True Companion: Yalies and Yorkers

Last week we traveled to New Haven, Connecticut, specifically Yale University to see my niece Savannah graduate! I had been there before 4 years previous when we dropped Savannah off to start her college years at Yale, but I had forgotten how beautiful it is there.

YALE

Yale is often compared to Hogwarts in Harry Potter, the old buildings, the dining halls, the libraries and they even have a quidditch team there!

Scott really loved all of the cool buildings and took lots of cool pictures.

The gang in front of the office where Savannah worked.

While Savannah was taking us on a tour of her college Scott found a box that he thought was a lost and found. He was very excited to find these awesome footie jammies. Savannah informed him that it was not a lost and found box but it was her friends packing box that she would be taking home. oops.

I thought this picture followed the footie pjs quite well. This lady gaga wannabe was standing next to us and we had to get a picture of her crazy shoes. I have no idea how she didn't tip over. I also wish we would have gotten a picture of the rest of her, she was quite a sight to behold.

Me and the Yale graduate

The Girls

Savannah needed a hat for class day, because it is a tradition for all the students to wear crazy hats. She wanted some sort of flower hat, so with the use of Maggie's head band we crafted a very nice flower hat for her. She was definitely the cutest one there.

Tom Hanks was the class day speaker! He gave a really good speech.

Tom Hanks walking up to the stage through the sea of students with crazy hats.

Just another example of Scott's great photography skills....

In the elevator in Savannah's church building.

We went up to the highest point that over looks New Haven.

So dang pretty

The Kleinleins

NEW YORK CITY

After all of the graduation festivities the Kleinleins headed to Washington DC and my mom, Gary, Scott and I hopped on a train to NYC.

Grand Central Station

The Chrysler building through the fog.

(Scott's photo)

There is just something so fun and exciting about hailing a taxi in New York.

Mom and I in the taxi that I successfully hailed for us. The cab driver was not too willing to pretend like he was the cash cab and ask us trivia questions.

TIMES SQUARE!

We found this street and had to get a picture, can't wait to go to the real Brazil.

ROCKEFELLER CENTER

(Not pregnant, just a food baby)

We went to the top of the Rockefeller center at night to see the city lights. Mom wasn't to excited about the elevator ride up.

She was just a little bit nervous to get close to the edge.

We took our own version of this famous photo.

GOOD EATS.....

One of mine and Scott's favorite thing about traveling is FOOD!

We looked up a bunch of different famous and highly ranked places to dine at.

Our first stop was the SHAKE SHACK. It has hamburgers, fries, shakes and concretes. It was so yummy, I don't love hamburgers but I would definitely go back there.

John's pizza.

I didn't get a picture of our pizza but it was oh so good.

Of course we needed dessert. I feel like I ordered cheesecake every where we went.

(Hence the earlier picture of my food baby)

We ate breakfast at this yummy little place that is right by Central Park.

They are known for their scones. So very good and such a cute little place.

(Thanks Julie, I saw this place on your blog and had to try it.)

In the bathroom at Alice's teacup :)

We stopped by Grays Papaya for some hot dogs. I wasn't too impressed and mom said she thought Costco has better dogs.

One of my picks...

I have always wanted the frozen hot chocolate from this place.

Well worth it. I loved every bit of it.

We also got a banana split to share

and I think we liked it....

We went into Brooklyn and ate at Sea, a Thai restaurant that had this cool floating boat in the middle.

One of Scott's picks...
This place only has french fries and a ton of different dipping sauces.

My favorite was the mango chutney and sundried tomato sauces!

How can you go wrong with fries?

The biggest sandwiches I have ever seen are located at this place....

We got the smaller sandwiches!

Hot Pastrami

(Brook I thought of you)

Ham, Egg and Cheese.

And of course Cheesecake!

CENTRAL PARK

I have always wanted to see this place, it is so big and pretty.

It was a long walk so I decided I needed a little break.

Nap time in Central Park.

SUBWAY RIDES

Gary loves the subway!

DO YOU SEE WHAT I SEE?

Angel Moroni amidst the buildings.

It was really awesome to walk into the Temple doors and out of the crowded, loud

and dirty streets.

MUSEUMS

Scott was very excited for his pick for museums...

The Intrepid is a decommissioned aircraft carrier that was used in WWII, that they turned into a museum. I wasn't too sure how interested I would be in this place, but I ended up really enjoying it. It is really cool and interesting.

Scott in front a F-16.

I have a love for these jets and feel like I have some sort of tie to them because of Bart :)

It was the first day of Fleet Week the day we were there. They had a parade of military ships down the Hudson river. We watched this active aircraft carrier dock.

They also have a decommissioned submarine. The tour guide said the men only got to shower once every 5 to 8 weeks and they had 400 cartons of cigarettes available for them. I do not know how they survived, aside from the stench that must have surrounded them, it was so claustrophobic in there. I wish I would have gotten a picture of their sleeping arrangements cause it was really unbelievable.

They were the little door ways we had to crawl through in between compartments.

This is a replica of the reentry module that the astronauts from the Gemini 3 spacecraft came back to earth in. Gemini 3 was the first crewed Earth orbiting spacecraft. When they came back to Earth and splashed down in the ocean, they were rescued and pick up by the Intrepid.

It said they had to lay in there like this for a long time waiting to be rescued and they said it was so hot because they had their astronauts suits on.

I thought that was really interesting.