Alison & Benjamin Take Manhattan!

The first three days in May found my wife, Alison, and my youngest son, Benjamin, on a school sponsored trip to New York City.  Months ago, when the trip possibility came up, we told Benjamin we could only afford to send one parent with him.  Benjamin must have taken less than a millisecond to decide to pick his mother. Oh well, I had been to NYC  multiple and Alison had been only once before.  This is a shot of Manhattan taken form the Staten Island ferry.

They saw one Broadway musical, and it was Phantom of the Opera.  So jealous! They enjoyed thoroughly but not every member of the tour group did.  Some fell asleep in it, and some said it was boring. That inexplicable attitude was the most disturbing part of the whole trip.  I have always wanted to see it performed onstage, and I hope Alison and Benjamin enjoyed it enough to go back with me someday.

Benjamin finds a tiger he likes at F.A.O. Schwartz.  The $349 "adoption  fee" proved to be a bit out of our league.

Benjamin is prepared to save the children while on the Staten Island Ferry.

Benjamin is recruited into the Halo army while at F.A.O. Schwartz.

I don't know. This is actually in New Jersey.  It's something to do with a bake shop featured in a shoe called Cake Boss, something I've never seen.  Some of the tour group spotted the sister of the guy who does the show and ran her down, cornered her, and got her autograph.  Hmmmm.  And some found Phantom boring.  Hmmmm. 

Benjamin finds Superman in Chinatown.  He's probably there to break up the fake Gucci rings.  Ok, probably not.

The entire motley tour group.  Benjamin is third to the end to the left on the front row.

Benjamin in front of one of the three churches they visited.

All in all, they had a blast.  Which is good.  Because all three of us are going to have to go back.  More musicals, large bookstores and Little Italy await us!