground Zero, the Trade Center grounds to see the rebuilding progress and found nothing. They now have put a plastic covering over the fence so visitors cannot see the progression and have posted a web address to find out about the rebuilding progress, http://www.wtcupdates.com/. You can go there to see pictures of what is being done. They have a long way to go. I wonder if it will happen in our lifetime. LOL. We went to Macy’s twice and Bloomingdales just to say we had been there. The first time we went to Macy’s it was almost too busy to get in the door. When we went back a later day it was not so busy and we found most people were just looking and no one buying much. This was just a couple of days before Christmas. We saw first had how slow the buying is this Christmas. Bloomingdales is just what we expected….way too expensive for us. We were not buying anyway. LOL…our luggage is full. We ate at a couple of unique restaurants. One was the Boathouse in Central Park. It is located on a small lake in the park where in the summer you can rent boats to take out on the lake. This restaurant was lovely. It was Sunday so we were there for their Brunch menu. Most items had eggs in them. Gene had a bacon quiche and Sue an omelet with cottage fries. Very good and quite elegant.
One other memorable meal we had was the last night we were in NYC. We went to Ellen’s Stardust Diner. The waiters, about 10 of them, also are singers and took turns singing while we ate our dinner. These waiters are waiting for their turn at Broadway or in between gigs. It was a fun evening. We each had a Rueben sandwich and then shared a delicious apple cobbler with ice cream. Our return trip to Texas was pretty much uneventful except for a very slight delay boarding at both LaGuardia and the Dallas air port. We were very lucky as this was a horrible day for air travel and we heard later there were over 5,000 flights across the USA that were cancelled due to bad weather. The delays did not affect people flying out of NYC but people were unable to make their connecting flight to get in. On the first leg of our flight we were not sitting in seats beside one another so it was a long flight as we missed being able to sit together but lived through it. Since arriving back we have been quite busy. Christmas day we had a very nice Christmas dinner, ham and all the trimmings, at the club house here at Mission Bell RV Park. We have been to 4 dances and spent time visiting with new friends here in the park. We decided not to attend a New Years Eve party or dance and opted to go out for dinner and to a movie. We are just too old to stay up that late. It is not fun any more. LOL. Sue has exercise with a group each morning during the week while Gene walks and in the afternoon we both walk about 2 miles at a very nice park near the RV Resort. And the weather here is great, with temperatures averaging mid 70’s with highs up to almost 90 some days. We started 2008 here at the park and now are ending it here. It seems like home a little bit. 2008 has been a full year and we praise God for all He has given us and especially for our good health and our safety.
One other memorable meal we had was the last night we were in NYC. We went to Ellen’s Stardust Diner. The waiters, about 10 of them, also are singers and took turns singing while we ate our dinner. These waiters are waiting for their turn at Broadway or in between gigs. It was a fun evening. We each had a Rueben sandwich and then shared a delicious apple cobbler with ice cream. Our return trip to Texas was pretty much uneventful except for a very slight delay boarding at both LaGuardia and the Dallas air port. We were very lucky as this was a horrible day for air travel and we heard later there were over 5,000 flights across the USA that were cancelled due to bad weather. The delays did not affect people flying out of NYC but people were unable to make their connecting flight to get in. On the first leg of our flight we were not sitting in seats beside one another so it was a long flight as we missed being able to sit together but lived through it. Since arriving back we have been quite busy. Christmas day we had a very nice Christmas dinner, ham and all the trimmings, at the club house here at Mission Bell RV Park. We have been to 4 dances and spent time visiting with new friends here in the park. We decided not to attend a New Years Eve party or dance and opted to go out for dinner and to a movie. We are just too old to stay up that late. It is not fun any more. LOL. Sue has exercise with a group each morning during the week while Gene walks and in the afternoon we both walk about 2 miles at a very nice park near the RV Resort. And the weather here is great, with temperatures averaging mid 70’s with highs up to almost 90 some days. We started 2008 here at the park and now are ending it here. It seems like home a little bit. 2008 has been a full year and we praise God for all He has given us and especially for our good health and our safety.
